Mark Gorton addresses the Oregon Summit on Active Transportation.
Converting streets to pedestrian malls returns $8 on every 1$ invested. Retail rents are twice as high on pedestrian-only streets, compared to car traffic streets.
Stanford University "needed" a new $18M parking structure. They opted instead to pay students and staff $4M in bicycling incentives.
There are many cities in Europe and Japan where 20-40% of commuting is done by bicycle. The best American cities are less than 6%.
Bicycling and walking are good for health. They lower air pollution, lower crime rates, increase community integration and civic engagement.
All of our cities should be shifting investments from roads and parking to pedestrian malls, walkways, and bicycle trails. Public transportation is also a key strategy.
