SEATTLE - The warmly dressed bicycle rider pulled up on the sidewalk in front of KING 5 removed his heavy rain jacket and pulled a dress coat and tie from his dry bag. It was Mayor-Elect Mike McGinn arriving for a taping of this week's KING 5 Up Front.
My first question to him was: "Are you a security nightmare or what?"
After one of his trademark loud chuckles McGinn answered, "I am not allowed to answer that question, for security reasons."
This is how it is going to be with Seattle's next mayor. He will ride his bike just about every day, just like he has for years and his office, his appointments and his security detail with just have to deal with it. Officers won't tell us how but say they are with him or know where he is at all times during his work day bike rides.
McGinn won't give up his bike. It's not just because he's a dyed-in-the-wool enviro, it's because it's what works for McGinn.
"One of the things I really noticed," said McGinn as he allowed me to ride a bike alongside him on his commute from KING to his downtown office, "is for the most part, I felt better after a 30-minute bike ride home than I felt after a 20-minute car ride home."
As we peddled up 5th Avenue he explained his car commutes were often full of aggravation. On his bike he can ride among his constituents with relative anonymity and get a typical resident's view of what's happening in Seattle. He enjoys the exercise and the fresh air... and he is determined to make that air fresher, much fresher.
"We have a beautiful place, we have a place in which people care about the environment, but we have serious problems too," McGinn said as we arrived at his office and he pulled of his helmet and gloves. "If you went up to the top of this building with me, what you would see is a layer of brown haze around the region, which is pollution."
McGinn says the primary cause is automobile exhaust and the cure is alternative transportation. He says he's not trying to force people out of their cars, he's trying to encourage them with economical and environmentally friendly options like light rail, like buses, like bikes. He wants to clear the air on any misconception that he is anti-growth. McGinn says he is pro-transportation options.
As I watched him lock up his bike and head off to work, I wondered how he will improve or change Seattle's complex transportation challenges. And as I saw a plain clothed security officer following behind him, I wondered, where was that guy during our bike ride through the city?
To add a comment, please register or login.