Austin Mayor Steve Adler kept his focus on transportation last week as he traveled to Copenhagen, Denmark on an innovation exchange trip with the US Secretary of Transportation as part of the Smart City Challenge. (As a reminder, Austin is one of seven finalist for the challenge. If we win, Austin will receive $50 million to leverage technology in building out a better transportation system.)
What did the Mayor learn while in Copenhagen?
The Mayor wrote about his experiences this week on his blog, explaining that he traveled to Denmark to see how other cities have solved the same problems that Austin is facing today. Back in the 19070s, Copenhagen had a car-centric population like Austin does now. So, they decided to make a dramatic change and prioritize bikes as a way to get around town. Today, wrote Adler, 50 percent of Copenhagen commutes by bike, a number that seemed like an impossibility years ago.
What does this mean for Austin?
Adler ended his blog post on a hopeful note, writing that, “Of course, such massive conversion to bicycles is a far-fetched idea for Austin. Just like it was for Copenhagen.” More info>>
