No car, no problem: Philly is one of the best U.S. cities to live in without a personal vehicle

Philadelphia is one of the top cities in the country to live in without a car, according to a report from CoworkingCafe, a company that helps people find and book co-working spaces.

“I personally don’t have a car and it was a big reason that I decided to move here out of college,” said Nicole Brunet, the policy director for the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, a nonprofit that advocates to make streets safer.

The study considered how often people walk, use public transportation, drive a car, or bike, as well as the cost of public transit and how packed public transit stations and bike lanes are, among other factors.

Brunet notes that Philadelphia’s bus system is strong with many bus routes operating frequently. Philadelphia has more than 128 bus and trolley routes, two subways lines, and 13 Regional Rail lines, according to SEPTA’s website.

“You can get to most corners of the city at all times of the day,” said Brunet.

The report also highlights how Philadelphia has a high density of public transportation stations, which sets it apart from other cities. There are more than two bus, subway, or train stations per square mile, and 21.4% of the population uses public transit, according to the report.

Erick Guerra, associate professor at University of Pennsylvania’s Weitzman School of Design, cautioned that not every part of the city is as easy to access with public transportation.

“Philadelphia includes areas in the Northeast and Northwest that are quite far from the city center. … Certain areas are quite walkable, quite transit-friendly, and other areas are not,” said Guerra.

SEPTA is currently working on a complete overhaul of the bus system, which aims to increase ridership by better integrating the bus routes with subway and trolley routes. The new routes are likely to launch next year.

In addition to the city’s robust public transit options, Philadelphia is popular for walkers. Last month, it was named best walking city in the United States by USA Today.

Despite that, challenges exist. Construction on sidewalks throughout Philadelphia is often a hurdle for pedestrians, said Guerra. Construction sites don’t always set up alternative safe sidewalks, so people are funneled into the road. That makes travel difficult and sometimes unsafe for people who use wheelchairs or have strollers.

On a recent trip, ”I got forced into the street three times on like a five-block walk,” said Guerra.

In addition to walking and public transit, many Philadelphians choose to bike instead of driving cars.

“Bicycling in Philadelphia is very good because there’s a large trail network throughout the Philadelphia area,” said Chuck Herbert, vice president of the Bicycle Club of Philadelphia.

Herbert often commutes to work at Community College of Philadelphia from Chestnut Hill on his bike. The 10-mile ride along Wissahickon Valley Park and the Schuylkill River Trail is downhill on the way into work but an uphill ride to get back home.

“It’s one of the most beautiful ways to commute to work in the country,” he said.