Philadelphia, which is Pennsylvania’s largest city, is notable for its rich history and sites like the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall (where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed) and other American Revolutionary sites.
With a gross domestic product of $388 billion, Philadelphia ranks ninth among world cities and fourth in the nation. Philadelphia is the center of economic activity in Pennsylvania and is home to seven Fortune 1000 companies.
City Council of Philadelphia approved a new zoning code back in 2012 that requires for developers to provide at least one dedicated parking spot for carshare services (like Zipcar) for every 100 residential units or 100,000 square feet of office space. The code also included carsharing incentives for developers, giving them the option to reduce the overall number of parking spots if more dedicated carshare spots were created.
The city allows carsharing companies to apply for exclusive permits from the Parking Authority for street-level spaces at a cost of only $150 per year. That is a big subsidy for for-profit enterprises, considering daily parking costs $26 for a regular driver.
Philadelphia has bad street conditions and is the second-worst driving city in the country.
In 2012, a study found that Philadelphia drivers averaged 6.1 years between collisions, making it the sixth-worst rate in the country. Adjusted for how few miles Philadelphians actually drive, this is actually the worst rate in the country.
Alternatively, Philadelphia is considered one of the best walking cities in the country.
Density
With over 11,000 inhabitants per square mile, Philadelphia scores 4 out of 10 points on Urban Density.
Mobility Patterns
Philadelphia is among the high scoring cities in North America on Mobility Patterns. Over 25% of residents are using public transit, almost 6% are walking, close to 2% are biking and just about 65% are using a car as means of transportation. Philadelphia scores 8 out of 10 points on Mobility Patterns.
Sustainability
Philadelphia has a sustainability plan with goals towards CO2 reduction and traffic congestion reduction steps. It also supports shared mobility with special permits for station-based carshare. Philadelphia also provides incentives for developers to provide parking spaces for carshare and the city supports bikeshare. Philadelphia scores 8 out of 10 points on sustainability.
Shared Mobility Services
Currently Philadelphia carshare companies consist of Zipcar and Enterprise Carshare, formerly Philly Carsare, and a bikeshare provider. Zipcar is tested a new one-way service model in Denver, Philadelphia and Los Angeles in Fall 2015 and expanded the service to Seattle in Fall 2016. Philadelphia scores 5 out of 10 points on Shared Mobility Services.
Parking Cost
Parking cost in Philadelphia are medium compared to other cities on the SMCI. The average cost for parking downtown in a garage in Philadelphia is about 9% of the median annual household income. Philadelphia scores 4 out of 10 points on Parking Cost.
Find out more about the SMCI.
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