Prozanski puts brakes on helmet law expansion plan

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The Oregonian is reporting that Oregon state senator Floyd Prozanski is backing off his idea to introduce a law would have made helmets mandatory for adults.

The O’s Michelle Cole says Prozanski felt pressure to pull back due to the negative response he received. She wrote, “Prozanski also got a pounding this week from bloggers…”. Prozanski told Cole that, “Based on the information and reports I’ve gotten in the last day, I’m probably leaning away from a mandatory helmet law.”

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TriMet offers tips for bikers during Steel Bridge MAX construction

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The following is an excerpt taken directly from TriMet’s website:

Tips for Bike Commuters During MAX Steel Bridge Service Interruption August 2-24

The Steel Bridge will be closed to cars, buses and MAX trains August 2-24, 2008, as crews connect existing tracks to the new MAX Green Line tracks on 5th and 6th avenues. Shuttle buses will be carrying MAX riders across the river between the Old Town/Chinatown Station and the Rose Quarter/Convention Center stations, via the Burnside Bridge. The lower deck of the Steel Bridge will remain open to bikes and pedestrians.

If you bring your bike on MAX…

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Portland-based shoe company will expand cycling product line

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Keen’s Commuter, an SPD-compatible
sandal released last year,
was their first bike-specific product.

Keen Footwear, who moved their headquarters to Portland in 2006 (and didn’t waste any time featuring us in their product catalog), has just announced an expanded line of cycling products.

Keen unveiled an SPD compatible sandal (the “Commuter”) in early 2007 and now plan to offer a more substantial shoe along with a bike-specific pack and socks in Spring of 2009.

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Man on a bike hit from behind on SE Stark

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This just in from the Portland Police Bureau (emphasis mine):

“At 2:58 pm East Precinct officers were dispatched to the area of SE 147th Av/Stark Street on a bicyclist hit.

Officers arrived and determined that the bicyclist was hit by a vehicle driven by 23-year-old Lance Waddy. Waddy and the bicyclist were both traveling eastbound on SE Stark Street when Waddy struck the bicyclist from behind. The bicyclist, a white male adult, was thrown an estimated 138 feet. He sustained serious non-life threatening head injuries and transported to hospital.

Waddy was cited for Reckless Driving, No Insurance and Driving While Suspended. He was cited at the scene and released.”

Lessons for Portland from a police chief in Lincoln, Nebraska

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Lincoln, Nebraska’s Police
Chief Tom Casady.

A reader (thanks Donna!) sent me a link the other day to a well-written blog post about sharing the road. Opinions on this topic are a dime a dozen, but something caught my eye about this particular article — it was written by the Police Chief of Lincoln, Nebraska (pop. 248,744).

On his Chief’s Corner blog, Chief Tom Casady tackles the contentious issue of road rage, which is making headlines all over country (and world) as more and more cities come to grips with a changing transportation landscape.

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First the West Hills, now the World; Zoobombers will vie for gravity crown

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Gravity Biking - Bald Peak-31.jpg

Chuck Bridge and his gravity
bike at the top of “Dragontail”
back in April.
More images
(Photos © J. Maus)

Three Portland men who honed their downhill biking skills while “Zoobombing” down the West Hills are taking their sport to the next level.

Team Zoobomb — which consists of Chuck Bridge, Aaron Truman, and Gabriel Tiller — are set to go up against the world’s best “gravity-bikers” at the 2008 Maryhill Festival of Speed held in Goldendale Washington at the end of August. The event will be the World Championships of gravity sports (earning it a live broadcast on ABC Sports).

The members of Team Zoobomb were inspired by what they saw at the event last year, and since then, they’ve been training at Maryhill and other downhill courses in the region.

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KVAL: Eugene trucking company involved in fatal crash will give $1 million for bike safety ed

Jane Higdon
(Photo: The Jane Higdon Foundation)

The trucking company involved in the death of Jane Higdon in Eugene in May of 2006 has agreed to donate $1 million over 20 years to a memorial fund founded in her name.

According to KVAL-TV in Eugene, Ireland Trucking Co. will give the money to the Jane Higdon Memorial Fund and it will be used to promote bicycle safety.

Also reported by KVAL is this interesting fact:

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Bike-friendly state senator wounded by accidental gunshot

fixie bill in Salem

Atkinson testifying in support of the Fixed Gear
Brake bill during a hearing in Salem in March 2007.
His shirt reads, “Ride a fixed gear, go to jail.”
(Photo © J. Maus)

Oregon state Senator Jason Atkinson (R-Central Point) — an avid cyclist and a regular supporter of bike-related legislation in Salem — was accidently shot in the knee yesterday evening.

According to a story in the Medford Mail-Tribune, the accident happened when Atkinson began working on a friend’s bike:

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Bike poster proceeds will go to non-profits, memorial fund

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All sales of this poster will be donated
to the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund.
(Stencil design by Roll Hardy)

Locally owned and operated Stumptown Printers has decided to donate all proceeds of their series of limited edition bike posters to local non-profit groups and a fund that raises money for bike safety programs.

One of the posters features the stencil of Brett Jarolimek that was first painted on a wall near the intersection of N. Interstate and Greeley where he lost his life back in October of last year (the painting was later removed by ODOT).

Proceeds from sales of the Jarolimek poster ($4 each) will go directly toward the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund.

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Conference in Portland looks toward more sustainable cities

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Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski
gave the keynote address
at a sustainable transportation
conference in Portland this morning.
(Photo © J. Maus)

An invite-only conference at the Portland Art Museum today and tomorrow is looking at the future of sustainable transportation and urban design in American cities.

Dubbed Meeting of the Minds, the event is, “designed to bring together leaders from multiple sectors and geographies to share ideas, learn from each other, and shape the agenda for creating more sustainable cities.”

The program host is Gail Achterman, Chair of the Oregon Transportation Commission and a keynote address this morning titled, Transportation at the Crossroads was given by Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski.

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Friends plan events to raise money for crash victim

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Karl Hugo and his daughter Lula.

Two weeks ago, Southeast Portland resident Karl Hugo was gravely injured when he rode through the intersection of SE 50th and Lincoln Street and collided with a truck.

After the crash, Hugo was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit at the OHSU where he arrived in a coma, with one collapsed lung and severe brain trauma.

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