October 2008 Archives

Politico: Blumenauer, Oberstar on short-list for Transportation Secretary

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN)
(Photo � J. Maus)

Politico published a story today about who might get cabinet-level appointments in a Barack Obama presidency (if he’s elected on Tuesday night of course).

Politico reporter Ben Smith and ABC’s Jonathan Karl (who used “well-positioned Democrats” as sources) have put two familiar names in the running for Obama’s Transportation Secretary — Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) and Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-MN).

Back in May we wondered out loud whether Blumenauer (who campaigned for Obama) might get the nod, but this is the first time I’ve heard Oberstar’s name come up.

Shark-on-a-bike Elly Blue.
(Photo � J. Maus

It’s been a while since I left an open thread up over the weekend. Hopefully you haven’t forgotten the drill.

Do you have bikey Halloween plans tonight? The hot tip is North Freak’s Freak Friday Halloween Party Ride (oh man that’s going to be good).

Will you take on the Barton Park gravel course with the rest of the Cross Crusaders on Sunday?

Whatever adventures you’re up to, feel free to share them in the comments below.

For a bit of Halloween and cyclocross inspiration, check out the fun (and very well made) video below from last weekend’s Crusade craziness in Astoria. (Video by Dan Kaufman of CrankMyChain! CycleTV:

The Portland Aerial Tram — $57 million…
(Photo: Dat Nguyen)

As we move into the 2009 legislative session, and with an update to our Bicycle Master Plan finally on the horizon, I’ll be covering the future of bikeway funding a lot in the weeks and months to come.

One of the over-arching themes that should seal the case for more aggressive funding of bike projects in Portland is that it’s such a “cheap date” (in the words of PDOT’s Roger Geller). For a tiny amount of financial investment in biking, Portland has reaped vast benefits. Biking offers the best return on transportation investment our city can make.

David Brooks

Widely-read New York Times op-ed columnist and regular NewsHour pundit David Brooks penned a column today that urged our government and leaders to put infrastructure projects on the fast-track.

Calling it a “National Mobility Project”, Brooks thinks that the wisest way for government to hasten an economic recovery is through shifting the paradigm on how America plans and builds transportation infrastructure projects.

Wide open road and wide open
sky on Cycle Oregon 2008.
(Photo: Matt Haughey)

By all accounts, the recently concluded Cycle Oregon was one of the best ever.

From what I’ve heard, it had perfect weather, epic routes, majestic vistas (the Wallowa Mountains), welcoming towns, and great live music — all the ingredients that make Cycle Oregon one of the world’s premiere supported rides.

The rain is coming.
(Photos � J. Maus)

Kids aren’t the only ones who need to stay dry and visible while riding. Portland is set for wet weather for the next week or so (at least) and, combined with darkness falling over rush hour, rain can make things a bit more tricky out there.

Here are some tips taken from a list of wet and dark weather riding tips put together by the City of Portland Office of Transportation:

Stay Dry and Warm
You don�t need the latest and greatest cycling gear to get around town by bicycle. A decent rain jacket and pants are your best defense. They both cut down on wind and keep you dry. If you can afford it, GoreTex or other breathable fabric will keep the rain out and keep you from feeling clammy.

Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles.
(Photos � J. Maus)

A new promotional campaign launched by North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) founder Don Walker recognizes the “Original Six” group of frame builders that have exhibited every year since the show began in 2005.

Among the Original Six is Southeast Portland-based builder Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles.

The NAHBS show was a pioneering effort that helped create a category and bring awareness to handmade bicycles in America.

If you’re looking for a job, two great opportunities have been listed on the BikePortland Job Listings this past week.

Here’s the information:

Management Trainee — Bike Gallery
RiverFest Coordinator — RiverFest

Bike traffic in Portland.
(Photo � J. Maus)

The City of Portland is sitting on loads of interesting and important data about bike ridership. Full reports on summer bike counts at locations throughout the city and survey results from the City Auditor’s Office are all due out in the coming weeks.

However, a few numbers have trickled out of PDOT in recent days.

I’ll share a full look at the numbers once the reports are ready, but some of the early numbers I’ve gleaned from various sources are very exciting.

An annual survey compiled by the City of Portland Auditor’s Office (the Service Efforts and Accomplishments Survey) is set to reveal that 8% of Portlanders (citywide) now say that the bicycle is the mode of transportation they use to get to and from work.

Actor Matthew Modine will narrate
Veer, a documentary about bike
culture in Portland.
(Photo � Dimitrios Kambouris/
WireImage.com)

The creators of Veer, a feature-length documentary film that chronicles the people and culture behind bikes in Portland, announced today that they’ve picked Golden Globe-nominated actor Matthew Modine to be the film’s narrator.

Modine is known for his role in Stanley Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket (1987) and more recently as a recurring guest star on the Showtime TV series Weeds.

Modine is also no stranger to bicycling. He made headlines back in September when 14,000 people showed up for the launch of his Bicycle For a Day campaign in New York City.

The intersection of Glen Echo and 99E/McLoughlin.
Google Map

A 17-year-old boy passed away yesterday morning due to injuries he sustained in a collision with a car on Highway 99E/McLoughlin Blvd. in Gladstone (10 miles south of downtown Portland) just before midnight on Tuesday.

The Oregon State Police say the boy, Nicolas Levi Moreno, was attempting to cross McLoughlin Blvd. at SE Glen Echo Road when he was struck by a Honda Prelude driven by 49-year-old Philip Teters. Moreno was ~~eastbound~~ westbound on Glen Echo and Teters was driving north on McLoughlin.

Here are two tales of bike thefts that didn’t go quite as planned.

The first, sent in by a reader named Armando, comes from an all-too familiar spot — the loggia of the Portland Building. Here’s a photo of the suspect:

Politico: Blumenauer, Oberstar on short-list for Transportation Secretary

Weekend open thread: Happy Halloween! [Video]

One Aerial Tram or America’s best bike network?

A “National Mobility Project” and infrastructure investment as antidote

2008: The best Cycle Oregon ever?

PDOT offers tips for riding in the rain and dark

Portland framebuilder recognized in ‘Original Six’ campaign

Jobs of the Week

Portland bike traffic up 28% over last year

Actor/advocate Matthew Modine will narrate Portland bike documentary

Gladstone teen dies from injuries sustained in McLoughlin Blvd. collision

Bike thieves, interrupted

Latest Headlines

This week at Bike Happy Hour: Bathing suits and Black legends

Cycling safety instructor back on the bike after road rage incident

Would you pay an extra $60 per year to save ODOT?

City launches bike lane upgrade effort with new curbs on NW Naito

From the Archives

Opinion: If we’re serious about cycling, let’s get serious about cycling infrastructure