Yesterday I attended a Platinum Strategy Meeting with friends from the Office of Transportation and the BTA. Also at the table were Mia Birk from Alta Planning+Design (former PDOT bike coordinator) and City Commissioner of Transportation Sam Adams.
We have these meetings once every few months to check in on programs and initiatives that are being carried out with the overall goal to be named a Platinum-level Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists (check out this page for more on Platinum).
Here are updates on a few topics you might be interested in:
The Portland Bike Summit (6/17)
[Summit website]
This first-ever event is generating a lot of buzz in the bike community and looks to be delivering on expectations. Pre-registration numbers are very strong and the schedule of events ensures this will be a historical day. Attendees will have 15 workshops to choose from over two, one-hour sessions (I’ll be giving a workshop on finding your way to bikey bliss on the web).
The opening and closing assemblies are packed with interesting speakers including Metro Councilor and Portland bike advocacy pioneer Rex Burkholder, US Congressman Earl Blumenauer, City Commissioner Sam Adams, BTA head Evan Manvel, and Portland’s bike culture diva and event promoter extraordinaire Ayleen Crotty.
I was glad to hear they’ve decided to show an edited version of the “Copenhagen, City of Cyclists” video that I posted about back in April. They also plan to close off Montgomery Street (near PSU) for a special performance by The Sprockettes.
Economic Impacts of Bicycling Survey
The City of Portland is working with Alta Planning+Design on a survey of bike-related businesses in Portland to assess the impact bicycles have on our local economy. They are focusing solely on money generated by bicycle-related industry. This survey is a very important start of an effort to establish our region’s growing bicycle industry as an important and viable cog in our local economy.
I can’t reveal the findings yet, but I can say that over 100 businesses were surveyed. They ranged from manufacturers, frame builders and bike shops to messenger companies, artists, and event promoters. I’ll have a lot more on the results of this survey once it’s completed and ready for public consumption.
MTIP funding for major bike projects
MTIP is basically a bunch of money that Metro doles out to various regional transportation projects. City Bike Coordinator Roger Geller told us about two projects he’s hoping to get funded through this process. His requests total several million dollars and include projects to develop bike boulevards and complete gaps in Marine Drive.
Looking over the rest of my notes, that’s all I can report for now. It’s sometimes a challenge for me to decide what I should and should not report on after meetings like this. I have to be careful what I make public or they may not invite me back next time.
Stay tuned…