Year: 2006

[Who would have thought?]

Last Friday in Beaverton, just across the street from a Share the Road demonstration, there was a strange car/bike crash that I still can’t figure out.

When I first saw the scene, it looked pretty simple. An older lady sat flustered in her big Town Car while an adrenaline-pumped cyclist gathered his broken bike and began to call the cops to report the crash. I could not believe the irony.

I walked over to talk to the cyclist and he told me the lady turned right into him without even looking. It sounded completely plausible and I immediately believed his story.

PDOT is close to releasing their 2006 bridge counts and so far the results are very exciting. In 2005, the average daily bicycle traffic over the four main downtown bridges was up over 10,000 for the first time ever and showed a three-fold increase from 1995.

This year, preliminary reports show a 20% increase over last year (the bridges included in the count are the Steel, Broadway, Hawthorne and Burnside).

PDOT has yet to release final numbers on the Burnside, but according to city bicycle coordinator Roger Geller, all the numbers are way up,

[The media helped us spread the word.]

Concerned citizens from Portland and Beaverton came together last Friday for a traffic safety awareness action. The event took place just a few yards from the intersection where Mike Wilberding was killed on August 1st.

Mike’s death sparked heated emotions from many people in the community who were outraged that the driver was initially only charged with a $242, “failure to yield” citation.

If you haven’t already noticed, the Portland Bike Forums are back online!

After I posted a call for help last month I received some advice, donations and technical help. I didn’t get quite enough cash to purchase the forum software I wanted, but I decided to pony up for it anyways…and I’m glad I did.

Then, a reader named Andrew Berkowitz—who works for a web design and marketing company called Sparkplug—stepped in to install the software and he imported all the old posts and user information. Thanks again for your help Andrew!

Tonight is the big Last Thursday celebration on Alberta Street in Northeast Portland. If you head out there, here are two special happenings you don’t want to miss.

First, those kooky clowns at the famous Clownhouse on NE 25th and Alberta Streets are holding their first ever talent show. Dubbed “Shmanarchist Idol,” beginning at around 5:30 the clowns will offer their stage to anyone with a talent to share.

Contestants will be judged by yours truly (such an honor) and invited back for the final round competition at 8:00. There are some nice prizes including gift certificates from local businesses and of course a shot at stardom in front of hoardes of fans.

Freightliner bike commute challenge kickoff

[Freightliner employees
kick off the Bike
Commute Challenge.]

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) kicks off their annual Bike Commute Challenge tomorrow and organizers say an estimated 700 companies (view list) from Oregon and Washington will participate.

The event promotes bike commuting by encouraging companies to compete against each other to see who can get more employees riding to work.

The companies are separated into several categories and can track their progress via the event’s website. Winners are announced at a party in mid-October.

[Update: According to a rep from Friends of Forest Park—who were instrumental in making this trail happen—some minor work remains to complete this trail.]

Last Saturday was the second of two trail work parties to complete a new mountain bike trail in Forest Park. The trail, which extends off an existing firelane, is the first new mountain bike trail added to the park since 1988.

[Trail work volunteers at the entrance to Firelane 5 in Forest Park.]

[Jeff Bernards, founder
of Get Lit]

For the last three years, Jeff Bernards and his Get Lit program have distributed over 1500 free bike lights and 500 helmets to Portland cyclists.

His program—which was initially funded by an ODOT grant—has become such a success that it has garnered national media attention, earned him an Alice B. Toeclips award, and has been emulated by the Portland Police Bureau and other advocacy groups across the country.

There’s no doubt about it; Jeff’s dedication to Get Lit has had a major impact on the cycling community.

[Editor’s note: I got this all wrong! This event is not being organized by messengers and while the format is modeled after messenger races, most of the participants are not messengers and the event is open to all ladies and transgendered riders. According to one of the organizers, “This is a fun race for all ladies and trans folk…speed is important but cunning can count even more.”]

[From last year’s Pussycat.]
Photo: Tori B.

Local bike messengers are getting psyched for this weekend’s S.S. Pussycat alleycat race. This is the 3rd annual S.S. Pussycat which is billed by organizers as a “ladies and transgender only event.”

Alleycats are informal events (meaning no permits and thus no hasslin’ by the Man) where participants are given a list of locations they must visit in a certain order. Route selection is up to each rider.

Interested competitors should show up at 1:00pm at Lillis Albina Park (N. Flint and Russell) this Sunday.

mystery bike symbols (photos by Matt Picio)

Have you noticed these cool little bike stencils popping up on popular bikeways throughout the city? I’ve seen them around the Hawthorne Bridge, on the Springwater Corridor Trail, and several other places.

I have no idea what they’re all about but I’m curious. BikePortland.org reader Matt Picio is curious too so he snapped these photos in hopes someone out there can enlighten us.

I just noticed this post in the Forums. It’s about a pre-meditated bike crash scam on the waterfront.

“A co-worker of mine got mugged while bicycling home!! He was riding along the waterfront and was boxed in by another rider and forced into an accident. They crashed pretty hard and he tore up his shin. The rider who blocked my co-worker’s path and caused the accident claimed that his rear wheel was damaged. Immediately the incident was swarmed upon by several homeless youth who took sides with the perpetrator of the crash and threatened my friend with bodily harm. They insisted that restitution be made immediately. My co-worker gave the perp his rear wheel/tire and quickly left.”

According to the post, this happened on Friday August 25th at around 7:30 PM between the Burnside and Steel Bridges.

Has anyone else fallen victim to a similar attack? If so, you should notify Portland Police Central Precinct at (503) 823-0097.

The Transportation Options division within PDOT has put out a call to marketing and focus group experts to help create and evaluate effective messages that will resonate with the non-cycling public.

This effort is a key part of their nine-point strategy to reach Platinum status with the League of Amercian Bicyclists and increase bicycle use by 15%.

According to the official request for proposals,

A strange but true bike arrest

Bridge bicycle counts up 20 percent

Tragedy turns into action in Beaverton

Portland Bike Forums are up and running

Catch the Clownhouse and carfree activism at Last Thursday

Bike Commute Challenge kicks off tomorrow

Mountain bikers finish new Forest Park trail

Get Lit founder hopes to pass the torch

Update: Messengers prep for S.S. Pussycat

Mystery bike stencils pop up around city

Cyclist mugged on the waterfront?

PDOT sharpens focus on pro-bike messaging

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