a party in City Hall last night.
(Photos © J. Maus)
During his speech at the swearing-in ceremony at Parkrose High School yesterday, Mayor Sam Adams laid out his top three priorities; jobs, education, and sustainability.
There was no mention of bikes specifically, but it’s clear that “sustainability” is where Adams plans to push two-wheeled travel. Here’s a look at what he said about sustainability, interspersed with my thoughts.
After painting a picture of this planet’s “potential environmental doom”, Adams said there’s a “silver lining to this toxic cloud”:
“Portland is the ideal starting place for this nation to get serious about environmental sustainability. We can show what’s possible, setting an example the rest of the world can follow. And we can prove sustainability pays off.”
I like the idea of Portland being a national model in this area. In some respects we already are, but we could do a lot more. City bike coordinator Roger Geller has long sought special recognition for Portland from the federal government as some sort of bike facility petri dish, where the usual red tape required for innovative ideas could be scuttled in the name of experimentation (and where we wouldn’t get interference from the FHWA for trying something new).
Adams went on,
“Our economy benefits from an estimated $2.6 billion annual green dividend. Portlanders get money back into their pockets through the automobile miles not driven, worse congestion not experienced and pollution not breathed. Our green dividend grew from public investments in transit and land-use planning.”
The “green dividend” Adams spoke of comes from research by noted economist Joe Cortright which I reported on back in 2007.
It’s too bad Adams doesn’t mention biking in that last sentence. Recent numbers show the number of Portlanders who go by bike (8%) is quickly approaching the number that use transit (11%) — and the bike network has been built for pennies on the dollar compared to the vast budget of TriMet and Portland Streetcar. Why isn’t Adams more of a constant cheerleader for biking?
“Portland may be the greenest city in the country. That’s no longer good enough. We aim to be the greenest city on earth. We can do this with thoughtful planning…
The Portland Plan (a behemoth planning effort going on now) will put density where density belongs and shape our city so that the necessities of a good life, like grocery stores, are a 20-minute walk from home.”
By the time to Portland Plan is completed and actually impacts policy and land-use decisions, I bet we’ll be far into double-digits for bike use citywide.
“But we need more than planning. We need more sustainable “doing,” too.”
You took the words right out of my mouth Mr. Mayor.
“I am thrilled today to join the Governor and the Oregon University System to announce the proposed Oregon Sustainability Center, to be located in the Portland State University district. Governor Kulongoski has included $80 million of state bonds in his proposed budget to help pay for it.”
I have to find out more about this Oregon Sustainability Center. If it will be similar to the existing Institute for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (IBPI) than we should all be excited.
“A green revolution is about to bloom across America. Let’s make Portland the hub.”
I’m all for it. And I like the bike pun.
In all seriousness, bikes should play a prominent role in Adams’ administration. In the same week he was sworn in, Oregon Business Magazine devoted a cover story to the “bicycle industrial complex” that’s growing in Portland (and beyond). If Adams took bicycle-related manufacturing half as serious as he has taken electric cars, Portland could become the national epicenter of the bike industry. That would create a lot of truly green, family-wage jobs.
Adams needs to realize quickly that bikes in Portland are not just about a vibrant culture and an active constituency. Bikes can solve many problems our city faces (transportation budget shortfall, congestion, etc…) and it while doing so, they can make our city a much better place to live.
Bikes and Portland — “Better Together”.
— For the full text of Adams’ “Better Together” swearing-in speech, see Page Two.