Month: October 2007

Making our city safer for bikes: an interview with Sam Adams

Adams at a recent Transportation
Town Hall meeting.
(Photo © Jonathan Maus)

With so many ideas and emotions about bikes, bike safety and sharing the road swirling around our city this week, I thought I’d share a conversation I had with City Commissioner and mayoral hopeful Sam Adams.

I sat down with him in his City Hall office on Wednesday.

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Once again, the whole bikes vs. cars thing is coming up in the community and the local media. You’ve been holding town hall meetings all over the city, what are you hearing from people about this issue?

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Finance and HR Assistant (Alta Planning and Design)

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Sorry…this job has been filled.

Alta Planning and Design is a 35-person consulting firm with a mission to provide green infrastructure and program solutions that help people live active daily lives. We specialize in bicycle, pedestrian, trail, park, and greenway planning, design, and implementation, in addition to outreach and education programs. For more information, see our www.altaplanning.com.

SUMMARY
The Finance Assistant assists the Chief Operating Officer in various finance and human resource functions
and is responsible for tracking and recording of all financial transactions in the office.

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Bike Safety Press Conference

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This just came in from PDOT’s communications office:

Commissioner Adams Leads Community Conversation about Bike Safety

Portland Transportation to collaborate with stakeholders to develop a bicycle safety action plan for Portland

WHAT: Press conference

WHEN: 12:30-1:00 p.m. on Friday, October 26, 2007

WHERE: City Hall, (1221 SW 4th Avenue) outside the Rose Room

WHO: City Commissioner Sam Adams’ Committee on Policy, Engineering, and Enforcement for Bicycle Safety – representatives from the bicycle and freight communities, safety advocates, traffic engineers, Police, Multnomah County, and other stakeholders

WHY: In response to the recent bicycle fatalities in Portland, Commissioner Adams is leading a conversation with the Portland Office of Transportation and community stakeholders about how to improve bicycle safety in Portland. Both short-term and longer-term improvement measures will be shared at the press conference.

I expect a huge media turnout, so let’s make sure it’s crowded. I’ll see you there.

ODOT plans improvements near Ross Island Bridge

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Here’s an email I received from Basil Christopher, ODOT’s bike and pedestrian coordinator:

ODOT is planning to replace approximate 350 feet of sidewalk between the Ross Is. Bridge (far west end), and SW Hood Avenue to the north. The construction calls for replacing/widening the existing sidewalk from 6-ft to 8-ft, replacing non-standard curb, and adding a new curb ramp at SW Hood. The new ramp should have a design that’s somewhat more friendly for bikes using it to cross SW Hood. We also wanted to look at the possibility of adding bike/ped signing leaving the bridge approaching SW Hood (yet to be determined).

Weather permitting, the construction is expected to start on October 29th but may begin sooner. The work will be done at night, and will require a sidewalk closure on the bridge during work hours. The sidewalk work should only last a few days. ODOT plans to have a variable message sign (VMS) at the east end of the bridge to inform all traffic of the construction work, and sidewalk closure.

The project limits begin as you leave the bridge sidewalk at the west end, and continue approximate 350 feet to the existing curb ramp at SW Hood Ave.

MTB Trail Work Party

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Fire Lane 5 – Forest Park work party

Description: As your Forest Park Co-Representative, I am pleased to announce that our Forest Park Ad Hoc Advisory Committee has been formed and will be having our first User Group meeting at the end of the month. This is key for us, as we will be constructing a white paper which will go forward to the City advising 5-Yr Plan ammendments to bring real singletrack (yes – real singletrack!) to Forest Park.

Part of furthering our FP goals is being caretakers of what we have in a visible way and in unison with Friends Of Forest Park. This is our time to foster goodwill and to demonstrate our commitment. At the behest of Stephen Hatfield, Program Director for FoFP, we will have a Firelane 5 trail party on November 3rd. I am pleased to announce that we are currently in the process of formally adopting this piece of trail, so a strong PUMP turn-out is really appreciated. This will go on our calendar as well as the FoFP website.

FoFP has given us their wonderful Trails Coodinator, Jeff Hough, for this effort. Jeff will be supplying all of the tools we will need as well as breakfast pastries from Grand Central Bakery (yum!).

Bring: Work Gloves, Wet Weather Gear, and Water

Please let me know if you are coming so we can ensure there are enough tools (and pastries) to go around

Meeting Place: Top of Salzman, off of Skyline Rd.
Shanti Ware
503-228-0589
mtb_grrl@ msn.com

PUMP Swap Meet

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PUMP Swap Meet 2007
Description: WHERE: At The Friendly House At 1737 NW 26th & Thurman (Located one block east of the Fat Tire Farm)

HOW MUCH: $2 entry fee includes a raffle ticket

WHAT: Buy, Sell, or Trade New or Used Bike Stuff: Mountain, Road, Cross, Trials, BMX, & Outdoor Gear.

$1 Raffles Every 15 Minutes, Be in to Win, Win, & Winx12!

Tables can be reserved: $15 for a half, $25 for a full table, or $10 for floor space. Vendor set up is at 10am.

For Information & Table Reservations:

Call Susan Martin @ 503.703.4300 or email susan@workforce-dynamics.com

Friendly House is located at NW 26th and Thurman, 1 block east of the Fat Tire Farm.

Cyclocross weekend will be full of spirits

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Cross Crusade #4

Doug Ollerenshaw as Pac-Man
at last year’s Halloween race.
View slideshow below
(Photo © Jonathan Maus)

Traditionally, the Halloween edition of the Cross Crusade is two days of fun and partying. Last year’s race, full of costumes and silliness, was one of my favorite events of the year.

But this year, in light of recent events, things might be a bit different.

However, after reading the many remembrances of cyclocross enthusiast Brett Jarolimek, it’s clear that he lived and raced through life with a smile and spirit that I’m sure he’d want to continue on in his absence.

On Sunday we’ll be taking a ceremonial lap in remembrance of Brett. For a look at what else is planned for this weekend, check out CrossCrusade.com.

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From the Archives

With six kids and no car, this mom does it all by bike