The Bicycle Transportation Alliance has uploaded some of the testimony from when the 2030 Bike Plan was in front of City Council back in February. One of the most stirring speeches was made by Jonathan Nicholas.
Nicholas is a prominent figure in Oregon’s bike movement. A former columnist for The Oregonian, he’s credited as the founder of Cycle Oregon. These days he’s VP of branding and communications for The ODS Companies (an Oregon-based health-care provider) and he’s chair of Metro’s Executive Council for Active Transportation.
Watch the four minute long video above for a very compelling case for funding active transportation. The best part is the last line, when Nicholas stares right at Mayor Adams and council and says:
“The major employers of our community – no fewer than five of the top seven incidentally, are in the health business – are clamoring for this committment, you endanger us all today if you ignore their demands.”
Nicely put Mr. Nicholas.
(You’ll recognize a few of the passages from a similar speech he made at the City Club of Portland in May 2009.)
Thanks for reading.
BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.
Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.
This guy brought class to the proceedings. Like Mr. Bean.
Matt Davis is another classy fella — though I don’t agree with much he says.
So is Christian Fodenvensel from NPR.
BBC Radio is good too.
My cousin is married to a Brit. I think I’ll drag his ass down to the next whatever advocacy proceeding to lend some class.
Trail user: WTF?
Stepping away from the anti-brit rhetoric (hey, remember they used to run this county).
It is somewhat funny that the capitalistic health care system is starting to support active and alternative transportation systems. I wonder if the health care industry has more weight than the automobile industry?
it’s true…
“It is somewhat funny that the capitalistic health care system is starting to support active and alternative transportation systems. I wonder if the health care industry has more weight than the automobile industry?”
i wouldn’t be too surprised if thats thats the case. In my opinion I think the +3 Network (http://www.plus3network.com/) is directly aiming at providing metrics for health care related industries. i.e. insurance
Don’t kid yourself.
If everyone in America started running 5 miles every day, ate perfect and drove less the insurance companies still wouldn’t lower their prices for all the now healthy people that they covered.
Not sure if an act of congress could pry the loot from their hands.
the concept of active transportation seems simple, intuitive and a common sense approach to dealing with many transportation and health issues. unfortunately imoa if our health insurance and medical systems are not regulated to a higher degree our health care costs will continue to be roughly double that of most countries with socialized medicine. health care costs in the US currently run around 16% of our gross domestic product rather than the 8%(+/-) that many EU countries spend on health care. the conservative arguement is that everyone should be responsible for their own welfare and that a small government with no restrictioins is best. just look where that got us, eh?
health care for everyone regardless of age, gender, race or social/economic status and looking at transportation soulutions that are healthy and sustainable? i don’t call it socialized i call it civilized.
q`Tzal #5:
You are probably right. Look what happens when people cut down on using utilities, like gas or electricity. Suddenly, when revenues are down, they push through a rate hike so they are making the same amount as before, even though total usage is down. So you might use 15% less natural gas to heat your home than last year, but you’re paying more for each therm, therefore paying the same (or more) as you did before you reduced your usage.
Seems like you can’t win sometimes.
Now, where have I heard of Jonathan Nicholas before? Oh yeah:
“1985
May–[Oregonian] Columnist Jonathan Nicholas is suspended without pay for “representing material from the New Yorker Magazine as his own,” Hilliard writes in a letter to Oregonian readers. A Nicholas column on May 15 had plagiarized a “Talk of the Town” item from the May 6 New Yorker concerning events in Nicaragua.”
–from WW Archives (about the Oregonian)