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The Bicycle Coalition estimates that 36,000 commuters bicycle to work at least once a month in Philadelphia On a typical day in 2001, Philadelphia had an estimated 11,000 bicycle commute-to-work trips, a majority of the 19,000 bicycle commute-to-work trips throughout the Delaware Valley

Bicyclists travel 260,000 miles a day in Philadelphia on 75,000 bike trips

300,000 Philadelphians bicycle at least once a month during the summer

Up to 600 bicycles an hour cross the Schuylkill River Bridges during the evening rush

In 2000, 3.2% of Center City workers and 0.4% of Delaware Valley workers biked to work.

In 2005, approximately 6% of all trips in Center City and surrounding neighborhoods were made by bicyclists

In 2006, 1.2 % of workers in Philadelphia (6403) biked to work as their primary mode of transportation

43% of Delaware Valley cyclists surveyed in 2005 bicycle daily or almost daily

More than 400 bicycles on transit trips are taken daily on NJ TRANSIT's RiverLINE

The number of Philadelphia bicycle commuters increased 76% between 1990 and 2006In 2006, the percentage of Philadelphian commuters who used bikes was 1.2% of 550,988 of workers 16 years or older, up from 0.9% in 2000, and 0.6% in 1990

At the intersection of Broad and Chestnut Streets, there was a 44% increase in bicyclists counted during the evening rush hour from July 2006 to July 2008

Bicycling on the bridges over the Schuylkill River rose 15% between 2007 and 2008

Bicycling on the bridges over the Schuylkill bridges increased 12% annually between 1990 and 2006

Bicycling on the Schuylkill bridges more than doubled (163%) between 1990 and 2008

61% of Delaware Valley bicyclists surveyed use bikes for utilitarian purposes (commuting to school or work, work –related, social visits and errands); 35% use them for recreation.

In the Delaware Valley region, between 22-34% of bicyclists are women and 64-76% are men

In Center City, 31% of bicyclists use helmets

 Bicycling is faster than driving, walking or taking the bus across Center CityAs of 2006, 35% of the occupied housing units in Philadelphia and 51% of the occupied rental housing units did not have a vehicle.More than 25 % of all trips are made within one mile of the home, more than 40 % of all trips are within two miles of the home, and 50 % of the U.S. working population commutes five miles or less to work. Yet more than 82% of trips five miles or less are made by personal motor vehicle.Philadelphia workers commute mostly by driving (61%), followed by taking public transportation (26.4%), walking (8%) and riding a bicycle (1.2%).  Philadelphia’s bicycle commute “mode share” (1.2%) is larger than New York City’s (0.6%) and Chicago’s (0.9%), but not as large as Washington DC’s (2.0%) and Portland Oregon’s (4.0%). 

           Delaware Valley bicyclists surveyed favor more bike lanes on roads over other bicycle facilities

Delaware Valley bicyclists surveyed favor more secure bike parking over other amenities

Lack of bike lanes, unsafe road conditions and the speed/volume of traffic were cited by bicyclists as the top three reasons for not riding more (after weather conditions).

Philadelphia has 205 miles of bicycle lanes

The City of Philadelphia has installed approximately 1000 bicycle racks in Center City and surrounding neighborhoodsChicago has installed 10,000 bike racks

New York City has installed 4,700 bike racks

Portland, Oregon has installed over 3,000 racks

  When bicycle usage doubles, the crash risk for each individual declines by one third 

How has driving changed since $4 gas?

As of July 2008, gasoline consumption is down nationally 3% from 2007 and is below July 2005 levels

SEPTA 2008 Regional Rail Ridership is up 11% over 2007

DRPA Bridge traffic declined by 5% in June 2008

In Pennsylvania, vehicle miles travelled on urban roads and streets declined by 3.9% between May 2007 and May 2008

In June 2008, SEPTA's total ridership was up 13 percent compared with June 2007

In one year, riding a bicycle versus owning and driving will save an individual $8,000. On average, commuting 10 miles a day by bike instead of car burns 110,250 calories (keeping off 30 pounds of fat each year) and saves 3,500 lbs. of greenhouse gas emissions each year Commuting by bicycle for 15 minutes each way (about 2-3 miles) meets the Center for Disease Control's minimum recommendation of 30 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per day

Regular physical activity may help reduce your risk for many diseases including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancers, and osteoporosis. It also helps to control weight; contributes to healthy bones, muscles, and joints; and reduces falls among older adults.

 

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