3 November 2009 Archives

bright blue spray-painted raleigh Mountain ~2004

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: ~2004
Brand: raleigh
Model: Mountain
Color:bright blue spray-painted
Stolen in Porltand, OR 97227
Stolen:2009-11-4
Stolen From: porch on williams a few doors down (south) of alberta street in N. Portland
Neighborhood: alberta arts district
Owner: carmen campbell
OwnerEmail: jaguarchurch@yahoo.com
Reward: $50
Description: This bike is very unique. it is spray painted a bright, light-blue with a little bit of yellow spray paint underneath. it has the word “carmen” written on it in silver foil tape along with several stars of the same color. it has a black newspaper rack and pink grip tape. it has a thick aluminum frame and wide flat pedals.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Interview with Commissioner Fish: Forest Park talks are “back on track”

Commissioner Nick Fish talks
Forest Park and “freak-outs”.
(Photos © J. Maus)

It’s been almost one year since citizen activist Frank Selker re-energized the issue of increased bicycle access in Forest Park. Since then his effort has sparked widespread momentum for the issue and now the City of Portland’s Bureau of Parks and Recreation has convened a committee to develop recommendations and move the issue forward.

However, last week two members of that committee made headlines when they voiced strong opposition to the idea.

Blessing the bikes.
(Photo © Elly Blue)

A bagpiper stood outside welcoming the world into St Stephen’s Episcopal Parish at SW 13th and Clay last night for the dedication of the church’s new bicycle shrine. Inside, Halley Weaver played the harp; her bike and the custom trailer she uses to haul the instrument was parked in the back of the sanctuary.

Attendees were invited to roll their steeds up the ramp to the church door and park them amongst the pews.

The Oregon City Bridge
(Photo: Wikipedia)

An ad-hoc working group formed by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has decided that shuttle service is the “most feasible and reasonable” way to maintain non-motorized access between Oregon City and West Linn during an impending two-year closure of the bridge that connects the two cities.

According to a letter from ODOT to members of the group, the agency has budgeted $550,000 for the shuttle service and says they are “commited to providing convenient, easy to use, high quality shuttle service to meet the needs of bicyclists and pedestrians during the closure of the bridge.”

Blumenauer (in green jacket) avoids
a taxi while riding on Sixth Ave.
-Watch video below-

U.S. Representative Earl Blumenauer went for a ride with bike advocates in New York City over the weekend and Streetfilms was there to capture the action.

Blumenauer rolled down the bike lane on Sixth Ave, calling the experience “pretty grim”. However, when he turned onto the cycle track on Ninth, his feelings “changed completely”.

Paul Steely White, executive director of Transportation Alternatives, shared how far New York City has come in recent years:

“We started years ago aspiring to be Portland, looking to Portland for best practices, now we’re at the point in New York where Portland is actually borrowing from us.”

“Results to date suggest that sidewalks and multi-use trails pose the highest risk… and the presence of bicycle facilities (e.g. on-road bike routes, on-road marked bike lanes, and off-road bike paths) was associated with the lowest risk.”

There’s a constant chorus — sometimes soft, sometimes overpoweringly loud — in every conversation about bike infrastructure in America. Its refrain: You’re safer without any bike lanes, separated lanes, cycle tracks, bike boulevards, off-road paths. Just take the lane, follow the rules, wear your helmet, and you’ll be fine.

A group of scholars at the University of British Columbia have found otherwise. They conducted a literature review, looking at all available studies linking bicycle safety with infrastructure. Their conclusions will be counterintuitive for some.

bright blue spray-painted raleigh Mountain ~2004

Interview with Commissioner Fish: Forest Park talks are “back on track”

Vestments and bike bells: Bicycle Shrine dedicated in Portland last night

ODOT group decides on shuttle for two-year bridge closure

Blumenauer takes a ride in New York City

The research is in: You’re safer in the bike lane (or bike boulevard, or cycle track)

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