Walk Bike Forward
Celebrating 20 Years of Creating Active, Healthy Communities
“Some people said the bike ‘craze’ wouldn’t last. It wasn’t just about the bikes. Bikes were a symbol of something else — health, community, a simpler less expensive lifestyle.”
“The biggest advance of the past 20 years is that active transportation is now mainstream. People working on it are not considered crazy, not even particularly progressive.”
“Active communities, planning for people, not cars, the 20-minute neighborhood — these concepts are ubiquitous, guaranteed to catalyze private investment and make people happy.”
“I’m seeing all kinds of people on bikes now. More women on bikes. Families on bikes with the kids. That gives me hope. Divvy bike share has also created a lot more options for people.”
“The breakthrough that we need is for the public to support accommodation of pedestrians and bicyclists in all transportation projects where pedestrians and bicyclists reasonably may be expected, and not see these facilities as extras or add-ons.”
“Alta was the first company to focus on non-motorized transportation, and they showed everyone how to do it. The big design firms then had no one specializing biking and walking. The engineering schools were not teaching that.”
“It’s important in our work to connect with all the people living in the community, letting them know “we see you” and paying attention to the reality of their experience.”
“The conversation about active communities is much broader now. It’s not just cyclists. Public health officials are involved now. Business people. Elected officials. All kinds of citizens. This is huge progress because 20 years ago there was almost no awareness. It’s very positive.”
“By 2036, many communities across the country will be designed to promote active living. There will be greater access to many forms of transportation so the choice between different modes will be seamless.”
“One of the biggest surprises in our region has been the diversity of people who use the trail system. People of all ethnic and racial backgrounds and different fitness levels and income levels use the system at high rates.”
“Alta had the ability to understand how big biking and walking would become when no one else did. And they had the energy and talent to make things happen. Without Alta, it would have turned out differently.”
“Twenty years ago lower income neighborhoods were skeptical about bikes. Those barriers have broken down. Now people love it. It was important for us to listen to concerns in these areas.”
“Now is the time to figure out the kind of city or town we want to live in — complete with great public spaces, unplanned quirks and fun — and then design our transportation system around these goals.”
“A major breakthrough we need now is more of society’s leaders to become knowledgeable about the importance of active communities, and how to create them.”
“It’s not all about bikes anymore — it’s about building better communities, promoting tourism and improving people’s health. And if we’re serious about climate change, it means that people will need to bike and walk more.”
“I’m optimistic that biking and walking will come to be seen as an organic part of folks’ daily lives in the coming decades.”