Last Friday afternoon here in Portland, Oregon brought us the most dazzling weather of the young year, with sunshine that sparkled like diamonds off the Willamette River. I celebrated the beauty of the day with a run along said riverfront and then meeting up 
with Stephanie Routh, definitely my best coffee date of the year thus far. Stephanie is the vivacious executive director of the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, (WPC) which organization I’m going to join — though Stephanie never even suggested I do that.
Our conversation was like a brisk, invigorating mind-hike from one topic of mutual interest to another: public transit in rural areas; the Alice B. Toeclips Awards; her organization’s board (”they’re brilliant”); how we each met our partners; bike camping (the answer to how she met her partner); dragonboat racing (I learned that Portland has a team of blind paddlers); and politics. Stephanie dropped my jaw by informing me she’s a registered Republican. [If you know Portland's sustainability community very well, you'll understand the geography of my jaw.] For a change of pace, she energetically explained to me, from being a Green. Plus, she’s fiscally conservative. A nimble and unconventional line of reasoning 
Stephanie, the WPC and I all share the belief that streets are for people, and walking is good for people, planet and communities. If I’m lucky, Stephanie will be a speaker at the next event I’m holding. But I’m joining the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition regardless.
photo courtesy of BikePortland.org
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