“Call it ‘The Portland Effect’, where after 20 years, cycling is in their DNA.”
–NBC Nightly News reporter Tom Costello
Portland made an appearance in millions of American homes last night as the top-ranked NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams made us the focus of a segment on how cities across the country are trying to become more bike-friendly.
Host Brian Williams introduced the segment with,
“So much of life these days comes back to the price of gas, the high cost of simply getting around, which is why, any number of American cities and towns… are following the example of Portland, Oregon.”
The piece (watch it below) features short interviews with a new Portland bike commuter, the BTA’s Scott Bricker, and Portland’s Congressional Representative Earl Blumenauer. Also making a cameo were an on-street bike parking facility in North Portland and bike boulevards.
Reporter Tom Costello listed several other cities that are “aggressively investing” in bike facilities and ended his story with, “Call it ‘the Portland effect’, where after 20 years, cycling is in their DNA.”
Watch the video below:
Word on the street is that CBS News Sunday Morning has also just wrapped up filming a segment about biking in Portland. No word on when that is slated to air.
Thanks for reading.
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The Portland Effect. Here we are, leading the way. Setting the example for the Nation.
My Trek Portland even made a brief cameo!
I saw that last night. It was awesome and unlike the hacks at the local news stations they didn\’t feel compelled to interview some motorist complaining about bikes not obeying the law.
It seems like PDX is getting a lot of love. About a month ago I saw what I\’m guessing was a Japanese TV crew interviewing someone at the east side entrance of the steel bridge on the edges of breakfast on the bridges
That was much better than I expected. I do take issue, however, with the comment that even with the $600 million the US invests in cycling infrastructure, \”cycling advocates want even more.\”
Of course we want more. We\’re still a marginalized group, largely because of the fact that auto infrastructure receives many times the funding that cycling does.
@Hollie
I really hate when any news group or pundit uses a number like \”$600 million.\” (usually with emphasis on the \”million.\”) In the scale of a 10 trillion dollar economy, $600m is couch cushion money.
If I were King of America I\’d declare an edict that numbers like this be expressed with relevant units of measure, like \”minutes of social security\” or \”miles of Interstate highway repair:\”
\”Even with the 15 minutes of Defense Department spending we spend every year on cycling infrastructure…\”
(ps. I\’m making these numbers up but you get the idea)
(pps. it\’s a great segment otherwise)
Awesome piece, except for the neglect to mention that the \”even more\” really means parity in spending. Good sound bites from Scott Bricker and Earl.
Our responsibility continues to grow with accolades like this. Keep on smiling at your fellow peds, bikers, and yes, petrol burners. No matter what, take the high road, and keep improving our wonderful biking city. Many thanks to all who have worked so hard for the rest of us!
@#4 Paul Souders.
I must be a giant nerd. I had to do the math to see how much defense department budget is spent on cycling infrastructure.
Using numbers found through Google, and 600 million, it works out to right about 12 hours of defense department budget.
Hmmm… nice.
I\’m all for increased spending on bike infrastructure. Portland doesn\’t spend nearly what governments do in Copenhagen or Amsterdam.
Additionally, if Tri-Met could work to be more supportive, I think we\’d be on to something truly great.
This morning on the westbound MAX at Sunset Station the fare inspectors were on the platform. One of them looked into the car and said \”There\’s only supposed to be two bikes in here… all the walkways need to be clear… but you, sir [seated in a wheelchair blocking the aisle] are all right…\” He then tried to hand out the bike \”rules\”, but had no takers.
We\’re just trying to get to work. Participating in Portland\’s bike culture remains a challenge.
Paul #4:
Another example:
When Ford was making the Taurus, each year when they made a \”new model\” by changing a few features, it cost 2 BILLION dollors in development. For a Taurus. 600 million is nothing.
Similar when Bush said he would spend 100 million to fund the fight against AIDS. Thanks a lot, dipstick!
Nice coverage…too bad the rest of NBC News doesn\’t get \”it.\”
I had \”Today\” on a couple weeks back, and they were talking about the high cost of food versus how much food the average US family of 4 throws away per month (spoiled, stale, etc) and how making more frequent shopping trips and buying less per trip could help save $$. And then one of the show\’s hosts chimes in with \”but that means spending more gas money to go to the store more often.\” The food economist kind of sighed and shrugged his shoulders.
Nobody on the show mentioned that shoppers could make multi-purpose trips, or maybe even walk or bike to the store.
Great opportunity for \”Drive Less/Save More\” to go national!
Will they do a story when the CRC Big Bridge gets a green light? $4.2 Billion for 80,000 more motor vehicles trips per day. Ah, \”Green\” Portland showing the way. Show Sam Adams and City Council what you think, tomorrow, Wednesday, July 9, 2pm, City Hall.
@MikeM: You\’re not a giant nerd; I appreciate your math. It puts things in perspective.
This piece was really great, though! Great to see that Portland is getting noticed for good things. All those bikes! How awesome!
I love this city. Let\’s lead the way.
B.C. (#9) – $2B is for an entire new line, like when they *created* the Taurus, or for major revisions, like GM\’s 1982 Firebird (compare \”KITT\” from Knight Rider to Burt Reynold\’s 1978-era Trans-Am in \”Smokey and the Bandit\”). For minor revisions, the auto companies \”only\” spend a hundred million dollars or so.
The bulk of automotive costs are materials – for example, in 1997 Milliken, one of North America\’s largest textile producers, sold $480 million of textile products to the \”Big 3\”.
Disclosure: My father worked for GM for 38 years, and I worked for various auto industry companies in Detroit for 3 years. I\’ve also been inside the Big 3\’s design centers multiple times in 1997 when working for Morris Associates.
None of that is meant to invalidate your point, B.C. – I totally agree with you, I just feel that our arguments are more effective with accurate numbers.
Christopher (8)
Did you say you saw a fare inspector on MAX? Do you have proof? As far as I can tell, their existence is just urban legend…
@MikeM: Thanks for doing the math, but I\’d be really really surprised if the defense department budget was \”only\” 440 trillion. It seems there are many, many levels of indirection when it comes to tracking defense money.
Either way, it would be nice if the next administration could get bike funding up to a full 24 hrs 🙂
Portland does lead the way!
Will we someday see a resurgence of the nineteenth century power of the LAB (or some new organization) as cities band together to get bicycling pie?
a.O @1:
The most excellent congressman apparently doesn\’t know about my Scott Seattle…
As Christopher has already noted, more cooperation from Trimet would be nice. As the trains have been getting more crowded recently I have noticed that bicycles seem to be less \”welcome\” on the trains than usual. In some cases the fare inspectors and conductors have been borderline hostile. It seems that strollers, wheelchairs, etc. are exempt from rules that are clearly posted on the trains, but bicyclists are now being held to the letter of the law more often.
Trimet employees still seem to have the perception that bicycles are \”toys\”. They need to come to grips with the fact that bicycles are a means of transportation for many of us, we are not doing training or pleasure rides at 7 A.M on a weekday morning.
With a US population of around 304 million $600 million translates to about $2 a person.
@#15 Dolan Halbrook.
On checking my source, you may be technically correct. These numbers are not inclusive of money for the war effort, they are Department of Defense budget. Total defense/war related money is about 626 billion. (Which turns the 600 million closer to ten hours of total war/defense spending.)
Read Further here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_budget_of_the_United_States
@ #18: \”It seems that strollers, wheelchairs, etc. are exempt from rules that are clearly posted on the trains,\”
When are wheelchairs breaking the rules? I never see someone with a disability outside of the accessible seats/areas. PLEASE don\’t turn this into a people with disabilities/bicycles debate. Yes, it is too bad Trimet is overlapping the two types of users by telling cyclists to use those spots as available. But when it comes down to it we need to accomodate people, first and foremost. And sometimes when it is crowded poeple don\’t necessarily move out of the way to let someone with a disability into their \”appropriate\” space.
When we were at breakfast at the bridges last month there was a news crew there doing a similar story, except they were from Korea…
Bjorn
Right on, Esther. My wheelchair using wife was menancingly harassed for 20 minutes tonight on Max by hostile clods who refused to move out of the designated wheelchair space until she inadvertantly bumped one of their shopping bags, whereupon they moved three feet back (which they could have done in the first place). I wish I\’d been there to help her point out the rule to those blockheads.
But this just shows how we need to push for more Max capacity and funding, because bicyclists are going to be the losers. With gas prices soaring, Max is getting more crowded, especially at rush hour, and these conflicts are inevitable until TriMet (which means, I guess, taxpayers) adds more trains. And that means bikes are gonna get squeezed out because people do have to come first. But it shouldn\’t come down to that kind of unnecessary conflict. We need more capacity.
New max car information at http://trimet.org/max/newtrains.htm
Still four hooks per car, eight per train, of course.
Great story. We are the progressives the progressives are following. I Love this city!
Regarding Tri-met and bikes:
Tri-met needs to step up with more frequent service, more trains, etc.. It shouldn\’t come down to a choice between people and bicycles.
Portland has proved that if we build it [a sustainable public transit system], they [the idiots still driving everywhere in their SOV\’s] will come.
Now that more of them are coming, it is time to build more.
That said, what a cool problem to have. Most cities the size of Portland have under-used transit systems where room for bikes is not a problem.
Good grief. If there\’s a \”sea\” of bicyclists in PDX at 6% ridership, imagine Sam Adam\’s 25% ridership.
It\’s just a matter of time before the first lawsuit between two cyclists.
Scenario #1:
Cyclist 1 nails Cyclist 2 at the intersection of Interstate and Greely. While Cyclist 2 is making a right turn from Interstate to Greely, Cyclist 1, going way over reasonable speed for conditions broadsides Cyclist 2. The estate sues.
Scenario #2:
While Cyclist 3 is corking 3rd/Burnside for the Secret Location Mobile Dance Party, Cyclist 4, rolling down hill westbound Burnside Bridge, nails Cyclist 3. Estate sues.
You get the idea. Should be some pretty interesting case law for B-Portland to report.