Part of becoming a more sustainable community depends on providing services that people need and want in places that do not require personal transportation. This is a serious challenge in West Linn due to our topography and our city “by-laws�. Since we can not put markets, restaurants, and other services in each small residential community within walking distance to our homes, we must find alternatives such as, use one’s car only when necessary, combine trips, share rides, use public transportation and walk or bike whenever possible. I think most people know this and those who have always had the luxury to “come & go� at their own convenience are not willing to give up that luxury even though gas prices continue to rise and our energy resources continue to deplete. The problem of rising gas prices particularly hurts those who are on fixed incomes and low-income families. Few people understand the seriousness of our depleting natural resources and the current Bush administration is not helping the cause. So, What can the West Linn Sustainability Group do? - Help educate our citizens about the seriousness of our depleting energy resources. - Help educate our citizens on ways they can reduce or eliminate using their car and why it is necessary to do so. - Help educate our citizens on conservation of natural resources by providing information on sustainable resources such as wind power, solar panels, converting gas fireplaces to pellet stoves and source for purchasing and assistance for installing these products. What can Citizens of West Linn do? - Recycle everything possible, which reduces trash; then change to once-a-month trash service. Where and when necessary, share trash containers with neighbors who generate more non-recyclable trash due to large families. (If everyone in the community would do this, the trash pick-up trucks could make fewer trips and conserve on gasoline.) - Do major grocery shopping once or twice a month. - Walk to stores (if possible) in between shopping days when needed. - Share rides with neighbors to meetings, classes, shopping, etc. - Combine trips when taking the car; do as many errands as possible in one outing. - Decrease lawn area and use battery powered lawnmower. (A hand mower would be better.) What can the City do? - Provide public transportation from the Hidden Springs area to Rt. 43 and into Portland without going to Oregon City first. (To increase bus service, however, there has to be a need for that route and there must also be enough “riders� to warrant the expense of a bus.) - Provide pick-up/drop-off library services at more local places so people can walk or bike; e.g. Town Hall, Bales, General Store in Old Willamette and the Adult Community Center (there’s a drop off here but no pick up). - Sponsor a “Bookmobile�. - Provide incentives for citizens using public transportation; e.g. ticket discounts to attend events in downtown Portland or Rose Garden if public transportation is used. - Provide incentives for citizens to recycle and use once-a-month trash service. - Enforce speed limits and use fines to provide services mentioned above.