European Delegation to Share Tips for Increasing Bay Area Bicycle Use

September 25, 2009

A four-member European delegation sponsored by the German Marshall Fund of the United States will be touring the Bay Area, visiting with elected officials and community leaders in both San Francisco and Oakland to explore how to increase bicycle use throughout the region. The delegates' experiences in Amsterdam, Brussels and Copenhagen show that cities can boost bicycle use, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save travelers time and money by building comprehensive cycling networks.

    Who:  Adelheid Byttebier, former member of the Brussels regional
           parliament
          Niels Jensen, Senior Traffic Planner, Traffic Department of
           Copenhagen
          Hans Voerknecht, Int'l Coordinator for unit of Dutch Knowledge
           Center on Traffic & Transport
          Geert-Pieter Wagenmakers, Senior Adviser, Amsterdam Chamber of
           Commerce
          Rebecca Kaplan, Oakland City Councilmember
          Jason Patton, City of Oakland Bicycle/Pedestrian Program Director

    What:  Bicycle tour of Oakland, spotlighting both opportunities for and
           obstacles to increased bicycle use in the Bay Area. Bike ride to
           be preceded by discussion of mobility issues with local elected
           officials and citizens.

    When:  Sunday, September 27, 2009
           Welcoming remarks: 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.
           Bicycle Tour: 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
           Dinner to be provided after the bike ride

               Follow-up discussions will take place Monday, September 28 at
               5:30 p.m. at Oakland City Hall, and Tuesday, September 29 at
               11 a.m. at San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
               headquarters, Second Floor Atrium, 1 South Van Ness Street,
               San Francisco.

    Where:  Bay Area Bikes
            437 Water Street, Jack London Square
            Oakland

SOURCE Metropolitan Transportation Commission