A New Kind of Grocer Wants a Walkable, Bikeable Location
Lisa Sedlar, a veteran of big grocery stores like Whole Foods and Portland's New Seasons, is the owner of Green Zebra Grocery in Portland, Oregon -- a smaller store she thinks is better scaled to meet shifting demands.
Michael Andersen has the story at People for Bikes:
Many shoppers seemed to be shifting back to the habits of their grandparents and — if they could afford it — choosing to live near grocers so they could make small daily trips by foot or bike instead of big weekly ones by car.
So, after 10 years of thinking, Sedlar jumped. Next week, she launches the first location of Green Zebra, a 7,000-square-foot mini-grocer that includes a cook-from-scratch kitchen, fresh-cut meat, a massive salad bar, grab-and-go sandwiches and beer and wine on tap.
And active transportation is a key part of her vision, Andersen says.
If neighborhood shopping districts can ever become common again in the United States, they'll depend on businesses like this one. But the model can only succeed in bringing fresh food to new areas, Sedlar figures, if at least 30 percent of customers come in by foot, bike or public transit.
That's why Sedlar's first location has more on-site bike parking spaces (20) than car spaces (17). It's also why she's joined a group pushing to remove a lane of auto traffic on the road that goes past her shop, Lombard Street, to make room for a wide or protected bike lane, plus green bike boxes and better pedestrian crossings.
Elsewhere on the Network today: The Political Environment reports that Wisconsin is still dealing with the expensive legal fallout from Governor Scott Walker's decision to refuse federal passenger rail funds. The Bike League rounds up some local advocacy campaigns for the right to bring bikes on long-distance trains. And Systemic Failure carries a profile of the "roundabout capital of America," Carmel, Indiana.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog USA
Thursday’s Headlines Don’t Like Riding on the Passenger Side
Can you take me to the store, and then the bank? I've got five dollars you can put in the tank.
Study: When Speed Limits Rise on Interstates, So Do Crash Hot Spots on Nearby Roads
Rising interstate speeds don't just make roads deadlier for people who drive on them — and local decision makers need to be prepared.
Calif. Bill to Require Speed Control in Vehicles Goes Limp
Also passed yesterday were S.B 961, the Complete Streets bill, a bill on Bay Area transit funding, and a prohibition on state funding for Class III bikeways.
Under Threat of Federal Suit (Again!), NYC Promises Action on ‘Unacceptable’ Illegal Police Parking
A deputy mayor made a flat-out promise to eliminate illegal police parking that violates the Americans With Disabilities Act. But when? How? We don't know.
Legendary Chicago bicycle traveler and writer George Christensen killed by truck driver in South Carolina
As a longtime bicycle courier, and one of Chicago’s most adventurous bike riders and writers, George Christensen did extensive cycling trips in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, North America, and South America. Learn more about his legacy.
