News Breaking News: Did Seattle Just Forfeit Its Role as National Bike/Ped Conference Sponsor?
posted by on January 25 at 0:15 AM
Originally posted at 9pm on Wednesday.
Seattle was set to host the marquee bike and pedestrian conference in the country next year. However, the Washington, DC-area group that organizes the high-profile biennial conference, The National Center for Bicycling and Walking (NCBW), now has serious reservations about holding its influential confab here.
Background: As Erica C. Barnett reported in her column last week (and originally broke in an In Other News item two weeks ago), there’s been a shake-up at Seattle Dept. of Transportation (SDOT): Longtime bike/ped manager Peter Lagerwey was “reassigned.”
Apparently this news is not going over well nationally in the bike/ped community. In its e-newsletter yesterday, NCBW posted an irritated report about SDOT’s move.
The report was written by NCBW Executive Director Bill Wilkinson, who says he was “stunned by the news” adding, “as virtually everyone in any way involved with bicycle and pedestrian programs in the U.S. knows, Pete is one of — if not the premier — planner working on these issues.”
I’ve linked Wilkinson’s entire write-up below, but here’s the must-read paragraphs:
Additionally, the NCBW has another, related concern: we selected Seattle as the host city for Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2008. Notwithstanding a broad base of support from the Seattle community for the City’s bid for the conference, it was Pete’s leadership and his program’s accomplishments that prompted us to select Seattle. What now?In a 22 January note to Grace Crunican, SDOT Director, I wrote, “I was planning a trip to Seattle in mid-February to meet with the local host committee and to formally kick off planning for the conference. Now, I’m not sure it is appropriate to move forward for the time being.” I
have not heard back from Grace, so I am writing to the City today to postpone the meeting until such time as City officials meet with us to explain what is going on, what we can expect, and to — we hope — reassure us that the City is committed to hosting the conference and that Pete will continue to lead the City’s efforts in this regard.
Thanks tipster Fay Wray, who gets NCBW’s newsletter in another time zone.
PETE LAGERWEY DISMISSED AS SEATTLE DOT PED/BIKE PROGRAM COORDINATOR
By Bill Wilkinson, NCBW Executive Director
At this week's TRB meeting in Washington, DC, I was stunned by the
news that the Seattle DOT (SDOT) has removed Pete Lagerwey from the
manager's position he has held for over 20 years and assigned him to a
more limited set of duties as a "Ped/Bike Planner." At the same time,
another member of the small ped/bike office staff was reassigned to
the SDOT sign shop! It is not clear what prompted these actions.
As virtually everyone in any way involved with bicycle and pedestrian
programs in the U.S. knows, Pete is one of -- if not the premier --
planner working on these issues. Over the years, he has helped lead
the City of Seattle to a well-earned status as having one of the best
ped/bike programs in the country. The City's many outstanding
accomplishments have Pete's stamp all over them.
So, this sudden act by the Seattle DOT is of great concern. Have
pedestrian and bicycle affairs become such big issues that we should
expect to see such precipitous actions affecting those of us in the
profession? I sincerely hope not.
Additionally, the NCBW has another, related concern: we selected
Seattle as the host city for Pro Walk/Pro Bike 2008. Notwithstanding a
broad base of support from the Seattle community for the City's bid
for the conference, it was Pete's leadership and his program's
accomplishments that prompted us to select Seattle. What now?
In a 22 January note to Grace Crunican, SDOT Director, I wrote, "I was
planning a trip to Seattle in mid-February to meet with the local host
committee and to formally kick off planning for the conference. Now,
I'm not sure it is appropriate to move forward for the time being." I
have not heard back from Grace, so I am writing to the City today to
postpone the meeting until such time as City officials meet with us to
explain what is going on, what we can expect, and to -- we hope --
reassure us that the City is committed to hosting the conference and
that Pete will continue to lead the City's efforts in this regard.
We'll be glad to host them in Portland, where our sheriffs don't decide to beat down bikers...
Sorry my sarcasm is getting the best of me
Why would we host a bike conference? We've even de-hilled our hills (see early 20th century landfill project), and we still have HUGE FUCKING HILLS. As Dan pointed out: hills are the mortal enemy of bicyclists, why would you want the national conference of hill-haters in such a 'hilly company?
Wait - I don't remember - according to the Stranger, is Seattle one of the best cycling/pedestrian cities or are we bad, bad, bad? Which is it? Are we a national leader or a city-created death zone?
Dan Savage:
"In fact, as a lifelong bicyclist, I had always regarded hills—any incline at all—as the enemy."
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/Content?oid=137417
At least for he and I: Death Zone.
It seems a little histrionic of the national org to threaten to cancel their visit after giving the city less than 48 hours to respond to its email. It may be kind of hard for them to believe, but the addressee may have other items on her plate that are more time sensitive, or, heaven forbid, have been out sick for a day.
I'm a biker, my partner bike commutes, and I support biking. But lets give it another couple of days before assuming the city hates bikes, ok?
Portland has it's own share of bicycle problems, like Judges outlawing fixies.
As to the reassignment of Lagerwey, and the new doubt from NCBW, I can only say: Aauaauuuuuuuugghh!
Um @4: Gee, i don't know. Why don't you park your car and walk around for awhile. I'm sure you'll figure out which it is pretty quick.
Wow, what a terrible loss this would be for our city ...
I'm wondering if the reason Lagerwey got replaced by a "pedestrian-safety expert" is due to the death of Tatsuo Nakata, David Della's chief of staff. As a result, the City Council has now pledged to work harder on pedestrian issues than cycling issues. The Pedestrian Master Plan is due out this year, I believe.
I'm afraid cycling issues will now be back-burnered due to the hitting-close-to-home nature of Nakata's tragic death.
Seeing as how there are hundreds of places in Seattle where it's illegal to walk (Pedestrians Cross On Other Side), and intelligent jaywalking is illegal and enforced, and no one ever stops at marked but stopless pedestrian crossings, I'd say Seattle is terrible for pedestrians.
Don't even get me started on drivers who don't stop for pedestrians when making left/right turns on the green. I've almost been hit more times than when I lived in New York.
Breaking question following fast on the tail of breaking news: Who cares?
NO DO-OVERS! Seattle is still the #1 Walking and #2 Biking city for commuters, so we deserve the conference.
Heck, I walk to work most days, and most of my colleagues bike to work or walk.
Who cares what? Who cares if Keshmeshi gets hit by a car? I'll bet he does. So do I.
Confidential to Clark and Dan Savage: Hills are only the mortal enemy of lazy bikers.
Biking hills also provides one of the greatest natural "stick and carrots" available to mankind. You work your ass off for a little while and are instantly rewarded with an exhilirating rush of momentum and gravity.
It sure beats a stupid Stairmaster.
The title of the breaking news is : "Did Seattle Just Forfeit Its Role as National Bike/Ped Conference Sponsor?" not "did keshmeshi get hit? and does fnarf care?" I still say who cares if Seattle just forfeited its role as National Bike/Ped Conference Sponsor? I don't.
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