Cross section of the MARC (there's
a velodrome in there somewhere.

The City of Portland recently ended its call for concepts to redevelop the Memorial Coliseum. There were 80 different concepts received -- ranging from a world class bowling arena to "a museum that celebrates the bygone era of the automobile."

Among the concepts, there are two that include a velodrome. One of them was proposed by Steve Brown; the racer, business consultant, and velodrome activist we've covered since back in 2006 when he worked a velodrome bill through the State Legislature. That effort ultimately stalled out, but Brown's enthusiasm for bringing bicycle track racing to Portland is still going strong. (more...)

Velodrome backer Steve Brown and Jay Isaac with the Trail Blazers see potential for a velodrome at this location.
-Google Map here-

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As the Mayor's Office puts the pieces together on a process to re-think Memorial Coliseum, the idea to install a velodrome inside the building remains a front-runner. (more...)

Rendering of a bicycle velodrome on upper tier of Memorial Coliseum by Jeff Mitchem of Ankrom Moisan Architects

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Steve Brown sees a new opportunity
to build a velodrome in Portland.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Remember Steve Brown? He's the independent businessman-turned-advocate who has spent the last two years trying to get a new velodrome built in Portland.

After taking his vision for a velodrome public in December of 2006, Brown admirably worked his idea through the legislature in Salem. He made some major progress, and his "velodrome bill" was even expanded by enthusiastic lawmakers to include facilities throughout the state. It ultimately got stalled in a committee and never became reality, but Brown has not stopped working toward his vision.

I caught up with him at the Get Together event near his home in Multnomah Village on Tuesday night and he shared more about his latest idea. (more...)

Police Officer Robert Pickett (in jacket, left)
was one of about 50 who showed
up for our second monthly Get Together
event last night.
(Photos © J. Maus)

I think this "Get Together" idea just might have some legs. I honestly did not expect many people to show up, but I was very pleasantly surprised when about 50 people came out to the Lucky Lab in Multnomah Village last night just to talk bikes.

You don't hear about it as much as inner southeast and other neighborhoods closer to the city, but there is clearly a big, pent-up demand and lots of energy for biking in outer southwest. The turnout last night -- both in quantity of people and the quality of the conversations -- was a testament to that. (more...)

Steve Brown of the Portland
Velodrome Project hoped to build
a temporary rack at the Oregon
State Fairgrounds in Salem.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Supporters of a new velodrome on the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem suffered a setback last week when State Parks officials said they would not provide funds for the track.

The original proposal was to spend $130,000 to construct a temporary, wood-frame and plywood track to be housed in the Pavillion Building.

Steve Brown -- a Portland-based businessman velodrome advocate who has been working on this project since last September -- was already deep into the planning stages for events he hoped would begin at the Fair this summer. (more...)

An architect has submitted a proposal to
build a velodrome inside this building
on the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.
(Photo courtesy Oregon State Fair)

Back in September I shared the news about a potential new indoor velodrome coming to the Oregon State Fairgrounds in Salem.

Now it seems like plans are moving forward and Oregon just might host bicycle track racing at the State Fair as early as this summer. Steve Brown, a track racer and head of Portland Velodrome, says noted velodrome architect Peter Junek has submitted a proposal to Oregon State Parks for the construction of a portable velodrome inside the Pavillion Building on the State Fairgrounds. (more...)

The Oregon State Fair Pavillion building
is being considered as a location
for a new velodrome.
(Photo courtesy Oregon State Fair)

Imagine being at the Oregon State Fair, chomping on a plate of fried food, and hearing a packed crowd erupt in a thunderous roar as track racers fly by on the way to a thrilling finish.

Earlier this month, a group of track racing promoters met with the Director of Oregon State Parks Tim Wood and took a step toward making that vision a reality. (more...)

Senator Jason Atkinson (R-Central Point)
testifies on behalf of S.B 926,
while Steve Brown looks on.
File photo: 3/29/07

Senate Bill 926, which seeks to use $3.5 million in state lottery funds to build three new velodromes in Oregon, is stalled on the desk of the Ways and Means Committee.

The bill is awaiting referral to a subcommittee, but so far Ways and Means Committee Co-Chair Mary Nolan (D-Portland) has not passed the bill along. The reason? She has not heard from enough supporters of the bill, and has some reservations about using state lottery funds to pay for velodromes.
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Sen. Floyd Prozanski wants
a velodrome in Eugene.

Today was another great day for cycling in Salem. On Tuesday we made solid progress in fixing an outdated law, and today the velodrome bill (S.B. 926) -- which seeks $3.5 million of State Lottery funds to build velodromes -- gained not just valuable political support, it also gained one more track.

Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D) showed up to the hearing with an amendment to the bill that calls for a third velodrome to be built in the Eugene area.

He told members of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources (of which he's also a member), that cycling has, "mushroomed beyond what people may realize."
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Great news from Salem. I just got out of a hearing for Senate Bill 926.

The big news is that not only did the bill moved forward with a unanimous recommendation from this committee, but Senator Floyd Prozanski proposed an amendment to build a third velodrome in the Eugene area.
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[A new bill proposed by Oregon Sen. Jason Atkinson could bring a new velodrome to Portland. The Alpenrose Velodrome (shown above) is in need of expensive repairs and is not a year-round facility.]

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[BTA's Scott Bricker
inside the Capitol.]

It's been a busy morning.

After negotiating Portland's icy streets, BTA Policy Director Scott Bricker and I made our way down to Salem. For Scott, it was just another day at work, but for me it was an opportunity to learn more about how a bike lobbyist works the system to turn ideas for new bike laws into reality.

It's only noon, and I've been on the floor of the Oregon Senate and have sat in on three productive meetings. The main priority of these meetings is for Scott to explain and get feedback on the BTA's three bills they're hoping to pass this session.
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The effort to create a new velodrome facility for track racing in Portland continues to the pick up steam. After reading my article last Tuesday, Boaz Herzog from the Oregonian filed a similar story that made the front page of today's Sports section.

Organizers behind the velodrome effort are setting up a website, gathering pledges and community support and plan to meet with Commissioner Sam Adams to see how a new velodrome would figure into existing plans to establish a major, professional bike race in Portland.

I'll keep you posted with any further developments.

[Steve Brown]

Steve Brown is a business development specialist with a penchant for track racing.

He brings his bike on business trips to Los Angeles where he spins around the track at the gleaming ADT Event Center and dreams about having something similar in Portland.

For six years he has raced all over the country and at the local Alpenrose Dairy Velodrome, but Brown says that facility won't last much longer and that now is the time to start planning for a new one.
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Steve Brown -- the local developer* whose vision for an indoor track racing facility in Portland is making the rounds in the cycling community -- has put his money where his mouth is.

In an email he just sent to the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) mailing list, he has announced intentions to move forward with the velodrome idea and has asked the community for support.
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Oregonian columnist and bike nut Jonathan Nicholas writes in this morning's paper that a Portland developer* would like to see an indoor velodrome come to downtown Portland.

The developer,* Steve Brown thinks Portland would be a perfect place for an indoor track racing facility. He told Nicholas,

"It's not hard to imagine combining the excitement of bike racing and beer to create something much more entertaining than the Blazers."

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