[EQAB-list] Commuting and energy use

[Fred L Stephens]

At 09:44 PM 10/28/2008, Ellen Smith wrote:
>2. After talking Monday evening about the energy used (and CO2 released)
>in the employee commute, it dawned on me that another way to reduce this
>impact would be to make it easier for the people with short commutes to
>walk or bike to work. Wouldn't it be nice if it were truly safe and
>pleasant to (for example) bicycle from Jackson Square to the Civic
>Center -- or between the Municipal Building and the City Service
>Center?


I think this is an excellent point.  We could do more to make walking 
and biking safer areas that are not greenways. I believe this will 
make our city more attractive to young professionals. One place we 
can look to for examples is Portland, Oregon. This is the American 
city with the most bike commuting at 3-5%. Netherlands has a bicycle 
rate use of over 30%. Also, for those interested there is a research 
book called Traffic which talks a lot about how we drive and about 
traffic design. The author is considering a follow up book on 
bicycling. Some  of you may have heard the interview on NPR: Fresh 
Air earlier this year. Our chief of police has been seen biking all 
over the east end of our city. Which is to say, he is bound to be 
familiar with some of the problems of bike pathways not connecting.


Fred L Stephens
email: freds7 at dancingcreek.com