by KYW's Ian Bush
Some are fed up with the daily traffic jam grind. Others are just looking to go green. Whatever the reason, a growing number of folks in the Delaware Valley are turning to a more primitive way to get from here to there.
If you're on your way to work, and in your car alone -- you're not alone. The latest Census American Community Survey finds half of all Philadelphia commuters get to their jobs that way. But there's a small but strong number of folks who prefer pedal power:
"We are very proud to say that among the big cities in the United States, Philadelphia has the most bicycle commuters."
Alex Doty, who heads the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, says the 1.6 percent who ride their bike to work is double the number from 2005 -- and the figures don't account for the likely increases since the city's bike-friendly improvements.
The number are also up in the suburbs, and Doty thinks extending the Schuylkill River Trail to Reading would lead even more folks to ditch their motorized rides:
"A lot of people think of that as sort of a recreational trail, but you go out there during commuting hours, and you can see a lot of people who are using that as a green transportation corridor."
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