Bicycles can bring people – and dollars – to the east side of the region, the Metro Council heard last week during a council session in Gresham.
The East County Bicycle Infrastructure and Economic Development project, which received a Regional Travel Options grant from Metro in April, is designed to harness the power of two-wheeled travel.
To do that, East County must become more than a "pass-through area" where people drive to get somewhere else, said Alison Hart, CEO of the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce. She joined the City of Gresham to present progress on the bicycle plan to Metro councilors, who heard a variety of East County updates at their meeting.
"Our job is to figure out how to become a destination," said Hart, who also chairs the East County Tourism Advisory Committee.
Taking the tourism angle on bicycle development gets at the proverbial two birds – it boosts the economy in an innovative way and takes advantage of established resources like the Springwater Corridor, which is already heavily used on its route through Gresham.
Bike tourism can help achieve East County's goals, Hart said, citing a Travel Oregon study that found the bicycling industry brought $400 million into the state in 2012.
Hart said the area already has plenty of bike infrastructure, and the region has a strong bike culture. With the $95,000 Metro grant, a $50,000 Visitor Development Fund grant from Travel Portland, and funds from the cities of Gresham and Troutdale and the Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce, the bicycle project plans to first assess existing resources and engage partners from neighboring areas.
"I like to use the metaphor of 'all in the same boat, paddling in the same direction,'" Hart said. "A lot of efforts are happening in terms of bicycles and bicycle tourism in this area. If we bring them together, we can accomplish far more than we can do separately."
Hart said the Metro grant, which was awarded with an economic development focus, allows her team to study potential courses of action and prioritize short-, medium- and long-term plans.
The presentation was well received by the Metro Council.
"Four hundred million for our state is a really important number," said Councilor Sam Chase. "A lot of us enjoy the opportunities that biking creates – healthier lives, fewer greenhouse gas emissions. However, the way you are approaching it as an economic development strategy is important for our region at this time."
Councilor Bob Stacey agreed. "There is an opportunity here for all our communities to be healthier and have more choices,” he said, “and also grow some dollars.”