Portland is the first large American city to plan for a committed bike-focused infrastructure. The city of 500,000 has begun a “Green Box” pilot program within nine intersections, creating a road map that directs cars away from bike lanes and traditional areas of bike congestion.“Portland is at least ten years ahead of all other large American cities,” Shier confides. The City of Roses has also become the hub of American bike manufacturing, generating $68 million in revenue last year.
“Portland was a streetcar city,” says Tom Miller, chief of staff for Portland City Councilman (and mayoral candidate) Sam Adams. “We still have the footprint of the dense, walkable and thus bikable city.” Adams leads the city’s advocacy for cycling and, not coincidentally, is leading the polls for mayor. “You can’t win an election here without the support of the bicycle community,” adds Miller.
“Portlanders maintain a definite focus on bicycle advocacy, whether for locals or visitors’” Miller continues. “Many hotels offer free bikes for guests, the city is changing one-car parking spaces to bike corrals that accommodate twelve bikes, and there are plenty of great tours like the 18- to 40-mile Sauvy Island tour or the Waterfront Tour, one of the great urban greenways… You can even ride along trails all the way from the airport to downtown, 12 miles away."
This post is from a larger article from Forbes Magazine regarding North America's Most Bike-Friendly Cities. It can be found here.
