DoorDash workers are increasingly delivering on bikes. Here's a look at how many do so in Philadelphia.
Opting for two wheels seems to come with a payoff for the workers.
DoorDash deliveries are increasingly being made on bikes across the country — and in Philadelphia that’s no exception.
The company’s Philadelphia delivery workers traveled roughly 14.5 million miles by bike last year, according to a recent DoorDash report.
Deliveries made on two wheels accounted for 43% of Philadelphia orders last year, said company spokesperson, Eli Scheinholtz. That’s up from 35% in 2024.
There were nearly 100,000 DoorDash delivery workers in Philadelphia in 2025, and over 8 million across the company as of 2024.
As independent contractors, these workers choose how much work they take on, said Scheinholtz, adding that on average each spends less than four hours a week doing deliveries.
It makes sense that bike delivery is growing, said Max Rettig, DoorDash’s global head of public policy.
“Dashers can move throughout cities more smoothly, merchants can get orders out the door more efficiently, and there’s less pressure on crowded streets,” said Rettig in a statement. “Two-wheeled devices are continuing to become a practical, everyday part of how local commerce works.”
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The number of DoorDash bike deliveries grew almost four times as fast as those done in a vehicle in the last year, the recent report said. The share of DoorDash deliveries by bike in the U.S. and Canada has increased threefold from 2022 to 2025.
Opting for two wheels also seems to come with a payoff.
Delivery workers who use a bike earn over 10% more on average per hour than those who use a car, the report indicates, attributing this in part to time drivers spent on parking.
In some U.S. cities, bike deliveries are so popular that they make up the largest share of business. 72% of DoorDash deliveries are made on a bike in San Francisco, 66% in Seattle, and 55% in New York City.
DoorDash allows customers to order takeout from restaurants for delivery straight to their door, but the platform also offers items for delivery from grocery stores and select retailers such as Staples, Five Below, and Sephora.
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DoorDash offers incentives to deliver by bike.
In 2025, the delivery platform partnered with Whizz, an e-bike rental company that had recently moved into Philadelphia. An e-bike can cost a couple thousand dollars, but Whizz rents out to gig workers. Through the partnership, DoorDash workers can get discounts on the rental price if they complete a certain number of deliveries within a month.
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Renting an e-bike with Whizz typically costs between $159 to $199 a month, and rental payments can be put toward purchasing the bike over time, according to the company website.
Amid rising gas prices, DoorDash is also offering $5-$15 per week to delivery workers who drive at least 125 miles a week, with the amount increasing depending on how far they travel, the company announced this week.