Biking to work hits 10% in some city neighborhoods

Some neighborhoods in the city show high rates of bike commuting, a new study suggests. In response, some call for more bike lanes.

A new study by Center City District suggests bike ridership in certain neighborhoods in Philadelphia is two or three times the rate citywide.  The group recommends the city accelerate efforts to become more bike friendly.

Looking at four neighborhoods – Fairmount, Queen Village, University City and Fishtown – the study finds 10 percent of those commuting to and from Center City do so by bike.

Bicycle Coalition Research Director John Boyle says the finding further defines what his group believes is a growing trend of bike commuting in the city.  He says Philadelphia has taken some action to accommodate cyclists, but the recession has put a damper on those efforts.

“We’re in a real bad financial crisis,” he says. “And the people who are working for the city departments who are trying to get things done just don’t have the manpower to implement things faster.”

For the entire city, about 3 to 4 percent commute by bike according to the latest estimates, though Boyle says the Bicycle Coalition believes that number will prove higher with new citywide data.