(From The Encore's website)

When the Encore condominiums in the Pearl District opened in 2008, bike-friendliness was a main selling point. "Ride. Relax. Repeat" was the marketing slogan. The building also caught my eye and ended up on the Front Page for offering a free bicycle to new owners. The building's developer, Hoyt Street Properties, purchased a long-term advertising campaign here on BikePortland.

But that was then.

Now, several Encore residents claim that the board of the Encore Condominium Owners Association (they took ownership of the building from Hoyt last summer) is vehemently anti-bike and has established new bike parking rules and policies that one long-time owner calls "draconian."

At issue is how to deal with the growing number of bicycles at the 177 unit building. Residents I've spoken with say there aren't nearly enough spaces (even though only about 150 units are currently sold). However, instead of increasing the number of racks, the board has come up with new rules and a convoluted, fee-based lottery and permit system that comes nowhere near meeting demand.
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Aaaahhhhh, that feels much better.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

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Detail of changes coming to Marshall.

The Bureau of Transportation is scheduled to make long-awaited changes to NW Marshall Street between 10th and 11th (map). Their aim is to make bicycling conditions more pleasant by decreasing the amount of people who drive on the street and by adding dedicated space for bicycle traffic.

Auto traffic on Marshall has increased considerably after the bike lane on NW Lovejoy was removed and it was turned into a one-way street as part of the eastside streetcar project. This is problematic because Marshall is supposed to function as a bike boulevard. PBOT had hoped auto traffic would use Northrup (one block north), but that hasn't happened. (For more on this issue, read our story from September 2011, PBOT eyes changes in the Pearl to reduce auto traffic on NW Marshall) (more...)

People ride on the sidewalks on
NW Lovejoy to avoid the new streetcar tracks.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The Pearl District Neighborhood Association wants to expand the area in downtown Portland where bicycling on sidewalks is prohibited. Currently, bicycles are not allowed on sidewalks in the area defined by 13th, SW Jefferson, Naito Parkway, and NW Hoyt (map). The PDNA's Planning, Design & Transportation Committee passed a motion at their meeting on August 21st to modify Portland City Code 16.70.320 to extend that boundary to the Willamette River and I-405.
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PBOT planner Mauricio LeClerc presented
plans for the Pearl District last night.
(Photos © J. Maus)

After NW Lovejoy was decommissioned as a bikeway by the city, NW Marshall Street was supposed to take its place. The Bureau of Transportation added sharrows, smoothed out cobblestones, and installed signage and pavement markings to direct bicycle traffic from the main thoroughfare (Lovejoy) onto Marshall.

Unfortunately, it's not working out as planned.
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Often when I've brought up issues related to sub-par bicycling conditions that I believe pose a safety hazard, I've been met with criticism.

Whether it was bone-jarring bumps on the Esplanade, the lack of shoulders on rural roads, or the dangers posed by streetcar tracks, some people react by saying, "Toughen up! Stop whining! Learn how to ride your bike and get over it!"

However, I remain convinced that high quality, smooth streets and paths are imperative if we expect more people to give bicycling a try (and an OHSU study agrees). (more...)

Now includes a bike race, naturally.

The Festa Italiana, a week-long event that has brought together the local Italian community for 20 years, now includes a bike race.

The Giro di Portland will feature the area's best racing talent on a high-speed, multi-lap criterium through the Pearl District — and the Festa Italiana is the presenting sponsor.

Festa President Joe Castellano says having a bike race as part of their event has always been a goal. "Italians love their bike races," he shared via telephone this morning. (more...)

Preliminary concept drawing of Tracey Sparling Memorial Pedal Garden.
(Drawing by David Boekelheide and Evan Holt/PNCA)

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Event Name: BikePortland Get Together
Event Date: Wednesday April 27, 2011
Event Time: 5:30-7:30pm
Event Location: Bridgeport Brewpub - 1313 NW Marshall
Event Description: The next in our 2011 series of Get Togethers made possible by SKS.

We'll be talking about local issues with the folks who live, work and ride in the area including; streetcar issues, parking, carfree streets and the city's plans for the future of the Pearl. Please join us when you can. SKS is providing free bike accessories to some participants. (Swag!)
Bridgeport Brewpub has generously provided us their Old Knucklehead room. Please bring cash for their full bar menu.

Transit: Portland Streetcar and bus 77.
Thanks to:

New bike lanes on NW Marshall. See what
it will look like when completed below.
(Photo: Paul Peterson)

New bike lanes are being constructed on NW Marshall between 12th and 14th Avenues in the Pearl District -- but these aren't just any bike lanes. What's notable about this project is that the new lanes are being cut right through historic cobblestones (a move that has irked some local residents who say the cobbles are key to the area's charm) and they're part of a larger streetcar project that will make NW Marshall into a bicycle boulevard. (more...)