🚨 Please note: BikePortland is currently on hiatus and only publishing guest articles. Learn more here. Thank you. - Jonathan 🙏
The mix of attendees at today’s press conference illustrated one of the main reasons Portland has catapulted above all other American cities on its way to achieving Platinum. We have stitched together a diverse coalition of activists, agencies, companies, advocates and organizations — all working together to move biking forward.
News Conference from: Portland Office of Transportation
LEAGUE OF AMERICAN BICYCLISTS NAMES PORTLAND A “PLATINUM” LEVEL BICYCLE FRIENDLY COMMUNITY
News conference is scheduled for today:
10:00 AM – Tuesday, April 29
Downtown Bike Gallery
1001 SW Salmon StreetThe coveted designation of “Bicycle Friendly Community,” given at levels from Bronze to Platinum, recognizes those communities that are improving conditions for bicyclists and cycling safety. Portland is the first large U.S. city to gain the designation and joins Davis, California, as the only other Platinum city in the country.
Commissioner Sam Adams will be joined by Senator Ginny Burdick, Metro Council President David Bragdon, Bike Gallery owner Jay Graves, Oregon Transportation Commissioner Gail Achterman, Bicycle Transportation Alliance Executive Director Scott Bricker, business owner Chris King, Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer, and representatives from the offices of Multnomah County Chair Ted Wheeler and Congressman Earl Blumenaur.
Portland has gone Platinum.
The League of American Bicyclists will officially announce later today that Portland has become the first major city in America to be designated as a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community. (The only other city to have reached the Platinum level is Davis, California with a population of 63,000.)
The much-anticipated decision came from the League’s Executive Director Andy Clarke via a conference call last week in Commissioner Sam Adams’ office while local advocates, industry leaders, and key city staff were present.
In Portland, Ben & Jerry’s annual Free Cone Day is a serious holiday that is not to be missed.
And what better way to justify the calories than by riding your bike to as many Ben & Jerry’s locations as you can (before toppling over)? That’s just what Carl Larson has planned for his Free Cone Day Ride.