With little understanding of how history, culture, geography and economics play into transportation choices, Portland planners are determined to adopt a European bike and train model, whether we like it or not, and whether it works here or not. Portland WILL be Copenhagen in America!
Remember, this is Leah Treat's (bike) transportation department. The trip was funded by a group out of Boulder called, PeopleForBikes, to further a multimodal transportation study funded by Metro. Symbiotic relationships all around.
Did someone forget to ask the citizens of Portland what they want? Oops. Where is there room in the Portland/Metro bike love-fest for other voices?
Portland delegates' wheels turning after Copenhagen trip
Portland Tribune, July 9, 2015 By Jennifer Anderson
Future of downtown may top Danish design, infrastructure
Pearce, PBOT Director Leah Treat and the rest of the 10-person delegation spent the last week in June touring three Danish cities by bike on a study tour hosted by Green Lane Project, a program of the Boulder, Colo.-based nonprofit PeopleForBikes, which helps cities build better bike lanes to create low-stress streets.
USC Note: Portland has the largest number of bike commuters (6%) among the nations LARGEST cities. There are many cities (Eugene, Davis, etc.) with much higher percentages. Perhaps Leah should figure out what the difference is between Portland (a large city) and Davis (a small city) before she takes off to Europe. There are American examples of bike towns that will give bike advocates a lesson and show how the US differs from Europe.
Ms. Treat should spend some time in other European cities while on the continent. Copenhagen is the highest use of bikes I have seen. Maybe Paris would give her a different view. Huge racks of share bikes sit unused. Few bike riders are seen. Yet France claims to be green!
ReplyDeleteThese planners CANNOT force people to be something that the people do not want to be. People are to clever and find ways to defeat City Hall.