🥔 Would you pay $88 for a potato?

The Philadelphia Parking Authority (PPA) touts a steady decline in speeding since the inception of its Automated Speed Enforcement program, according to a new report. On Broad Street, speeding dropped 67% between October 2025 and March 2026, and nearly 800,000 warning notices and violations were issued to motorists. Roosevelt Boulevard has seen a 95% decrease in violations since speed cameras were added to the heavily trafficked corridor. Across the city these cameras have also picked up drivers attempting to circumvent enforcement by driving with unreadable license plates.

• Cameras Continue Expansion. New cameras were activated on Route 13 this week, spanning along Baltimore Avenue in West Philly and Hunting Park Avenue in North Philly. Drivers who exceed 25 miles per hour will receive a notice, but fines ranging from $100 to $150 won’t be issued until Oct. 30. Speed cameras in four school zones also began full enforcement at the end of August.
• Take It to Court. You can dispute a speed camera ticket within 30 days of receiving your notice of violation.
• The Era of Automated Enforcement. The cameras join a growing network of automated enforcement technology in the city. SEPTA, in partnership with the PPA, has equipped buses and trolleys with AI-assisted cameras to identify and fine violators for parking or stopping in public transit lanes.
• Do Other Enforcement Tools Actually Work? The Philadelphia Police has its own automated license plate readers on poles and police vehicles. These devices can cross-reference plates with lists of stolen vehicles and other police reports. But the Philadelphia Police Department said it doesn’t have department-wide data on how often the technology has led to arrests or helped solve violent crimes.

Germantown Complex Collected Rent Illegally

The Department of Licenses and Inspections hit the owners of the Annex at Germantown apartment complex with violations for operating without a rental license since its opening in 2024. The landlords have since obtained a license, but one tenant said she was intimidated by employees for attempting to inform other tenants of the lack of a license. [🎧 City Cast Philly]

• Related: Know your rights as a renter. [📝City Cast Philly]

Thousands Could Lose Medicaid Due to New Work Requirements

Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services is alerting Medicaid enrollees that, come January, they may have to prove they work or volunteer 80 hours a month to stay insured. The city has formed groups to identify and enroll people who are eligible for Medicaid and create avenues to help enrollees meet the new federal guidelines. [WHYY]

Betting Big on Corruption

Ethics experts are sounding the alarm over the growth of prediction markets in Pennsylvania, where users are betting on everything from election outcomes to policies. Concerns stem from the state’s lack of a specific ban on public employees making insider bets on these platforms. Instead, existing ethics laws bar public officials from using insider knowledge for financial gain. But it's hard to know exactly who is on these platforms. [Spotlight PA]

Is This Caviar-Topped Baked Potato That A-Peel-ing?

According to this Inquirer reporter, nope. Mr. Edison, a new restaurant at the Bellevue Hotel, is serving a baked crab au gratin-stuffed potato with caviar for a whopping $88. Perhaps the moral is that just because you can pair something together doesn’t mean you should. Would you try it? [🔒 The Inquirer]

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