Portland has been selected to host the Safe Routes to School National Conference in 2009.
The decision (announced today) was made by the National Center for Safe Routes to School and the Safe Routes to School National Partnership after a competitive application process.
COME WATCH!
Come watch the area’s fastest cyclists compete for the region’s biggest purse in the Health Net Portland Twilight Criterium. The course surrounds the North Park Blocks of downtown Portland, creating an island oasis of 360-degree viewing, music, food and beverage. There are several places where you can get close enough to feel the wind from the peloton. Each lap is one-half mile long which takes the racers just over one minute to complete. The course is highly technical so fields are limited to eighty riders.
The event is free to attend and great for families. Come downtown Friday evening, to experience the excitement yourself.
Just a quick note that tonight at City Hall there will be a big party and shindig to officially toast Portland’s achievement in becoming the first major U.S. city to receive a Platinum-level bicycle friendly community award from the League of American Bicyclists.
There will be free drinks, lots of art and photos to look at (including the latest illustrations of “Portlanders and their Bikes” by Nate Padavick), and much of Portland’s bike scenesters will likely be in attendance.
PDOT crews have prepped the road for the new on-street bike racks (known as a “bike corral”) in front of the non-profit Ethos Music Center on the corner of N. Killingsworth and N. Williams.
Ethos’ founder and City Commissioner candidate, Charles Lewis requested the bike corral at this location two years ago and has worked hard to make it a reality. “We have had a big problem with the lack of bike parking here,” he said, “and it will be great to get this new corral.”
Whether you are for or against a mandatory helmet law, I think it’s safe to say we haven’t heard the end of this yet.
Playing into my hunch is an editorial in today’s Portland Tribune: Bicycle helmet law’s a no brainer. In the piece, the Tribune shares the type of soundbyte that will be very persuasive to a number of Oregonians. Here’s an excerpt (emphasis mine):
“… Prozanski was on exactly the right path in suggesting that bicyclists of all ages – not just those under 17 – should be required by law to wear helmets.
Seattle news outlets are reporting that a pedicab carrying two passengers ran through a red light at a downtown intersection and collided with a scooter and then a minivan, killing one of the people in the cab and causing serious injuries to the other passenger and the pedicab driver (as well as minor injuries to two others).
[Updated, 4:25pm]
Here’s a sad (but interesting) case you just don’t come across very often.
I had to re-read the title of a press release sent out a few minutes ago by the Captain of the Gresham Police Department. It reads:
“Bicyclist Injured After Hitting Pedestrian”
For some reason, in recent months, some of the comment threads on this site have become filled with negativity, personal insults, and conduct unbecoming of respectful and mature conversation.
There have been over 55,000 comments left on this site in the past three years and I have generally had a pretty open and loose style for moderating them.
Amazingly, even though we’ve dealt with many contentious and emotional issues, I have only had to edit and/or completely delete a very, very small percentage of those comments. I tell people all the time that the comments on BikePortland.org are one of the most valuable components of this site. I feel that is due in large part because I have worked hard to create an environment of respect that is (luckily) heeded by the majority of readers.
But lately, I feel as though a unnecessarily critical and negative tone is creeping in, and based on feedback I’ve received from several people that I respect, that tone is driving away readers.
This just in from the Community Cycling Center:
Community Cycling Center Board Grows
The Community Cycling Center is delighted to announce the addition of two new members to our Board of Directors: James Coon and Daniel Kaempff.
Jim Coon, a “die-hard,” year-round bike commuter for over twenty years, is a founding partner at Swanson, Thomas & Coon, a Portland law firm representing injured and disabled people in litigation and advocating for safe communities and work practices. They are also Portland’s experts on bicycle law. Jim believes that bicycles are “a crucial part of the human powered transportation future.” He brings years of personal and professional experience to his new role as board member.
Daniel Kaempff, a Senior Transportation Planner at Metro, first became aware of the Community Cycling Center when he learned about the ground-breaking “Create a Commuter” program. He says that he was “impressed at how powerful the simple act of giving someone a bicycle could be, in that it gave them a chance to hold down a job and make a better life for themselves.”
We are thrilled that Dan and Jim have joined us, and we look forward to a long-lasting and fruitful collaboration.
Sorry folks, this job has been filled. Job Title
Sales Account Manager
Company/Organization
Castelli America
Job Description
Castelli America has an opening for an aggressive sales minded individual with experience in handling all facets of a customer service oriented position. Castelli is a small staff environment and we promote a team based atmosphere. Person must be computer experienced with emphasis on Office Suite programs. Marketing skills are a plus as well.
How to Apply
Apply by email to Pkukula [at] castelli-us [dot] com
While the City of Portland has agreed with a recommendation from the Federal Highway Administration to “test” non-colored bike boxes, the New York City Department of Transportation is going the other direction — they’re adding more paint to their roads for cyclists.
Check out the new bike lane at an intersection near Madison Square Garden Park:
Team Zoobomb™ Maryhill Benefit Party – Sat 8/9, 3pm
2325 SE 39th Ave
Don your swimsuits, spandex, and wraslin attire and come help us make back the money we’re spending to race at Maryhill. (http://www.maryhillfestivalofspeed.com) If you would like to know more about our racing team you can see our profiles here: http://flickr.com/photos/gabrielamadeus/2694252172 and our sponsor package here: http://flickr.com/photos/gabrielamadeus/2694253222
Bring yer skrillaz for beer, competition, auction and gambling! Come early or you’ll miss the contests, bands and sober people.
3pm – Keg tapping
4pm – Contests
7pm – Bands
9pm – DJs and dancing
email teamzoobomb@gmail.com if you have any questions.