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Data: GasBuddy; Note: Price as of the 1st of each month; Chart: Axios Visuals

The average price for a gallon of regular in the metro area is $3.61.

Why it matters: Gas prices are ticking up compared to previous months, Axios's Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report, but they're still well below last year's levels heading into Memorial Day weekend and the busy summer season.

👎 This time last year, the average gallon of regular cost $4.88.

What's up with gas prices in Philly going into Memorial Day weekend

A data visualization showing that gas prices in the Philly metro area have dropped from around $5 in May 2022 to $3.61 in May 2023. 

The average price for a gallon of regular in the metro area is $3.61.Why it matters: Gas prices are ticking up compared to previous months, Axios&#x27;s Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report, but they&#x27;re still well below last year&#x27;s levels heading into Memorial Day weekend and the busy summer season.

News

Just over 76% of domestic flights departed Philadelphia International on time in December 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.

That was down from 84.6% in November 2022, a 8.5% percentage point drop, per recently released data from the agency's Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

The big picture: Nationally, just 69.1% of December's flights departed on time.

That figure is generally between 75%-80% in a typical month, albeit with predictable dips in the busy — and often meteorologically challenging — summer and winter travel seasons.

Driving the news: The real story in December was, of course, Southwest Airlines' epic meltdown.

Only 57.6% percent of Southwest flights departed Philly on time in December.

The airline's struggles dragged down the average for all carriers reporting data to the federal government.

Zoom in: Philly travelers fared much better than those in other major cities at the end of last year.

Denver International Airport, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport posted some of the worst on-time performance rates in December, at 57.4%, 61.7% and 66.4%, respectively.

Denver is one of Southwest's busiest airports, and in fact, weather and staffing issues there helped trigger Southwest's broader systemwide mess.

Yes, but: All indications so far suggest Southwest has recovered nicely since December, though BTS' data reports lag by about three months.

The airline promised to update key systems that exacerbated December's meltdown, as well as better communicate with passengers whose flights are delayed or canceled in the future.

What they're saying: "We spend a lot of money on technology and recently put in a new state-of-the-art maintenance system, a new reservation system and a new human capital workday system," Southwest CEO Bob Jordan told Axios' Eleanor Hawkins.

The bottom line: December was truly just as bad as it seemed, the data shows.

Philly airlines meltdown metrics

New data shows the airport was a mess — but at least we weren't Denver.

Chart showing that 76.1% of Philly airport flights departed on time in December 2022

Just over 76% of domestic flights departed Philadelphia International on time in December 2022, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation, Axios&#x27; Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/23/december-air-delays" data-vars-content-id="13096cfa-e721-438d-8ec0-9941603fbeba" data-vars-headline="Philly airlines meltdown metrics" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/03/23/december-air-delays" target="_self">report</a>.That was down from 84.6% in November 2022, a 8.5% percentage point drop, per recently released data from the agency&#x27;s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

Data: EPA; Note: A concentration below 12 micrograms per cubic meter is considered healthy; Chart: Axios Visuals

Air quality in the Philly metro — measured by fine particle pollution — has seen an improvement since 2012 and is the same as the national average.

Why it matters: Fine particles, generated from fossil fuel-burning and other sources, can make their way to the lungs or bloodstream and cause myriad health problems, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.

They are linked to nearly 11,000 excess deaths across the U.S. annually, by one estimate.

Non-white and low-income Americans are at a higher risk of death from exposure to fine particle pollution compared to other groups, per a 2022 study published in Nature.

By the numbers: The three-year rolling annual average concentration of pollution across the region was 8.5 micrograms per cubic meter as of 2021 (the most recent data), compared to 10.5 in 2012.

Concentrations below 12 micrograms per cubic meter are considered healthy, the EPA says — though it is seeking to tighten that standard.

Flashback: The sudden 2019 closure of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in South Philly helped our air quality.

The refinery (the largest on the East Coast) was considered the single largest contributor to toxic and hazardous air pollution in the city, per the University of Pennsylvania.

The former refinery site is being developed into the Bellwether District, a multi-billion dollar industrial and logistics area.

Philly air is getting cleaner

One big reason: the closure of the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery in South Philly.

Air quality in the Philly metro — measured by<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" fine particle pollution" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/19/us-air-pollution-california-disparities" data-vars-content-id="18a02d5f-b138-4372-b72e-9cf5cdb0f605" data-vars-headline="Philly air is getting cleaner" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/04/19/us-air-pollution-california-disparities" target="_self"> fine particle pollution</a> — has seen an improvement since 2012 and is the same as the national average.Why it matters: Fine particles, generated from fossil fuel-burning and other sources, can make their way to the lungs or bloodstream and cause<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text=" myriad health problems" data-vars-click-url="https://www.epa.gov/pmcourse/what-particle-pollution" data-vars-content-id="18a02d5f-b138-4372-b72e-9cf5cdb0f605" data-vars-headline="Philly air is getting cleaner" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.epa.gov/pmcourse/what-particle-pollution" target="_blank"> myriad health problems</a>, Axios&#x27; Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.

Data: U.S. Census; Map: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

New business applications fell 16% in the Philadelphia metro area last year.

Why it matters: New business is an important measure of perceived economic health. If people are trying to start new companies in a given city, it's a sign that they're bullish on the area's prospects.

Driving the news: Some 17.3 new business applications per 1,000 residents were filed across the Philly region in 2022, per new Census Bureau and IRS data.

That number was at 20.6 per 100,000 in 2021.

Between the lines: The word "startup" tends to evoke buzzy Silicon Valley tech ventures. But young companies of all stripes, from stores and restaurants to software and manufacturing firms, play a big economic role.

As of 2021, more than 66.7 million Americans worked for companies with fewer than 100 employees, and those firms posted nearly $3.6 trillion in annual payroll, per census data.

The big picture: Just over 5 million new business applications were filed nationwide in 2022, or 15.1 for every 1,000 residents.

That's down about 6.6% from 2021, when nearly 5.4 million applications were filed nationwide — 16.2 for every 1,000 residents.

The intrigue: The Southeastern U.S. is a hotbed of new business activity, home to nine of the top 10 major metro areas with the most applications.

The Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Atlanta and Orlando metro areas took the top spots in 2022.

The only area outside the Southeast making the top 10: Provo, Utah.

Of note: Many of the hottest spots for new business applications also have booming populations.

That makes sense, as economic growth and population increases tend to go hand in hand.

Yes, but: A filed application is no guarantee of a healthy, thriving business to follow — but it's undoubtedly a sign of economic optimism.

New business activity dipped in Philadelphia last year

Meanwhile, the Southeastern U.S. is home to the country's new business hot spots.

Small businesses

New business applications fell 16% in the Philadelphia metro area last year.Why it matters: New business is an important measure of perceived economic health. If people are trying to start new companies in a given city, it&#x27;s a sign that they&#x27;re bullish on the area&#x27;s prospects.

Business

Data: The League of American Bicyclists via NHTSA; Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

Philadelphia bicyclists face danger every time they're on the roadways, and now there's a troubling increase in hit-and-runs that advocates say they must worry about, too.

Driving the news: There were 2.5 fatal bicycle crashes on average for every million Philadelphia residents between 2017-2021, per data from the League of American Bicyclists via National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That's up 9% from 2012-2016, Axios' Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.

Why it matters: Bicycle use surged during the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving many cities scrambling to install new bike lanes and adopt other measures to keep riders safe and encourage cycling.

Zoom in: Last year, 35 Philadelphians were killed in hit-and-runs, more than double the fatalities of 2019, per the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, citing police data.

The deaths included bicyclists, pedestrians, motorcyclists, skateboarders and at least two people struck while riding electric scooters.

The city has tried addressing the problem by installing protected bike lanes on more than 24 miles of streets. Officials pledged to increase that to 40 miles by 2025.

What they're saying: The "trend line is going in the wrong direction," Sarah Clark Stuart, executive director of the Bicycle Coalition of Greater Philadelphia, tells Axios.

Zoom out: Philly cyclists have fared slightly better compared to the national average. There were 2.7 fatal bicycle crashes for every million U.S. residents between 2017-2021.

New Orleans (9.9), Tucson (8.9) and Jacksonville (7.9) had the highest rates of fatal accidents per million residents.

The latest: Some of the country's best new bike lane projects are in Seattle, Portland and Bethesda, Maryland, per advocacy group PeopleForBikes.

Jersey City and Hoboken, meanwhile, got a shoutout for an innovative project meant to better connect the neighboring cities, which have historically been frustratingly disconnected despite their proximity and well-developed internal bike lane networks.

The intrigue: Cities are grappling not just with an upswing in traditional bicycle use, but also a boom in e-bikes used by residents, tourists and delivery workers.

The challenge is figuring out how to best integrate the zippier, pedal-assist bikes — do they belong in bike lanes with slower, traditional two-wheelers, or should they be among the cars and trucks, where Vespa-style scooters travel?

Reality check: Protected bike lanes and other measures designed to keep cyclists safe are often met with fierce pushback from urban drivers who lament the loss of any lanes or parking spots.

What's next: Cities nationwide are applying for state and federal money — including some set aside as part of the 2021 infrastructure law — to further develop their bike trail networks and other cycling infrastructure.

Philly roads getting more dangerous for bike riders

And there's a troubling increase in hit-and-runs.

Chart showing bicyclist fatalities in major U.S. cities, in which Philadelphia is #41, New Orleans is #1, Tucson is #2 and Jacksonville, Florida, is #3. 

Philadelphia bicyclists face danger every time they&#x27;re on the roadways, and now there&#x27;s a troubling increase in hit-and-runs that advocates say they must worry about, too.Driving the news: There were 2.5 fatal <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="bicycle crashes" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/18/bike-deaths-by-city" data-vars-content-id="3a476fdd-7f8e-4f54-9f8a-56ec5dc05e93" data-vars-headline="Philly roads getting more dangerous for bike riders" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/18/bike-deaths-by-city" target="_self">bicycle crashes</a> on average for every million Philadelphia residents between 2017-2021, per data from the League of American Bicyclists via National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That&#x27;s up 9% from 2012-2016, Axios&#x27; Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj report.

Kavya Beheraj

Featured stories

New business activity dipped in Philadelphia last year

What's up with gas prices in Philly going into Memorial Day weekend

Philly roads getting more dangerous for bike riders

Philly air is getting cleaner

Philly airlines meltdown metrics