Weekend Open Thread

Looks like some sun, some rain this weekend, not necessarily in that order. Check out our guide to some of the rides and events going on — and feel free to share your fun in the comments here.

I’ll leave you with this photo just sent in by former BikePortland intern Dan Liu, of the luxurious bike path on a freeway bridge in Sandpoint, Idaho during his cross-country bike trip this summer.

Dan writes:

Seeing the scary photo of the under-deck bike path reminded me of this bike path outside Sandpoint, ID, crossing the Pend Oreille. It’s the old Hwy 95 bridge, almost 2 miles long, and adjacent to the newer, identically-sized Hwy 95 bridge that now carries car and truck traffic. The pavement wasn’t stupendous, especially around the expansion joints, but it sure was nice riding on it!

The added bonus was that right before the bridge approach, there was a 4X20ft sign on a restaurant lounge that read, “BBQ TAKE OUT SPECIAL FREE KITTENS 265 8527.

Photo of author

Elly Blue (Columnist)

Elly Blue has been writing about bicycling and carfree issues for BikePortland.org since 2006. Find her at http://takingthelane.com

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Peter W
Peter W
14 years ago

If used the existing I-5 bridge(s) for bikes and constructed new bridges next to it, that’d be great!

First stop-sign laws, now better bridge crossings. Can anyone say why Idaho seems to come up with much more sensible bike solutions (at least in these two regards) than Oregon?

Todd Boulanger
Todd Boulanger
14 years ago

But where do the pedestrians walk? 😉

wsbob
wsbob
14 years ago

“But where do the pedestrians walk? ;-)” Boulanger

Uh-h…perhaps wherever they damn well please! …or maybe, if they’ve got very good balance, they walk the edge of the guard rail like Phillipe Petit?

On a more serious note, maybe Dan Liu can tell us how this extraordinarily wide bike-pedestrian path came to be. Kind of looks like a couple decommissioned motor vehicle lanes.

Laura
Laura
14 years ago

look at all the pretty bike staples just installed at HUB!!! But are there enough???

skmo
skmo
14 years ago

This is a decommisioned highway. There is a nice bike path which goes for another 4 miles south adjacent to Highway 95.

carye bye
carye bye
14 years ago

I rode that old road, now bike/ped path into Sandpoint. Idaho is FULL of bike-ped paths by the way, great place to bike. While I biked all the way there from Portland. You can take the train to Spokane,WA and take the Centennial bike path all the way Coeur d’Alene. And when we rode to Norther Idaho through Sand Point, there was almost always a bike path next to the highway – though many had lots of tree root cracks, but better than nothing. Bike Vacation in Idaho, you won’t regret it! You can order tons of maps/brochures from their bicycle program…

Matt Picio
14 years ago

Since this is ostensibly the “report how the weekend went” thread, I thought I’d mention that Move by Bike set a new record this weekend, with 42 people attending Chris “fool” McCraw’s bike move from NW to NE Portland!

Next up, a double pirate-themed bike move on the 19th: Katelyn’s from Sellwood to Hawthorne (10:30am) and mine from Hawthorne (6 blocks away from Katelyn) to Ainsworth. Come move on Talk Like a Pirate Day!

carye bye
carye bye
14 years ago

Matt, thanks for keeping us on track!:)It was a great bike move, I hadn’t done one in awhile, and now I’m addicted again. Yay!