Bike Lanes in Philadelphia 101

Owning and riding a bike in Philadelphia isn’t the worst thing in the world, but nor is it the best, either. The city has taken some steps towards making the road safer for those on two wheels, but there is still much to be desired in the way of legislation and protections. Here is a quick primer on bike lanes in Philadelphia and how you can utilize them to stay as safe as possible.

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The City of Brotherly Love has over 200 miles of bike lanes, which is impressive. What is not impressive is the fact that only 2.5 of those miles are protected, meaning that there is a physical barrier (flexible posts, planters, or even parked cars) between the bikes and the road. The first protected bike lane in Philly wasn’t even added until last year, meaning that the city has been very late to the game in offering protection to its cyclists.

Progress is coming, although it’s doing so at a snail’s pace. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, “This year, the city received a $250,000 grant to create protected bicycle lanes, giving the city a total of $550,000 for the cause. That should be enough for about 25 miles of protected lanes. Not much has happened this year, though a protected bike lane did open on Chestnut Street between 45th and 34th Streets in August. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia said Wednesday that the pressure would be on the city in 2018 to follow through on Mayor Kenney’s goal of 30 miles of new protected bike lanes by 2022.”

Now the onus is on Philadelphia’s City Council to approve new bike lanes. This can be tough, since new protected bike lanes sometimes require removal of an existing driving lane, a move that is almost unanimously unpopular with residents. In the meantime, bicyclists should stay vigilant when they are on the road and always be mindful of traffic.