Month: April 2014

Washington County will chip seal several popular rural roads this summer

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Washington County is set to chip seal
27 miles of rural roads this summer.
(Photo J. Maus/BikePortland)

Washington County road crews are gearing up for several major chip seal projects that will impact popular rural roads during the peak summer riding season.

For the county, chip seal is a way to extend the life of road surface and save them money in repairs and maintenance in the long-run; but to people who love riding on smooth roads, it means more bumps due to the tiny little rocks (chips) that are laid down in the process. The projects also mean that the roads will be closed briefly during and immediately after the work is completed.

Washington County is aware of these issues and they mention bicycling and offer this explanation of the chip seal process on their website:

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blue Giant FCR 2 2009

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2009
Brand: Giant
Model: FCR 2
Color:blue
Size:medium
Photo: http://www.giant-bicycles.com/_generated/_generated_us/bikes/models/images/800/2009/FCR-2-Blue.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR
Stolen:2014-04-29
Stolen From: Marriott
1150 NW 9th Ave Portland, OR 97209
Owner: Haythem Khanfar
OwnerEmail: haythemk(replace with at sign)gmail.com
Description: blue and pretty stock, had a helmet and chain. There were aftermarket red/white brake pads I on the front I believe.
Police record with: portland
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Community activists plan strong showing at final PBOT street fee town hall

Tweet from PBOT Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller on Friday

As the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation preps for their last Our Streets Town Hall event (this Thursday at 6:30 pm at Woodstock School), local transportation activists and advocacy groups are planning to make a strong final impression. With talks about a new street fee getting ever more serious and yet another bike-related project (the 20s Bikeway) going a bit sideways, many people in the community want to make sure PBOT hears strong support for cycling.

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Black Tiburon Gary Fisher Hybrid 2009

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2009
Brand: Tiburon
Model: Gary Fisher Hybrid
Color:Black
Size:25″
Serial: WTU240C
Stolen in Redmond, OR 97756
Stolen:2014-04-27
Stolen From: Apt complex locked with heavy chain under stairwell they used bolt cutters.211 NW Greenwood Ave Redmond,Oregon
Neighborhood: nw canal area
Owner: Randy Bishop
OwnerEmail: wendybishop25(at sign)yahoo.com
Reward: not able
Description: This is a large bike i am 6ft 7″ so not too many people ride this large a bike
Police record with: Redmond,Oregon
Police reference#: 14113098
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

28th Avenue update: A business owner explains why she signed the petition

Staccato Gelato owner and Stakeholder Advisory
Committee member Sarah Holliday.
(Photo courtesy Sarah Holliday)

The public dialogue around how to best improve cycling conditions on the central segment of the 20s Bikeway Project is heating up. Yesterday we posted a petition signed by 60 business owners on 28th Avenue who united against a City proposal to remove on-street parking on the street and replace it with a buffered bike lane.

Since posting the list, readers have contacted many of the business via email and/or Facebook. We have also heard from business owners directly. This has resulted in the removal of one business, Wolf & Bear’s, because an employee signed it without the owner’s knowledge (the only name on the petition signed by an employee and not an owner). One other business owner, Earl Ninsom of PaaDee, contacted us to request his removal from the list, saying he signed it in haste, without fully understanding the issues. And Captured by Porches, a beer brewer, says they don’t even own the beer dispensing cart on 28th and their name shouldn’t be on the list either. We’ll continue to investigate the list and update our reporting as necessary.

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USDOT Sec. Foxx unveils ‘Grow America Act’, says biking is part of solution

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Sec. Foxx at the National Bike Summit in March.
(Photo J. Maus/BikePortland)

US Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has sent his new transportation bill to Congress. The “Grow America Act” is the latest sign that Congress and the Obama Administration are getting serious about addressing our nation’s infrastructure problems as the Highway Trust Fund edges closer to bankruptcy this summer.

In a statement released today, Sec. Foxx said, “I visited eight states and 13 cities as part of my Invest in America, Commit to the Future bus tour this month and everywhere I went, I heard the same thing – people want more transportation options and better roads and bridges to get them where they need to go. Failing to act before the Highway Trust Fund runs out is unacceptable – and unaffordable.”

The four-year, $302 billion bill would address infrastructure maintenance, improve safety programs and investment, boost rail transit, and more. To pay for the investments, the bill relies on “pro-growth business tax reforms.”

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Silver Bianchi Strada 2006

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2006
Brand: Bianchi
Model: Strada
Color:Silver
Size:61cm
Photo: http://imgur.com/riItqlJ
Stolen in Portland, OR 97211
Stolen:2014-04-27
Stolen From: NE Mason St and 13th
Neighborhood: NE Mason St and 13th
Owner: Eric Mulcahy
OwnerEmail: ericjmulcahy( atsign )gmail.com
Reward: 100$
Description: Bike has some recent mods not in picture which include a 2 inch stem raiser and a set of silver raceblade Fenders
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

orange cresent

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Brand: cresent
Color:orange
Photo: http://imgur.com/delete/IkZcXYU93Yr9R5T
Stolen in Portland, OR 97212
Stolen:2014-04-28
Stolen From: Lloyd district NE
Owner: francesca provencio
OwnerEmail: francesca.pro7(replace with at sign)gmail.com
Reward: yes!
Description: Traditional vintage crescent orange bike, straight custom handle bars, brand new chrome fenders with reflective attached. Signature crescent logo and colors and title plate in tact.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 1434430
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

ROOT BEER Trek 520 2009

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2009
Brand: Trek
Model: 520
Color:ROOT BEER
Size:57
Serial: WTU213MW325D
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2014-04-28
Stolen From: B Street Apartments -E. burnside and 30th
Neighborhood: Kerns/Buckman/ Laurelhurst
Owner: Virgil Hall
OwnerEmail: virgilthall(AT)yahoo.com
Reward: yes
Description: Black handle bar bag, front and rear racks, brown seat, 3 yellow water bottle cages, clip on pedals.
Police record with: Portland online rep[ort completed
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Google says self-driving car can predict gestures, movement of bike riders

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Scree grab from new Google video showing
how their self-driving car can avoid a
bicycle rider.

Google released an update on their self-driving car project today that put a special emphasis on the cars’ ability to detect and maneuver around bicycle riders.

While driverless cars have had widely publicized success in their ability to navigate open roads and freeways, dealing with urban traffic is a whole different ballgame. In today’s update, posted on their official blog, Google says they’re well on their way to “mastering city street driving.”

Here’s more from the blog post:

Jaywalking pedestrians. Cars lurching out of hidden driveways. Double-parked delivery trucks blocking your lane and your view. At a busy time of day, a typical city street can leave even experienced drivers sweaty-palmed and irritable…

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Skamania County’s bike-friendly transit to the Gorge expands to weekends

Policymakers Ride - Gorge Edition-71

Starting May 1, you’ll have transit access to
Cascade Locks seven days a week.
(Photo J. Maus/BikePortland)

As bike tourism booms in and around Mt. Hood and the Columbia River Gorge areas, there’s a growing interest in transit service. With a reliable way to integrate transit into a bike trip, people can reach destinations that are further away and complete longer loops — all without the hassle and expense of using a car.

Earlier this year we reported on new bus service in Sandy that offers access to Timberline and other Mt. Hood destinations. Now a transit option on the Washington side of the river is set to expand, offering great promise for people looking to access the Gorge, Cascade Locks and more.

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