Seattle Climate Action!
Lock <lock.@yahoo>
To:jenny.durkan@seattle.gov
Apr. 4 at 8:16 p.m.
Dear Mayor...
One Canadian reads with interest your Seattle Climate Action! You have MY vote... hehe... were I a Seattleite...
Wherein you note "Two-thirds of Seattle’s GHG emissions result from road transportation"... and propose items including "Pass a new electric vehicle readiness ordinance" and "taxi fleet electrification"... and propose a "Charging station network map & strategy"...
AND it's nice to see that recent reports suggest that Seattle City Light is still generating electricity as approximately 89.6% hydroelectric! (Local to me, MY Canadian Province generates "hydro" that is often half or more nuclear. [sigh])
Anyway Madam Mayor? It occurs to me that Seattle might accomplish what other cities are already doing all over the world regarding "cleaning up" transportation?
Today, far and away the most common electric vehicle already in use around the world is the battery-powered electric bicycle? AND the battery can be recharged from any "normal" AC electrical outlet...
Currently, in Europe, Sweden offers a 25% subsidy for electric bike purchases... Paris in France will reimburse residents who buy e-bikes and cargo bikes for up to 600 Euros... In the Netherlands, in 2012 the Dutch estimated already ONE MILLION electric bikes (on their vastly superior "cycling infrastructure"...) Basically Madam Mayor, use of the bicycle/tricycle with electric assist has "exploded" in popularity... other than in North America. [sigh]
Anyway, were the City of Seattle to help change the future in urban transportation, I might suggest offering some "healthy" rebates to residents that buy an electric bicycle/tricycle? Cost to build more infrastructure? Zero. Unlike the electric car, you can also pedal an electric bike for warmth and for exercise, and also to extend ranges per charge and to shave off peak powers at starts and up hills, etc such that the battery lasts longer before eventual recycling and replacement. And Seattle City Light still gets more business... just with loading better distributed.
So what do you think Madam Mayor? Want to throw some business to area bicycle stores?
Best Wishes to you and yours
Regards
Lock
Toronto
