I think this is big news in the planning world. Sam Adams, Mayor of Portland, proves that planning for bikes is and should be a process that gets done. The plan was approved by the city council and got a hefty pot of money to get things started.
From the Portland Business Journal:
While still finalizing funding details, Portland’s City Council on Thursday unanimously passed a measure that could spend as much as $613 million over 20 years on new bike paths and other bicycling infrastructure needs.
The vote included approval for Portland Mayor Sam Adams’ suggestion for a $20 million “kickstart” that would come from savings on Bureau of Environmental Services programs and expenditures for the city’s Big Pipe project that are being phased out as the project wraps up. Adams also said he can find savings in lower bids from contractors during the current slow economic climate.
It is great the plan is passed, but currently has some real dollars behind it as well. Too often legislation gets passed, plans are approved, and great ideas explored. They then sit on the shelf at the planning office because no real capital had been allocated to actually make them a reality. It is great to see the $20 million starting pot established. You can read more about the new plan here.
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