Bikes, babes & ‘biding citizens. We’re filled with ’em.

The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia released a report today using 9 years of beautiful biking data. We’ve been #1 for bike commuting for a while now and continue to dominate the scene.

2014 Bike PHL Facts

For example, our city-wide bike gang grew 260% between 2005-2013. We have 2 of the top 25 neighborhoods nationwide for bike commuting (props to South Philly & Center City). And more ammo for more bike lanes: We see way more bike helmet use and less salmons/sidewalk riders on streets with bike lanes. (BTW – Salmons are the WORST.)

Want to impress the ladies, Philly? Our city’s improved bike infrastructure is like a chick magnet, as women prefer them over the bad-ass street boys without a lane.

6 Top-Level Facts from the report:

• Philadelphia remains the top big American city for bicycle commuting;
• Between 2005 and 2013, bicycle commuting across the Schuylkill River rose 260%;
• The South Street Bridge carries 44% of all bicycle traffic across the Schuylkill;
• South Philly and Center City are top-25 neighborhoods for bike commuting in the country;
• Since 2009, the neighborhoods with the largest growth in bicycle commuting are Southwest Philadelphia, Brewerytown/Temple University area, and Fishtown/Kensington;
• Buffered bicycle lanes attract more bicyclists, more female bicyclists, and more law-abiding bicyclists than streets with regular or no bike lanes.

Don’t pee your bike shorts with excitement just yet: We’re only #11 as far as percentage of population bike commuting at a little over 5%, after Portland (10%), Madison, Boulder & others.

Find the full Bicycle Coalition report filled of pretty graphics & stats here.

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Julie Hancher is the co-founder and Executive Director of Green Philly, an independent media organization making sustainability accessible, affordable and actionable. Since launching Green Philly in 2008, she has grown it from a passion project into a leading voice for local climate storytelling, pairing impactful journalism with community events and experiences. Julie is a frequent speaker on climate, media innovation and the future of local journalism, and is the creator of SustainPHL and EcoFair. Outside of Green Philly, you can find her hiking, biking, traveling, or exploring Philadelphia. View all posts by Julie Hancher