(Photo © J. Maus)
Now you’ll be able to park your bike at the carfree evening planned for viewing the lights on Peacock Lane this Sunday.
I reported a couple weeks ago that the neighborhood association wanted to encourage people to ride their bikes over to Peacock lane to enjoy the light, but they weren’t sure how it would work out to have people actually riding bikes through what is expected to be a crowded event with lots of kids.
They eventually decided, wisely I think, to ask everyone to enjoy the lights on foot, either walking their bikes or finding somewhere to walk them.
Thanks to the quick thinking of local bike activist Aaron Tarfman, and the timely support of Transportation Options, there will now be bike parking at the event.
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The parking, provided by Jeff Castro’s BikeRacker (see our profile of Jeff and his now-ubiquitous blue racks here), there will be about 50 bike parking spots in the street at each end of the block.
You’ll also find BikeRackers available outside the BikeCraft fair this Wednesday. As more and more people get on bikes, parking has become more and more of an issue at a wide range of events — and in some cases, lack of parking can be a serious problem.
BikeRacker has appeared on the scene just in time to accommodate a skyrocketing need, and it’s great to see a new local bike-oriented business in such hot demand.
Aha, that’s what Aaron was doing at the 1900 SW 4th building! I saw him through the window in the ground-floor permits center and wondered, What’s he up to?
Nice work Aaron.
I’ve never been to Peacock Lane, but it sounds like fun. You should post an image of a map in the story so people know where it is.
For some reason, I’m thinking SE? Will there be hot chocolate available there to warm up my kids hands and tummmy’s?
Carfree Peacock Lane needs volunteers! If you have an hour to spare on the eve of the 14th, write to Becky at jobek1@comcast.net.
I’ve never been to Peacock Lane either, but now that it’s car-free I’m definitely going to check it out!
Peacock Lane Map
I haven’t been to Peacock lane since I was a little girl– but I have fond memories of the lights and the houses and the smiling people, the feel of happiness in the air. I’ve got to try to get out there this year! 🙂
Joe Rose at the Oregonian has a different take on this story in his Hard Drive blog.
Just went back to the Hard Drive blog post and noticed that it’s been substantially edited — used to say something about “anti-cycling grinches” and now it says “It’s not that the residents of Peacock Lane are Grinchy about bikes…” and goes on to cite positive support from the Shift list for walking-only event. Whiplash!
Elly…that’s hardly a different take…he pretty much repeats the same information without the bike parking filter…
having to walk the bike through a crowded area full of kids?…its really not that hard or unjust, is it?
Bahueh, by different take I meant different tone and angle, rather than different info. For instance I encouraged Becky Patterson of the Peacock Lane neighborhood assoc. to make the event walking-only, as did several other commenters on this site…it just makes sense. Whereas Rose talks about it as a “lump of coal” in cyclists’ stockings. Sounds like he’s either miffed about it himself or trying to stir up some nonexistent controversy.
Those certainly seem to be the most logical inferances (#10) to draw from the change at the Hard Drive blog.
As one of the people that worked on this I would like to thank Becky Patterson and all of the residents of Peacock Lane for their ENTHUSIASM and SUPPORT for the bike parking. They were great to work with on this.
Cheers, Janis
Elly…what do you say? shall we protest Peacock Lane…Critical Mass style to make Rose’s holiday wishes come true? 🙂
We could do a sit in….bring your friends….I smash on a beat down old drum and then everyone could run around neked..
Thanks to Becky for going to so much trouble to accomodate non-autos and to Aaron, Jeff Smith and BikeRacker for arranging parking. The Pedal Past the Lights tour is going to happen, snow or not, only now it’s called “Pedal From Pioneer Square To the Lights, Park Your Bike and Walk!” It’s free so join up and help us make a lighted bike procession on the way from Pioneer Square and back. Check it out at pedalbiketours.com.
Scott Mizee, come and find the Safer Routes to School folks we will have Hot Cider. If you like cider. Oh yeah my 2 cents on the griping about not getting to ride your bike through Peacock Ln this is a holiday event for kids and not a bike-civil rights issue. I imagine if there is some sort of protest this year there WILL NOT be a car-free event next year. So take it easy O righteous ones.
lighten up, Francis!! 🙂
protest twas a joke…
Jonathan, and Joe Rose (who’s email I can’t locate online).
I don’t know when the ‘official’ discussion of limiting bikes came up with the neighborhood. I read Jonathan’s article and thought to myself that families with kids walking around and staring at displays would be paying little attention to the road. This is no problem if everyone is on the same playing field (i.e. same speed), but cars or bikes put them at a disadvantage. So I contacted PDOT and the neighborhood and everyone agreed to set up bike parking to encourage (but not enforce) people to walk. It never came up in discussion to ban biking, simply to encourage alternatives. There’s a time and place for all modes. And family environments like this (especially only one block long) are more suited for feet.
And thanks for your kind words Michelle, but all I did was make some phone calls with PDOT and email Joe and Becky.
I’ll try and get a correction with OregonLive.
Hey Aaron, thanks for the comment and for all your work on this.
Just a reminder that we are now in a new era of BikePortland where you need to keep an eagle eye on the byline. Jonathan still does most of the writing, but this one was by me!
You can see my photos from the evening here.
More photos by Aaron available here
And another set by Greg Raisman available here!