Portland’s very own Springwater Corridor Trail is the subject of a beautiful cover photo and feature story in the Summer issue of Rails to Trails Magazine. The magazine is available to members of the Rails to Trails Conservancy.
They called the Springwater, “a stunning and well-planned urban connector” that “embodies the spirit of Portland.”
[Thanks to Paul S. for the tip!]
As I reported back in March, a group of community activists and artists are working on a new “Share the Road” mural that will soon adorn the side of Hawthorne Auto Clinic (4307 SE Hawthorne) in Southeast Portland.
[Posted by “BoultonBike”]
On Friday May 12 my custom built road bike was stolen while chained to a bike rack at the corner of NW 13th and Kearney.
The bike has a Boulton Frame maroon in color. Boulton frames are extreemly rare so I am hoping this makes the bike easy to spot. Shimano Ultegra components and Cane Creek wheels with red tires (unsure brand).
This is the first time I had a bike stolen so any other info needed or tips is greatly appreciated. Any and all information can be sent to chrisj0619@mac.com or by cell at 503-680-1512.
Thanks to everyone that reads this and the people behind this site!
Today’s Oregonian has the story of a major new downtown development that will include, “a regional bike facility grander than anything Portland has ever seen.”
It’s a very exciting proposition. Not only would this 3,000 square foot “bike hub” be the centerpiece of Portland’s commitment to sustainable transportation, but something like this could inspire other developers to consider similar facilities. This hub would likely include a ton of bike parking, showers, and some retail space (similar to a BikeStation)
However one problem with this proposal remains. Last Wednesday, I saw the drawings of the proposed building with Jessica Roberts of the BTA and Sam Adams staffer Jesse Beason. The issue is with how cyclists coming off the Hawthorne Bridge would safely access the entrance of the facility, which is planned for the western side of the building, on SW 2nd Ave.
Portland’s bike-loving beer guru and Oregonian reporter John Foyston (seen here at the Puppet Parade Bike Move), mentioned a new brewpub in his “Brew News” column today. Here’s the bikey bit from his column:
I recently found out that each month, during the First Thursdays celebration, Commissioner Sams Adams‘ office has a celebration around a different theme. They’ve chosen July as bike month and they want to showcase the Portland bike scene.
Beyond just Sam’s office, the goal is to get other Commissioners on board, reserve the atrium and patio, and turn City Hall into Bike love nirvana.
These roadway markings in Northwest Portland are known as shared lane markings, or sharrows. They were installed back in September as an experimental project, and they’re still awaiting official sanction.
Because the markings are still new to many road users, the City of Portland has developed a list of frequently asked questions. They’re not available anywhere online yet, so I’ve gotten permission to publish them here:
Laughing Horse Books is a collectively run bookstore in Southeast Portland that was co-founded by Tim Calvert, who also co-founded the Citybikes Cooperative bike shop. As you might have read on IndyMedia, Laughing Horse has been forced to move due to a rent increase.
Turns out they want to do the move by bike! Here are the details.
It will take a major effort to make this happen and it would be a great way for the bike community to show support for this important neighborhood resource. If you aren’t familiar with bike moves, check out this recap and photos from last month.
[From a BTA press release]
Sam has been known to ride in Portland’s controversial Critical Mass ride, but this Friday, he will be taking part in a different sort of group bike ride. 5th graders at Sunnyside Environmental School and community volunteers will ‘helmet’ up to take a 2-hour ride through SE Portland. All week, the students have been learning and practicing bike safety skills as part of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) Bicycle Safety Education program. The program started in 1998 and has taught traffic savvy to over 25,000 Oregon kids. The 10-hour program emphasizes on-bike practice to teach kids how to safely ride on-street.
The Portland Development Commission needs to hear from you about what traffic safety projects you care about on the Vancouver/Williams corridor.
The meeting is tonight from 6-8PM. I know this is way late notice, but this is an important opportunity to weigh in on traffic safety issues. If I could make it, I would tell them about how Adaptive Path Construction put this fence and dumpster dangerously into the bike lane.
Hopefully some of you can attend. Here are all the details
For many years, the prevailing mantra from bicycle advocates has been, “Same roads, same rights, same rules.” Beyond a catchy slogan, the thought is that this puts bicycles on a level playing field with motorists in the court of law and public opinion. This seems to make sense.
However, the problem with this thinking is that bicycles and motorized vehicles are vastly different, both in physical makeup and more importantly, in their potential to cause harm when an illegal maneuver results in a collision. It also seems unfair that given this difference in potential to cause harm, bicycles are levied the exact same fines as motor vehicles.
Under current law, a grandma rolling through a stop sign on her three-speed receives the same $242 ticket as the guy in the big SUV.