Coliseum during a ride in 2006.
(Photo © J. Maus)
Volunteers working on Barack Obama’s event in Portland tomorrow at the Memorial Coliseum are scrambling to make sure they’ve got enough bike parking capacity.
They’re well aware of what happened back in February when cyclists didn’t find enough parking at an event at the Oregon Convention Center. In that case, bolt-cutter wielding security guards (caught in action in this YouTube clip) impounded and removed bikes that were parked to railings and iron fences in front of the event.
According to an email I just got from local cyclist Steve Davee, his friend Corey Omey (an Obama volunteer) says they, “don’t yet have a complete plan for all of the bikes that are sure to show up.”
Omey says volunteers plan to be at the event as early as 5:30 am to, “Make sure people don’t park bikes where they will be impounded like during the NAHB [North American Handmade Bicycle] show.”
In an email to the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association email list, Davee wrote:
“I’m posting this for him because he’s out there right now running around trying to find extra bike parking to help avoid a big parking snafu tomorrow.”
He then added,
“If you are going, please don’t park bikes next to the entrances! And please also consider parking bikes elsewhere and taking the Max the rest of the way.”
Event organizers are in dire need of portable bike racks for the event. If anyone has ideas or advice, leave a comment with your email address or contact me at jonathan [at] bikeportland [dot] org and I will give you Omey’s cell phone number.