Bicycling in suburban communities and rural areas is one of the great joys of living in communities with lower density. These areas also bring unique challenges and opportunities. We work to improve bicycling in the eight Pennsylvania and New Jersey counties surrounding Philadelphia by organizing local communities of bicyclists and pedestrians, collaborating with bicycle clubs, building trails, and advocating for pro-bike/ped legislation.

Trails. Some of our region’s best trails, and some of our region’s most beautiful and valuable planned trails, pass through the counties surrounding Philadelphia. These trails are essential parts of The Circuit, the region’s trail network. Visit circuittrails.org to plan a ride, or to learn more about how you can get involved in our trails advocacy. 

TASCC: Technical Assistance for Suburban Circuit Communities. The Circuit Trails currently connect to over 100 communities, but in many cases, even those who live close to a trail don’t have safe access. Many roads in our region are hostile to cyclists and pedestrians. We launched the TASCC program to give ordinary citizens across the region the tools they need to advocate for road safety projects in their communities. These improvements will help them connect to The Circuit, or to nearby destinations by foot or by pedal! Want to schedule a TASCC workshop in your community? Email patrick@bicyclecoalition.org. 

Complete Streets policies. We work to convince local municipalities to adopt these policies, which ensure that new roads will be built with everybody in mind. That means abandoning the cars-first development patterns that have created dangerous intersections and neighborhoods where we must drive to go anywhere. You can learn more about Complete Streets at the movement’s official website.

Bike Lanes on PennDOT roads. We collaborate with the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission, PennDOT and county planning departments to prioritize state roads that are suitable for bicycle facilities. Using PennDOT’s 5-year paving plan, we work with our partners to identify new projects every paving season in each of the suburban Pennsylvania counties. Building new bike lanes on PennDOT roads still requires the approval of each town the bike lane will pass through. Sign up for our email list so you can be notified when we will need local advocacy for a new bike lane!

Join the Biking the Region Facebook group to meet other like-minded bicyclists, learn about rides and meetups, and hear about important news that impacts your ride or your community.

Follow @BikingTheRegion on Twitter to follow active transportation issues in the Greater Philadelphia region.

Meet the team of volunteer advocates working to make your bike ride better.