Good turnout and good conversation.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Last night our friends at Lancaster Engineering and I were honored to host another Wonk Night. A few dozen of Portland's smartest transportation thinkers showed up for some in-depth and wide-ranging discussions about policy, politics, and projects (and yes, some of them might have just been there for the free beer and snacks).

We had several staffers from the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), lots of professionals who work in the transportation field, several planning/engineering students, and a smattering of citizen activists. It was a great mix!

We're still finding our way with Wonk Night; but I feel like something special is beginning to emerge from these last two events. The level of candor and detail we're able to get to is something you just don't hear anywhere else. At things like advisory committee meetings or open houses; the engineers, consultants, bureaucrats, and advocates always have a filter on. As a member of the public, it's hard to get beneath that filter to the really good stuff. At Wonk Night, I try to facilitate open, candid discussions, while still making everyone feel supported and respected. Based on what was shared last night, I think it's sort of working. (more...)

Come, talk, snack, learn.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Wonk Night is back and you won't want to miss it. Join us this Thursday (1/31) in the offices of Lancaster Engineering (adjacent to BikePortland HQ) for a night of networking, beer, snacks, and rousing transportation discussions.

Last month we hosted a spirited conversation with some of Portland's smartest transportation thinkers. Faces in the crowd included a Metro councilor, high-level PBOT and ODOT staff, citizen activists, planning students, professional transportation engineers, and more. We talked about the NACTO Designing Cities conference, how level of service (LOS) and performance measures impact local street projects, Portland's perennial paradox of right-hook collisions, and more.
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PBOT staffer Peter Koonce (L) and Metro
Councilor-elect Bob Stacey at Wonk Night.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Last night a solid crowd (about 37 people) showed up for our Wonk Night here on the 4th floor of the Title & Trust Building in downtown Portland. We met in the spacious lobby of Lancaster Engineering (which happens to be adjacent to my office) and enjoyed snacks, drinks, and hearty discussions.

The folks that showed up made just the right mix of officials, planning students, engineers, and citizen activists. Faces in the crowd included: Metro Councilor-elect Bob Stacey; ODOT Region 1 Active Transportation Liaison Jessica Horning; ODOT Region 1 Grant Manager Lidwien Rahman; PBOT Signals, Streetlights, and ITS Division Manager Peter Koonce; Oregon bike tourism advocate and bike journalist Russ Roca; Active Right of Way volunteer and northeast Portland neighborhood activist Ted Beuhler; animation expert Spencer Boomhower; bike advocate John Beaston; Portland Pedicabs owner Ryan Hashagen, and many others.

After giving everyone ample time to chat and meet each other, I shared some thoughts about my recent trip to New York City. I had also laid out some of the materials I picked up at the NACTO Designing Cities conference (which, for this wonky crowd, proved to be quite popular).
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Let's talk about bikes!

If that headline made any sense to you at all, you should join us next week for Wonk Night. On Wednesday, December 5th, BikePortland (that's me) and Lancaster Engineering (the nice, smart folks I sublease my office from) are hosting an event where we'll discuss lots of fun and interesting topics.

The night's agenda will include:

• A recap and sharing of my recent trip to New York City. While Sandy dominated much of my coverage, I also learned a lot at the NACTO Designing Cities conference that preceded it. I'll share a bit more about both of those things as well as answer any questions you've got about biking in the Big Apple.
• As reported back in July, Portland is in the midst of finally changing their level of service (LOS)/performance standards. The new standards will go beyond motor vehicles and Lancaster's Todd Mobley thinks it should be on everyone's radar screen. Lancaster put in a bid to to work on the project, and even though they weren't ultimately selected, they appreciate what a big deal this is.

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