The economy may be tanking, but at least there has been some good news for folks trying to avoid the high price of gasoline.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority recently announced it will install bike racks at some of its facilities in Center City.
Last week, Camden County unveiled a plan to create 25 miles of trails to connect a series of established but unlinked bike routes. This will give suburban cyclists better access to the Camden Waterfront and Philadelphia.
And on Sunday, Mayor Nutter announced an initiative to install 1,400 new bike racks in the city as well as a plan by the William Penn Foundation to study the feasibility of a "bike-share" program similar to those in Washington and Paris.
But before peddlers start popping champagne corks, much more needs to be done to make Philadelphia and the region more bicycle-friendly.
An estimated 11,000 people commute by bicycle in the city daily, and their need to lock up their parked bikes has turned any stationary object - parking meter, signpost, tree - into a hitching post, creating an unsightly clutter.
So the added Parking Authority racks will be an improvement in both aesthetic and practical terms - if they are put in the right places.
Even more important than providing additional spots to park a bike is making the city safer for bike riders and for pedestrians menaced by cyclists who have taken to sidewalks to avoid car traffic.
To improve safety, the city needs to develop a network of linked bike routes that are separated from vehicular traffic when possible, as well as car-free corridors.
Camden County has taken an important step in this direction, but its plans are years down the road because the money to make them happen is not yet in place.
Philadelphia will likely face a similar funding situation.
But that just means city officials need to think now of ways to put the process into higher gear.
Cyclists in the meantime can make a better case for a more bicycle-friendly community by themselves being more friendly.
A good public-relations campaign never hurt any cause. For bicyclists, that's easily done simply by following traffic laws. Remember: Red lights are for you, too. Stay off sidewalks. And announce your presence on trails shared with pedestrians.