Cover of the French Prarie Bike-Ped Emergency
Bridge Briefing Booklet (PDF).

This coming Monday, the Wilsonville City Council will convene an important work session that could determine the future of the French Prairie Bike-Ped Emergency Bridge over the Willamette River.

The City of Wilsonville was awarded a $1.25 million federal grant in 2009 to develop a feasibility study and design alternatives for the bridge. At Monday's meeting, the Council is expected to vote on whether to formally accept the grant and invest the required 10% local match ($125,000) to keep the project moving forward. Or, they could choose to hit the pause button. (more...)

Doing some damage.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Reader Chris S. came across a story in The Oregonian yesterday that made him do a double-take. In a report about the 'State of the County' event held by the Clackamas County commissioners, the topic of bicycles came up. The event allowed citizens to ask commissioners any question they'd like. The Oregonian reporter shared a few of the questions and summarized the answers.

Here's the first question in the story — and the one that Chris said he "had to read a few times to make sure I read it correctly."

Q: Bicyclists and studded tire users cause considerable road damage. Why shouldn't bicyclists and studded tire users be required to pay an annual fee to the county for wear and tear? (more...)

Wilsonville Mayor Tim Knapp (R) chats with OHSU Nursing student Jen Akeroyd about active transportation links in the region.
(Photos: Patrick Croasdaile for BikePortland)

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Families biking from Portland to camp at Champoeg State Park rely on the Canby Ferry.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

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KGW screen grab showing Crippen.

A 50 year old woman was found dead on the I-205 multi-use path in Clackamas County at 1:00 am on Friday morning (11/25) and law enforcement officials are now searching for clues in what they believe to be a homicide.

According to the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, Dana Crippen — who they say "was previously to be known to be homeless and living in the Eugene area" — was found on a the path where it goes under SE Johnson Creek Blvd, just west of I-205. Here's more from the sheriff's office: (more...)

Detail of flyer for upcoming training event.

Sandy, Estacada, Molalla, West Linn and Wilsonville are among the cities in Clackamas County lining up to learn more about how to position themselves as bicycle touring destinations.

Travel Oregon, an organization that promotes tourism statewide, is co-hosting a 'Bicycle Tourism Studio' event on November 8th along with Clackamas County Tourism and Cultural Affairs. The Bicycle Tourism Studio concept is part of Travel Oregon's focus on tourism development in rural communities. Funded by our state's 1 percent lodging tax, the initiative aims to train local agencies, governments, and organizations to capitalize on sustainable tourism.

Kristin Dahl is Travel Oregon's Sustainable Tourism Development Manager. She says Clackamas County has a big advantage over other counties when it comes to bike tourism. "They've got public transportation connections to Portland like the MAX line and the Springwater Corridor." (more...)

Clackamas County plan drawings show the new diagonal bicycle crossing with a dedicated bike signal that will be installed for Springwater Corridor bike traffic. (Purple line by BikePortland to show Springwater Corridor location)

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No love from Clackamas residents.
(Photo © J. Maus)

In case you haven't heard, Clackamas County voters soundly rejected (63-37 percent) a $5 annual vehicle registration fee that would have raised $22 million to help pay for the ailing Sellwood Bridge over the Willamette River.

The fee was passed by the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners back in December, but activist groups (including Americans for Prosperity) opposed the fee and organized to get the issue on the ballot.
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As we shared a month ago, Clackamas County is set to break ground on an exciting new six mile bike/walk trail from downtown Milwaukie to the City of Gladstone. The press release below has details on the groundbreaking ceremony slated for Tuesday, March 22nd:

North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District sets Trolley Trail groundbreaking ceremony for March 22
 
North Clackamas Parks and Recreation District, Clackamas County and other partners are working to build the future Trolley Trail. The groundbreaking will be Tuesday, March 22, at Stringfield Family Park, 3614 SE Naef Road, the trail’s main trailhead.

The Trolley Trail is about six miles of bike and pedestrian trail that connects neighborhoods from downtown Milwaukie to the City of Gladstone and beyond. The trail, beginning construction now, will follow the historic streetcar right of way that ran in the area from 1893 until 1968.

Elting Northwest of Gladstone was selected as the general contractor. Construction is expected to be completed by late fall.

The trail will be constructed to the approved final design and the only changes anticipated are those that may come about once construction begins and the conditions on the ground.    

The project is currently anticipated to take about nine months to build. It is expected that the contractor will build the trail in segments. The exact sequencing is not available yet but will be shared when details are known. NCPRD will be working to provide timely construction updates to the community and interested parties as possible during the course of the project.

Construction is a dynamic process and by its nature disruptive. There may be trail closures and street detours during the course of the work.   

[Publisher's note: Our news intern, Patrick Croasdaile, happens to live in Clackamas County so he's a bit closer to the action down there than I am. In the story below, he shares a roundup of Clackamas County bike news gleaned from a recent meeting of their biking and walking advisory committee.]

County Planner Lori Mastrantonio-Meuser
indicates the scope of the Clackamas
Regional Center Ped/Bike Connection Plan.
(Photos © P. Croasdaile/BikePortland)

The Clackamas County Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (CCBPAC) held their second meeting of the year on Tuesday night. They covered a lot of ground. While the committee spent the majority of time reviewing the upcoming Clackamas Regional Center Pedestrian and Bicycle Connection Project, topics such as bicycle facility improvements on Highway 43, the Oregon City bridge shuttle, and the County’s application for an Oregon Scenic Bikeway all received considerable discussion. They even touched on Safe Routes to Schools.

First, we got an update on the proposed bike improvements to Hwy 43 we first told you about back in December. (more...)