Can a person, who has never been associated with cycling be of help to the cycling community? Mayor Ted Wheeler attended a meeting of the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee last Tuesday evening.

A mayor not typically associated with cycling has emerged as a powerful advocate for the cycling community. The Mayor of Portland, Ted Wheeler has recently attended the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee’s meeting. His views regarding the two-wheeled community have left attendees in awe. 

Mayor’s late-blooming love for cycling

The newfound enthusiasm of the mayor has created a buzz amongst the cycling society. With just 15 months remaining for Ted Wheeler to serve his office as a mayor, his support and initiatives for the cycling advocates have sparked hope within the community.

Cycling enthusiasts of Portland have started to consider Wheeler as a crucial ally for the bike advocates. Mayor Wheeler was vocal about the initiatives he has planned for the pedal-powered community. Depending on the same, he shared his plans for separated bike lanes. He said, “I support separated bike lanes. And I know they work.” 

He has personally experienced riding along treacherous highways and has also visited bike-friendly cities like Vancouver in British Columbia. He further shared his personal experience saying, “It was very easy, very convenient, and very safe. I was just so impressed with the separated bike lanes and plenty of secure parking areas.”

Wheeler, to support a raise in funds for the Portland Bureau of Transportation, shared his views regarding the significance of collaboration to enhance mobility services in the city.

Wheeler’s commitment towards the cycling community became way more evident as he added, “If we are serious about getting people out of their automobiles and onto bicycles”. Instead of just considering bicycles as a means of transportation, Wheeler considers them as a tool to develop the economy of the city. 

Mayor balancing the cycling initiatives with the city’s top priorities 

Mayor Wheeler also stated the fact clearly that he can’t lead these cycling initiatives directly. Despite that, he still possesses the ability to draw attention to the initiatives in other means, as the mayor wields considerable influence over the city’s budget. 

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However, besides the initiatives he had taken for the bike aficionados his prime focus doesn’t shift from addressing his top priorities. “There are 150 issues that people would like me to address on any given day and I’m going to be focused on homelessness, public safety, and the economic recovery of our city,” said the Mayor.  

What are your views regarding the initiatives Wheeler planned for the city? Do you think that the initiatives will be helpful for the cycling community? Let us know in the comment section.

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