Photo taken last week at the Go By Bike shop under the Aerial Tram. "Only" 175 bikes parked that day.
(Photo: Kiel Johnson)

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Bikes are just one small part of the
picture in South Waterfront.
(Video still - Watch video below)

Our friend (and BTA Alice Award winner, Bike Train superstar and bike shop entrepreneur) Kiel Johnson is a close observer of how people are getting around in the South Waterfront area near the tram and OHSU.

Kiel runs the Go By Bike bike shop and valet service and he's seen first-hand how the cycle-track on SW Moody, the aerial tram, the streetcar, and the new Gibbs Street Bridge have changed the area. He recently made a film highlighting the intersection where all these things come together. It's an amazing look at what can happen when a city invests (a lot)* into giving people choices. It's a multi-modal dreamworld. It reminds me of those YouTube videos of intersections in the early 1900s where it looks crazy and busy; but somehow, it works.

Watch it below... (more...)

New gate up at The Strand to prevent
people from "racing through" on bikes.
(Photo: Gretchin Lair)

Owners at The Strand, a multi-tower condominium complex just south of the Riverplace marina, have erected a gate to prevent people from bicycling through their courtyard. The Strand's courtyard makes for convenient and safe access from SW Montgomery Street to Moody Ave, which is the main road to access the South Waterfront area. The cut-through had become popular for people bicycling to and from South Waterfront because it's direct and separate from motor vehicle traffic on SW River Drive.

Back in February, resident of The Strand, Barbara Brady, made a public appeal for people to avoid riding through this private courtyard. Brady made it clear that The Strand Board of Directors wasn't keen on people "racing through" their common area on bikes. Knowing that the Board would move to prohibit bike access, Brady hoped increased public awareness might solve the problem.

But it wasn't enough.

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The sign (on the Moody cycle track) is
done, and the bridge itself is
coming along nicely.
-More photos below-
(Photos © J. Maus)

It's been just about 16 months since the Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge broke ground. And lo and behold, it's set to open late next month.

I took a ride in the Aerial Tram yesterday and snapped a few photos of the new bridge (scroll down). I didn't realize this project was so close to completion.

Once open, the bridge will connect the Lair Hill neighborhood to the South Waterfront District. The west end of the bridge is at the intersection of SW Gibbs St. and Kelly Ave. From there, the bridge winds over I-5 to an elevator and staircase that stand at the southern end of the new cycle track on SW Moody. The stairs are expected to be bicycle-friendly but I have seen them up close yet. I imagine most folks would just take their bikes on the elevator.

Here are a few more shots from above... (more...)

A new path with separated space for biking and walking
was set to begin construction here this summer. But
a lack of funds has changed that plan.

The City of Portland Parks & Recreation bureau announced this morning that a $2 million funding gap has put their plans for the South Waterfront Greenway project on hold. While the City has obtained all necessary permits and the final design of the trail was officially approved earlier this month, Parks has been unable to come up with the money.

The $8 million project — which will include significant environmental restoration and riverfront access improvements along with the paved biking and walkings paths — is funded by a variety of sources including TriMet, the Portland Development Commission, and private developers. The project is noteworthy because the path would be the City's first that physically separated bikers from walkers — something that is seen as increasingly important as our local paths burst at the seams with users. (more...)

Go By Bike shop owner Kiel Johnson (center) shakes hands with customer (and friend) Owen Walz while shop staffer Eric Phelan looks on.
(Photos © J. Maus)

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Detail of SW Moody cross-section.

As we noted recently, US DOT Sec. Ray LaHood is making a visit to Portland next week. While here, LaHood will join Mayor Adams, Congressmen Earl Blumenauer, David Wu, Kurt Schrader, and regional transportation bigwigs in the South Waterfront District.
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The South Waterfront Greenway Trail will feature separate paths for biking and walking.

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Streetcar and bike parking in South Waterfront.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Last week, Metro Council approved funding for the South Waterfront Transportation Management Association (TMA). The new TMA will be funded to the tune of $300,000 (half from Metro, other half matched by neighborhood businesses and residents of the area) over three years and is set to begin work on July 1st. Other supporters of the new TMA are developers, the City of Portland, the Portland Development Commission, and Oregon Health Sciences University (OHSU).

TMAs are non-profit, public/private partnerships funded through the federal government's CMAQ (Congestion Management/Air Quality) grant program and administered through Metro's Regional Travel Options program. The idea behind them is to increase awareness and promote the use of biking, walking, ridesharing, and taking transit. Or put more simply, discourage single-occupancy vehicle use.
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The folks that manage Portland's innovative South Waterfront neighborhood have planned a special transportation fair that will focus on sustainable ways to get around.

Part of the event will be a panel discussion titled, Give Sustainable Transport the Green Light that will focus on getting around Portland without a car. (more...)