Category bike

Bike sharing will be coming to Philadelphia in 2014

I’ve brought up the subject of bike sharing in the past, but I didn’t think I would be re-blogging about the subject again so soon.

Especially, in the context of bike sharing actually becoming a reality.

The plan is to have 650 bikes by 2014, and then up the supply to 1,200 bikes by 2015. The goal is to connect the Center City, University City, and Temple University areas by bike, and see how it performs.

My guess is that since Philadelphia is such a popular and well-recognized bicycling city, a bike share program will do very well here.

Wanna go for a ride?

Uh, a bike ride that is.

It’s no secret to local Philadelphians that people love to ride their bikes around town, especially in Center City and it’s surrounding neighborhoods. So much so that if you drive around those areas regularly, you are constantly on the lookout for bikers when you attempt to either make a turn or parallel park your car; I know I do.

But it may come as a surprise to some of you that in 2011 Philadelphia was voted the “#1 US City for Bicycle Commuting.” Not only were we seen as number one, but we had almost double the amount of commuters; crazy, right?

Philly loves to bike, and it’s getting more popular every year.

Coming Soon … “The Circuit”

Since the 1970s, the Greater Philadelphia region has really focused on expanding its trail system for biking, jogging, etc.

The good news is that it’s been working!

Fast forward 40 years and look where things are now. Our regional trail system has become so large and diverse, that Mayor Nutter has taken the initiative to condense all of our hard work into one large, expansive trail network.

Welcome to The Circuit!

250 miles of local trail work is currently in existence, with another 50 miles being constructed as we speak. The goal of The Circuit is to have a total of 750 miles connecting many parts of the tri-state area. The best news is that the cost to do so is relatively inexpensive when compared to highway funding, and the entire project could be realized within 25 years.

What do you think about Mayor Nutter’s vision?