Why do European cities choose to invest in bicycling and walking? How do freight and active transportation work together in Amsterdam? What does it take to have 30 percent of trips made by bike? Why do American companies locate their European headquarters in bicycle-friendly cities?
To investigate these and other questions Metro and the German Marshall Fund are sponsoring a three-day Transatlantic Active Transportation Workshop, Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, 2009. The workshop will include presentations and panel discussions with European delegates and local experts. The workshop will be held in multiple locations across the region to highlight a variety of approaches to active transportation for different communities.
The purpose of the workshop is to:
- preview the proposed active transportation corridor demonstration projects through field tours and presentations
- discuss the potential for these projects in increasing biking and walking in the Portland metro region
- help policy makers understand how to evaluate and prioritize active transportation projects, especially in the context of other types of transportation projects
- meet with policy makers to discuss the benefits of active transportation and the policies necessary to support it
- raise the profile of the Active Transportation Partnership initiative to further build understanding and support with the public and opinion leaders.