The number of folks who commute by bike into Center City has skyrocketed by 79 percent since 2010, according to a recent report.
Rates have increased 22 percent alone since 2014, says Center City District (CCD), which first began taking stock of these numbers six years ago.
CCD’s latest report Bicycling Commuting looked at bicycling rates on 12 streets during the morning rush hour into Center City from 8 to 9 p.m. Interestingly, every single street experienced an uptick in morning riders. Not so surprising: Most cyclists took 13th and 22nd streets, which are the only two that have dedicated bike lanes.
Why the boost in biking? The Indego Bikeshare Program launched in 2015, for one. It could also be generational, since 20 to 34 year olds make up 40 percent of Center City residents. "There is, no doubt, also a generational
In 1990, just 0.6 percent of Philadelphians commuted by bike
dimension to the discussion and a cultural tension between those who prize auto-mobility and those who prioritize sustainability," the researchers write.
The demographics of bike commuters is also worth noting: Rates among workers aged 18 to 34 are double that of older folks. And a whopping 77 percent of bike commuters are white, with hispanic people following at 9 percent.
But while there are ways to go when it comes to Philly’s bike infrastructure, one stat hidden away in the report show how far the city’s come: In 1990, just 0.6 percent of Philadelphians said they biked to work. Today, that number is 2.2 percent.
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