Skip to Content
Streetsblog California home
Streetsblog California home
Log In
Streetsblog USA

Why a Struggling Industrial City Decided Bikes Are the Way Forward

Reading, Pennsylvania, isn't your stereotypical biking mecca. It's a low-income, largely Latino, post-industrial city of almost 90,000 people.

But without much of anything in the way of bike infrastructure, Reading has the third-highest rate of bike commuting in Pennsylvania and is among the top 15 cities on the East Coast.

Some civic leaders in Reading have seized on the idea of better serving people who bike as a way to improve safety and community, as well as to help reverse the legacy of sprawl and disinvestment.

We're excited to be the first to post this video from the Portland-based publishing crew Elly Blue and Joe Biel.

The film is part of a short series that Elly and Joe produced to show a broader cross-section of regions and people working on bike issues. They made the films while traveling around America on their Dinner and Bikes Tour.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog California

StreetSmart 14.1 – What to look for from the 2026 Legislature

Our first nearly-comprehensive look at what is, and isn't, moving.

March 4, 2026

Wednesday’s Headlines

Is there more news happening these days, or am I getting better at finding it?

March 4, 2026

Three Theories About Why U.S. Car Crash Deaths Are Plummeting

Car crash deaths are down by 12 percent, a top group estimates — but why?

March 4, 2026

Dear Trump: the Future Belongs to the Efficient

Trump abandoned climate protection goals claiming that cheap fossil fuel helps consumers and the economy. A mobility-focused analysis shows that he is wrong: resource efficiency is the key to health, economic success and happiness.

March 3, 2026

New Draft CA High-Speed Rail Business Plan is LESS Costly than the 2022 Plan

Want a chance to really weigh-in on CAHSRA planning? Here's your once-every-four-years-chance.

March 3, 2026

Call to Action: Family Demands Justice for the Four Lives Taken at West Portal

The relatives of the family killed two years ago in West Portal by a reckless driver want the travesty to stop.

March 3, 2026
See all posts