More than 30 delegates from around the globe assembled to take the LRT south to our newest station at South Campus for a field trip to see the Local Motion EcoMobility pilot project in Parkallen. By the way, EcoMobility means encouraging walking, wheeling, cycling and transit.

The city is partnering with Transport Canada and the Global Alliance for EcoMobility to work with the neighbourhood to put in place conditions to better enable residents to try alternatives to the single-occupant vehicle for the month of June, and hopefully beyond.

More than 100 households have signed up to take the Local Motion challenge to reduce their car use, and the project is measuring their behaviour and perception changes. Delegates had a chance to meet some of the community leaders and tour the neighbourhood. They also heard about the philosophy behind all this in the community’s words, which not only value environmental objectives, but positive social and and health outcomes as well.

We’re also documenting the project on film as well, and some short clips are already available.

Parkallen was selected from thirteen enthusiastic applications, which bodes very well for taking this concept further. To my mind, the great strengths of this project are the interdisciplinary cooperation from the city staff (including Transit, Transportation Planning, Community Services and the Environment and Energy Branch) and, more importantly, there is bottom-up leadership coming from the community, starting with the community league, but also including the elementary school administration andparents’ council and a number of local businesses.

I participated in the launch of the Global Alliance for EcoMobility in December of 2007 at the UN Climate Change Conference, and the idea for doing this specific project during the main ICLEI world congress was hatched over iced teas with the Secretary General of ICLEI at the USA conference in Albuquerque last May, so it’s a treat to see it ‘in motion.’

I think the delegates enjoyed the experience, which included lunch from Parkallen Restaurant, the Lebanese fixture on 109 St and near 70 Ave. There was also an option to take a guided bike tour on our bike routes and through the river valley to get back downtown, and I understand most did and enjoyed it very much. I had to train it back downtown for a meeting.

Oh, and Sarah wrote about her visit to the cycling cities session yesterday.