By Kafia A. Hosh
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Leesburg officials are planning a summit to solicit ideas from the public for getting cars off town roads, in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and lessen commute times.
Town Council member David S. Butler presented the proposal during a council work session Monday. He said he thought about organizing a summit after he learned how much time Leesburg residents spend commuting. They have an average one-way trip of 30.3 minutes, compared with the national average of 25.1 minutes, according to a recent U.S. Census Bureau survey.
"You just realize how many gallons of gas we're burning, how much pollution we're causing, how much time we're spending in our cars," Butler said before the council meeting. "What are all of the ideas that we might have to encourage people to either not use their cars at all or shorten their commutes?"
Butler and other council members who supported his proposal said the summit would be open to the public and would explore ways to make the town more bicycle- and pedestrian-friendly, promote existing links between sidewalks and bike trails and encourage the use of public transportation.
Among Leesburg residents, 15.7 percent work in town, with the majority commuting to jobs in eastern Loudoun, Fairfax or Arlington counties, according to the survey. Council members said the summit would need to involve officials beyond the town's limits.
Vice Mayor Katie Sheldon Hammler suggested inviting Loudoun employers to the summit to discuss how they could provide their workers with additional incentives to carpool or use public transportation. Council members also discussed encouraging businesses to let employees work from home more often.
Hammler said the town might offer Leesburg residents free memberships to public recreation centers if, for example, they pledge to bike whenever possible.
But first, the town would need to do more to accommodate biking, council members said. They asked staff members to identify what streets are wide enough to add bike lanes.
Bicycles are not allowed on town sidewalks, council member Kevin D. Wright said.
"That's one of the things that keeps some parents from putting all of the kids on a bike and heading into downtown, because technically they're supposed to be on the street," he said.
Council member Thomas S. Dunn II said that getting cars off the road boils down to the public's attitude.
"You cannot regulate behavior," he said. "People are going to behave the way they're going to behave. However, what we're looking at is, can we create the atmosphere that would promote the positive behavior?"
Town staff members will recommend a date and location for the summit during the next council work session this month.
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