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$500 reward offered in Vancouver/Williams tack incidents

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward


This tire and many others were
flatted last week due to two separate
tack incidents on the popular
Vancouver/Williams bikeways.
(Photo: @seniortrio/Twitter)

A Portland resident concerned about the recent incidents of tacks being thrown into bikeways on N Williams and Vancouver Avenues, has announced a $500 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible.

Mark Allyn, who works at Intel in Hillsboro and rides his bike each day from Southeast Portland, has retained local lawyer Ray Thomas of downtown Portland-based Swanson, Thomas and Coon to handle all the inquiries and to answer any questions about the reward.

Here’s a snip from an email Allyn just sent out:

BikeCraft IV-4
Mark Allyn
(Photo © J. Maus)

“I am offering a $500.00 reward to the person who furnishes the Portland Police Bureau with information that results in the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who have distributed tacks and nails on the bicycle lanes of N. Williams and N. Vancouver Avenues during the early part of September; actions that resulted in unsafe riding conditions for the many bicyclists who commute using that area”

I first reported that small tacks were causing flats on N Vancouver Avenue back on Friday, September 16th. Then I reported several flats from the same type of tacks on N. Williams Ave several days later.

So far I have been contacted by 21 people who have gotten one or more flats from tacks on these two streets.

“I am doing this,” reads the email from Allyn, “in support for our community of cyclists (and wheelchair users who can also get flats) who use that high non-motorized traffic route in the city.”

Anyone with information is encouraged to call STC Law at (503) 228-5222.

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