The Question Is
In this space SMART poses a timely and relevant question to ponder. Weigh in with your thoughts and opinions.
The current question is:
What are the most hopeful signs in sustainable transportation right now -
locally or globally?
SMART
Up-to-the-minute news, events, resources and dialogue focused on advancing sustainable transportation research, education and action for an urbanizing world.
I have noticed that it seems like every year there are more bicyclists out than there were the year before. I’ve seen this in the 2 short years I’ve been in Ann Arbor and I’ve noticed this in other cities in the U.S. and around the world. In Ann Arbor, many of the bike racks are overcrowded this year, even where additional bike parking was added over the summer. This is extremely hopeful to me because it means that people are taking sustainable transportation into their own hands, rather than waiting for industry or infrastructure to change. At the same time, I’ve also seen that planning departments are focusing more on bicycle transportation by dedicating more road space to bicyclists and building more bicycle parking.
I think the most hopeful sign is the fact that this question even exists. The increasing awareness and curiosity about where transportation will go from here is exciting, as well as the influx in blogs such as this and the growing long list of related newsletters on the left-hand column of this page. Awareness is the first step towards a shift in social norms.
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