A Mayor on a Vespa, And Other Ways to Set Energy Examples
Nov 1st, 2005 | by Neil Barton | Posted in scooters | Comments Off
A Mayor on a Vespa, And Other Ways to Set Energy Examples
States and Cities Address High Fuel CostsBy T.R. Reid
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 28, 2005; Page A03DENVER — The little red motor scooter pulled up beneath the tall dome atop Denver’s city hall, and the rider strolled right past the security guards into the mayor’s office.
Which was not surprising, because the man on the scooter was in fact Mayor John W. Hickenlooper, who tools around this sprawling city on a red Vespa as part of his effort to remind local residents of the need to save energy amid skyrocketing oil prices.
Like the popular Denver mayor, elected leaders all over the country are searching for ways this fall to respond to the surge in gasoline and heating oil prices. But global energy markets, coupled with pinched government budgets at the federal and local levels, make it difficult for governors and mayors to go much beyond symbolic measures such as lowering thermostats in public buildings and finding fuel-efficient ways to get around.
