National Webevent to Release New Book, the Third Mode by Jeff Olson

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National WebEvent to Release New Book, The Third Mode by Jeff Olson

SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY (September12, 2012)

At 3:00pm EST on September 12, an important new book called The Third Mode will be launched in a unique national webinar. This innovative on-line event will feature speakers at three locations: Author Jeff Olson in Saratoga Springs, NY, webinar host Bob Searns of American Trails in Denver, and Andy Clarke, President of the League of American Bicyclists, who will be at the national ProBike/ProWalk Conference in Long Beach, California. Olson will be at the annual meeting of the Association of Metropolitan Planning Associations (AMPO) and will host a book signing at the conference reception at the Hilton City Center Hotel from 5:00-7:00pm EST.

The Third Mode is more than just a book – it is about a new way of seeing how our society can create better connections between people, nature and the built environment. Author Jeff Olson grew up in American suburbia, where he saw how quickly a landscape of open space could become a placeless sprawl...and realized that better planning and design were keys to a sustainable future. Jeff's experiences in the non-profit, public and private sectors are fun stories to read and important lessons for leaders at multiple levels. His vision of wanting to create a better world will hopefully inspire a new generation

The Third Mode uses walking and bicycling as metaphors. These unique forms of mobility represent a “third mode” of transportation that is as important as highways and mass transit. This mode of transport, and the vision that is required to integrate it into our modern world, symbolizes a different perspective on our way of thinking. If you can understand why non-motorized mobility is important for transportation, you can also see how other problems could be resolved with similar thinking. This thought process is called The Third Mode, and this book describes how it can lead to a more connected, healthy, and sustainable society.

Author Jeff Olson is a partner with the award-winning firm Alta Planning + Design, and is on the faculty of the State University of New York at Albany. He lives in Saratoga Springs NY. For more information about his book and his work to help transforming communities, please visit and For information on the September 12 webinar, please visit:

WEBINAR on TheThird Mode: Connecting...-American Trails

www.americantrails.org/.../webinar-book-third-mode.htmlShare

TheThird Mode: Connecting Greenways,Trailsand Active Mobility. September 12 at 3:00 PM Eastern, noon Pacific.

Pro Walk/Pro Bike® 2012: Pro Place - Long Beach, California

The National Center for Bicycling and Walking , Bicycle Federation of America, walking and biking, pedestrian safety, physical activity, active living, smart growth...

AMPO:2012 AMPOAnnualConference

ampo.org/content/index.php?pid=261Share

2012 AMPOAnnualConference. September 11-14,2012. Saratoga Springs, NY. Hosted byAMPOand Capital District Transportation Committee...

Contact:

Jeff Olson (518)584-6634

Comments on The Third Mode from national leaders:

"The 3rd Mode is an entertaining, engaging and ultimately very human tale that very effectively puts into words all the emotion – from exasperation to elation – to which anyone in the field of active transportation can immediately relate. Jeff Olson is the bicycle world’s Forrest Gump and Ethan Hunt wrapped into one, with a dash of Indiana Jones to spice things up a little."

-Andy Clarke, President League of American Bicyclists

"We live in challenging times, especially when it comes to the question of how the need for mobility is shaping our cities, our landscapes, our bodies and our minds. And, just when we need it the most, real problem solving has become increasing stultified by polarized thinking---this vs. that, us vs. them, left vs. right and one or the other. The Third Mode shows that the way to get out of the box is to think in three dimensions and beyond. Jeff Olson's vision inspires, his real world examples enable and narrative style entertains. A must read!"

-Robert Searns, President American Trails

"The Third Mode is a deeply insightful, thoughtful and hopeful treatise on the American experience evolving beyond auto-centricity toward sustainable and balanced transportation systems."

-Mia Birk, Author of “Joyride”

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