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Day: October 26, 2009

Gray/Orange Novara Big Buzz 2009

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Year: 2009
Brand: Novara
Model: Big Buzz
Color:Gray/Orange
Size:19″
Serial: U8XK13284
Photo: http://media.rei.com/media/jj/c085d88e-f2b2-4305-b4d6-ab096247e96e.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97201
Stolen:2009-10-26
Stolen From: The back of Science Building 1 (chem, physics, biology) at PSU, SW 11th and Mill.
Neighborhood: PSU Campus
Owner: Ben Turner
OwnerEmail: benzonite@gmail.com
Description: Brand new Big Buzz. Has disk brakes, grip shift gears (2×9 gears). Blue crank brothers candy pedals.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Eugene celebrates Gold bike-friendly rating

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BTA in Eugene

Riding some of Eugene’s
downtown bikeways.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Last week, Eugene transportation planners and bike enthusiasts got some exciting news; the League of American Bicyclists announced they were a “Gold” level Bicycle Friendly Community.

The League cited Eugene’s “remarkable commitments to bicycling”, their 5.5 percent bicycle mode share, and their new, human-powered only bridge over I-5 as reasons for upgrading them. Eugene had been a Sliver level city since 2004. They’re one of seven cities in Oregon to be recognized by the League (the others are Bend, Beaverton, Ashland and Salem with Bronze, Corvallis with Gold, and Portland with Platinum).

Read more

Trail backers want more respect in Bicycle Plan

“If we had $50 million in hand, would we spend it developing one corridor or do we want to spread the love around the city?”
— Roger Geller, City of Portland bike coordinator

Trail advocates are polishing up their comments on the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030.

Backers of the Sullivan’s Gulch Trail — a path still in planning stages that would run from I-205 to the Willamette River along I-84 — say they’re concerned that the new plan does not give off-street paths the respect they deserve.

The Sullivan’s Gulch is now just a line on a map.
(Graphic: Sullivan’s Gulch Trail Committee)

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Bike Master Plan set for hearing tomorrow

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Just a reminder:

The Portland Planning Commission will take public testimony regarding the draft Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 at a hearing on Tuesday, October 27, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. The hearing will be held in Room 2500A at 1900 SW 4th Avenue in Portland. Members of the public may sign up to testify for three minutes at the hearing by filling out a testimony card. Written testimony can be submitted to the address below, whether or not you plan to testify in person:

    Planning Commission
    c/o Bureau of Planning
    1900 SW 4th Ave., Suite 7100
    Portland, OR 97201-5380
    503-823-7700
    Fax: 503-823-7800
    Email: planningcommission@ci.portland.or.us
    The public comment draft of the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 is available for download online

(If anyone visited the site and had trouble with large file sizes, please check the site again as we’ve been able to reduce some file sizes and provide more options for downloading portions of the plan.)

If you received a print copy of the plan or downloaded the plan documents before October 19, please be aware that we have corrected two substantive errors that made it past our proofreaders! Corrected pages 53 and A-34 can be downloaded from the errata page linked to the above URL.

We will be accepting public comments on the plan through November 8. You may submit comments by e-mail to bicyclemasterplan@pdxtrans.org, or in writing to the address below. We also have now added an online comment form for your convenience. You will find a link to the form on the download page.

Thoughts and images from the 350 Climate Action Rally

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Climate Rally - 350 Day-1

Slideshow below/Gallery
(Photos © J. Maus)

On Saturday, about 1,000 Portlanders joined rallies around the globe to raise awareness of climate change. The 350 Climate Action Rally was part of the 350 campaign, which bills itself as a “global grassroots campaign to stop the climate crisis.”

Not surprisingly, many people came to the rally at Pioneer Courthouse Square by bike. About 40-50 of them met beforehand and rode over en masse to show their support for the cause.

Portland resident Simon Walter-Hansen joined a few others in quiet meditation in Waterfront Park, flanked by 350 banners before riding coming to the rally. He said it was a sign of solidarity for the cause and that it made people stop and think about why they were doing it.

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The Monday Roundup

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Streetcar funding, ciclovias, contraflow cycle tracks, carrots and sticks, cycle speed bumps, pro-bike Republicans, anti-bike bloggers, a bike hearse, and rude drivers

– The National Resource Council has released results from a study conducted in 2005 on costs stemming from health effects of manufacturing cars and burning fuel. The result: $56 billion.

– The NY Times auto section has a long article on a growing trend in the U.S. — cutting back on car ownership, or going carfree entirely. Explanation of this trend is followed by an interesting look at how automakers are looking to cater to the carfree-minded.

– The US Senate is poised to pass a Climate Bill that includes 3% for clean transportation — a threefold increase over the version passed by the House.

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Book Review: How to Live Well Without Owning a Car

Publisher’s note: Despite a recent BTA survey showing that 90% of respondents own a car, many people are finding that living without one (or several) is not only possible but enjoyable. Even the New York Times has noticed that in America, people are falling out of love with cars.

On that note, here’s a review of a very highly recommended book about how to take the carfree (or just car-light) plunge. It was originally published by Elisa Munoz on her Birmingham, Alabama-based blog Bike Skirt, and has been republished here with her permission. We’re looking forward to publishing more reviews from Munoz in the future.

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