🚶‍♀️ Philadelphians are ditching their cars | Morning Newsletter

Good morning. It’s finally Friday.

There may be clouds in the sky, but they should gradually clear throughout the day, with a high near 56.

Philly is known for being one of the best cities to live in without a car (though not all neighborhoods have the same access to public transit). It seems more and more Philadelphians have made the decision to get rid of their cars in recent years.

In our lead story, hear from a couple of people who walked away from their vehicles and say they aren’t looking back.

— Paola Pérez (@pdesiperez, morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Dajé Walker is feeling real good after moving on from her car.

Gone are the days of paying $300 a month for her vehicle, another $100 for insurance, and up to $250 a month for a convenient and safe parking spot at a private lot.

The benefits of Walker’s new lifestyle aren’t just financial, though — they’re mental and physical, too.

In her own words: “My car, it was a complete crutch,” Walker said. “Now that I’m forced to walk, I’m seeing the city more than I did before.”

After a surge in car-buying statewide at the height of the pandemic, there are signs that some Philadelphians like Walker are walking away from their cars in recent years.

By the numbers: In 2022, the number of registered vehicles in the city dropped by 3.6%, according to the most recent state data. This coincided with a time period when the city’s population decreased by 1.4%.

Rising costs: The price of car ownership has also skyrocketed. In the past year, car insurance premiums nationwide have far outpaced inflation, and drivers who owned a new car paid more than $12,000 a year on average, according to AAA, which accounted for the costs of car payments, gas, maintenance, and insurance.

Keep reading to hear from some Philadelphians on what you can gain by going carless, and their perspective on the psychological cost of being a car owner in Philly.

On Thursday, investigators began to sift through the charred ruins of an East Lansdowne home that erupted in flames the previous day following a standoff with police that led to two officers being shot.

The officers were wounded while responding to reports that an 11-year-old girl had been shot inside the house that was later set ablaze.

Six family members — three children and three adults, including the alleged gunman — are presumed dead.

What we know about the family: The home was occupied by three generations of the Le family. And one of its residents, Canh Le, 43, has been identified by family members as the person who opened fire at two police officers who went there to investigate a report that he had shot his niece, sources said.

Le’s father, Huong, made the initial 911 call to police after his older son reportedly shot one of Xuong Le’s daughters, the sources said. He then ran to safety with his wife, Chin, as police officers arrived to investigate.

With frustration, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said that the full scope of what happened inside the ruined home Wednesday may never be fully understood.

The flames that engulfed the house destroyed important evidence, authorities said, and in the coming days, investigators may need to rely on dental records and other forensic testing to identify victims.

Keep reading for more on the ongoing investigation and what we know and don’t know right now.

Last month, we asked Inquirer readers which Eagles players they think should stay or go next season.

Which of the following players was the top pick to stay?

A) Jason Kelce

B) D’Andre Swift

C) Jalen Hurts

D) Jake Elliott

Think you know? Check your answer.

🚋 Wondering: Can Gov. Shapiro’s transit funding proposal save SEPTA?

📰 Reading: Stephanie Farr’s column on the city walking back its social media crackdown for Philly libraries.

❓ Answering: What happened to using highway shoulders as additional lanes on the Blue Route and Schuylkill Expressway.

✨ Anticipating: Boathouse Row will soon be lit again! (We mentioned this in Thursday’s newsletter, but in our excitement over the pretty lights, we accidentally left out some text about it.)

Hint: His opera Champion, conducted by Philadelphia Orchestra music and artistic director Yannick Nézet-Séguin, won in the “best opera recording” category at the 66th Grammy Awards.

BALANCED TRENCHER

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Marsha Suszkowski who correctly guessed Thursday’s answer: Plymouth Meeting.

Thanks for starting your morning with The Inquirer, even when the news gets tough to bear. Take care, and I’ll bring you the latest happenings on Sunday.

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