(Photo: Jonathan Maus)
If you’ve ever wanted to get involved with Portland’s bike movement, now is your chance. The Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee (or PBAC in wonky circles) is officially seeking new members.
I’ve reported about PBAC many times in the past, but in case you’re still wondering what they do, here’s the deal: The PBAC is the liaison between the City’s power structure (the Mayor’s Office and City Council) and us citizens. The committee is led by PDOT’s bike coordinator (currently Roger Geller) and made up of a bunch of smart, independent, volunteer advocates. Currently the committee is chaired by bike lawyer Mark Ginsberg.
In a nutshell, if anything goes on in Portland that impacts bicycles, it will be on the agenda of the PBAC. Agencies from ODOT to Metro seek the PBAC’s blessing for their projects.
I’ve learned a ton by just showing up over the years. Please consider applying. We need smart folks like you to fill the vacancies.
led by PDOT? no thanks.
007, you\’ve obviously never met Mr Ginsberg! That\’s ok, because I\’m sure by now he\’s gotten used to doing much of the heavy lifting for the bike community in Portland while getting little appreciation for his efforts.
I\’m writing as Vice-Chair of this committee. If you want to quit griping and start acting as an advocate for bikes, this is an excellent way to do it. The Bicycle Advisory Committee advises the city on \”all bike related matters.\” OK, that\’s only sort of true, but it\’s a fairly small time commitment for a great deal of input.
I\’ve been on the committee for three years now, and I feel like I have my hand in a great number of transportation projects that affect bicyclists. I have learned an incredible amount about transportation (not just bikes), public involvement, and our system of government. I really enjoy being on the committee, even when it\’s boring and/or frustrating. Not only that, but the city buys you a ticket to the Alice Awards in the spring.
Here\’s a partial list of what I\’ve been working on/with for the past three years:
Art Bike racks- reviewing designs to see if they actually work
Burnside Bridgehead/ Couch Couplet- bike access
Columbia River Crossing- representing bike/ped interests on an advisory committee
And finally, having informed opinions and discussions on: Sam\’s new funding, bike boulevards, the Eastside Community Benefit Opportunities Program, MTIP, Rose Quarter Bike access, Bikes and Busses, Bikes on the Max, the Update of the Bicycle Master Plan, Critical Mass, enforcement actions and interactions with the Portland Police, Transportation Enhancements, Freight Masterplan, Mountain Biking, Central City White Paper Transportation Plan Draft, and more acronyms than you can shake a stick at.
I encourage all cyclists to consider if this is something they would like to do.