down Pennsylvania Ave.
(Photo © J. Maus)
Portland’s favorite pedaling politico got his views on biking into the hands of 72.6 million Americans on Sunday.
Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) was featured in a Parade Magazine column titled “Greener Commute”.
In the article, he was asked three questions, including one that featured Portland:
Your city—Portland, Ore.—is very bike-friendly. What has worked?
We have expanded the number of bike lanes, established bike routes throughout the city, and turned major streets into “bike boulevards” so there is less through traffic. It’s making a huge difference. People in Portland use their cars much less than the American average. That translates into savings of more than $2500 per year per family. There should be a bicycle master plan for cities large and small.
Another question gave Blumenauer the opportunity to make a few key points:
How do you balance the competing demands of cyclists who want more lanes and drivers who worry about congestion?
It’s not about competition. Cycling actually helps improve traffic flow on roads. If all of those thousands of people who bike every day in Portland were to get back in their cars, we would have more traffic congestion and more frayed nerves. Cycling helps with parking, too—you can fit a dozen bikes in the space one car would take.
Also, as to be expected with any mention of the merits of bikes in a large, mainstream publication, one comment at Parade.com asked; “How do you get your bike riders to obey the law?” I wonder what Blumenauer’s response to that would be?