11 May 2009 Archives

United Bicycle Institute will open in North Portland

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

UBI owner Ron Sutphin
said coming to Portland was
a “no brainer”.
(Photos © J. Maus)

United Bicycle Institute, a frame building and mechanic school based in Southern Oregon, will open a new location in North Portland this summer.

UBI is a licensed, private career school that opened its doors in 1981. They offer a variety of certifications and classes in bike repair, bike maintenance, and frame building. In 1986, it was purchased by Ron Sutphin and he has been the company’s owner and operator ever since. I spoke to Sutphin last week during a visit to Portland to finalize the deal.

bike parking during bus mall construction

The County installed these markings
in November 2005.
(Photos © J. Maus)

A recent crash between two people riding over the Hawthorne Bridge has raised concerns about the safety of the facility for non-motorized users — and it’s far from the first time these concerns have come up.

In December of 2006, we published an editorial by Elly Blue titled “Re-thinking traffic on the Hawthorne Bridge,” where she wrote, “…traffic congestion on the Hawthorne Bridge is a serious problem.”

Last summer, Vancouver BC resident Ron Richings visited Portland. Richings is an avid rider who contributes to Momentum Magazine, volunteers in the bike scene, and makes an annual visit to Portland to take part in Pedalpalooza and other events.

Safety in numbers; gas taxes; electric bikes; child safety; parking; moving house.

– The stats are in: Car culture is on the decline, according to an analysis in Esquire Magazine by Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com. Silver developed a regression model that shows that the past year’s decline in driving is not entirely due to unemployment and high gas prices.

– The New York Times has published a must-read profile of new transportation secretary Ray LaHood, and the Infrastructurist has responded with an excellent analysis of what this means for the future of the transportation department and of sustainable transportation.

– After a crash caused by a Boston trolley operator who was sending text messages while driving, Boston’s MTA drivers and operators will from here on out be forbidden to even have a cell phone in their possession while aboard their vehicles.

Erica Rothman as of this morning.
(Self-portrait)

24-year old North Portland resident Erica Rothman was on her way to get a tattoo on Wednesday evening when a collision with another bike rider on the westbound side of the Hawthorne Bridge sent her to the Emergency Room (read accounts from an eyewitness and from the man she collided with).

Fortunately, despite tumbling onto the bridge’s coarse metal grating, Rothman sustained only scrapes and bruises. She was discharged from the ER Wednesday night with 17 stitches on her face, two staples in her elbow, and some major road rash on her shoulder.

United Bicycle Institute will open in North Portland

County warned about bridge issues last summer; project in the works

The Monday Roundup

Rider injured on Hawthorne Bridge shares her side of the story

Latest Headlines

55 years ago, 1,200 Portlanders joined bike ride to demand carfree space

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From the Archives

With six kids and no car, this mom does it all by bike