Cycling Summit Draws Star Speakers

On Monday and Tuesday of this past week I attended the Ontario Cycling Summit in Burlington. I was very impressed with the quality of the speakers and the opportunities for interaction with people who make policy decisions in Ontartio.

The first picture is of Sam Adams, Mayor of Portland Oregon. He was an incredible speaker and talked about the success that Portland has had since it began to plan for the future by changing how people move around the city. They have integrated thinking about carbon reduction, economic success and healthy lifestyles and invested in changing the infrastructure and land use planning to support it.

Portland has been transformed from a city that was failing to a vibrant, economic powerhouse that people love to work and live in.

A huge part of the vision was accomplished through focusing on cycling as a mode of transportation. As Mayor Adams put it, "cycling is now part of our DNA." There isn't a message that goes out about the city that does not reference cycling.
Portland's 'Green Dividend' is estimated at $2.6 billion per year. Yes that is billion. Portland has reduced carbon emissions on a real bases, not per capita, from 1990 levels!
Residents of Portland are also the 7th fittest in the U.S.
The economy has taken off and it is largely focused on outdoor gear, sports equipment and all things related to sports and recreation.
Portland built its entire 300 mile cycling network for the same cost as a single mile of urban freeway. It is clear that taking cars off the road reduces the need for more miles of freeway expansion or repair. It is obviously a great investment for everyone, regardless of whether you are the one on the bike or the one in the car on a less busy road.

One cannot help but see the contrast between what Sam Adams has done in Portland and what the mayoralty candidates in Toronto are advocating.

The second photo is of the Minister of Transportation, the honorable Kathleen Wynne. It shows the change in attitude at the provincial level when the Minister agrees to speak at a bicycle conference. The Minister was very knowledgeable and well spoken. She brought with her many of her senior policy staff and they also made a presentation and asked for input from the delegates at the conference. It was pleasantly surprising to see this kind of two-way communication at the ministerial level built into the summit format.

The third picture is of Marcus Gee, Globe and Mail columnist and Eleanor McMahon, Executive Director of Share the Road and conference organizer. Marcus was scathing in his comments about Rob Ford, Toronto mayoralty candidate. Gee remarked that Ford fails to get his facts right and yet people seem to love him. Marcus Gee is someone who does get his facts right so it makes the Ford popularity all the more perplexing.
The conference was packed with insightful speakers and people who get thing done. There were many examples of success stories in municipalities across North America where cycling has been promoted and where the quality of life has improved in concert with that effort.
In Halton Hills we have just completed our first cycling Master Plan. It will soon be coming to council for approval. I hope to be involved in the implementation as we start to make Halton Hills a cycling friendly community.