The League of American Bicyclists has just launched their Bicycle Friendly States program.
Similar to their successful Bicycle Friendly Communities program this new campaign will look to “rank and recognize states that actively support bicycling.” Here’s more from the League’s website:
New Belgium Urban Assault Ride
Pioneer Courthouse Square (SW Broadway and Morrison)
9:00am
Pedal-Powered teams of two hit checkpoints all over town completing crazy obstacle courses at each stop. Bike skills are just as important as mental muscle in the funky bike scavenger hunt. Followed by a legendary after party with live music, New Belgium beer, and a giant prize raffle.
9th Annual Human Power Challenge
Portland International Raceway (1940 N Victory Blvd)
8:00am
Hosted by the Oregon Human Powered Vehicle Association. Event includes: Individual Time Trial, 1/8 Mile Drag Race, Auto Cross Speed & Agility Course, 200 Meter All Out Speed Test, Mass Start Road Race.
More info here.
“Here in the thick, nervous mainstream, some of us may even be convinced that biking to work would be healthier, cheaper and better for the environment than the typical car commute. We just don’t do it.”
–Shelby Wood in the Oregonian
It’s a problem some of you reading this might be facing right now.
You want to be “green”, reduce your carbon footprint, get in shape, avoid gridlock, and join the exciting, sociable, sustainable, two-wheeled, human-powered transportation revolution.
You know going by bike is a great way to get around the city. Heck, these days it seems like everyone’s doing it. Yet you still leave the bike at home.
The reason? Fear.
The eighth annual Towards Carfree Cities Conference is coming to Portland in less than a month (June 16-20) and organizers have lined up an impressive list of speakers, events, and workshops.
The latest addition to the program is a keynote presentation by head honcho of the League of American Bicyclists, Andy Clarke. According to conference organizer Elly Blue, Clarke — the man who broke the news about Portland’s Platinum designation — will speak during the event’s free Public Day on Tuesday June 17th.
This job has been filled. Sorry! See more opportunities here.
Title
Sales associate
Company
Clever Cycles
Job Description
Outgoing and friendly sales associate with a good understanding of family and utility biking. Experience in apparel sales a plus. Must be able to support transactions from first customer contact through post-sale service, with excellent communication skills in person, by email, and on the phone.
As the nation’s political winds shift from right to left, the future of the transportation issue in America begins to look very different.
Remember last summer, when U.S. Transportation Secretary Mary Peters referred to “bike paths” as not being transportation infrastructure? After a stern rebuke by bike advocates, she eventually tried to apologize, but her comments were a window into how some folks on Capitol Hill still regard non-motorized transportation.
And then there was House Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC), who, in a debate over the Energy Bill last August referred to bicycles as “a 19th century solution to a 21st century problem.” (Watch a YouTube clip of his speech here).
Here’s an announcement from the Initiative for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation (ibpi) at Portland State University.
The IBPI is excited to announce an upcoming professional development workshop, titled Comprehensive Bicycle and Pedestrian Design and Planning. The workshop is a week-long intensive, and will take place August 3-8, 2008. It will encompass many topics from our past workshops. Details are provided below, and pdfs of the flier and registration form can be found on the ibpi website.
Hope you haven’t made all your plans for this holiday weekend yet!
We can’t count on the weather, but we can always count on plenty of bike rides and events going on. This weekend’s highlights include the ninth annual Human Powered Challenge. I checked out that event a few years ago and it’s definitely worth the short trip out to Portland International Raceway. There are some amazing human-powered contraptions, fun events, and categories for all types of riders.
PDOT’s big Sunday Parkways event is less than a month away. To help with the hundreds of volunteers, they’re looking to hire a few coordinators to manage them. See the announcement below for more info and how to apply:
With many local shops overflowing with repairs and customers, Portland is a great town for bike shop jobs. This week, three opportunities to get your foot in the door of Portland’s bike scene have been listed on the BikePortland Job Listings.
Check them out at the links below (and good luck if you apply!):
A special unit within the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) — formed to manage their $3 billion Oregon Transportation Investment Act (OTIA) State Bridge Delivery Program — is moving forward on a project to replace the I-84 highway bridges over the Sandy River.
As a popular recreation corridor that serves as the gateway to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, the project has triggered discussions about how to best provide for human-powered traffic in the area.