Say goodbye to the 30th Street Station flip board

Guests: Inga Saffron, Mark Kuhn, Brendan Boyle

Say goodbye to 30^th Street Station’s iconic flip board sign. According to Amtrak, the clickity-clacking display board that advises travelers as to arrivals and departures, has become obsolete and a new easier-to-read digital screen will better meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. But, the news that Amtrak will replace the board this year has created a wave of nostalgia for the good old days of “analog” signs. Those lamenting the change also point to the board’s distinctive sound that travelers have come to depend for updated travel information. We’ll start off the hour talking about the tug between the 30^th Street sign, technology and aesthetics with Philadelphia Inquirer architecture critic INGA SAFFRON and  MARK KUHN, CEO of Oat Foundry, a Philadelphia firm that manufactures similar boards. We’ll also hear from Congressman BRENDAN BOYLE, who spoke with Amtrak’s CEO about the removal of the sign.