The Third Mode: Towards a Green Society

Jeff Olson's experiences in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors of the sustainable transportation field have made one thing clear: when most people think about transportation they often consider only two options, highways and mass transit. Through his experiences, Jeff realized that walking and bicycling are unique forms of mobility that represent a separate, third mode of transportation, one that is as important as highways and mass transit. Jeff’s lighthearted stories bring readers around the country and across international borders, and chronicle the crushing disappointments and triumphant victories associated with developing the mobility solutions and communities of the future. The Third Mode then goes a step further to explore the notion that the kind of thinking required to integrate the third mode into our modern world represents an entirely new perspective, a thought process that can not only be used to fix our transportation system, but one that can be applied to all complex issues where the solution is not clear. In this age of environmental, public health, and economic challenges, Third Mode thinking is the link than can help individuals, organizations and communities make change happen.