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Portland’s bike economy is surging. Tori and Carl talk about the bike industry in our region with guests Jennifer Nolfi (Portland Development Commission), Jessica Roberts (Alta Planning), and Matt Cardinal from Signal Cycles.
0 responses to “KBOO Bike Show: The Bike Economy”
In perspective, what is the value of the “auto economy” in Portland?
It’s nice to throw out that the “bike economy” is X number of dollars, but that means nothing without comparison. Or the “rail economy” given that Portland is home to the premier freight railcar builder in North America. Or the “truck economy” given that Portland is home to the premier builder of over-the-road tractors. Or the “air economy” given that Portland is home to a major airport and a significant Boeing operation.
Rrick. I think you miss the point. The point of Alta’s study was not that our other transportation systems don’t have economic value but to highlight the previously under-appreciated contribution of bikes and bicycling. Moreover, contribution of bike-related industries to the local economy – which were narrowly defined in the Alta study- appears to be growing by leaps and bounds.
I’d wager the contribution of bike and bicycling, like transit, is also a more direct contribution to the local economy. By burning carbohydrates instead of carbon we avoid exporting our fuel costs to oil and gas producers whether foreign and “domestic” (but not local).
Jim