Every summer, the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority closes down the trolley tunnel for two to three weeks along Market Street for track repair and station upgrades. While track maintenance is a necessary inconvenience, a lot of people rely on the trolley tunnel to get to work in Center City and beyond via subway connections. One healthier alternative to the trollies is biking.
Biking is a good workout in ways that many people might not associate with the activity. As an alternative to sitting on a bus or in a car, biking works a few key areas of your body. Research cited by The New York Times from the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that blood flow, lung function and lower body strength can all be effectively built up from bike riding. Cardio workouts like biking are proven to result in longer average life spans compared to those who do not use cardio.
While running might be a fuller body workout compared to bike riding, the true benefits of cycling come from the combination of utility and fitness. The utility of a bicycle is its ability to bridge the gap between distances that can be covered on foot, and distances that require a car or other form of transportation. Especially when living in a city like Philadelphia, a lot of destinations that might have needed a trolley or train ride, now can be reached via the power of the bicycle.
Philadelphia has been expanding its bike lane network in recent years, and there are some popular bike and pedestrian only paths here in the city, such as the Schuylkill River trail. While the fresh air and independence of cycling, as well as the health benefits are all strong reasons to consider it for a daily commute, there are also some risks. A lot of Philadelphia’s bike lanes are unprotected, meaning that you share the road with motorists. On July 17th, a bike rider was struck and killed in a DUI incident near Rittenhouse square. Bike theft is also common and learning how to properly lock up a bike is a must. A bike lock and a helmet are essential items before someone gets on a bike.
While public transit is essential, evidence shows that a lot of people who take it for short trips could see substantial health benefits, and increased independence by taking a bicycle instead. One option to test the effectiveness of switching a commute to biking, is to try a bike share station, like Indego. They allow users to rent bikes at very low prices and return them easily at stations all over the city. A helmet is still needed, but a quality helmet can be had for as low as 30 dollars.