Man says he was intentionally run down while biking on N. Williams Ave

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Scott Stephenson says he suffered facial wounds
after a woman intentionally ran into him
while he biked on N Williams Avenue.
(Photo: Scott Stephenson)

North Portland resident Scott Stephenson is still shaken up after being involved in a road rage altercation on North Williams Avenue last Saturday. Stephenson, 31, says he and a woman driving a car got into a shouting match and that the woman escalated the situation by intentionally swerving her vehicle into him, knocking him to the ground, and then fleeing the scene.

After hearing about Stephenson’s story, I contacted him directly to hear his side of the story. Here’s how he remembers it…

Stephenson was stopped in the bike lane, waiting at the red light at N. Fremont at about 1:00 pm. As his light turned green, a woman was getting into her car just outside the Williams St. Market. She left her driver’s side door open, and Stephenson says his arm “grazed her door.” “It was no big deal,” he recalled, “So I just kept on going.”

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CRC labeled as “The Mt. Hood Freeway of this year’s mayoral race”

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“With the Columbia River Crossing increasingly looking like the Mount Hood Freeway of this year’s mayoral race…”
Jack Roberts in The Oregonian

The recent spate of bad news for the Columbia River Crossing Project — which was documented in detail on the Blue Oregon blog last week — reached new heights today.

In a guest column in The Oregonian, former Oregon Labor Commissioner and respected businessman Jack Roberts reflected on the current Portland mayoral race. In assessing how candidates Jefferson Smith and Charlie Hales compare to former Portland mayor Neil Goldschmidt, Roberts wrote:

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Press Release: Portland joins five other cities in national project for protected bikeways

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See the press release below from Bikes Belong as a follow-up to the story we posted yesterday (emphasis mine):

PORTLAND JOINS FIVE OTHER CITIES IN NATIONAL PROJECT FOR PROTECTED BIKEWAYS

Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez, Portland Bureau of Transportation Director and Bikes Belong Foundation Announce Plans for Safer, Stress-Free Bicycling in America

PORTLAND, OREGON (May 31, 2012) – The national bicycling nonprofit Bikes Belong Foundation (www.bikesbelong.org) launched its Green Lane Project today, bringing protected bikeways to Portland and five other U.S. cities over the next two years. The initiative (www.greenlaneproject.org) will work with Austin, Chicago, Memphis, Portland, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., to support the cities’ development of world-class bicycling facility networks. City of Portland Bureau of Transportation Director Tom Miller, along with Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez and top transportation officials from each city, announced initial plans at a kickoff event in Chicago.

Green lanes are dedicated, inviting spaces for people on bikes in the roadway, protected by curbs, planters, posts or parked cars. The goal of the Green Lane Project is to support the selected cities in their efforts to develop and install these kinds of facilities.

“Portland is leading the nation in development of neighborhood greenways and other innovative street designs,” said Martha Roskowski, Green Lane Project director for Bikes Belong. “Its attention to detail to bicycle operations at intersections and other transition points is unmatched.”

Green lanes already have a history of success in Portland. In a recent local survey, 70 percent of respondents said bicycling is easier and safer with these dedicated lanes, while motorists said the facilities did not make driving any slower or less convenient.

”Bicycling can be an incredibly cost effective travel choice when conditions are safe and well executed. America often looks to Portland to lead the way to safer bicycling, yet we know Portland has a lot to learn to meet its own city council-adopted expectations where bikes account for 25 percent of all trips by the year 2030. Collaborating with peer cities from around the country through the Green Lane Project will help bring Portland to the next level,” said Tom Miller, PBOT director.

Initial plans for additional green lane projects in Portland include the new Sellwood and Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail bridges across the Willamette River, buffered lane proposal on N Williams Avenue, and proposal for protected lanes on NE Multnomah Street.

“Green lanes benefit everyone who uses city streets, not just people on bicycles,” said Roskowski. “With these facilities, people in cars and on foot know where to expect bicycles. More people on bikes eases congestion. When people ride bikes, they are healthier, and they save money.”

Advisors to the Green Lane Project include the New York City Department of Transportation, the League of American Bicyclists and the National Association of City Transportation Officials. Funding partners include the SRAM Cycling Fund, Volkswagen of America, Inc, Interbike, Taiwan Bicycle Exporters Association and the Bikes Belong Coalition.

Gray Rocky Mountain Metropolis 2009

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Year: 2009
Brand: Rocky Mountain
Model: Metropolis
Color:Gray
Size:18 inches
Serial: SPRE0839062
Stolen in Portland, OR 97211
Stolen:2012-05-17
Stolen From: Residential garage NE Ainsworth and 15th Ave
Owner: Allan Whiting
OwnerEmail: allanwhiting@gmail.com
Description: Relatively new urban commuter bike with night lights and fenders
Police record with: Portland PD
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Documentary makers need subjects for Naked Bike Ride film

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World Naked Bike Ride 2011-40-40

Documentary will take closer look
at Naked Bike Ride.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

A local non-profit is looking for a few good subjects who aren’t bashful about participating in Portland’s annual Naked Bike Ride.

Portland-based NW Documentary teaches classes on documentary filmmaking (including one on how to film by bike) and they also boast a respectable track record in producing their own short films. Lilah Cady, a NW Documentary staffer, tells us their last short film was accepted into over 30 film festivals including major ones like Tribeca and London.

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blue Dahon Speed D7

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Brand: Dahon
Model: Speed D7
Color:blue
Size:folder
Serial:D010T04242
Photo: /home/sbr/public_html/temp/14462.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97212
Stolen:2012-05-31
Stolen From: Stolen from inside our car at the corner of Northeast 14th and Failing St.
Neighborhood: Sabin
Owner: Jay Shuster
OwnerEmail: lizjay@aracnet.com
Description: Blue Dahon Speed D7 folding bike. May have a bar mounted analog clock on it, silver water bottle cage broken at the weld but functional. Otherwise stock model including the rack.
Police record with: Portland
Police reference#: 12-153353
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Readers expose a bike touring con man named “Ian”

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A photo of “Ian” on the Oregon Coast
taken by Barb Wade on May 16th.

Since our post yesterday about the generosity of strangers toward a man who claimed he was down on his luck, we have come to realize that “Ian” is a prolific con-man. We have received numerous comments and emails from people all over the west coast who have had run-ins with this man — and he tells a similar sob story to everyone he meets.

To quickly recap; Salem resident Chad Butler met “Ian” over the weekend. After “Ian” claimed his bike was busted up and his belongings had been stolen, Chad swung into action. He befriended “Ian” and rallied friends to raise a nice chunk of money to get him back on the road. Almost immediately after our story went up, someone notified us that they had run into this same man in 2010 and he told them a very similar story.

But that was just the start.

Below is just a sampling of the people who have been the subject of “Ian’s” scams over the years:

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Burnt Orange Schwinn World Tourist early 80’s

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Year: early 80’s
Brand: Schwinn
Model: World Tourist
Color:Burnt Orange
Size:23″
Stolen in Portland, OR 97211
Stolen:2012-05-29
Stolen From: liberty and 17th.
Neighborhood: woodlawn
Owner: David Hendrickson
OwnerEmail: percolatingreceptacles@gmail.com
Reward: 25 bucks
Description: 23″ frame. freewheel in the front sprocket. 10 speed. upright handlebars. leather seat. attached mechanic’s pouch. foldout right side basket in back.
Police record with: Portland PD
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

PBOT director off to Chicago for “Green Lane Project” launch

PBOT Director Tom Miller will join Federal Highway Administrator Victor Mendez and peers from six other cities at the launch of the Green Lane Project in Chicago tomorrow.

As we shared last month, the Green Lane Project is an initiative backed by the Bikes Belong Foundation that seeks to hasten the development of protected bike lanes and support the development of “world-class bicycling facility networks” in Austin, Chicago, Memphis, Washington D.C., Portland, and San Francisco over the next two years.

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Black All City Natureboy 2012

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Year: 2012
Brand: All City
Model: Natureboy
Color:Black
Size:M
Serial: M11031328
Photo: http://allcitycycles.com/bikes/nature_boy1
Stolen in Portland, OR 97205
Stolen:2012-05-29
Stolen From: The Jeffrey Buliding, close to the corner of SW 11th and Main
Neighborhood: Cultural District (couple block from Portland Art museum)
Owner: Thomas Rozier
OwnerEmail: trozier@gmail.com
Reward: yes
Description: Red handlebar tape
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 12-153324.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

State prioritizes ‘user fee for bikes’ in report to Governor on new funding ideas

A new report presented to Oregon Governor John Kitzhaber yesterday outlines and prioritizes 16 new “non-roadway” transportation funding mechanisms. Among the ideas selected as a priority for “additional consideration for further implementation” and possible legislative action, is a “User fee for bikes.”

The 93 page report, Oregon Non-Roadway Transportation Funding Options: Report to the Governor, (PDF) is the result of a 64-person “Non-Roadway Working Group” that was convened by Kitzhaber back in November. The group included a large list of transportation stakeholders (including Bicycle Transportation Alliance Advocacy Director Gerik Kransky), many members of the Oregon legislature, and State staffers (see full list below).

The purpose of this project (which has been on the to-do list for the state since 2008) was to, “develop recommendations for sustainable funding of non-roadway transportation, including rail, marine, aviation, transit, and on and off-road bicycle and pedestrian paths.”

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