Don Baack of SW Trails is spear-heading an effort to bring a more connected, safe and accessible bike route network to the hills of SW Portland.
He’ll lead a bike ride through SE Portland on Saturday (9/30) to take a closer look at that area’s successful network of low-traffic, bike-friendly streets known as bicycle boulevards (like Ankeny and Lincoln/Harrison).
Baack is a veteran citizen activist and well known voice for trails in city politics. He hopes the survey ride will be the first step in bringing better, more family oriented bicycle routes to SW Portland:
“We do have some challenges because of our beautiful hills, but we also have lots of opportunity. We have a street system that can get people where they want to go on a bicycle with a little help.”
After the ride, Baack hopes to find several bike advocates from each SW neighborhood who will identify a network of low-traffic streets, and map key bike destinations and preferred commuter routes. SW Trails will then weave these insights together and submit them to PDOT for inclusion in the upcoming Bike Master Plan update
To get involved with bike advocacy in SW Portland, contact Don Baack at Baack[at]pacifier.com.
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I’m excited about the Portland to Lake Oswego ped bike trail in the works, and plan to attend the meeting on Oct. 3rd.
If anyone would like to join the bike ride on Saturday, it will leave from SE 60th & Lincoln at 10:15 and finish at the Lucky Lab on 9th & Madison. A full explanation from Don Baack below.
Thanks.
Greg Raisman
Community and School Traffic Safety Partnership
Portland Office of Transportation
(503) 823-1052
SWTRAILS INVITES YOU TO SHAPE THE FUTURE FOR BICYCLES IN SW
SW Portland needs better, more family oriented bicycle routes. We do have some challenges because of our beautiful hills, but we also have lots of opportunity. We have a street system that can get people where they want to go on a bicycle with a little help.
An important part of making SW better for bicycles will be to identify a network of low traffic, slow speed streets that families will feel comfortable riding on. We want to identify key SW bike destinations (like parks,
schools, community centers, and commercial areas) and also seek better commuter bike routes.
On September 30, SWTrails will be leading a bicycle ride in SE Portland to look at bicycle boulevards. These innovative, family friendly
facilities on low traffic and low speed treets provide navigation aids like icons on the street and arrows indicating directional changes. When they cross major streets, there are curb extensions, signals, or refuge islands that help make the crossing safer and quicker. There are few reported crashes on these routes, even though lots of people ride there.
Join us for our ride on Saturday, September 30. We will meet at the SW Community Center on the corner of SW 45th Avenue and SW Vermont Street at 9:45 am to carpool to our starting point. If you have a bike rack, please bring it. Or, people can meet us at SE 60th & SE Lincoln at 10:15am.
We’ll ride from SE Lincoln & 60th to the Lucky Lab at SE 9th & Madison via three different bicycle boulevards. Along the way, we’ll look at guide signs, pavement markings, traffic calming devices, signals, and traffic diverters that help create some of the most pleasant and livable neighborhood streets in the city.
Please RSVP to Don Baack at baack@pacifier.com. When you RSVP, please indicate number in your party and if you plan to meet at the SW Community Center or at 60th & Lincoln. If you do not have a bicycle, arrangements can be made to provide a three wheeled recumbent tricycle upon request, be sure you tell Don in your email. (requests
will not be taken after September 26).
Don Baack
6495 SW Burlingame Place
Portland, OR 97239-7001
503-246-2088
Baack@pacifier.com