As you may know, I spent the last week in Northern Europe to take part in an innovation exchange revealing how cities are getting smarter about transportation, most specifically bicycle-pedestrian infrastructure. While there, I was joined by key department staff and mayors who are taking part in my Mayors' Challenge for Safer People, Safer Streets  - some of whom are finalists in the Smart City Challenge.

Let me first acknowledge the tremendous opportunity to be surrounded by the leadership of Denmark, Norway and the Netherlands who, like me, are dedicated to an efficient, safe and inclusive transportation network. As we work to help define what it means to be an American “Smart City,” and lead the country in planning for the challenges of the future, I was excited to discuss how we make our neighborhoods here at home more inclusive, multi-modal, and improve access to economic opportunity.

All three countries have ambitious goals to reduce carbon emissions from their transportation sector, but that is not the sole reason they promote bicycle use.  In fact, in Copenhagen, only 5 percent of residents say they ride bikes to save the environment. It is reported that 63 percent of residents use bikes because it is the quickest, easiest way to get around. And in Oslo, plans are underway for an ambitious new bicycle network, including bicycle "superhighways" to help commuters with electric bikes travel longer distances to work.

Our Federal Highway Administration has been paying attention to this part of the world for some time, because in cities like Copenhagen, Denmark and Amsterdam, the Netherlands, well over one-third of people get around by bicycle.  They use very safe networks of roads designed with lanes, signals, and other features for bicycles, and FHWA has studied what makes them work.

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This was especially striking to Mayor Steve Adler from Austin, who accompanied me on the trip.

The thing is nothing about these cities’ bike-ped culture was inevitable.  Those same public squares used to be clogged with cars -- until the transportation agencies began to listen to what their citizens wanted, back in the 1960s and 70s.   Local transportation agencies not only listen - they learn.  They try new ideas for transportation infrastructure, poll impacted communities on the changes and treat this data as valuable and vital as crash and speed statistics.  Some ideas stick, others don't. But the bottom line is, the networks employed today are the result of over 40 years of dialogue between residents and their local and national leaders.

Historically, we’ve bypassed this type of constructive dialogue.  It’s no secret that past transportation decisions still affect accessibility, or lack thereof, to this day. But we are at a turning point. Not only are we looking to rebuild and repair our nation’s infrastructure to accommodate a looming population increase, we are fostering the use of data and technology in the transportation planning process. Our counterparts overseas provided the proof. Here and now we have the opportunity to start a dynamic conversation in communities nationwide and use that feedback to create a transportation system for the people, by the people.