Passage 1 Urban planners in Portland implemented protected bike lanes throughout the downtown core, citing environmental benefits as their primary...
GMAT Craft and Structure : (Structure) Questions
Passage 1
Urban planners in Portland implemented protected bike lanes throughout the downtown core, citing environmental benefits as their primary motivation. The city's transportation director emphasized that encouraging cycling would reduce vehicle emissions and help Portland meet its carbon reduction goals. Data from the environmental impact assessment showed that each mile of protected bike infrastructure could potentially eliminate thousands of car trips annually, contributing to measurably cleaner air quality in urban areas.
Passage 2
Portland's protected bike lane network has generated significant economic advantages for local businesses and the city budget. Commercial districts with bike infrastructure report increased foot traffic and higher retail sales, as cyclists tend to make more frequent stops than drivers seeking parking. Additionally, bike lanes require substantially lower maintenance costs compared to automotive infrastructure, allowing the city to reallocate transportation funds to other essential services while supporting local economic growth.
Based on the passages, both authors would most likely agree with which statement?
Portland's bike lane implementation reflects careful consideration of multiple beneficial outcomes.
Environmental impact assessments provide the most reliable data for transportation planning decisions.
Cyclists contribute more to local economic activity than drivers do.
The city's transportation director prioritized environmental concerns over economic considerations.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| Passage 1: "Urban planners in Portland implemented protected bike lanes throughout the downtown core, citing environmental benefits as their primary motivation." |
|
| "The city's transportation director emphasized that encouraging cycling would reduce vehicle emissions and help Portland meet its carbon reduction goals." |
|
| "Data from the environmental impact assessment showed that each mile of protected bike infrastructure could potentially eliminate thousands of car trips annually, contributing to measurably cleaner air quality in urban areas." |
|
| Passage 2: "Portland's protected bike lane network has generated significant economic advantages for local businesses and the city budget." |
|
| "Commercial districts with bike infrastructure report increased foot traffic and higher retail sales, as cyclists tend to make more frequent stops than drivers seeking parking." |
|
| "Additionally, bike lanes require substantially lower maintenance costs compared to automotive infrastructure, allowing the city to reallocate transportation funds to other essential services while supporting local economic growth." |
|
Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Portland's protected bike lane implementation has produced both significant environmental benefits and substantial economic advantages.
Argument Flow: Both passages examine the same Portland bike lane project but from different beneficial angles. Passage 1 establishes the environmental motivation and provides data on emission reductions and air quality improvements. Passage 2 shifts focus to demonstrate how the same infrastructure also generated unexpected economic wins for businesses and the city budget through increased commerce and reduced maintenance costs.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- The key elements the correct answer must have
- Must be something both passages support or wouldn't contradict
- Should acknowledge that Portland's implementation was successful/beneficial
- Could recognize that there were multiple types of benefits (since each passage focuses on different benefits)
- Both passages present Portland's bike lane implementation positively but from different angles - one environmental, one economic
- Neither passage suggests the implementation was poorly planned or single-minded
- So the right answer should acknowledge that Portland's approach was successful and possibly that it achieved multiple types of benefits
Portland's bike lane implementation reflects careful consideration of multiple beneficial outcomes.
- Both passages support this - Passage 1 shows environmental outcomes were considered and achieved, while Passage 2 shows economic outcomes also resulted
- The word "multiple" fits perfectly since we see both environmental and economic benefits
- "Careful consideration" aligns with the data-driven approach mentioned in Passage 1 and the successful outcomes shown in both passages
Environmental impact assessments provide the most reliable data for transportation planning decisions.
- Only Passage 1 mentions environmental impact assessments
- Passage 2 doesn't discuss or support the claim about environmental assessments being "most reliable"
- Makes too strong a claim that only one passage addresses
Cyclists contribute more to local economic activity than drivers do.
- While Passage 2 mentions cyclists make more frequent stops than drivers, it doesn't claim they contribute MORE overall economic activity
- This goes beyond what either passage actually states
The city's transportation director prioritized environmental concerns over economic considerations.
- Contradicts the evidence in Passage 2, which shows substantial economic benefits also resulted
- The passages suggest multiple benefits were achieved, not that one was prioritized over another