In an ongoing push to legitimize and foster Portland’s nascent bicycle industry, Commissioner Sam Adams is backing a resolution that is expected to be adopted as official City policy at the next City Council meeting on July 5th.
The resolution was prepared by City of Portland Office of Transportation employee Linda Ginenthal, mastermind behind the recent Portland Bike Summit and program manager for Transportation Options.
The resolution directs The Portland Development Commission (PDC) to designate the bicycle industry as an official “target industry”. This would open up the bicycle industry to special PDC incentive and development programs and would foster bicycle-related business growth.
Here are some selected excerpts from the resolution:
- WHEREAS, The City of Portland recognizes that bicycling, as a mode of transportation, provides substantial benefits to the City and its residents, including reduced air and water pollution, reduced traffic congestion, and reduced parking demand. Other public benefits include increased mobility and lower transportation costs for lower-income or transportation disadvantaged citizens; and
- WHERAS, the bicycle industry is an innovative and dynamic sector of the economy that contributes to the economic vitality of our City while simultaneously promoting bicycling as a mode of personal transportation, as well as all of the aforementioned benefits of that mode; and
- WHEREAS, It is in the City’s best interest to foster the development of this fast-growing market niche, as it is a strategic economic investment that would contribute to both the City’s economy and its transportation goals;
The resolution also calls for Commissioner Sam to return to City Council in six months to present an official plan to grow the bicycle-related industry in the city of Portland.
I’ll update this post once I hear an exact time this agenda item is scheduled to come before the council. It would make a lasting impression on our City Commissioners if we packed a crowd into Council Chambers to show our support of this resolution.
anybody know if this will be a time certain or regular agenda council item?
I was told by the auditors office around 10:30 am
what are some of the concrete/material implications of this resolution for bike industry? tax breaks? expedited/relaxed licensing & permits?
For those who have attended a City Council meeting,
could you inform the first-timers about what to expect
for attending. What are the security procedures? Do we need to check our horse and saddle bags? As far as the meeting goes, is it long? Do we need to bring a comfortable cushion? Thank You from “Wee the political-Virgins.”
Well that bites… The council postponed this agenda item to the afternoon. All in all 3 bikers showed. Count accessed by those who had bike gear with them. Of course, Sam might have biked too, making it a count of 4.
I should have updated this post sooner with the official schedule. But the resolution is set to go before the committee at 2:30 today…in about one hour! Hopefully some of you can make it.