The Policy Advisory Group of the Sellwood Bridge Project has made their final decisions as to which bridge designs will move forward for further study and consideration.
Below is the official press release from Multnomah County. You can also see engineering renditions of the designs on this post from a few weeks ago and for more background, see my complete coverage of the Sellwood Bridge Project.
This morning on the Hawthorne Bridge, the Breakfast on the Bridges crew surprised bike commuters with a special edition of their monthly tradition.
It was the annual Santa Lucia Day Breakfast on the Bridge and, like years past, Saint Lucy herself graced us with her presence.
Do you like trains? Do you like to ride your bike? Come join us this Saturday, December 15th as we ride from Portland’s Union Station to Oaks Park to see one of the world’s last remaining (and largest) operating steam engines – the SP4449!
(for those who don’t want to read the details, summary at bottom of post)
Built in May 1941, the Southern Pacific #4449 is possibly the most recognized and photographed steam locomotive in the world. Retired in 1958 and donated to the city of Portland, the SP4449 sat idle in Oaks park until 1974, when it was restored and used to pull the American Freedom Train during the US Bicentennial Celebration. Since that time, the SP4449 has been maintained and operated by a dedicated corps of volunteers by the Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation.
We’re not planning to ride the 4449, but the ORHF is selling tickets to ride the 4449 from Oaks Park (in one of the passenger cars, NOT the locomotive) to the start of the Springwater Trail and back (a 5 mile ride). The trip lasts about 40 minutes and tickets cost $15.50 for adults and $9.00 for children. This is their premier fundraising event – ticket revenues support the continued maintenance and operation of the locomotive. If you’re interested, check out http://www.orhf.org/events/07holiday/index.html for details.
Our ride will start at Portland’s Union Station at 11am. We will hit a few historical spots where the 4449 has been before, cross the Steel Bridge along the Esplanade walkway and ride the Esplanade down to OMSI, and then follow the rail alignment until we get to Oaks Park. Depending on where the 4449 is during its trip, we may pass it along the way.
The ride is about 6 miles, and should take about an hour including stops. There are porta-potties at the end of the ride in Oaks Park. This is not a loop.
Those who are interested in taking pictures / movies of the locomotives, I and other interested individuals will be riding up and down the route pacing the train or finding locations to shoot pictures and video as it passes by.
You’re welcome to stick around past sunset – the train is lit with holiday lights and will provide an unparalleled photographic experience well past sunset. Since every trip is potentially the last (fuel and insurance costs keep going up), I will likely stay until they stop running for the evening, or at least until the last group of us decides to find a local bar & grill.
It will likely be cold, and possibly wet. Please dress to accommodate the weather, keep in mind that if you stay afterwards to photograph, you will spend part of your time standing idle in the cold. Near Oaks Park there are coffeeshops, restaurants and a New Seasons within 1/2 mile if you get hungry.
Hope to see you there!
——-
Ride Summary
——-
Who: People on bikes! Railfans, kids, and people who just want to see the train!
What: Ride to see the SP4449 Steam Locomotive
Where: Union Station, NW 6th and Irving
When: Saturday, December 15th at 11am
Why: Why Not? Maybe you like trains, maybe you just want an excuse to ride – come join us!
Pictures of the 4449 from her December 9th, 2007 excursion:
Thursday morning on the Hawthorne Bridge is a special holiday Breakfast on the Bridge to celebrate the feast of Saint Lucy
– Santa Lucia Day!
Be there for coffee and sugary goodness.
More info on Breakfast on the Bridges on the Shift website.
Tomorrow is Thursday and at 4:00PM we will set up rollers and teach anyone to ride on them. As OBRA bicycle racers, you are the stars of the show.
Roll out and spin!
Rollers 101
4-6PM
Dishman Community Center
77 N Knott
PDX
contact me 503-484-7838
Thanks,
John Benenate
The other day I crossed paths with a colorful personality and an even more colorful bike.
I first met Gram Shipley at BikeCraft. He wanted to display his wares (hand-sewn leather mud-flaps and casino dice valve caps), but didn’t get enough of them made in time for the show.
But when he rolled by me just off of N. Vancouver near Legacy Hospital the other day, it was his bike I noticed first.
Gram says it’s a “scraper” bike (scrapers are the hot thing right now, as evidenced by this YouTube video from Oakland, CA). What exactly makes it a scraperbike? Gram says it has to do with tricking out the spokes.
Christopher Heaps, the Portland attorney who’s leading an effort to bring a motor vehicle driver to justice for failing to yield to a bicycle in a bike lane, plans to file the formal citation at the Multnomah County Courthouse tomorrow.
Heaps has completed an Oregon Uniform Citation and Complaint (a.k.a. a traffic ticket, scroll down to see it) that lists Lisa Wheeler as the defendant.
Wheeler was driving south on N. Interstate Avenue on the morning of November 6th when she made a right turn onto Greeley Avenue and collided with Siobhan Doyle. Doyle (who has been in contact with Heaps and supports this effort) was riding her bicycle in the bike lane and the collision sent her into the trauma center at a local hospital with serious injuries.
This article was written by former City of Milwaukie resident Matt Picio. Matt, who recently moved to Southeast Portland, is an active member of the bike community.
In addition to his work on the bicycle chapter of Milwaukie’s new Transportation System Plan, he has led rides with Shift and is the executive director of the Community Exchange Cycle Touring Club.
[Updated: 12/11, 11:01pm (see below)]
At 7:45 yesterday morning (12/10) a woman on a bicycle was thrown to the ground by a man in a car as she pedaled to work on NE Emerson Street and 35th Place (near New Seasons Market).
The man then stopped his car, robbed her, and threatened to kill her before speeding away.
The victim, 27 year-old Katie Hughes, told me she was riding north on 37th and turned left onto Emerson when she heard a car honk. “At first,” she recalls, “I thought the car was just mad because I didn’t signal.” Here’s how she describes what happened next:
In light of our tragic October, many folks wondered how we could do a better job educating bicyclists about how to ride more defensively.
Below is a notice about some training courses by the League of American Bicyclists that are being offered in Eugene in February:
At a ceremony this morning in downtown Portland, four members of the Southeast Precinct Bike Patrol Unit were among those recognized at the Chief’s Forum Awards — which intend to “reflect on the value of community policing partnerships”.