Low-stress bikeways, bike boulevards, bike corrals and Sunday parkways were among the most popular ideas mentioned by the 50 people attending Ellen Vanderslice's presentation on Friday at the Whatcom Museum.

Ellen showed us how Portland, Ore., has put in clever, low-cost transportation improvements with outstanding results.

Ellen presented 100 walking and bicycling examples from Portland. The audience was intrigued with what they saw and heard.

I believe so was Mayor Dan Pike. Mayor Pike was one of the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. He fielded questions alongside Ellen and engaged those in the attendance with thoughts about how we might take those Portland successes and make them happen here in Bellingham.

Thank you Mr. Mayor for spending your evening with us. It was stimulating to have a public gathering where we talked about what can be done; not what can't be accomplished.

This was an entirely positive and uplifting evening filled with great suggestions about how to make our wonderful city even better.

I personally look forward to Mayor Dan Pike's re-election so he can continue interacting with us to make Bellingham an even greater place to live and work - the envy of other cities.

Wes Frysztacki

Bellingham