Portland Going For 25% Bicycle Mode Share Within 15 Years
Jonathan Maus at BikePortland.org points out that a new initiative has the City of Portland aiming for a 25% Bicycle Mode Share within 15 years:
And what does [City of Portland bike coordinator Roger] Geller think a $100 million infusion of cash would do to biking in Portland and the region? He writes that the results would give the City of Portland a 25% mode split and the region an 8.5% mode split over the next 15 years.
Hold up.
Rewind.
Would you mind saying that one more time, please? I could have swore you just said ‘25% Bicycle Mode Share within 15 years,’ but I’m not stupid, and I’m not crazy - yet - but I just wanted to make sure (PDF):
Proposal
Our proposal is for $50 million to increase mode share within the City of Portland and $50 million to increase mode share within the region.
…Results
The City of Portland envisions achieving a 25% bicycle mode split and the region 8.5% mode split over the next 15 years.
25% is a huge number. That’s real mass transit. That’s real sustainability. That’s real cost savings, infrastructure spending effectiveness, and increases to city vitality and livability. And it’s not just regular citizens that love city vitality and livability - businesses love it, too. Just ask Melbourne, Australia.
Portland is less than a third as dense as San Francisco. If it will take the City of Portland $50 Million to reach 25% bicycle mode share, San Francisco could achieve that same mode split with just $5 Million. But we can’t keep giving away the city to buses and cars - like we’re about to do with our anti-pedestrian, anti-bike BRT plans. Portland is smarter than that, and we need to be smarter than that, too.
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November 3rd, 2008 at 7:50 am
[...] Portland Going For 25% Bicycle Mode Share Within 15 Years, San Francisco Bike Blog Would you mind saying that one more time, please? I could have swore you just said ‘25% Bicycle Mode Share within 15 years,’ but I’m not stupid, and I’m not crazy - yet - but I just wanted to make sure… [...]