Philly by Bike
LEVERAGING 2026 TO ENHANCE THE QUALITY & CONNECTIVITY OF PHILADELPHIA’S BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE
An influx of visitors in 2026 will put Philadelphia’s bike infrastructure to the test
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2026 will bring an estimated 500,000 visitors from around the world to the semiquincentennial (the 250th 4th of July), the FIFA World Cup, the MLB All-Star Game. All of these events will coincide with July 2026—already the busiest month for cycling in any given year. The events of 2026 coincide with the goal set by the Kenney administration to build 40 miles of protected bike lanes by. Despite a concerted effort to increase safety, 2023 has been the deadliest year on record in regard to cycling fatalities.
As the Indego bike share system continues to grow quickly, it’s critical for the Parker administration to prioritize investments that can maximize the quality of the “hub and spoke” bicycle network to complement this growth and ensure cyclists’ safety. How can Philadelphia’s bike infrastructure—both Indego and the street network—be prepared to give visitors a safe and comfortable experience by bike?
“We are proud to announce the City has installed separated bike lanes on more than 24 miles of streets and are on track to reach our Vision Zero goal of 40 miles by 2025.”
—Mayor Kenney in May 2023 press release
Growth in cycling continues to transform urban transportation
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As public transit in the US has struggled to recover ridership in the wake of the pandemic, bike, e-bike, and e-scooter sharing systems across the country—together known as micromobility—have broken ridership and expansion records. This impact is felt the strongest in the large, dense cities like Philadelphia as the number of cities served by bike share systems have plateaued, but the number of bike share stations continues to grow steadily.
“...tourists accounted for more than a third of all users of the bike-share system over more than four years”
—Richard Buning, The Conversation
Cycling in Philadelphia, and our bikeshare system Indego, have taken part in this national trend of growth. Indego has already surpassed it’s pre-pandemic peak, going from 275,000 rides in Q3 2019 to 353,000 in Q3 2023. This rapid recovery has featured growth in e-bikes. Just 21% of rides were e-bikes in 2021, while a bare majority (54%) of rides have become e-bikes in Q3 2023.
2.3%
Percent of Philly residents who commuted by bike in 2021
9.2%
Increase in bicycle traffic over the Schuylkill River bridges between 2021 and 2023
Biking Challenges
An urgent need to address cycling safety amidst rise in injuries and deaths
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While this growth in cycling in Philadelphia is something to be celebrated, we simultaneously have to work to ensure the safety of this growing group of cyclists. 11 cyclists have been killed by collisions with cars in 2023—the deadliest year on record for cyclists in Philadelphia.
Traditional bike lanes and bike route planning
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Biking Lanes in Philadelphia vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. The current infrastructure in the city is dominated by shared biking lanes and traditional bike lanes or advisory lanes which compromises cyclist safety. Recently, in 2022 the City of Philadelphia piloted Parking Separated Bike Lanes(PSBLs) which resulted in a reduction in crashes, decreased vehicle speeds by 6%, and a 96% increase in the bike was seen where PSBL was implemented. (Particularly JFK Boulevard and Market Street)
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The traditional bike route planning in Philadelphia relies on connecting trip destinations, assessing street width, and considering road typology, primarily in dense urban areas. This approach, while catering to the local community, falls short in providing seamless connectivity from point A to B, particularly for visitors or those using bike share programs. The challenges are further exemplified in infrastructural designs, such as those on Broad Street and Lower Moyamensing, where door zones in traditional lanes pose safety risks among bikers, and the overall traditional routes may not necessarily offer attractive features for visitors. Addressing these challenges is essential for creating a safer, more inclusive, and visitor-friendly biking environment in the city.
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“Parking Separated Bike Lane pilot saw almost TWO FOLD increase in the number of bikes”
—Philadelphia PSBL Study Final Report
source: opendataphilly/crashdata
3.1%
of all Philadelphia crashes are Bike Crashes
INDEGO Bike-Share and its future expansion plans​
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Indigo's strategic growth initiative spanning from 2021 to 2026, coinciding with significant events, is geared towards extending its presence to communities in South, West, North, and Northwest Philadelphia. The plan involves nearly doubling its size, boasting a total of 3,500 bikes and 350 stations. The expanded network will connect Germantown to the Navy Yard and Cobbs Creek to the Delaware River.
Typically, bike share route planning relies on community input to determine optimal station locations based on anticipated demand and the existing network of bike lanes within a city's activity zones. These efforts often focus on the central business district (CBD). However, as one moves beyond this core area, bike stations are commonly not present. This limitation negatively impacts the visitor experience, hindering their ability to explore and bike along extended routes to attraction sites located outside the CBD. It will also break the continuity and a sustainable end-to-end connectivity choice for the visitors for 2026 to access the gateways and celebration sites.
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