City Commissioner of Transportation Sam Adams is convening an “emergency meeting” to discuss what the city can do to prevent bicycle fatalities in light of, “a recent string of tragedies”.
An email invitation sent from his office says,
“The conversation will focus on potential policy measures that could be instituted both in the short term and long run to reduce the number of bike-auto collisions and cyclist fatalities.”
[This is a guest article by Greg Raisman. Greg is a Traffic Safety Program Specialist with the Community and School Traffic Safety Partnership at the Portland Office of Transportation. I have worked closely with him on many issues over the years and I have never met anyone more committed or who worked harder to turn their passion and expertise into real, positive change. I hope his personal story and call for action helps move us all forward.]
Too many people have been touched by tragic bicycle crashes. We must renew our vigilance to work together to make our roads as safe as possible and our resolve to operate our vehicles in a way that reduces our chance of having a crash.
Each of these is harsh. There’s always a huge web of pain. There’s always a heightened amount of fear. There’s always hope that it will bring something good. Let me give you a personal view of one crash.
Had a combo lock wrapped around it (should have used it), tell us the combo and the bike is yours.
More Info on Finetoothcog
*PLEASE NOTE: This post was updated on 11/18/11 to reflect an additional person who was killed. Ricky Andrews was not officially recorded by the City as a bike fatality and I only learned of his incident recently. – JM
Just for the record, I want to acknowledge that six seven people have been killed in Portland this year while riding bicycles. For reference, this is the most bicycle fatalities ever recorded in one year in the city of Portland. (Last year we had zero, in 1997 and 2001 we had five.)
Below are links to my coverage of each of them (Note: Two of the six deaths did not include a motor vehicle. One was bike-on-bike and the other was a bicyclist running into a telephone pole.)
Mark your calendars, the Scary Helmet Ride is BACK!
Last year, we had fun delighting and scaring local kids (good-natured scaring, not horror-scaring). Bring your scariest costume and/or decorated helmet and ride with us on Halloween night.
Time: Meet at 6pm at Lucky Lab (we ride promptly at 6:30pm – seriously!)
We will have a mystery destination at the end for a fun and spooooky experience – $5 suggested donation for the secret venue in question, and we will adjourn to a nearby mystery pub for fun & drinks afterwards.
Hope to see you there!
(note: despite the name, helmets are NOT required, unless you are under 16. Ride at your own risk, the ride organizer is not responsible for any damages – I am not your mother)
Event Location: Lucky Lab Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne
Directions: Google Map To Lucky Lab Pub, 915 SE Hawthorne
Contact: matt picio
Contact E-Mail: matt dot picio at yahoo dot com
in light of the memorial service for Brett Jarolimek, this event has been cancelled.
for inspiration on decorating your helmet, check out photos from last year’s event.
Come decorate your bike helmet for the upcoming Shift Scary Helmet Ride for Halloween!
We’ll also be behaving craftily to make some new Breakfast on the Bridges Superhero Trading Cards to hand out to folks stopping by for the Superhero BonB on Friday!
Stop on by for a little or a long while and get crafty.
Kirsty x
Event Location: 1427 SE 45th Ave at Hawthorne
Contact: Kirsty
Contact E-Mail: kirstys.junk.email.account {at} gmail {dot} com
Presented by Women on Bikes at the Portland Office of Transportation:
Are you looking for tips on how to stay visible, dry, and safe while riding on Portland ‘s streets this rainy season?
Come learn from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s bicycling commuting expert, Michelle Poyourow, about how to dial up your visibility, waterproofness and warmth in these winter months.
This event will be a hands-on demonstration, so bring your questions.
Open to all.
Questions? Email Janis McDonald: janis.mcdonald@pdxtrans.org
Location:
Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave.
Auditorium, 2nd floor
I found this bike…email and describe and I will give it back to you.
More Info on Finetoothcog
Late Monday night, a ghost bike was placed at the scene of yesterday’s fatal collision…
The victim of today’s fatal collision in North Portland was Brett Jarolimek. Brett was an employee of the Bike Gallery and his death has hit many in our tight-knit community very hard.
Brett Jarolimek racing at Alpenrose
a few weeks ago. (Photo © Jonathan Maus) |
“Artist, craftsman, son, brother,
cyclist, friend… I miss you Brett.” (Photo: Bike Gallery) |
Brett loved racing cyclocross. On Sunday, he placed third in singlespeeds at the Cross Crusade event at Rainier High School. It was his best finish ever. There are photos of him racing here, here, and here.
I never had the pleasure to meet Brett, but in speaking with several of his friends tonight, I wish I had.
*There will be a public, memorial event in Portland on Monday, 10/29 at 6:30 at Pacific Northwest College of Art (1241 NW Johnson).
NOTE: Please use the comments below only for remembrances and thoughts about Brett. Thank you.
A bicyclist died in a collision with a garbage truck sometime around 12:30 today at the northwest corner of N. Interstate and Greeley in North Portland. I’m on the scene right now and just finished talking with Traffic Division Lieutenant Mark Kruger as well as other people on the scene.
Based on those conversations, here’s what seemed to have happen:
Yesterday, nearly 800 racers converged on the small town of Rainier, Oregon for the third stop in the River City Bicycles Cross Crusade.
With heavy rains soaking the Portland area all week, I had visions of a slog through the mud. Thankfully, the rain held off (for the most part). But the course, while not a total mud bog, presented plenty of other challenges.
Racers not only competed against each other, but those devilish Crusade organizers put together a course only a true ‘cross racer could love: a steep, gut-busting climb; a deep sand section (through a playground); a thick, energy-sucking mud pit; and some classic, Northwest-style slippery backwoods mud.