Last week the Transport Workers Union Local 234 voted to authorize a strike that could begin as early as midnight on November 1st.
If that happens, all City Bus, Trolley, El and Subway service will come to a halt. Suburban Transit Buses will end services at locations outside the City Limits. Regional Rail will continue to operate, as well as the Norristown High Speed Line and the 101 and 102 Trolleys.
The only viable transit option will be Regional Rail Service, but many City residents live beyond walking distance from the stations. This service is less useful on weekends since SEPTA has reduced the frequency of off-peak regional rail service on many lines to every 2 hours.
One thing we learned from previous strikes is that high-quality bike lanes are an absolute necessity during a transit strike, as traffic increases significantly and many drivers simply don’t respect the sliver of paint next to the parked cars. The good news is that since that since 2016 more than 20 miles of separated and protected bike lanes have been added, and Indego Bike Stations have expanded greatly. Furthermore, the availability of e-bikes and e-scooters has broadened the appeal of micromobility, which thrived during the severe transit service reductions during the height of the pandemic.
For those commuters considering bicycling for the first time during this year’s potential strike, here are some pointers to get you started.
1) Check your bike. If you’re someone who’s pulling an old bicycle out of your basement to get around during the strike, make sure your ride is basically maintained. That means checking your brakes, tire pressure, and gears, if you have them. You can learn how to do that here, or bring your bike to a local shop, a listing of which is available here.
2) Ride Indego. Indego bike share is a viable option for anyone able to ride a bicycle in the city. If you have a membership, great; you know how it works. You can buy a membership online or walk up to a station and get a day pass. E-bikes are available for an extra cost. Information here.
3) Find somebody to ride with. For first-time riders, riding your bike with a more experienced cyclist is a great way to be introduced to urban riding.
4) Best bike routes. Philadelphia has hundreds of miles of bike lanes—some better than others. We urge you to check our new regional bike map out to see what the safest way to ride from will be for you. You can see the map here and use the way finding feature to explore potential routes.
5) Follow the rules of the road. Bike nice. Ride with traffic, stay off sidewalks, stop at signals, and don’t put pedestrians at risk. You are an ambassador for all bicyclists, so It’s important you follow the rules of the road, and if you’re not entirely sure what they are, you can read them all here in English or five languages or watch our YouTube video or check them out on our Biking4Beginners Instagram Page
. 6) Lock your bike or store it inside. If your destination doesn’t have indoor bike access you’ll need to protect it with a decent lock and know how to use it properly. Kryptonite has a handy lock-up guide to help reduce the chance of theft. You can lock to a street pole, but avoid locking to private property (fencing, etc.)