File photo: 7/6/06
From a community fund drive to a rally at City Hall, there has been a wide range of reactions to the Mayor’s decision to cut funding for Portland’s Bicycle Master Plan.
On top of the list is tomorrow’s Bicycle Master Plan ride. This ride, which meets across the street from City Hall, will be led by city bike coordinator Roger Geller.
The ride is slated to explore North Portland, but given the events of the past week I wouldn’t be surprised if it made a few loops down SW 4th Ave. (in front of City Hall).
Here are the ride details:
-
Bicycle Master Plan Ride
Tuesday, May 1st
Meet at 5:15, ride at 5:30
Terry Schrunk Plaza (SW 3rd between Madison and Jefferson)
Ride will venture North (PDF of route map)
Another key opportunity to show your support for the Bicycle Master Plan will be the final Community Budget Hearing. The hearing comes just one week before City Council votes on the final budget (5/17). Citizens can sign up for three minutes of testimony in front of the Mayor and the Commissioners. Here are the details:
- Community Budget Hearing
Thursday, May 10 @ 6:00 PM
Robert Gray Middle School Cafeteria (5505 SW 23rd Ave, Portland, OR 97239)
Event website for more details
According to the official Community Budget website, “Your input is still important!” and you can leave comments via a form through May 14th.
Grassroots activist and veteran Shift volunteer Dat Nguyen held a meeting yesterday to brainstorm action plans. Here are some of the things they discussed:
- A “Burma-Shave” style sign campaign on the Hawthorne Bridge.
- A letter writing campaign from Portland area bike shop owners.
- Cable TV ads to be purchased at a reduced rate through Comcast.
- An online petition that can be presented to the Mayor at the May 10th budget hearing.
If you’d like to know more or get involved, contact Dat via email at dontbecreepy(at)gmail(dot)com.
If you have other ideas, feel free to let us know in the comments. And remember, it’s crucial that we keep things positive.