1 June 2009 Archives

Public health bill would give tax incentive for new bike purchase

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

An exercise equipment store.
(Photo © J. Maus)

A bill introduced by the United States House of Representatives in April would allow Americans to spend up to $1,000 in pre-tax dollars in a “flex-spend” account for the purchase of “qualified sports and fitness expenses.”

The Public Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act of 2009 (H.R. 2105, cleverly known as the “fit” bill) was introduced by Congressman Ron Kind (D-WI) and lists 12 co-sponsors, including Portland’s own Rep. Earl Blumenauer.

According to Rep. Kind’s Press Secretary Leah Hunter, up to $250 of the purchase of a new bicycle would qualify for the deduction.

This just in from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance:

Children and Families Walk + Bike to Baseball to Celebrate a Month of Sustainable Success!
Monday, June 1, 2009 – The Bicycle Transportation Alliance announces the close of a very successful Walk + Bike to School Challenge Month which will be celebrated at PGE Park on June 12th with Walk + Bike to Baseball. Seventy-nine elementary and middle schools participated across the state with an estimated 6,000+ students and parents choosing active transportation to and from school in the month of May. Eight Portland-area colleges and universities also participated in a version of the Walk + Bike Challenge Month called the Bike To Campus Challenge.

Read more

Editorial: Bike boulevards aren’t just for bikes

Marcella Red Thunder on the way to
pick her daughter up from school.
(Photos © J. Maus)

There has been a lot of talk and action around bicycle boulevards lately.

The term is used to describe low-traffic streets where bicycles are encouraged and supported through a number of engineering measures. They’re all the rage in the bike planning world and they’re one of the top priorities of the City of Portland in moving forward with its “transportation transformation.”

But lately I’ve noticed more and more non-bike and non-auto traffic on our local streets (skateboarders mostly) and have realized that the bicycle-centric term doesn’t quite do them justice.

Dave McCabe

[This guest article was written by Dave McCabe. Dave is a resident of the Alberta Arts neighborhood and is a regular bike commuter into downtown. A relative newcomer to getting around by bike, he’s current taking repair classes at the Community Cycling Center.

McCabe is also editor of American Scooterist, a magazine of the Vespa Club of America and a frequent contributor to scooter magazines around the world.]

People on bikes have flocked to
the new King Neighborhood
Farmers Market.
(Photos: Dave McCabe)

While Saturday was Bike Day at the PSU Farmer’s Market, a biking phenomenon of its own quietly unfolded the next day at the new market in the King Neighborhood.

The King Farmer’s Market is the fifth one organized by the longtime non-profit, Portland Farmer’s Market (founded in 1992). This particular market is put on in collaboration with the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (whose office is conveniently right next to the market). It is one block south of NE Alberta Street on 7th and Wygant in the King Elementary School parking lot.

Portlanders point with pride at the new Zoobomb Pyle, the City’s latest public art monument.
(Photo: Brian Borrello)

We’ll have a lot more coverage of this exciting upcoming event in the weeks to come. For now, here’s the official press release from conference host, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA):

The 2nd Safe Routes to School National Conference will be held in Portland on August 19th-21st, bringing stakeholders from across North America together to champion walking and biking to school safely. Themed “Two Steps Ahead,” the conference will highlight how Safe Routes to School programs across the country are changing the habits of an entire generation of children and keeping thousands of families ahead of health, traffic safety, and environmental concerns.

Read more

The Monday Roundup

Mapes in the New York Times, carfree NYC, climate change and public health, a celebrity bike activist speaks up, BRT in Salem, and a self-balancing unicycle.

This week’s news of bikes, transportation, and livability:

– David Byrne reviews local author Jeff Mapes’ excellent book, Pedaling Revolution, in the Sunday New York Times. The book is destined for the best-seller list. Congrats Jeff!

– Obama has appointed Polly Trottenberg as assistant DOT secretary; Streetsblog quotes a recent speech where she laments that state requests for federal dollars are so heavily weighted towards highway projects, despite the federal government’s commitment to sustainability.

– The dream of a high speed rail line between Eugene, Oregon and Vancouver, BC inched forward last week when the mayors of Portland and Vancouver, BC signed an agreement to work together to make it a reality.

– In the meantime, Washington State is requesting $800 million in stimulus funds to significantly expand existing passenger rail service between Portland and Seattle.

Public health bill would give tax incentive for new bike purchase

Walk and Bike Challenge winners will be recognized at Beavers game

Editorial: Bike boulevards aren’t just for bikes

Guest article: Bikes are ‘King’ at new farmer’s market

A monumental day for Zoobomb, and for Portland

Safe Routes to School National Conference coming to Portland

The Monday Roundup

Latest Headlines

Dispatch from hiatus and update on the future

Reminder: No riding through River View Cemetery during Memorial Day Weekend

Guest Article: Demand a pause on PBOT’s SW Alder decision

Guest Opinion: The bike beat lives on in all of us

From the Archives

The 10 busiest bicycling spots in Portland