City Council will vote on their “Locally Preferred Alternative” for the Columbia River Crossing project.
Portland City Hall
Council Chambers
1221 SW 4th Ave.
Month: July 2008
Bike-cultural exchange: Sister city extends to cycling
Eugenio Arriaga Cordero during
a recent bike ride in Portland.
(Photo: Jessica Roberts)
a recent bike ride in Portland.
(Photo: Jessica Roberts)
For over two decades, Portland has had a sister-city relationship with Guadalajara, Mexico. In addition to supporting Portland’s Latino community through a variety of cultural exchange programs, the partnership puts on Portland’s annual Cinco de Mayo Fiesta.
Now, a new initiative will have the two cities exchanging bike smarts as well.
Representatives from Guadalajara’s transportation office were in Portland during the recent Towards Carfree Cities Conference to iron out the plans.
Coalition says, “Put the brakes on the bridge”
BTA leader Scott Bricker (shown here at an event
last week) has joined other groups in calling
on City Council to re-think the CRC project.
(Photo © J. Maus)
last week) has joined other groups in calling
on City Council to re-think the CRC project.
(Photo © J. Maus)
As expected, the BTA and a coalition of environmental groups have stepped up their oppositional stance to the Columbia River Crossing project.
They have just issued a statement (download PDF) that calls on Portland City Council to, “put the brakes on the bridge”.
Portland Bike Forums temporarily down
This is a just a notice that the Portland Bike Forums are temporarily down.
Over the weekend, some sort of annoying spam/security breach resulted in every one of the 800 or so members being sent an email that said:
“Your account on Portland Bike Forums (by BikePortland.org) has been locked because someone has tried to log into the account with the wrong password more than 5 times. You will be able to attempt to log in again in another 15 minutes.”
I am looking into the issue and have decided to close the forums while I upgrade the forum software and remedy the situation.
Thanks to everyone who emailed me about this and I apologize for any inconvenience.
I will announce the opening of the forums here as soon as I can.
Slideshow: At the track for Zak
On Friday, the local racing community came together to support an injured friend.
Zak Kovalcik (pictured here at the event) broke his collarbone while racing at Alpenrose Velodrome a few weeks ago and, without insurance and being unable to work (he is a bike messenger), he needed help with his hospital bills.
The community answered the call and has already raised over $2,000 for the cause.
On Friday, a weekly track racing event that was turned into a Zak Kovalcik benefit raised $1,700. All race entry fees were donated to Kovalcik and funds also came from a raffle of prizes donated by local businesses and bike companies.
Updated: BTA strengthens stance against CRC: Will urge Council to abstain
[Updated 7/7, 12:00ppm: Read this story for an update.]
With just a few days before the Portland City Council takes an important vote on the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) (along with a growing coalition of organizations) is stepping up its drumbeat of concern.
The BTA has struggled to find their voice and has come under fire from members and other in the community for not being more critical of the estimated $4.2 billion project.
Happy Independence from Oil Day: Will your weekend be gas-free?
This “Get off your (g)ass & ride” shirt,
spotted at MCBF last weekend, was
created by Bike Punk Printing
in Portland.
(Photo © J. Maus)
spotted at MCBF last weekend, was
created by Bike Punk Printing
in Portland.
(Photo © J. Maus)
As we heard earlier this week, there’s a new campaign underway to encourage “Gas Free Fridays”.
I would love to see this concept really take hold throughout the country.
Hopefully, the coalition of advocacy groups behind the campaign can devote some resources to making that happen (a good start would be a website, maybe a viral YouTube video, stickers, etc…).
Can you go completely gas-free today? How about the entire weekend?
CCC Bike of the Month: A mysterious tandem
This is a monthly feature to remind you that when you buy a used bike from the Community Cycling Center’s retail shop (1700 NE Alberta) you are not just getting a cool bike, you’re also helping fund their amazing education programs for low-income youth and adults.
Job of the Week
Here’s another excellent job opportunity listed this week on the BikePortland Job Listings.
Check out all the details in the link below (and good luck if you apply!):
- Front Counter Sales – Bike Gallery
Front Counter Sales (Bike Gallery)
Job Title
Front Counter Sales Position
Company/Organization
Bike Gallery
Job Description
The Bike Gallery is seeking enthusiastic individuals to join our retail sales force. If you are driven, service oriented and passionate about cycling and the cycling lifestyle, then we want to hear from you!
This is a unique opportunity to be a part of a what makes Portland such a great place to live and the Bike Gallery continues to be the top rated bicycle retailer in the area and one of the top 100 in the nation. We offer a fast paced and dynamic work environment, competitive benefits package, a supportive and team oriented culture, employee merchandise discounts and opportunities for advancement within a growth oriented, locally owned and operated business.
Bicycle retail experience preferred, but not required. Specialty retail experience preferred, but not required. Bicycling experience is helpful and passion for customer service excellence is a must.
This is a seasonal position oriented towards front counter responsibilities which include tendering sales transactions, answering the phone, and greeting customers. An aptitude for customer care, phone etiquette and cashiering skills are essential.
The Bike Gallery is an equal opportunity employer. Front counter positons require the ability to work extended hours while standing.
How to Apply
Send a resume and cover letter to resumes@bikegallery.com
Biking with kids? Tether that sippy cup, and bring some snacks
Marion Rice and daughter Gleneden
[This article was written by our Carfree Families columnist Marion Rice. For previous articles in this series, and for links to other articles and photos on family biking, check out the Carfree Families Page.]
A call for more Sunday Parkways
Everyone loved Sunday Parkways.
(Photos © J. Maus)
(Photos © J. Maus)
Sunday Parkways — an event that created a six-mile, carfree loop through North Portland — was nothing short of an historic day for our city.
Has Portland ever seen such a large-scale, accessible, and free event that promoted neighborhood unity and public health with such fun and success? Thousands of people of all shapes, colors, sizes, and classes showed up to revel in their public space like never before.