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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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."

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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.
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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.
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