July 15th, 2009

Philadelphia is taking action to improve the current infrastructure in order to promote a healthy living.  Recently, Philadelphia was ranked #4 in being the most bicycle-friendly community by the League of American Bicyclists. Currently, there is 250 miles dedicated to bike lanes, but only four miles in center city. After Labor Day, the City of Philadelphia will mark lanes on Spruce and Pine streets for bicyclists to establish bike paths through center city.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

In a bid to increase bicycling in Philadelphia, the city plans to designate one lane along two major streets – Spruce and Pine – for bikes, leaving the other lane for all vehicular traffic.

City workers will paint new lines along both streets, from river to river, officials said, with the pilot project beginning around Labor Day.

Philadelphia currently has 32 miles of multiuse trails (no cars) and 205 miles of bicycle lanes – but only four miles of dedicated lanes in Center City.

Cyclists can get to Center City easily, just not through it.

The League of American Bicyclists, an advocacy group, recently ranked Philadelphia in the fourth tier of bicycle-friendly communities – well below Boulder, Colo., Seattle, and San Francisco but on a par with New York and Albuquerque, N.M.

Cycling in Philadelphia has doubled in the last three years, according to the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia.

For the full story from the Philadelphia Inquirer, click here.