Stop hating on SEPTA… Philadelphia’s public transit has just been given props!

Walk Score, a website that rates the walkability score (to rank where you can drive less & live more), ranked Philadelphia 5th for residents’ access to public transit with a transit score of 68!  We fall behind New York, San Fran, Boston & DC.

How did we snag the #5 spot?  According to PR Newswire, “Walk Score assigns a “usefulness” value to nearby transit routes based on frequency, type of route, and distance to the nearest stop on the route.  City scores are then calculated by applying the Transit Score algorithm block-by-block throughout the city and weighting the scores by population density.”

Walk Score credits the Millennial generation (born 1980-2000) seeking shorter commutes & sustainable transportation options with the increase of public transit.  (Go us!)

Riding public transit is very convenient as gas prices rise, and also can give you time to check email, read a newspaper or book, or take a cat nap. Need some more feel-good reasons to take public transit?

• Public transit saves individuals an average of $10,000 per year
• Americans took over 10 billion trips on public transit in 2011
• The avg number of vehicle miles traveled by US 16-34 yr olds decreased 23% between 2001- 2009.

Walk Score already gave Philly a walking score of 98 (Walkers’ Paradise).

Screenshot of Walk Score

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Julie Hancher is Editor-in-Chief of Green Philly, sharing her expertise of all things sustainable in the city of brotherly love. She enjoys long walks in the park with local beer and greening her travels, cooking & cat, Sir Floofus Drake. View all posts by Julie Hancher