Director of PBOT, Tom Miller, at the
Oregon Active Transportation Summit.

During a speech at the Oregon Active Transportation Summit in Salem yesterday, PBOT Director Tom Miller got advocates up to speed on the funding crisis at the agency and organizational changes they've made that could reap benefits for bicycling. In addition, Miller made the unexpected announcement that PBOT will soon roll out a formal 10% bike mode split goal, a step in accountability he says is unprecedented.

Miller said PBOT is being forced to adapt and change due to a "crisis in transportation" that revolves around funding. He said Portland has a 21st century transportation vision they are trying to carry out with a 20th century funding model. (more...)

Tom Miller in May 2011.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

According to The Oregonian's City Hall reporter Beth Slovic, PBOT Director Tom Miller is not likely to keep his job if Charlie Hales or Eileen Brady win the mayoral election.

Both candidates made their intention to make the change in separate interviews with The Oregonian this week:

"I believe we need to change the leadership at the Transportation Bureau, and we need to do it on day one," Brady said in an interview with The Oregonian on Wednesday about her priorities should she win.

...

"This isn't personal," he [Hales] said on Friday. "There are major issues in the bureau, and it needs a fresh and fully qualified leader."

(more...)

Map shows PBOT's new "streets of
citywide significance".
- Download PDF-

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has released an update on their 2012-2013 budget situation. As we suspected, a major shrinking of their budget has resulted in a restructuring of how the bureau will prioritize spending. In other big news, PBOT Director Tom Miller has unveiled a set of "organizational evolutions" that will change the face of the bureau. (more...)

Miller addressed the BAC on Tuesday.
(Photo: Patrick Croasdaile)

Tom Miller, the former Chief of Staff for Portland Mayor Sam Adams who was appointed Director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) back in January, formally introduced himself to the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee (PBAC) on Tuesday night.

His words offered a striking contrast from his predecessor Sue Keil (and in some regards, his boss, Mayor Sams Adams). He spoke of the bureau's communication missteps, his intentions to put forward bold ideas and the political realities that those ideas will have to overcome. (more...)

Tom Miller is the new Director of the Bureau of Transportation.
(Photos © J. Maus)

(more...)

Portlanders demo'd public bikes at a
City hosted event last summer.
(Photos © J. Maus)

With their recent launch of 500 bikes and 50 kiosks, Denver is now home to the largest bike-sharing system in the United States. Bike-sharing has yet to catch fire in the U.S. like it has in Europe, so Denver's foray will be watched closely by other U.S. cities, like Portland, that have shown interest in the concept.
(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...)

Tom Miller
(Photo © J. Maus)

Welcome to the final installment of our guest article series on bike sharing in Portland.

The series is written by Tom Miller, chief of staff for Portland City Commissioner and Mayor-elect Sam Adams. Yesterday, Tom laid out asked some of the questions that must be answered in order for Portland to make the right decision about a bike share system.

In today's article, Tom surveys existing efforts in the U.S. and concludes the series with a quote from Portland's future mayor.

(more...)

Tom Miller
(Photo © J. Maus)

Welcome to Part Five of our six-part, guest article series on bike sharing in Portland.

The series is written by Tom Miller, chief of staff for Portland City Commissioner and Mayor-elect Sam Adams. Yesterday, Tom laid out what's at stake for Portland in choosing a bike share vendor.

In today's article, Tom examines some of the key questions that must be answered before PDOT moves forward with this idea.

(more...)

Tom Miller
(Photo © J. Maus)

Welcome to Part Four of our six-part, guest article series on bike sharing in Portland.

The series is written by Tom Miller, chief of staff for Portland City Commissioner and Mayor-elect Sam Adams. On Friday, Tom shared experiences from the bike share system in Stockholm, Sweden, which is operated by Clear Channel (Clear Channel also had a bid in to manage Portland's system).

In today's article, Tom reflects on their trip to Scandinavia and ponders on what's at stake for Portland.

(more...)

Tom Miller
(Photo © J. Maus)

Welcome to Part Three of our six-part, guest article series on bike sharing in Portland.

The series is written by Tom Miller, chief of staff for Portland City Commissioner and Mayor-elect Sam Adams. Yesterday, Tom shared his initial impressions on bike sharing systems from a recent trip to Scandinavia.

In today's article, Tom shares what he learned when a delegation of Portlanders (including Mayor-elect Adams) tried to navigate through Clear Channel's bike share system in Stockholm, Sweden.

(more...)

Tom Miller riding in
the 2006 Bridge Pedal.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Welcome to the first in a six-part series; Bike-share in Portland: A status report. The author of this guest article series is Tom Miller. Miller is the current Chief of Staff for Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams and he'll follow Adams into the Mayor's office in January.

Besides being Adams' right-hand man, Miller is a major bike believer. This series arose from my constant prodding to Miller about the future of Portland's bike-share program (an effort that began in February of 2007 but was shelved before a contractor was found).

In six parts, Miller will share his insider perspective on the inspiration, current status, and future potential for bike share in Portland.

Part One: Bike share in Portland; a brief history (more...)

BikeStation Executive Director Andrea White was in town earlier this week. Accompanied by a BikeStation board member, the pair met with city officials and private developers to discuss the potential of a new bike parking facility (or facilities) in Portland.

In an interview after her trip, White said the possibility for a "bike-transit" facility in Portland is stronger now than it's ever been,

"... there is incredible interest in and support for bike-transit centers in Portland. I would say since my last trip there two years ago, the people that we met with have moved forward significantly in their commitment to building facilities. I think it’s just a matter of where and when."

(more...)

Chris Distefano and Tom Miller chat
while riding in Forest Park last night.
(File photo)
Gallery - slideshow below

Last night the Portland United Mountain Pedalers (PUMP) led a group of city staffers on a mountain bike ride through Forest Park. The ride was organized to give key decision makers and city planners an up-close and personal experience of urban mountain biking.

During the ride, PUMP members explained sustainable trail building methods, shared their thoughts on the importance of mountain biking to Portland's Platinum effort, and continued to make their case for adding more singletrack trails in Forest Park.
(more...)

Yesterday at the Multnomah Athletic Club, about fifty members of the Portland Ambassadors (a business development organization partnered closely with the Portland Development Commission) attended a forum to learn more about our local bicycle industry. They heard from a broad range of perspectives about how bicycles play an increasingly significant role in our region's economy. (more...)

Last month, Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams traveled to Montreal. Along for the trip was his Chief of Staff for Transportation, Tom Miller.

Tom gave me a brief report about the trip and shared his thoughts about how Montreal's bike infrastructure and culture compares to Portland.
(more...)

Hundreds of cyclists packed City Hall last night to bask in Portland's rich artisan bicycle culture at the first-ever Made in Portland Bicycle Show and Art Exhibition. The crowds were thick and the energy and good times flowed like the free Widmer beer.

The bike show was the epicenter of the event. The marble floors, columns and high ceilings of the atrium were the perfect setting for the builders to share their craft. There was a wide variety of locally made bikes on display, from the utilitarian three-wheeled vehicles of Bill Stites to the woman-centric Sweetpea cross bike and Sacha White's show-stopping Vanilla Tricycle.
(more...)

City leaders and key bike advocates are headed to Amsterdam next week. The trip was Sam Adams' idea and the goal will be to learn how Amsterdam's government officials and planners have been so successful at creating thriving urban cities that encourage people to get out of their cars. Jessica Roberts of the BTA hopes the trip will be, "an inspiration, and that it will expand our sense of the possible. Portland is the perfect place to bring some of the techniques successfully used in Europe."

Here's a partial list of who will represent us:

• Sam Adams, city commissioner in charge of Transportation
• Tom Miller, Sam's chief of staff
• Roger Geller, City of Portland Bicycle Coordinator
• Evan Manvel, Executive Director of the BTA
• Jessica Roberts, BTA Metro Area Advocate
• Scott Bricker, BTA Policy Director
• Jeff Mapes, senior writer for the Oregonian

I think that's a list that we can all be proud of! I'll be working with Jessica to bring you updates and photos of the trip. Stay tuned.

Here's a few bits and pieces floating around my head. I'll be expanding on some of this stuff in the days to come, but I have to do a mental dump or my head will explode. Here goes:

Whew! I feel better already.