The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia is growing our community-based bicycle safety education programming through Neighborhood Bike Hubs. We currently operate 2 Neighborhood Bike Hubs, one in partnership with Bartram’s Garden in Southwest Philadelphia and the other at the Lil’ Philly Safety Village in Hunting Park. We hope to expand our Bike Hubs in the coming years.
What is a Bike Hub? A Bike Hub is Bikes + Green Spaces + Community-Based Bicycle Education Programming.
At our Bike Hubs we offer a combination of the following:
- Free Bike Rentals to use at the park
- Learn to Ride Classes for Kids and Adults
- Urban Riding Basics Classes
- Beginner Bike Rides
- Fix-A-Flat Classes
- Bike Maps and Info about Bike Safety Materials in English, Spanish, Simple Chinese, Russian, Haitian Creole & Vietnamese
- Free Bike Lights
Lil’ Philly Safety Village, Hunting Park
Open: anytime the park is open!
Programs: Saturdays 10am-12pm Every Saturday April-September. Check out the Bicycle Coalition Event Calendar for updates on Activities at the Lil’ Philly Safety Village
Located at W Hunting Park Drive & W Cayuga Street in North Philly, Lil’ Philly Safety Village is a space for kids and adults alike to practice biking, rolling and walking in a colorful, playful area completely free of motor vehicle traffic. The miniature bike lanes, crosswalks, stop signs and other traffic markers help Lil’ Philly Safety Villagers learn to move through urban street space. From there, they can test their new skills on the sidewalks (for kids 12 and under) and street loops of the surrounding park.
Lil’ Philly Safety Village, the first traffic park in the Greater Philadelphia region, opened in 2021 with the support of Kaboom!, the William Penn Foundation, the McLean Contributionship, the Ron Jaworski Foundation, Mimi Sheller, Piscitello Law, and 130+ other individuals whose funding turned this long-held dream of the Bicycle Coalition into a reality. Philly Parks and Recreation also made this project possible by helping with project management and making the ~4,568 sq ft. parcel available for Lil’ Philly’s construction.
Lil’ Philly Safety Village was designed with input from Hunting Park United, the Hunting Park Recreation Center, Hunting Park Community Garden, Hunting Park Connected and community members attending the Hunting Park Farmers Market. Studio Ludo is the design firm and ThinkGreen the contractor.
The Bike Hub at the Lil’ Philly Safety Village is open Saturdays 10am-12pm from April-September. The Bike Hub offers free kids bike to borrow, kids activities and learn to ride classes for kids.
Bartram’s Garden, Southwest Philadelphia
The Bike Hub is possible through a partnership with Bartram’s Garden and seeks to increase access to bikes in Southwest Philadelphia in anticipation of the Swing Bridge opening in the coming years. The goal of the Bike Hub is to increase usage of the trail and future access to Center City by Southwest residents once the Swing Bridge connection is complete.
The Bike Hub at Bartram’s Garden is open 2 days a week, Fridays 3-6pm, Saturdays 10-12 from April-November and offers free bike rentals and learn to ride classes for kids and adults as well as beginner group rides. Check out the Bartram’s Garden Activity Calendar to sign up for Learn to Ride Classes for kids and adults or a group ride, or stop by to rent a bike for free!
For more information or to sponsor a Bike Hub, please contact elly@bicyclecoalition.org