On August 20, U.S. Representative Peter Defazio, City of Eugene Mayor Lucy Vinis, University of Oregon Professor Marc Schlossberg, and Cascadia Mobility CEO Brodie Hylton spoke about the importance of more appropriate modes of transportation and infrastructure. Facilities like the 13th Avenue Bikeway (campus to downtown), shared-use paths, protected and separated bikeways, as well as expanded bike share stations will create a more safe, equitable, and livable community.
Mayor Lucy Vinis highlighted the importance of community partnerships as key to achieving a more livable city and what the 13th Avenue Bikeway means to the community for creating a more connected transportation system.
Congressman Defazio made it clear that leadership and more funding to green alternative modes of transportation like bike share are needed to achieve our nation's climate goals of reducing carbon emissions.
CM CEO Brodie Hylton praised PeaceHealth Rides' milestone of achieving over 500,000 trips since its launch in Eugene in 2018. Stating that it couldn't be done alone, "PeaceHealth Rides' success would not exist without local community partners like the City of Eugene, the University of Oregon, LTD, BEST, and PeaceHealth."
After the brief press conference, City of Eugene Transportation Options Coordinator, Shane Rhodes, with the help of his kids, led a ride down the 13th Avenue Bikeway exemplifying the fact of how safe the bikeway is for his family. "...you just have to follow the lights!"
Article originally published in the PeaceHealth Rides E-Newsletter. Sign-up here.