As Northwest Arkansas continues to build miles upon miles of new bicycle trails, the Walton Family Foundation decided it was time to send local officials to learn new strategies for bicycle use from the experts: Denmark.
"It didn't cost the taxpayer a dime," said Bella Vista Mayor Peter Christie.
The Waltons paid for local leaders, including Christie and Chris Suneson, director of Bella Vista's Community Development Services, to attend the People for Bikes conference, an annual event in Copenhagen, Denmark, that shows how the country has drastically reduced car usage in favor of bicycling.
More than 95 percent of Denmark's 5.5 million people have bicycles. And the difference between American and Danish cyclists is that, while Americans use bikes for primarily recreational purposes, the Danish use them as their primary means of transportation, Christie said.
The government of Denmark heavily discourages citizens from buying automobiles -- there is a 180 percent tax on the purchase of new or used motor vehicles.
The bike-centric culture, while a far cry from Bella Vista's current automobile-driven way of life, could be the impetus to find ways to encourage smarter and more efficient city planning to promote bike usage.
"They've figured out that, for every mile on a bike that a Denmark citizen travels, the country saves one dollar in health costs," Christie said. "They've got this down to a science."
Denmark is estimated to save $8.5 million a year in health costs for every $150 million spent on bike paths.
. The reliance on bikes also reduces carbon emissions and allows for more innovative and walkable city planning, as the need for large roads for automobiles goes away.
While about a third of Denmark residents own cars, they are only used for a total of one percent of the total trips taken.
Christie said that the trip was successful in inspiring leaders across Northwest Arkansas to think differently about the role bicycles play in everyday life.
"We've had queries for weeks about road sharing," Christie said. "The problem is on Saturday morning a lot of the cyclists get out and spread out all over the road -- it's dangerous for them, and it angers motorists who want to get around. So how do we solve it? We've been working on that with the Walton Foundation."
The city will meet with Walton officials later this week to discuss the trip and the next steps that should be taken.
"They very much want to be involved," Christie said.
General News on 06/22/2016