Following yesterday’s news on the new DC Bike Parking Law, compare the article on Portland, Oregon in today’s New York Times.
Portland’s extensive bike lane system was designed in the 1970s and greatly expanded in the 1990s for reasons of ecology, economy and health. 3.5 percent of the city’s workers commute by bike, the highest ratio in the U.S.
As many as 800 people work in about 125 bike-related businesses in “Bike City, USA,” companies that make bike racks, bike clothing, high-end alloys and components for racing bikes, and a 14-employee consulting company that helps other cities plan to be more “bike friendly.”
There are bike races all year round, and Portland hosts a trade show featuring bike builders from Oregon next month. The North American Handmade Bicycle Show will come to Portland early next year.
Image by (huff-huff) Mike Licht.
