City is rolling out public outreach process for more bike boulevards.(Photo © J. Maus)

The City of Portland is about to embark on a series of open houses to inform neighborhoods about their bike boulevard plans.
The Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is busy planning and designing 15 miles of new, low-traffic streets throughout the metro [...]

Enemies turned allies; Rep. McHenry (L) and Shane Cooper.(Photo: DeFeet)

Remember Rep. Patrick McHenry?
McHenry is a Republican member of Congress from North Carolina who, back in August of 2007, sharply ridiculed and mocked the bike commuter tax benefit when it came up in Congress as part of an energy bill.
During a floor speech, McHenry [...]

Steph Routh, executive director of the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, speaks at the event this morning.- More images -(Photos © J. Maus)

With the summer cycling season in full swing, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) and a host of partners kicked of another year of their Eye to Eye safety campaign at a press conference near the [...]

Bikes in Forest Park.(Photo © J. Maus)

The efforts by the Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA, formerly the Portland United Mountain Pedalers) to thaw relations with Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) and the Forest Park Conservancy (FPC) in order to hasten increased access for bikes in Forest Park are moving faster than I can keep up with.
I [...]

Rep. Jim Oberstar speaking at the 2007 National Bike Summit.(Photos © J. Maus)

Today — the man who just two years ago stood in front of 2,000 Cycle Oregon riders in lycra shorts (after he himself battled the day’s grueling climb) and told them he would “thread the language of bicycles into the federal transportation bill” [...]

U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood.(Photo © J. Maus)

U.S. Transporation Secretary Ray LaHood issued a statement today proposing an immediate, 18-month “highway reauthorization” to the current transportation bill.
The proposal is being made in an attempt to replenish the ailing Highway Trust Fund that could run out of cash by late August.
Also, beyond the [...]

Let’s hope Rep. Oberstar’s love of biking seeps into his thinking on federal transportation policy.(Photos © J. Maus)

On Thursday (6/18), U.S. Congressman Jim Oberstar (D-MN) is expected to release a white paper outlining his plans for the forthcoming re-write of the federal surface transportation bill (Oberstar is Chair of the House Infrastructure and Transportation Committee).
The [...]

Riders queue up at a stop lightduring the Anti-CRC ride Saturday.- Slideshow below/More photos -(Photos © J. Maus)

Over 80 people met on Saturday to ride in protest against the Columbia River Crossing project. The event was put together by Rising Tide Cascadia to coincide with Pedalpalooza and raise awareness of the negative impacts of [...]

Lents looks to be more bike-friendly.

A potential new baseball stadium isn’t the only hot topic in the Lents neighborhood these days.
Residents have teamed up with community organizations and the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation to start identifying a network of low-traffic bike boulevard streets.
It all started when PBOT traffic/bike safety specialist Greg [...]

Detail of ride flyer.

Cascadia Rising Tide — a grassroots network of activists that, “take direct action to confront the roots causes of climate change and promote local, community-based solutions to the climate crisis” — will lead a ride next week exploring areas of North Portland that will be impacted by the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) [...]

As the work intensifies on Capitol Hill to re-write America’s next surface transportation bill, the lobbying is heating up to make sure it includes more money for biking and walking.
As the prime pusher of pedaling in Congress, Rep. Earl Blumenauer will play an important role in making sure those who are writing the bill understand [...]

The new logo and name was unveiled last night.(Photos © J. Maus)

The Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) are now known as the Northwest Trail Alliance and a new era in off-road advocacy has begun.
PUMP, a group that celebrated its 20th anniversary last year, has gone through big changes in recent months and with last night’s [...]

It’s the morning after for Governor Kulongoski’s big transportation bill and a coalition of concerned advocates are trying to rally opposition. Last Friday, a special joint committee polished off final amendments and sent House Bill 2001 to the House and Senate Floors for a vote that will likely happen this week.
After seeing those amendments, [...]

Bike-based business owners at a meeting this morning.(Photos © J. Maus)

There is some serious momentum afoot for Portland’s growing number of bike-based businesses to organize into some sort of alliance. Nowhere has that momentum been more apparent than at a meeting to discuss the idea held at the Portland Development Commission’s downtown offices this [...]

“This is not a very impressive step forward in terms of recognizing the role of bicycles in addressing our transportation needs.”– Doug Parrow, head of BTA’s legislative committee

Salem lawmakers have published their much-anticipated amendments to Governor Kulongoski’s transportation package and the news for bikes is bad. Very bad.
When the bill was first introduced back [...]

Metro Councilor Robert Libertygets the prize for best-dressedbiking politician today.(Photos © J. Maus)

It’s not everyday that you get a free spread of food, coffee, free bike tune-ups, and a shot at raffle prizes just for biking into work.
And it’s not everyday that you can see your Congressional representative, your Mayor, and two members of your [...]

Screen shot from MyCommuteSucks.org

“Don’t you wish there were a place where you could just vent all your transportation troubles? Well, the wait is over. Let it all out and take action.”
That’s the battle cry from MyCommuteSucks.org, a new site launched today by non-profit group Transportation For America.
According to E-advocacy Coordinator Stephen Davis, the [...]

Download the study here.

Portland-based Upstream Public Health has just released an important new statewide study that draws a clear connection between transportation policy decisions and people’s health.
The study — Oregon’s first-ever statewide Health Impact Assessment (HIA) — was commissioned by Upstream and funded by the Northwest Health Foundation. Upstream collaborated with Oregon Health Sciences [...]

Ryan Hashagen, owner of Portland Cascadia Pedicabs.(Photos © J. Maus) -Video below-

Today in City Council chambers, Commissioner Dan Saltzman proposed an amendment to the City of Portland’s proposed changes to the Private For Hire code. The amendment, which passed unanimously, will create an ad-hoc committee to address the issue of how the City regulates pedicabs.
Last [...]

A scene from last year’s Ride of Silence.(Photo © J. Maus)

For the fourth year in a row, Portland will take part in the national Ride of Silence event. The local edition of this ride — which began in Texas in 2003 and has spread to hundreds of cities — will take place in Northeast [...]

A graphic from the “Share the Path” brochure produced by PBOT in July of 2007.

The City of Portland just released a statement in response to a recent crash between bike riders on the Hawthorne Bridge.
Today and Monday, employees of the City’s Transportation Options Division will be on on the south side of the bridge [...]

City employees flip pancakes for pedalers in Pioneer Square during Bike to Work Day festivities last year.(Photo © J. Maus)

If the rain and wind has got you down…cheer up! It’s Bike to Work Month and there are free breakfasts and other events just around the corner.
The City of Portland’s SmartTrips crew, the Bicycle Transportation [...]

Jonathan Nicholas in Heppner, Oregon during Cycle Oregon 2007.(Photo © J. Maus)

The following is a transcript of the speech given by Jonathan Nicholas at the City Club of Portland on May 1st, 2009.
Nicholas was a columnist at The Oregonian for 26 years and is now the Vice President of Branding and Corporate Communications at The [...]

Students in the BTA’s Safe Routes to Schools program will compete with PSU students.

Earlier this month, the Portland-based Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) opened online registration for its second annual Walk + Bike to School Challenge Month. The event is a month-long contest that pits preschool and elementary school students against college and university students, [...]

Bikes Belong Executive Director Tim Blumenthal spoke at the Oregon Bike Summit yesterday.(Photos © J. Maus)

Bikes Belong Executive Director Tim Blumenthal shared a lot of inspiring news and information during his remarks at the end of the Oregon Bike Summit yesterday.
Blumenthal is a key figure in the national bike movement. He’s at the helm [...]

Rep. Jules Bailey(Photo © J. Maus)

The Portland Mercury’s Matt Davis is reporting that House Representative Jules Bailey (D-SE Portland) places blame for the demise of the Idaho Stop law on the way the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) handled the departure of Karl Rohde.
In an update to a story published yesterday on the Mercury blog, [...]

-Slideshow below-(Photos © J. Maus)

Day One of the Oregon Bike Summit is in the books.
With a focus on the legislative agenda, summit attendees got a crash course in lobbying. Tomorrow we start bright and early with a bike ride with state legislators. Then, it will be time to storm the capitol [...]

Northwest Bike Show booth.(Photo © J. Maus)

Two new bike shows are being planned for the Portland area in 2010.
The Northwest Bike Show, “Where cycling comes full circle”, is slated for February 20-21 and will take place inside a 54,000 square foot hall at the Portland Expo Center. The event is being put [...]

“…they [legislators] had heard from a number of constituents who were very concerned and opposed to giving cyclists what they viewed as special rights.”–Doug Parrow, Chair of the BTA’s Legislative Committee

An effort to pass the “Idaho Stop Law” in Oregon has officially ceased all forward motion.
I confirmed this morning from Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) legislative [...]

Time to rise up, Oregon cyclists!

Next week’s Oregon Bike Summit (4/21-4/22) in Salem could be the most important advocacy event of the year.
In previous years, the summit has been held in Eugene, Sisters, and Portland, but this year organizers are taking the bike movement straight to the lawmakers and pursestring holders in Salem.
The [...]