The Philadelphia Bike Story
In all U.S. cities with over a 1 million population, Philadelphia sports the highest percentage mode of bicyclists. In 2012, the U.S. Census estimated Philadelphia’s bicycle commuting rate at 2.3%, higher than Chicago (1.6%) or New York (1.0%)
It's just about always been that way. In a city that doesn't have a lot of fancy newfangled bike lanes or bike infrastructure, that often surprises many. But there are a myriad of reasons why.
For one, Philadelphia has a very narrow street grid which - unfortunately - doesn't allow for ample room to paint bike lanes in many neighborhoods, but it does have the effect of producing streets where cars and bikes are sharing the road at a reasonable speed. That means bikes are sometimes squeezed but that the slower pace makes biking feel more like a negotiation with drivers. Street users come to frequent stops at intersections thanks to 4-way stops. The traffic light sequencing is short. And the city's residents also tend to live closer to their jobs than most other places, making biking more of an option.
Thanks to Alex Doty, the Executive Director of the Bike Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, you'll hear many more reasons why there are a good many cyclists in his city. But in the end most people use the bike because it is the fastest, most logical option.
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The safety stop is awesome. We just got it passed here in Colorado in April of 22 and now riding in town is so much easier and enjoyable.
Very cool, I've watched more than a thousand city cycling videos and have never seen this one in Philadelphia before. My wife and I are planning a car trip with our bicycles in tow from West Palm Beach, FL. to Canton ave. in Pittsburgh and want to visit Philly. I didn't know the city has such a bicycle culture, I love it.
@StreetfilmsCommunity
2 жыл бұрын
I gotta get back to Pittsburgh again soon!
Great to see so many people riding bikes there! The same arguments are valid here in Amsterdam: old city streets are not made for cars, so bike is fastest and safety is by strength of numbers. And most importantly: riding your bike is fun!
@ShermanSitter
6 жыл бұрын
too bad i live in LA where EVERYTHING was made for cars, including the housing and residential areas.
@mbords01
2 жыл бұрын
They are all young, behind 50!
@ishaqmo7200
2 жыл бұрын
@@mbords01 go travel to Amsterdam, you see people from 8 to 80 riding bikes around
When it is hard to drive, people ride bikes.
@ShermanSitter
6 жыл бұрын
True. I also do so because its awesome, fun, and a much better way to live and commute. :)
@mardiffv.8775
5 жыл бұрын
I agree. According to Copenhagenize, the nr. 1 reason for cycling is convient.
Great video.. I did the entire new bike path today with my wife and it was super enjoyable. I am happy the new bridge like part is as wide as it is, they considered the growing size of the city. Philly.. greatest place on earth
@ShermanSitter
6 жыл бұрын
Bicycle paths are such a relief when you are fighting traffic and trying to survive!
@TonyRomearound
6 жыл бұрын
Noah Accorsi The city of Philadelphia is the biggest shithole in the world. How could you say that it's the greatest place on earth? You should have your head examined.
@raynellholmes1011
5 жыл бұрын
@@TonyRomearound Because he avoid and ignored the shitty parts like all other people privileged enough to do so. I lived on 22nd and Tioga for seven years after moving to philly from down south back in 2007. Within 7 months a kid was murdered around the block from my apartment less than 50ft from my door. Watching this I feel like their almost talking about a totally different city. I was born in philly and glad my parents left in the 80s.
I’ve moved to Philly from DC pretty recently. DC generally has more bike infrastructure, but phillys geography being basically table flat and home to narrow streets allow for it to be an optimal biking city, in spite of its lack of bike lanes
i love my bike, its my car. forget the 6 pack abs, and immense endurance, its how i get around.
I am a bicycle commuter in Philly. There have been a lot of bike infrastructure improvements in Philly, but we’re still way behind compared with other similar cities
I'm ur 800th subscriber and bike in Philly all the time good work on the bid
@ShermanSitter
6 жыл бұрын
I would love to live in a bicycle friendly environment! Los Angeles will be there in another 50 or 60 years...
@Paul_C
5 жыл бұрын
DFTA (Don't Feed The Animals), don't think so, only when oil either runs out completely or when it will cost about 250 dollar per gallon.
I would love to see this extended to Delco.
@jaxonduke5214
2 жыл бұрын
Sorry to be so offtopic but does any of you know of a way to log back into an Instagram account? I somehow forgot my account password. I love any tricks you can offer me!
@austinedgar7462
2 жыл бұрын
@Jaxon Duke Instablaster ;)
Alex Doty totally rocks!
We need more bike lane in South Philadelphia
Im in philly just visiting, and this is the only time i can see where a city can use a bike
Great, keep it going guys.....get out of those cars and into good health!
Next step is to divide the city centre with roads that are closed for regular vehicle traffic and surround the city with a ring road to get around and free parking lots outside the city with good, fast and reliable transit to the center. This way you’ll move cars out of the way and you’ll increase bike safety, air quality and the bike will stand out to be the better option for even more people.
@hetedeleambacht6608
11 ай бұрын
God, Belgium, next to the Netherlands is supposed to be a biking paradise as well....which it sort of is (not compared to the Netherlands!) but....honestly, everybody seems to catch up except the Belgians!! Soon you will have better biking infrastructure then us! We have a very pro car gouvernment that is very slow to banning cars out of the small historic city centers ....all our tax money goes to endless parking lots that are 2/3 empty most of the time. If you build a new house you are OBLIGED to build a parking into it, even if you dont need one (Belgium is very small and densily inhabited, good public transport and bike infrastructure would get you from a to b 90 percent of your movements)
Maybe the liberty bell was on a bike... ;-)
try riding a bike in Manayunk or germantown
Does anyone know how the biking infrastructure has changed since this video was made?
@BigDrawersMcGraw
Жыл бұрын
The schuylkill river trail is always expanding, and I can ride 60 miles to philly with barely any interaction with cars. It is immaculate. This is my first year riding, but philly has LOTS of safe bike lanes and streets! I bike here with my girlfriend too! A big protected bike lane was also just added to Delaware Ave in philly this year!
"Streets of Philadelphia" by Springsteen. That's why.
Philly is very flat but it has sections like in Manayunk that have crazy hills.
It isn't about trails, it is for travel from A to B. Not a trail, shopping for food.
When I moved to Fairmount from Ambler in 1998, I got rid of my car and rode a bike everywhere in Philadelphia, because it’s a very expensive and time consuming hassle to own a car in Philadelphia. If you’re single, in decent shape, and you don’t have kids, it’s a must to ride a bike in Philadelphia. It’s also exhilarating to ride a bike around that city because the streets and sidewalks are full of open space to navigate. Sometimes you need to be working with the traffic around you, but when the traffic lights are in your favor and a big gap in traffic opens up on Broad Street or Market Street, it feels like the city is all yours. There was nothing in the world like flying down the Ben Franklin Parkway toward the PMA, and up to the new Whole Foods behind the Rodin museum, or turning the corner at 2nd and Arch after a delicious cup of coffee at United by Blue. Unfortunately, Philadelphia is a haven for pathological social justice warriors who are only kind to their white bosses. If you’re white and you aren’t a wealthy business owner there, you will be hated, bullied, and persecuted. There are many other wonderful places in the country to ride a bike. I think college students there have the best plan: go to Philly, experience the best it has to offer for four years, ride a bike there, get your degree, and get out of there as soon as possible before the sociopaths turn your life into a nightmare.
@raynellholmes1011
5 жыл бұрын
I was born in Phily(1980). Raised in the south. I lived in philly however for four years from 2007 to 2011 on 22nd and Tioga. After living in Miami for 7 years one thing is apparent about all east coast cities along the I-95 corridor and that unis they are very socially and economical divided. Just look at rittenhouse square. This is why a coffee house manager of a chain as large as Starbucks feels liberated enough to call cops on people that dont fit that dont fit the bill. Maybe those so called "social justice warriors" you're referring to are trying to open the eyes of the privileged and welcomed.
Bicycles make life and cities better. Fossil fuels free transportation.
Why are bikes and people sharing space? Runners on bike paths haha
@notthegoatseguy
5 жыл бұрын
Several of these paths seem to be more multi-use paths/greenways. So it is open to anything that doesn't run on a motor.
@yagi3925
2 жыл бұрын
@@notthegoatseguy Yes but this is precidely the problem. Biking and walking are two different things and activities. Having pedestrians and cyclists sharing the same lane/space is hazardous for both.
@yagi3925
2 жыл бұрын
It's typical for countries that are in the process of improving their public spaces but still don't have a strong bike culture. Typically something you'd hardly ever see in say Denmark or the Netherlands.
Philadelphia isn't flat. Bike north or through university city. Atlantic City is flat. Love biking in the shore.
We are too nice. We should ride in the middle of the street ALL THE TIME. I am so sick of rude & idiotic drivers. Why must you zoom past me, squeezing by just so you can stop in traffic 10 feet later?
Not the number one hmmm okay so who is the number one of the world?