5 April 2008 Archives

Summit attendees outline priorities, next steps

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Oregon Bike Summit afternoon sessions-25.jpg

Kristin Dahl with Travel Oregon
facilitated a session on recreation.
(Photos © J. Maus)

As I mentioned in my previous story, participants in today’s Oregon Bike Summit broke off into brainstorming sessions today that were focused around three topics: transportation, recreation, and industry.

Their mission? To determine the top five priorities for action in each of them. In lieu of retyping them all, below are the slides that a representative from each group presented during a discussion among the entire summit:

Oregon Bike Summit afternoon sessions-26.jpg

Groups brainstormed and discussed
priorities for action.
(Photos © J. Maus)

The real heavy-lifting of the Oregon Bike Summit happens in the break-out sessions.

This morning the 200 nearly attendees selected from four topical sessions. Then, after a lunch that featured an overview of the national Safe Routes to Schools program and a keynote from Gail Achterman (Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission), they broke out into legislative and action-oriented sessions.

PUMP’s Roger Louton — talking with Oregon State
Parks Trails Coordinator Rocky Houston
— used the Summit to get some answers about
a trail building project he’s involved in.
(Photos © J. Maus)

One of the most important functions of the Oregon Bike Summit is an opportunity for advocates to meet with key partners and decision makers face-to-face.

Between workshop sessions, I noticed a lively discussion going on and I stuck around to see what it was about.

The meeting was between several mountain bike advocacy groups and Oregon State Parks’ trails czar Rocky Houston. The group was discussing their ongoing collaboration to build a mountain bike trail system in Stub Stewart State Park — the newly opened, 1,600 acre state park located 31 miles west of Portland.

OR Bike Summit - Saturday opening-11.jpg

Bikes Belong Executive
Director Tim Blumenthal
(Photos © J. Maus)

Few people in the bike world have a longer, more diverse, and impressive resume than Tim Blumenthal.

He’s a former bike journalist, he led IMBA into new territory and helped them become a force on the national advocacy scene, he is the consummate industry insider, and he now finds himself steering the Bikes Belong Coalition into a bright future.

Blumenthal’s presence at this event helps give Oregon advocates and policy makers an important national perspective on the bike movement.

U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer opened the Oregon Bike Summit today by outlining three steps bike advocates can take to help spur the movement toward a bike-friendly America.

Blumenauer referred to Oregon as the “cycling epicenter of the U.S,” and said that, “what we’re doing is having a ripple effect on the rest of the country.”

OR Bike Summit - Opening reception-4.jpg

The Oregon Bike Summit got officially underway last night with a healthy (and inspiring) dose of perspective.

Attendees gathered in the ball room Red Lion Hotel on the Columbia River (the I-5 bridge loomed in the background) and heard a speech by mountain biking advocate Hill Abell and a listened to a presentation by the City of Portland’s bicycle coordinator Roger Geller.

Summit attendees outline priorities, next steps

Sessions help turn ideas into action

Mountain bikers go face-to-face with issues

Bikes Belong chief outlines a new “Golden Age” of bicycling

Blumenauer says; “Hold the weasels accountable”

Summit off to an inspiring start

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