As a multimedia companion to their story on Jennifer Dill’s GPS research on cyclists, the Oregonian has posted a video profile of two women that commute to Metro (on NE Grand Ave) from the SW hills (Hillsdale to be exact).
Watch the video below to hear how two normal, professional, middle-aged women decided to “leave their car behind”. It’s short and inspiring.
Send it to all your friends who don’t think they can ride to work.
Major props to the Oregonian for this type of coverage.
What a treat to come home from the Women 4 Bikes meeting and see this!
I\’m so happy they profiled two women that a huge cross section of the population can relate to. I think they\’re wonderful and could be inspiring to a lot of folks who\’ve been waffling for years about commuting alternatives because of age, distance, clothing and hair,time, etc… I\’m sending this to my mom.
That\’s awesome!!! Go Oregonian! I agree that it\’s great that that talked to two women who represent so much of the population and so many of the typical excuses not to ride that they could have used. Looking presentable, distance, not being in shape… this is really a great piece.
That is great that they show commuters from the SW side since it is not easy at all in most of these areas.
A lot of the roads don\’t even have sidewalks. Some car commuters come from the suburbs and use these \”side\” roads to avoid the freeways into town. At times these areas resemble freeways.
Good job!
So a couple weeks ago the Big O apologized for it\’s past stand against the eastside esplanade and said \”give us more, please.\” Then this Sunday\’s editorial praising the Morrison bridge bike path, plans for a multi-use Sellwood bridge, and this statement about growth in bike commuting: \”First, we\’d better start getting used to it. Then we\’d better get busy getting better at serving this growing demand.\” And now they\’re profiling folks who successfully make the transition to bike commuting.
Dare we say the Big O has become a bike Booster? Nice to see all the positive attention.
mtmann: There\’s a bike path on the Morrison bridge now? Do you have a link to the story? I couldn\’t find it.
These women are my new bike heroes…I want to send them to speak at every business in town!
mtmann, I also didn\’t see the Morrison Bridge story in the paper. Can you point me to it?
sorry – not yet, but it\’s coming. According to the editorial in the Sunday Oregonian, p. E4, they say \”four of Portland\’s bridges have already been upgraded…coming next is the long-delayed makeover of the Morrison Bridge to include a 15-foot bike path.\”
p.s. I know this is off-topic, but here\’s a Morrison Bridge link from BTA; scheduled completion for 2009(?)
http://www.bta4bikes.org/docs/05MorrisonBridge.pdf
Portland Office of Transportation has info as well.