“I think there are some big leaps being made here with regard to the ad’s message being misleading or in some way endangering cyclists. The ad poses a question. How people interpret it or act on it is not up for TriMet to determine.”– Becky Witt, Public Information Officer for TriMet

As the debate continues over [...]

Entrance to transit station and multi-use path at SE Division Street.(Photo: TriMet)

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 [...]

TriMet will allow only walking of bikes only through this section (and more) of the Esplanade path.- Detour map below - (Photo © J Maus)

It’s the opening day of Pedalpalooza and summer bike season is getting underway. Unfortunately, TriMet needs to partially close a section of the highly trafficked Eastbank Esplanade starting this Monday (6/15).
Here’s [...]

TriMet bus operatorDan Christensen.(Photo courtesyDan Christensen)

[The following guest essay was written by TriMet bus operator Dan Christensen. You might remember Dan as the guy who started a petition among bus drivers in opposition to the new bikeways through the Rose Quarter Transit Center. Shortly thereafter, I shared a letter he wrote explaining his [...]

TriMet is using straps in the wheelchair area to increase bike capacity.(Photos: Jim “K’Tesh” Parsons)

When TriMet’s WES commuter rail line between Wilsonville and Beaverton opened back in January, many bike commuters were concerned about the lack of onboard bike capacity. WES had only two bike hooks per car, compared to four hooks on MAX [...]

With more cash, maybe TriMet willcard-activated bike lockers similar to this one in downtown Vancouver, WA.(Photo © J. Maus)

TriMet is counting on about $60 million in federal cash as part of the stimulus bill. That slice of money cannot go to operations and must be spent on transit infrastructure and preventative maintenance projects.
TriMet’s list [...]

Parking on the left, tricky tracks on the right.(Photo © J. Maus)

This week, the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation decided to remove on-street parking on the new transit mall ahead of schedule due to safety concerns first brought to their attention by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) back in October.

Looking south SW 6th Avenue at SW Yamhill Street.(Photo: PortlandMall.org)

As part of their Portland Mall Light Rail project, TriMet has announced several “major changes” for bike traffic on 5th and 6th Avenues.
According to TriMet Planner/Bike Programs staffer Colin Maher, effective January 12th, bikes (and cars) must obey the following traffic laws:

TriMet’s 7.3 mile Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail project includes a new bridge that will cross the Willamette River. The bridge is poised to be the nation’s first-ever transit/bike/ped only crossing and TriMet, along with bridge designers and other project stakeholders have narrowed down the design to two — a cable-stay, or a “wave” design.
The adopted [...]

As a follow-up to our story back in July about the new “Hang Bike Here” stickers on TriMet MAX trains, the transit agency sent out an alert today with additional information about how to load your bike on MAX.
Here are their three main rules:
1. Check to see if there’s room.
As MAX approaches, scan the train [...]

Commissioner and Mayor-elect Sam Adams (right), BTA Exec. Director Scott Bricker (foreground) and TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen (left) ride through a ceremonial ribbon at the southern entrance to the Rose Quarter Transit Center.(Photos � J. Maus)

[NOTE: For some reason, the comments on this post were not available when it was first published earlier today (9/30). I've re-published it and moved it up on the page to give folks another chance to comment. -- Editor]

One of two “bike trains” operated by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority.(Photo by captaindisko/Flickr)

Old lane markings have been ground away and the new, bi-directional bike lane is being mapped out.(Photo � J. Maus)

The Rose Quarter Transit Center, long a thorn in the side of bike advocates who want more efficient north-south access, is slated for a host of bike access improvements.
Those improvements — which include bus line re-routes [...]

Wyatt Baldwin.(Photo © J. Maus)

Wyatt Baldwin, the web programmer who created the bicycle trip-planning tool byCycle.org, has been hired by Portland’s public transit operator TriMet.
The announcement was made by TriMet communications director Carolyn Young during a presentation at the recent Pro Walk/Pro Bike conference in Seattle.
Baldwin starts today and he told me last week that [...]

Watch TriMet TV episode below.(Photo © J. Maus)

The latest episode of TriMet TV is titled, Buses, Trains & Bikes: Sharing the Road.
The piece outlines many safe biking measures aimed at keeping bike riders safe while operating around buses and MAX trains.
Among all the expected messages the narrator shares (use signals, walk your bike on [...]

(Photo © J. Maus)

The TriMet bus operator who started a petition hoping to stop a plan to allow bike access through the Rose Quarter Transit Center has just left a comment here on BikePortland.org explaining his views.
Dan Christensen wrote that he loves to bike and that “one of the best times” of his life was [...]

BTA’s Michelle Poyourow.(Photo © J. Maus)

Michelle Poyourow of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) will issue a statement later today about a recent petition and document that has surfaced from a group of TriMet operators who oppose a plan to allow bike access through the Rose Quarter Transit Center (RQTC).
Poyourow is the BTA’s main liaison to [...]

“We have no political axe to grind and are not in opposition to bicycles in general. But we are in opposition to bicycles in the Rose Quarter Transit Center.”– from a letter and petition send to local media outlets from a group of TriMet bus and train operators

The Portland Mercury has shared an interesting [...]

A rider on the narrow Steel Bridge sidewalk (view is facing west on the north side of the bridge).(Photos © J. Maus)

TriMet recently completed a construction project on the Steel Bridge and the result is a narrower sidewalk on the north side.
The majority of people that ride bikes over the Steel Bridge use the shared, [...]

Click to enlarge

The following is an excerpt taken directly from TriMet’s website:
Tips for Bike Commuters During MAX Steel Bridge Service Interruption August 2-24
The Steel Bridge will be closed to cars, buses and MAX trains August 2-24, 2008, as crews connect existing tracks to the new MAX Green Line tracks on 5th and 6th avenues. Shuttle [...]

The new sign says, “Hang bike here. Allow cyclists access to hook.”(Photo: Bill Alsup)

In an effort to make their bike hooks more user-friendly, TriMet has added new signage on MAX trains reminding passengers that the hook area is for bikes (not for standing in).
TriMet planner and designated bike guy Colin Maher says the [...]

TriMet tested bike access options last month.(Photos © J. Maus)

The BTA reports that TriMet has officially decided to make bike access through the Rose Quarter a reality.
TriMet tested potential solutions for bike traffic through its busy Rose Quarter transit hub back in June. Now, according to the BTA’s Michelle Poyourow, TriMet will make [...]

“At rush hour, expecting to board a train with a bike is a less dependable option than locking a bike at both ends of the trip, bringing on a folding bike, or traveling at a different time.”–Colin Maher, TriMet

TriMet’s bike programs manager Colin Maher has taken the time to look into the incident that I [...]

[UPDATE: Please see this story (posted at 5:35pm) for TriMet's clarification of this incident.]

(Photo © J. Maus)

After over a year, and following clarifications from TriMet staff, their contracted security personnel are still allegedly telling some people that they cannot board a MAX train unless a hook is available.
Back in April of 2007, I shared reports [...]

Screenshot from TriMet’s new trip-planning map unveiled at the Carfree Conference yesterday. Check it out here.

Riders test a new bike lane configuration through the Rose Quarter Transit Center.(Photos © J. Maus)

This morning I stopped by TriMet’s test of new bike access options through the Rose Quarter Transit Center this morning.
When I rolled up I was greeted by City of Portland bike coordinator Roger Geller and TriMet’s manager of capital projects [...]

(Photo © J. Maus)

TriMet has just released the results of their Bikes on MAX survey that they launched in August of last year.
In the Executive Summary of the survey, TriMet points to the trends of growth in both MAX and bike ridership in Portland. They say those trends have, “resulted in an increasing number [...]

Sign at entrance to Rose Quarter Transit Center.(Photo © J. Maus)

The Rose Quarter Transit Center has long been a barrier to bikes. But now TriMet, the City of Portland and the BTA are teaming up to test new options intended to “find a safe and reliable” way for bikes to get through the transit [...]

Bikes and people squeezeonto a MAX train.(Photos © J. Maus)

As reported yesterday, TriMet is working to improve the bike hooks on their MAX trains. However, if you’re like many people who take a bike onboard (especially during peak hours), the bigger problem is that there are just aren’t enough hooks available.
If you’re waiting for [...]