Join Us for Bike to Work Day This Friday

UPDATE 5/15/14: DUE TO RAIN, BIKE TO WORK DAY IS MOVED TO MONDAY. Details.



This Friday is Bike to Work Day!

The annual police-escorted ride down the Parkway celebrates the fun of biking to work, in a city that bikes to work unlike few other big American cities. This year Representative Kenyatta Johnson, Councilman Mark Squilla, Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds Brown, Philadelphia School District Deputy Superintendent Paul Kihn, and Parks and Recreation Deputy Commissioner Susan Slawson are joining us.

WHAT: Philadelphia Bike to Work Day

WHEN: Friday, May 16th (rain or shine)

PLACE: Meet up at Lloyd Hall (1 Boathouse Row). There will be free refreshments and coffee, courtesy of Cosmic Catering.

TIME: Meet up at 7:30 AM. The ride will leave around 8:15 AM.

ROUTE: From Lloyd Hall, past the Art Museum, down the Ben Franklin Parkway, finishing at LOVE Park. There will be a short press conference at the park.

Do you live in Lower Merion but work in Philadelphia? Friends of the Cynwyd Heritage Trail are organizing a ride in that morning to join us at Lloyd Hall. More information about that ride here. West Chester and Delaware County are also holding their own Bike to Work Days.

Philadelphia has more bicycle commuters per capita than any of the ten biggest U.S. cities. The most recent U.S. Census data pegs Philadelphia bicycle commuting at 2.3%. Next-best is Chicago at 1.6%. Due to the way the Census conducts these surveys, that number is likely low.

Now 2.3% might seem like a low number, but Portland, Oregon’s commuting rate is only 6.1%. And as always, the point is not that EVERYONE MUST BIKE TO WORK ROOAAAAAR! But rather that everyone should be able to bike to work if they want to. [1. And commuting by bike is generally way more fun than commuting by car, so maybe treat yourself by giving it a try? You deserve it!]

Curious about bike commuting but something standing in your way? Join us this Friday, and check out our new web resource for bike commuting.