Inquirer editorial: Bike-share program needs to shift into higher gear

To celebrate the first-year success of Indego, Philadelphia's bike-sharing program, its staff recently donned T-shirts sporting the slogan "Inbudget, Incontrol, Independent, Inshape." Given the soaring popularity of Indego, which saw riders straddle its distinctive teal bicycles more than 420,000 times last year, the day may come when "In Every Zip Code" will be added to that list.

But for that to happen, Indego's scope, ambition - and, yes, funding - will have to grow too.

It was evident at Indego's first birthday celebration - which took place on the Race Street Pier, complete with a cake-cutting by Mayor Kenney - that there is substantial demand for a bike-sharing system that reaches deeper into city neighborhoods.

The 8,300 Indego memberships reported at the end of 2015, plus ridership that by informal estimates probably topped a half-million, has provided a solid foundation for the program to get bigger.

The addition of 24 docking stations, several hundred bikes, and a $5-a-month deal for low-income riders who hold Pennsylvania ACCESS benefits cards is welcome. Also important, the system's footprint has been stretched into North Philadelphia at 33rd and Dauphin Streets and into West Philadelphia at 46th and Market Streets.

Indego is underwritten by a five-year, $8.5 million grant from Independence Blue Cross, along with public and foundation contributions. The program was correctly designed to keep costs within those financial constraints. But that deliberate approach has sown impatience among critics who want Indego to mirror bike-sharing in other cities.

Boston, for instance, a city less than half the size of Philadelphia, has a network with many more docking stations and bicycles. The bike-sharing system in Washington, whose metro-area population comes close to Philadelphia's, also dwarfs Indego.

Kenney's enthusiastic celebration of Indego's first anniversary offers hope that his administration will not only support making the system larger, but embrace the additional urban planning needed to ensure the safety of motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians sharing city streets.

Expanding cycling through Indego will make it even more imperative to address reckless drivers who act as if the streets are theirs alone. A Drexel graduate was recently struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver while biking in West Philadelphia.

Moreover, as noted by Inquirer architecture critic Inga Saffron, automobile traffic along busy thoroughfares like Market Street has been declining, which strengthens the argument for smartly updating traffic designs for some streets.

With only a year under its belt, Indego already is playing an impressive role in making the city a healthier, more attractive place to live and work. Like the cyclists who pedal up the hill known as the Manayunk Wall, Indego appears to have the stamina to reach greater heights.