The City of Portland will hold a rally tomorrow morning to “recommit community support for all modes of transportation” and officially launch the “I Share the Road” campaign. According to the official statement (PDF here) from the Office of Transportation, the joint effort has brought together a diverse group including; the Mayor of Portland, and heads of the American Automobile Association, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, TriMet, Portland Public Schools, Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, Portland Police Bureau, Elders in Action and others.
Along with the rally at Waterfront Park, the City will take the following immediate actions:
- Beginning now, all City owned vehicles will display an “I Share the Road” decal.
- The City will make these decals available to any resident to place on their bicycle, skateboard, car or truck.
A few key excerpts from the press release:
“recent events highlight the need to need to increase civility as people are moving around the city…whether a person chooses to travel by car or by bicycle, by foot or on a bus, their need for personal safety and their responsibility to be courteous to those around them do not change.”
“The idea is to show respect to get respect. The City hopes that everyone will make it a point to walk, cycle, ride, and drive as an ambassador of safe and pleasant travel. ”
A quote from Mayor Potter: “We should be proud that our bold community vision resulted in a network of bicycle lanes and boulevards, sidewalks, and transit routes that are the envy of most American cities.”
It’s at Waterfront Park (Salmon Street Springs) from 8:30-9:30 and the public is encouraged to stop by. Along with the Shift-organized bus driver donut giveaway, it will be a busy morning on the bridges.