5 March 2009 Archives

Sprockettes and others come together for Hollis Hawthorne benefit show

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Hollis Hawthorne performing in
Southeast Portland last summer.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Portlanders continue to rally around the tragedy the tragic fate of bike dancer Hollis Hawthorne.

Hawthorne, a founding member of The Bay Area Derailleurs bike dance troupe, suffered a serious brain injury over a week ago while operating a motorcycle in India. Hawthorne started the Derailleuers with former Portlander and Sprockette Eliza Strack and they performed together in Portland last summer.

Thankfully, the latest update from India is that Hawthorne’s condition is improving. She is breathing on her own and doctors are showing signs of cautious optimism about her recovery.

Steve Brown wants a new velodrome in Portland

Steve Brown sees a new opportunity
to build a velodrome in Portland.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Remember Steve Brown? He’s the independent businessman-turned-advocate who has spent the last two years trying to get a new velodrome built in Portland.

After taking his vision for a velodrome public in December of 2006, Brown admirably worked his idea through the legislature in Salem. He made some major progress, and his “velodrome bill” was even expanded by enthusiastic lawmakers to include facilities throughout the state. It ultimately got stalled in a committee and never became reality, but Brown has not stopped working toward his vision.

I caught up with him at the Get Together event near his home in Multnomah Village on Tuesday night and he shared more about his latest idea.

Once built, the trail would
connect St. Johns to the
Steel Bridge.

The Willamette Greenway Trail project, that would connect the Eastbank Esplanade at the Steel Bridge with Cathedral Park in St. Johns, was approved for $444,800 in funding by Metro this morning.

The funds, awarded as part of $68 million available in “Regional Flexible Funds” through the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP), will go toward a planning study. According to a Metro summary of the project:

“…The study will focus on sites that have challenging topographic and land ownership issues. The project also involves an update of previous budgets and potential phasing of design and construction.”

(Photo © J. Maus)

The BTA’s proposal for an Idaho-style stop sign law will get its first public hearing and committee vote later this month.

BTA lobbyist Karl Rohde told me this morning that the bill, HB 2690, is scheduled to go in front of the House Transportation Committee at 1:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 18th.

Arizona’s attempt to adopt an “Idaho-style” stop sign law for bikes has come to a complete stop. According to an article published yesterday in the Tucson Citizen, the bill — which would have changed Arizona’s stop sign law to permit bicycles to treat them as yields (a.k.a. “Idaho-style” because Idaho has had this law on their books since 1982) — failed to get out of committee.

The state rep who proposed the bill, Doug Quelland (R-Phoenix) reportedly wore his “cycling garb” in front of the committee prior to the vote. Spandex and all, his bill was voted down 5-3.

The experience in Arizona is interesting to watch because a very similar bill (HB 2690) is currently being pushed through the Oregon legislature by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA).

“I didn’t realize I had such hatred for these people… All I know is I have a weird desire to make quick right hand turns in my Honda without checking the side-view mirror. Just kidding.”
— Stover E Harger III, staff writer for the PSU Daily Vanguard

Portland State University’s Daily Vanguard newspaper has published a very negative review of the new film, Veer: A documentary film about bicycling culture.

Vanguard staff writer Stover E. Harger III gave the film 1 star out of 5 and wrote that, “it’s really awful”. Harger also wrote that filmmaker Greg Fredette has created “a self-indulgent piece of fluff that plants its feet way too close to its subjects to be anything but clichéd and boring.”

Reading his review, it’s obvious that Mr. Harger III is no fan of some aspects of Portland’s bike culture, or the people who are a part of it. Here’s a snip from his review (emphasis mine):

Sprockettes and others come together for Hollis Hawthorne benefit show

Can bikes and baseball go together? Velodrome backer hopes so

Willamette Greenway Trail gets boost from Metro

Idaho stop law set for first hearing and vote in Salem

Idaho-style stop law fizzles out in Arizona: A bad sign for Oregon?

Veer documentary gets harsh review from PSU paper

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