Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In
Streetsblog

Philly Mayor: Tax Soda to Pay for Bikeways

9:19 AM EDT on April 20, 2016

Here's an idea whose time has come: Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney has proposed a tax on soda and other sugary drinks that contribute to obesity and poor health, and using the money to pay for public improvements, including bike trails.

Photo: Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia

The soda tax was first proposed by Kenney's predecessor, Michael Nutter, who encountered fierce opposition from beverage companies. (Interestingly, the publicity from that had the effect of reducing soda consumption anyway, the New York Times reported.)

At the rate things are going, up to 40 percent of Americans will develop type 2 diabetes at some point in their lives. Soda taxes and active transportation infrastructure are a great prescription for changing that trajectory. The Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia has more on how the policy will work:

Mayor Kenney has proposed a far-reaching precedent-setting tax on sugary drinks to raise $400 million for several very worthy programs, including universal pre-K, community schools, retro-fitting City-owned buildings to make them more energy efficient, and paying down the pension debt.

It will also go toward capitalizing a new $300 million bond fund, called Rebuild Philadelphia, to pay for the repair and upgrade of dozens of City recreation centers, libraries, and parks. Rebuild Philadelphia will infuse make badly needed new capital dollars to Philadelphia Parks and Recreation (PPR) for its capital projects.

This means that Rebuild Philadelphia will make more funding available for trail development, which is good news for Circuit Trails. PPR and other development corporation agency partners, such as Schuylkill River Development Corporation, Manayunk Development Corporation, Delaware River City Corporation and Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, all work on developing trails such as the Schuylkill River Trail, the Central and North Delaware River trail, the East Coast Greenway, the Tacony Creek Trail, the Cresheim Trail, and others.

The Bicycle Coalition is asking readers to sign this petition to support the mayor's initiative, or testify at a public hearing early next month [PDF].

Elsewhere on the Network today: Columbus Underground shares a some big ideas for better transit in Ohio's capital city. The Urbanist reports that Seattle is scaling back plans to expand its bike network. And Beyond DC posts a succinct little animated GIF showing the vicious cycle of road widening and increased congestion known as "induced demand."

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Tuesday’s Headlines: Gridlock Alert — And Gridlock Abort — Day Edition

A "Gridlock Alert" day is a perfect day for supporters of congestion pricing to rally in Union Square! Plus other news.

December 5, 2023

‘Crazy Nonsense’: City Now Allows (Cough) Plateless Vehicles to (Cough) Break Idling Law

City environmental protection officials are now refusing to punish owners of commercial vehicles for idling if the trucks don't have license plates — a move that has enraged citizen enforcers.

December 5, 2023

The Explainer: What’s Next for Congestion Pricing?

Let's run through the major issues still looming over New York City's first-in-the-nation congestion toll.

December 4, 2023

Monday’s Headlines: Congestion Ahead Edition

Good news: We're not going to start our week with our typical ascent on our long-legged steed to criticize the Times for its flawed, car-centric coverage. Plus other news.

December 4, 2023
See all posts