Elly Blue on the mic.
(Screenshot)

A new Portland-based transportation activism group, the People's Department of Transportation (as in PDOT, not to be confused with the Portland Bureau of Transportation, PBOT), has released their first video and press release.

I've heard murmurs about this group coming together but now it's official (read their introductory blog post at PDOT.org). The video released today features Elly Blue (former managing editor of BikePortland) talking with Portlanders about a new wall erected by an "activist organization calling itself the Oregon Department of Transportation" along 82nd Avenue. (more...)

Here's the latest from PBOT:

City and State Crews Gear Up for Next Storm System (12/19)
Contact: Cheryl Kuck, 503-823-5909

(PORTLAND, OR) – The National Weather Service is predicting another severe winter weather event for the Portland metropolitan region this weekend. City and State crews are prepared to respond. (more...)

[Note: You'll notice I've begun using the acronym PBOT instead of PDOT. That's because the Portland Department of Transportation (which actually is the Office of Transportation but no one ever called it POOT) will soon officially become the "Bureau" of Transportation.]

Citing an expected shortfall of $6.4 million for the coming financial year, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), through their Budget Advisory Committee, has launched an online Budget Prioritization Survey. The budget shrinkage, they say, is due to a "sagging gas tax and lower parking revenue". (more...)

Ellen Vanderslice is the new
Project Manager for the
Bike Master Plan Update.

The City of Portland's languishing effort to update its Bicycle Master Plan just got a shoot in the arm. Ellen Vanderslice, an effective bureaucrat and well-known activist for people-friendly cities, has been selected as Project Manager for the Bicycle Master Plan Update process.

PDOT staffers have been working on an update to the all-important plan for nearly three years now. Our current plan was adopted by City Council in 1995 and it was intended to be updated in 2005. (more...)

Here's the latest press release about the storm from PDOT (also available online):

City Encourages Commuters to Take Transit Thursday
Expect variable conditions

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­The City of Portland advises commuters to expect variable road conditions throughout the day Thursday and therefore to take transit. If you have to drive, pre-fit and carry chains in your vehicle. According to the National Weather Service, the system that arrived today may bring more precipitation and freezing temperatures through tonight, the Thursday morning commute, and the evening commute. Portlanders could wake to freezing rain or snow, with snow showers expected throughout the day. (more...)

The gravel-strewn bike lane
on SE Madison.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Here in Portland, after the novelty of riding in the snow wears off and the fear of icy roads subsides, people that bike are faced with an unfortunate byproduct of severe weather -- gravel.

The gravel is a more eco-friendly way to deal with slippery streets (Portland doesn't use salt because of concerns over runoff into rivers), but it makes for an annoying ride.

Remember the big TriMet lawsuit saga back in January of 2006? That entire incident, according to the guy on the bike, was caused when he was forced to ride outside of the bike lane due to gravel accumulation. (more...)

PDOT just sent out a lengthy press release that gives an overview of their status and strategy in tackling the ongoing issues created by this week's severe weather. The full press release is below (scroll to the bottom for some biking and walking tips):

City Crews Working to Clear Main Streets of Ice

Neighborhood Streets Still Very Icy
(more...)

This chart from the City Auditor's 2008 Service, Efforts, and Accomplishments survey shows that in some NE Portland neighborhoods, 29% of residents use a bicycle as their primary or secondary mode to get to work.
-- More graphics below --

(more...)

PDOT's Sharon White, shown here
at a Share the Road rally in 2006.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Sharon White is PDOT's pedestrian safety chief. One of the many programs she oversees is an ongoing "crosswalk enforcement action" campaign. Working with the Portland Police Bureau, White and staff at PDOT identify high-risk intersections and then employ decoys to walk across them while officers stand by.

White is so committed to her work that often, she herself takes on the role of crosswalk guinea pig. A few weeks ago, during one of the enforcement actions, she got more than she bargained for. (more...)

There's no denying that 2009 is shaping up to be the Year of the Cycle Track in Portland.

PDOT already has one in the books for NE Cully Blvd., they're working closely with streetcar planners to put one adjacent to the new line in the Lloyd District on NE 7th Ave., and planners, advocates, and other local bike insiders (including our next Mayor and his chief of staff) are all singing the cycle track's praises after seeing them in action in cities like Amsterdam and Copenhagen. (more...)