You Take The East Road And I'll Take The West Road

Yesterday I read an account of two cities on opposite coasts that may be pointing the way to a future with significantly fewer automobiles.

First, in Portland, Oregon, the city council voted 5-0 to accept a new bike plan with the ambitious goal of increasing the percentage of people riding bikes from 6% (the highest of any big city in the country) to 25%. Then on the East Coast, in none other than our great megalopolis NYC, the New York City Department of Transportation announced that they will permanently close Broadway to vehicle traffic.

Wow.

This might be prescient as I also read another article that states that the US military is warning that surplus oil production capacity could disappear within two years and there could be serious shortages by 2015 with significant economic and political impact.

So, do you think the movers and shakers of Portland and NYC have read that second article?