Month: May 2008

UPDATE: Headed to the Gorge? Watch for tacks in the road

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

[UPDATE: 5/16, 10:30am – ODOT has responded. Read full story here.]

“The cyclist-haters out in the Gorge are at it again, spreading tacks across the Historic Columbia River Highway.”
–From a BikePortland reader email

With weekend temps promising short-sleeve weather, many Portlanders are planning to head out on their bikes and take in the grand vistas of the Historic Columbia River Highway beyond Troutdale.

Unfortunately, from two reliable reports I’ve gotten in the past day, some Troutdale and Corbett residents aren’t so thrilled about bike season.

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Crowds soak up sun, racing action at Mt. Tabor

Mt. Hood Classic at Mt. Tabor -5.jpg

These guys had the best seat in the park.
(View Photo Gallery)
(All images © J. Maus)

After Tuesday’s opening Prologue, the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic made its way a few miles east to Mt. Tabor Park where over 200 of the nation’s fastest cyclists competed in a 1.3 mile, multi-lap criterium race.

A warm sun, high clouds, and spring flowers welcomed a healthy crowd. They were treated to a perfect race for spectators that including grueling climbs, sharp corners and a downhill that catapulted the pack of racers at speeds of over 40 mph.

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Caution: Man-eating streetcar tracks ahead

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Anyone who’s ridden a bike in downtown Portland knows that streetcar (and MAX) tracks can be a bit tricky to navigate. Now, someone has modified a warning sign that takes it a step further.

Check out this sign modification/vandalism/art I noticed yesterday…

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Art Hop Bike Parade – Pretty Dress Ride

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Meet at King School, NE Alberta St and 6th Ave

Just a month before the madness of Pedalpalooza begins, let’s shine up our hottest bikes and parade ourselves down Alberta Street to show off the who’s who of Portland bike culture during the Art Hop’s annual parade! We want to see all sorts of bike culture clans: Tall bikes, clowns, sweet schwinns, minis, move-by-bike, shifties, tandems, recumbents, unicycles, bmx, trikes, families & kids & more. Also everyone is invited to wear a pretty dress! As this is also the annual May pretty dress ride. Post parade, pretty dress riders will continue on for a bike ride & picnic. FREE.

Carye Bye & Jenny Fosmire, bikebat at gmail daht comm, redbatpress.com/pretty2, 503-248-4454 [forum]

Why are bicycles key to the future of Portland (and other cities)?

“Bicycling is the most equitable and affordable form of transportation… All of Portland’s citizens already live within a 20-minute bicycle ride of our existing Regional and Town Centers and Commercial Main Streets.”
–From a document produced by PDOT titled Bicycling Into Our Future

Steve Dotterer with the City of Portland Bureau of Planning made a presentation about The Portland Plan at last night’s meeting of the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee.

According to the official website, The Portland Plan “is an inclusive, citywide effort to guide the physical, economic, social, cultural and environmental development of Portland over the next 30 years.”

The three-year effort is just getting underway, and will ultimately tackle the prodigious task of completely re-analyzing nearly every facet of Portland’s urban design in an attempt to update our city’s Comprehensive Plan and our Central City Plan (which were last updated in 1980 and 1988 respectively).

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PSU Seminar: Where Do People Bicycle? Infrastructure and Bicycle Behavior

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

PSU Center for Transportation Studies Transportation Seminar

Location: PSU Urban Center Building, SW 6th and Mill, Room 204

Speaker: Jennifer Dill, Associate Professor, School of Urban Studies and Planning, PSU

Topic: Where Do People Bicycle? The Role of Infrastructure in Determining Bicycling Behavior

This seminar will present results from the BikeGPS study that collected data from Portland area bicyclists using GPS technology. The study collected data from over 150 cyclists for seven days each during 2007, resulting in detailed information for over 1,500 bicycle trips throughout the urban area. The GPS data provides detailed information on the amount, location, and speed of bicycle travel and allows us to answer questions about route choice. For example, how much to people ride on roads with bike lanes, on bike boulevards, or paths? Do these patterns vary by gender, age, or other factors?

More info here

And they’re off! Racers speed along Portland waterfront

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward
Mt. Hood Cycling Classic - Stage 1-9.jpg

A rider leaves the start ramp.
Waterfront Park is in the background.
View the Stage 1 Photo Gallery
(Photos © J. Maus)

The Mt. Hood Cycling Classic got off to a fast start in downtown Portland last night.

It was a surreal sight. All the northbound lanes of Naito Parkway were closed and lycra-clad pro bike racers sped down the road while rush-hour traffic sat in a gridlock all around the course.

227 of America’s fastest cyclists (143 men and 84 women) went through the start ramp — which was located right in front of Salmon Street Fountain. They tested their bodies and machines against the clock in front of hundreds of appreciative fans.

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Election Notes: The race for City Council Seat #1

Yesterday, I shared some thoughts (and asked for yours) on the race for Council seat #2. Today, we move to to the other hotly contested battle for City Commissioner being waged by six candidates, five of which are likely to garner a significant number of votes.

This race features several impressive candidates and two — Chris Smith and Jeff Bissonnette — that have major upside for the bike and alternative energy/sustainability crowds. In fact, even the Bike.Walk.Vote political action committee couldn’t make up their minds and decided to endorse both of them.

Below are my thoughts on the candidates (three of whom I’ve met with personally to discuss bike issues).

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Blessing of the Bikes

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

This just in from Archdiocese of Portland’s Department of Evangelization…

NEWS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information, Contact:
Deacon Thomas Gornick
(503) 233-8335
tgornick [at] archdpdx [dot] org

Blessing of the Bikes

The Parish Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception (St. Mary’s) and the Archdiocese of Portland’s Department of Evangelization announce the Blessing of the Bikes, on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 2 PM in the courtyard of the Cathedral school.

The parish, which is located at the corner of NW 18th and Couch in the heart of Northwest Portland and bordered by the Everett Street bike lane, values and raises up the contribution that cyclists make to the community and environment. Portland biking is the platinum standard, and the cyclists bring a special life to our neighborhood and city whether they ride for recreation, commuting or competition. The Cathedral parish will welcome everyone to celebrate and recognize our biking community. In addition, the service will pray for those injured and will especially remember those who have died in bike accidents in 2007. “Cyclists are members of the parish and staff,” says Father George Wolf, Pastor of the Cathedral, “many of our neighbors regularly ride by our church. We invite everyone to bring their bikes and celebrate the many miles ridden each day.”

“The Catholic community has a long tradition of recognizing the cyclist and remembering those injured and killed in accidents” said Deacon Thomas Gornick, Director of Evangelization for the Archdiocese and bike commuter. On October 13, 1949, Pope Pius XII formally named Our Lady of Ghisallo as the patroness of cyclists.

The chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Ghisallo is located at the top of a steep hill in the Lake Como region of Italy. An eternal flame burns at the chapel in memory of those cyclists who have died.

Blessing of the Bikes
Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception
(St. Mary’s)
NW 18th and Couch
Sunday – June 8, 2008
2-2:30 PM (Rain or Shine)

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From the Archives

Protestor blocks bus and bike lanes on Division with his car