2007 Archives

Rails-to-Trails rallies Portland for new funding campaign

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Laura Cohen of the Rails to
Trails Conservancy in
City Hall last week.
File photo: 4/12/07

The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy (RTC) stopped in Portland recently to meet with advocates and policy-makers to rally support for an ambitious congressional funding campaign.

As I reported a few weeks ago, the RTC hopes to secure $2 billion in the next Federal Transportation Bill to fund 40 communities to the tune of $50 million dollars each to “improve bicycle and pedestrian mode shift”.

The program would be an expansion of the Nonmotorized Transportation Pilot Program which gave 4 cities $25 million each in the last transportation bill.

The BTA’s “Vulnerable Roadway Users” bill (HB 3314 )will get a hearing in the House Judiciary Committee on Monday (4/23).

I spoke with Scott Bricker about the bill this morning before he left for another day working the halls of Salem.

According to Bricker, the bill targets vehicle operators that currently only have to pay a nominal fine if they hit and/or kill a vulnerable roadway user (which includes bicyclists, peds, and others) while driving carelessly,

UC Davis professor Susan Handy
will discuss bicycle policy.
Photo: Active Living by Design

As part of their ongoing Transportation Seminar Series, PSU’s Center for Transportation Studies will host a seminar titled, Bicycling in Davis, California; A Critical Look at Policy and Behavior in the First Platinum Bicycle City in the U.S.

The presentation will be given by Susan Handy, an environmental planning professor at UC Davis.

Davis achieved Platinum status from the League of American Bicyclists back in September of 2005, but the city is experiencing some growing pains.

extremely good condition- hardly ever taken off pavement; hardly ever on pavement! stolen at less than one year old

More Info on Finetoothcog

Talking bikes and blogs at the Nau store opening

Screenshot from Nau.com.

If you pay any attention to business or outdoor industry news, you’ve probably heard about Nau (if you haven’t, check out this feature on them in Outside Magazine).

The Portland-based company has high hopes with their new line of sustainable clothing (some of which is made from recycled soda bottles and corn) and their new way of doing business.

Stolen from inside my living room is my 50cm black Bareknuckle track bike. it has a chrome-plated front fork. Silver High Flange Phil Woods laced to black velocity aero rims. Campy C-Record stamped crank. Thomson stem and seatpost. mks track pedals with black suede doublestraps. black easton riser bar.

More Info on Finetoothcog

A postcard from Amsterdam

Lanette in Amsterdam.

BikePortland reader Lanette Noble is in Amsterdam on a work trip. In between meetings (she’s a product manager for Nike) Lanette has been riding a bike around the city.

She just sent me an email with some thoughts and a few photos of her experiences.

bikes to rwanda is planning a ride to vancouver, wa to raise awarness and maybe a little money to send bikes to rwandan coffee farmers.

plan on meeting at stumptown cafe in downtown portland (128 SW 3rd Ave) and riding to the fresh pot on n. mississippi (4001 N Mississippi Ave) and then up to the i-5 bridge.

we are planning on meeting with members of the vancouver bike club and continuing to the river maiden cafe for a benefit event.

Stolen Giant unknown

Bright green Giant mountain bike with toe clips, plastic fenders front and back, and black metal rack and folding basket on back wheel. Should have a sticker from Blue’s Bike Shop in Lincoln, Nebraska.

More Info on Finetoothcog

Behind bike crash data; an interview with Greg Raisman

Cynthia Chilton, the woman behind tomorrow’s Traffic SafeTea event, sent me an interesting map the other day. It comes from the City of Portland and shows the location of all the reported bicycle crashes in the Portland metro area from 1995-2004.

Here’s the map:

Bricker demonstrates the proposed
pedestrian hand signal.
File photo: 2/15/07

The BTA is working the halls of Salem right now to build support for Senate Bill 573. According to an action alert sent out by BTA lobbyist Scott Bricker yesterday,

“The bill would allow pedestrians to use a hand signal to employ their right-of-way, rather than the current standard of entering the roadway and putting yourself in front of oncoming traffic. It will increase communication and safety.”

The bill has already been recommended by the Senate Judiciary Committee and Bricker hopes to see it move to a vote on the Senate Floor later this week.

Here is the full text of the bill.

Contact your Senator and ask for their support.

UPDATE 4/19/07: The BTA just reported that this bill has passed the Senate. It now moves to the House.

UPDATE 4/20/07: The Oregonian covers this on the front page of today’s paper.

Rails-to-Trails rallies Portland for new funding campaign

Vulnerable Roadway Users bill gets hearing Monday

PSU seminar to highlight first Platinum city

Stolen Rocky Mountain vertex 10

Talking bikes and blogs at the Nau store opening

Stolen EAI Bareknuckle Bareknuckle

A postcard from Amsterdam

Bikes to Rwanda benefit ride

Stolen Giant unknown

Behind bike crash data; an interview with Greg Raisman

BTA pushes for pedestrian hand signal law

Shift Meeting

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