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

Tuesday’s Headlines

More on the budget. Olympic buses.

January 13, 2026

First Look at the First Draft of Newsom’s Budget for the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year

"Don’t tell me what you value. Show me your budget—and I’ll tell you what you value," Joe Biden.

January 12, 2026

There’s Zero Evidence Great Highway Closure Made Sunset Streets Less Safe

A professional data scientist debunks Supervisor Alan Wong's outlandish talking point.

January 12, 2026

Monday’s Headlines

Fresnoland Recaps Arguments in Hwy. 99 Case, ICE Protests and Abductions, Rail in LA and the Bay and more...

January 12, 2026
See all posts