Watch the BTA’s new “Roll on, Oregon” promotional video

Still from new BTA vid.
– Watch it below –

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) held their annual member meeting earlier this week. Unfortunately I wasn’t there, but from what I’ve heard it was a very solid event. In addition to their new 20-year vision and Strategic Plan, the BTA shared a new promotional video at the event.

It’s called, “Roll on, Oregon” and it’s intended to inspire people to “Join the movement.” It features some gorgeous scenes of people pedaling around our great city accompanied by narration, which includes the line, “The jetpack is finally here, and it’s a bicycle.” Check it out below…

Roll On, Oregon from BICYCLE TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE on Vimeo.

Stay tuned next week for an in-depth report about the BTA’s new Strategic Plan. I sat down with key staff earlier this week to get the full scoop and I’m eager to share more about it.

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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Scott Mizée
12 years ago

It is a very well done video. My favorite line is: “We are Cycle-Driv-arians.” 🙂

Lance P.
12 years ago

Looks good. I would like to see this on a station with a wide audience. It might make people think a little before they hope in their auto.

NW Biker
NW Biker
12 years ago

Very nice! It’s great to see something hopeful for a change.

Indy
Indy
12 years ago

– Needs professional narration.
– Take the doughnut part out. Voodoo doesn’t represent our city any more than other businesses

Paul Cone
Paul Cone
12 years ago
Reply to  Indy

I completely agree. That “United in hatred…” line (a non-bikey friend of mine noticed it) is a bit unfortunate. And anybody been to VooDoo lately? The last couple of times I’ve been the line’s been out the door, seemingly mostly tourists, ’cause it’s been in the middle of the weekday afternoon. I think focusing on one specific (white hipster?) place like that takes away from it. Why didn’t they say anything about the African American bicyclists being 20 minutes away from their BBQ place? Is that racist?

Charley
Charley
12 years ago
Reply to  Indy

The “doughnut part” lasted all of 1/4 of a second, and I didn’t even recognize Voodoo from the visual. So. . . big deal?

Jay
Jay
12 years ago

Wow, I dig this, a lot! Great start to what looks like is going to be a freakin phenominal weekend 🙂

Alex
Alex
12 years ago

Ironic that on a day that a guy dies because he did not have a helmet that BTA unveils a video showing people riding through PDX without helmets, thus perpetuating unhealthy riding habits. I’m sure BTA talked about it, but I find it sad that in a great video lauding our City that images of folks not wearing helmets are almost glorified (ie the last sunset image)…we can, and should, do better. I challenge the BTA to only put images out there with folks with helmets on – we can help save lives that way.

Hart Noecker
12 years ago
Reply to  Alex

Nobody lives or dies because of an inch of plastic wrapped around their heads. I applaud the BTA for showing riders who aren’t afraid, who ride safely, helmet-free. There is no reason to wear such a silly, useless device that offers the illusion of safety while perpetuating the myth that cycling is dangerous.

Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
12 years ago
Reply to  Hart Noecker

I was a little disappointed to see Harrington was inspired to promote helmets to kids, rather than promoting the idea of not running into other road users. That said, I’ll continue to wear my silly device because while it may not save my life, it may keep me from knocking a chunk of meat off my head if I hit a patch of sand. Which has been known to happen.

bArbaroo
bArbaroo
12 years ago
Reply to  Hart Noecker

That silly, useless devise: darn thing failed to keep the car from getting in my way. Failed to keep me from flying off my bike and smacking the pavement at 20mph. All it did was keep my brain from being completely scrambled. What a worthless piece of plastic.

Sigma
Sigma
12 years ago
Reply to  Hart Noecker

Yeah, that doctor who said the helmet saved Joey Harrington from severe head trauma doesn’t know what he is talking about it. Personally, I rely on blog comments for all my information.

Nick V
12 years ago
Reply to  Hart Noecker

I wear a helmet. To anyone who doesn’t, good luck to you.

Otto
Otto
12 years ago
Reply to  Hart Noecker

Hey genius,

When I was eight years old I fractured my skull in a bike accident, had a blood clot, spent days in the hospital, and missed weeks of school. I wasn’t wearing a helmet. If I had, the injury would not have been so severe for such an innocuous fall.

Yeah, there is no guarantee that a helmet will save your life if you’re hit by a car but it could save you from serious injury from an enexpected fall, which happens to the best of riders. And it could save your life, depending on the circumstances. It’s better protection than your skull.

So if you think that you’re too cool for a helmet (trust me, you’re not too cool for anything) and want to rationalize your choice, fine, go ahead. But don’t go around perpetuating the myth that they’re “useless”.

Dwight
Dwight
12 years ago
Reply to  Alex

I’m with you, riding without a helmet is just not worth the possible brain damage.

Hart Noecker
12 years ago
Reply to  Dwight

And yet somehow the actual data collected shows no increased rate of injury for non-helmeted riders. What’s your fear based on again?

pdxpaul
pdxpaul
12 years ago
Reply to  Hart Noecker

Real Data:
Helmet use has been estimated to reduce head injury risk by 85 percent.
Bike deaths:

Year No Helmet Helmet Total*
Num
1994 776 (97%) 19 (2%) 796
1995 783 (95%) 34 (4%) 828
1996 731 (96%) 27 (4%) 761
1997 785 (97%) 23 (3%) 811
1998 741 (98%) 16 (2%) 757
1999 698 (93%) 42 (6%) 750
2000 622 (90%) 50 (7%) 689
2001 616 (84%) 60 (8%) 729
2002 589 (89%) 54 (8%) 663
2003 535 (85%) 58 (9%) 626
2004 602 (83%) 87 (12%) 722
2005 676 (86%) 77 (10%) 784
2006 730 (95%) 37 (5%) 669
2007 646 (92%) 50 (7%) 699
2008 653 (91%) 58 (8%) 714

See also:
http://www.cyclehelmets.org/1068.html
http://depts.washington.edu/hiprc/practices/topic/bicycles/helmeteffect.html

Schrauf
Schrauf
12 years ago
Reply to  pdxpaul

How do those percentages mean much if we don’t know the total population of each group, nor their average risk profiles? Real data, huh? Real useless.

Did you intend to link to a site that rightly proceeds to tear apart the “85%” study? It’s a study full of errors and weaknesses, and yet is the primary study cited to support helmet use.

Helmets often help some. But don’t pretend it is so simple. Spend some more time on the site you linked to, and you might get it.

Hart Noecker
12 years ago
Reply to  pdxpaul

Your own link argues against you data:

“As discussed above, it seems more likely that the 4,501 cyclists actually observed riding around Seattle were more typical of the norm than the ‘community control’ group, leading to the conclusion that helmets make no significant difference. This is also the conclusion from whole-population data around the world.”

Otto
Otto
12 years ago
Reply to  Hart Noecker

That Tumblr page of yours is rank. Promote yourself somewhere else.

dwainedibbly
dwainedibbly
12 years ago

Awesome video! I love that there are no helmets.

Sigma
Sigma
12 years ago
Reply to  dwainedibbly

Yeah, let’s pretend hat people on bikes don’t get hit by cars and die. Maybe if we keep saying “they don’t wear helmets in Amsterdam”

Sigma
Sigma
12 years ago
Reply to  Sigma

…Portland will turn into Amsterdam. That’s my plan.

Joe C
Joe C
12 years ago
Reply to  Sigma

It’s a good one. And I’ll help.

eli bishop
eli bishop
12 years ago

“we won’t take slow for an answer.” “we are a 20-minute city.”

i don’t know who “we” is, but i know i’m not included in these statements. bummer. i love you anyway, portland!

dmc
dmc
12 years ago

This video makes me wanna get on the saddle and ride! Very tranquil and serene

Lois Moss
12 years ago

Great video for preaching to the choir, for encouraging existing cyclists to engage in the BTA and to be proud of what Portland has accomplished!

There are alot of “we” words there. Please consider creating another version with more “you” words that will resonate with the majority of the population: the non-cyclists that you are hoping will try riding. Also add some messaging directed to the people who will never, ever become cyclists that humanizes us and makes them understand that cyclists are their neighbors, co-workers and friends.

bumblebee
bumblebee
12 years ago

eli bishop
“we won’t take slow for an answer.” “we are a 20-minute city.”
i don’t know who “we” is, but i know i’m not included in these statements. bummer. i love you anyway, portland!
Recommended 2

I second that! Too bad the BTA decided to make cycling a part of the cutthroat-get-there-first-or-die-trying approach to transportation.

Paul Hanrahan
Paul Hanrahan
12 years ago

Good video, but I was sorry to see no one of color or gray hair types riding. Like someone said earlier, preaching to the choir.

Isaac Szymanczyk
Isaac Szymanczyk
12 years ago

Not sure about the “united in hatred” line. Weak copywriting decision there, given the other strong points of the video, especially the “roll on” theme.

“Hatred” is for fist-pumping supremacists and neo-conservative rallies with poorly spelled xenophobic signs, not for forward-thinking movements trying to unite cyclists and drivers toward a better future.

Alex
Alex
12 years ago

Well put Isaac, could not agree more. BTA is supposed to represent all of us, and in general they have done a great job, but this video needs to be re-narrated to get rid of the hate…

MM
MM
12 years ago

The Bicycle Helmet Safety Institute (BHSI) is up front in identifying itself as a pro helmet advocacy organization. It provides a wide variety of information including responses to many of the negative views on helmets http://www.bhsi.org/negativs.htm The site also presents a section entitled, “Should I Wear a Helmet?” http://www.bhsi.org/shouldi.htm that offers some good food for thought in making your choice to wear a helmet.

Additionally, BHSI recently posted the following on their site: “a recent study from Australia of New South Wales data shows a drop in head injuries of up to 29 per cent after a compulsory helmet law was adopted there in 1991. The researchers showed that head injuries dropped in comparison to other cyclists’ injuries. They concluded “Our results make it untenable to rescind compulsory helmet laws.” Australia has two decades of experience with all-ages mandatory helmet laws, and is not repealing them.”

Setting aside any discussion of mandatory helmet laws for all age groups, this statistical information speaks to the likely benefits of helmets – at least in regards to head injuries.

There is also, I believe, validity to the anecdotal, non-statistical, data provided by personal accounts of medical outcomes when helmets meet terra firma. At the risk of being labeled a melodramatic helmet evangelical, I’ll share my own story. Four summers ago, I was involved in a significant bicycle accident that saw me go head first into a ditch and fracture two cervical vertebrae. No motor vehicle was involved, and I wasn’t riding in an unsafe manner – it was just bad luck. Did the helmet I was wearing save my life? Not sure, maybe. Did it help prevent the addition of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) to my diagnosis list? Looking at that helmet today, seeing the degree of compression and deformation that occurred to the polystyrene, and remembering what the very smart trauma doctors who see bike accident victims daily up at OHSU told me, the answer is yes. I think that helmet played an important roll in me being able to ride my bike today.

For me, it is not an issue of being “afraid” to ride helmet-free. Rather, it is a personal decision based on what I see as the prudent notion of “why take the chance” as well as the real world experiential knowledge that “life can come at you fast.” No, helmets aren’t perfect. That said, I guess I value what’s between my ears too much to risk not wearing my “brain bucket.”

The right of personal choice is very important and I respect those who exercise it in making their own decision to ride helmet-free. However I must, as a member and financial supporter of the BTA, question if the organization’s decision to include riders sans helmets in its new video is truly consistent with the “making bicycling safe” portion of their mission statement.

Shane
12 years ago

I’ll make the usual plug from the southern Willamette Valley here….
That looked a lot like Portland to me. And as it says “Roll on Future City at the end”… not Roll On, Oregon as the title states.
The video is clearly focused on Portland, not the state. The BTA does good work all around the state but they still struggle with that work and their place beyond the Portland bubble.
Maybe a broader Oregon video is forthcoming…
If not, it’s still a cool video about Portland cycling.

PS- My old cargo bike Guay made an appearance at 0:19- Made in Eugene by HPM!