"Active transportation" means getting around actively - public transit, walkingto run errands, or using the stairs instead of the elevator.
Adults, children and teens need 30-60 minutes of physical activity each day to be healthy.
Adding minutes of physical activity to your day can add up to real health benefits over the long run, reducing the risk of obesity, diabetes and hypertension.
Changing your daily routine: every minute helps!
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Try doing this... |
...to get this! |
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Get off the bus 2 stops early |
10-15 minutes of activity |
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Take the stairs between 1 or 2 floors |
5-10 minutes of activity |
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Go for a walk at lunch |
15-30 minutes of activity |
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Ride your bike or walk to work |
25-60 minutes of activity |
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Walk to run errands that are less than a mile away |
10-30 minutes of activity |
Where can I bike in Philadelphia?
Does taking public transportation burn calories?
Yes! On average, public transit users get an extra 20 minutes of walking time each day – that's about 100-200 calories burned. Try getting off one stop early to burn even more calories.
- Using public transit is easy. Learn more and start planning your trip.
- If you work for the City of Philadelphia, public transit can save you money.
Learn about WageWorks, the City's public transit tax-free benefit program.
Did You Know?
Bicycles are legal vehicles with the same responsibilities and rights as cars?
In Philadelphia, riders over the age of 12 are required to ride in the street. Motor vehicles must share the road with cyclists and walkers: It’s the law!
What is the City doing to improve safety for walkers and bikers?
Get Healthy Philly is making it easier to walk and bike. We are working with the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia Streets Department, the Mayor's Office of Transportation and Utilities, and the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia to make sure that kids and adults stay safe on foot, on a bike, or in a car or bus:
- Enforcement: The Give Respect/Get Respect Campaign is a partnership between Get Healthy Philly and the Philadelphia Police Department that aims to improve safety for walkers and bikers. During this campaign, police-bike officers issue tickets and educational materials to bikers and drivers engaging in unsafe and illegal road behaviors, such as bikers riding on the sidewalk or drivers not yielding to pedestrians crossing the street.
- Safe Routes to School: Safe Routes Philly provides pedestrian and bicycle safety lessons for second and fifth graders to make it safer to walk and bike to and from school. Safe Routes Philly also encourages kids to walk and bike safely with fun activities like walking school buses and bicycle rodeos. See all Safe Routes Philly curriculum and activities.
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Attention Schools! To help your school start a Safe Routes to School program or sign up your school for fun safety events, contact a representative at the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia at 215-242-9253.
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Bike Lanes: The City of Philadelphia has installed shared-lane markings or "sharrows" on a number of streets and two new bike lanes on 10th and 13th streets running north and south through Center City to make biking safe and easy for commuters.
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Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Task Force: Using citywide data on reported bicycle and pedestrian crashes, a task force meets quarterly to explore safety ideas and make recommendations.
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Stay Informed! Read the City's plan to make Philadelphia more bike friendly.
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Resources
Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia
Communting by Public Transit
Neighborhood Bike Works
Safe Routes Philly
Safety Guides for Walking, Biking and Driving
