Clark County residents like their SUVs

City and county elected officials, planners, engineers and other employees joined Commissioner Marc Boldt for breakfast and a discussion Friday morning.

The reason for the 7:30 a.m. chow and chat was to explore how community design can benefit health and promote economic development. The event lasted until 11:30 a.m.

A side note: Boldt and Commissioner Tom Mielke enjoyed some hot coffee, scrambled eggs and fruit before ducking out at about 9 a.m. just after the first guest speaker wrapped up.

The “Growing Healthier Symposium” featured two speakers: Dan Burden, an internationally recognized authority on livable and sustainable communities who lives in Port Townsend, and Todd Litman, founder and director of the Victoria Transportation Policy Institute in “the other Vancouver.”

When Burden took to the mic, he asked the 50 or so attendees a few questions to gauge the crowd.

How many of you walked here?

People laughed as they looked around the room and saw that not a single hand was raised.

How many of you biked?

One person meekly lifted their hand into the air.

How many of you didn’t drive alone?

Two hands raised – obviously the only ones in the room who carpooled.

“Wow,” Burden said with a somewhat disheartened laugh.

Poor guy didn’t realize what he was in for, even when he arrived at the Red Cross Building to find a parking lot full of cars, trucks and SUVs.

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