BTA responds to TriMet operators’ Rose Quarter petition

Bike Master Plan Ride #4

BTA’s Michelle Poyourow.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Michelle Poyourow of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) will issue a statement later today about a recent petition and document that has surfaced from a group of TriMet operators who oppose a plan to allow bike access through the Rose Quarter Transit Center (RQTC).

Poyourow is the BTA’s main liaison to TriMet and she has worked even more closely with them since the death of Austin Miller back in February.

Her statement says that that the operators’ concerns are “absolutely legitimate,” and that, “I don’t have any doubt that they are acting out of concern for everyone’s safety.”

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Press Release: Bike Commute Challenge begins September 1st

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This just in from the BTA:

Month-Long Bike Commute Challenge Begins September 1st

August 25, 2008 – Starting September 1st, hundreds of businesses, non-profits, and government agencies across Oregon and SW Washington will compete in the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s Bike Commute Challenge. The Challenge is a month-long competition between
workplaces to see who can bike to work more. This is the 13th year of the Challenge.

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TriMet drivers say “No” to Rose Quarter bike access

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“We have no political axe to grind and are not in opposition to bicycles in general. But we are in opposition to bicycles in the Rose Quarter Transit Center.”
— from a letter and petition send to local media outlets from a group of TriMet bus and train operators

The Portland Mercury has shared an interesting development in TriMet’s plans to begin to re-configure bike access through the Rose Quarter Transit Center (RQTC).

News editor Amy Ruiz published a four page letter (download PDF here) that was emailed to her along with a petition signed by by “over 250+ professionals with over 2,900 years of driving experience from across the board at TriMet”.

The group behind the letter has a simple message: “No Bicycles in the Rose Quarter Transit Center”.

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Portland Triathlon

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Oregon Trout City of Portland Triathlon returns for second year –THIS WEEKEND!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

REGISTRATIONS STILL AVAILABLE
MORNING OF REGISTRATION IS PERMITTED

One Million Revolutions and Oregon Trout are pleased to announce a return to downtown Portland for the second annual Oregon Trout City of Portland Triathlon. Slated for THIS WEEKEND August 31, 2008, the event will include both Olympic (1.5km swim, 40km bike, 10km run) and sprint-distance (750m-swim, 26km bike, 5km run)
triathlons. The races will start and end in Waterfront Park and once again will represent the only triathlon ever held in downtown Portland, Oregon.

The Oregon Trout City of Portland Triathlon will kick off the city’s newest festival, RiverFest. Envisioned by triathlon organizers in the spring of 2007, RiverFest will celebrate the Willamette River for 10 days beginning August 28. In addition to the triathlon, Riv erFest will include boat parades, concerts, kayak and canoe paddles, dragon boat races, bridge tours, and nature outings. A wide spectrum of non-profit organizations, businesses, city bureaus, and civic-minded individuals have a hand in the organization and planning for RiverFest.

The Oregon Trout City of Portland Triathlon is produced by the same director as the Musselman Triathlon, an annual classic held in New York and this year hosting 1,500 athletes from across the country, including three Olympians competing in Beijing: Jarrod Shoemaker, Julie Ertel, and Kathy Tremblay.

The Portland event adhered to strict environmental standards for race production in 2007, and this year’s event will continue to do the same. All power for the race comes from solar sources, race shirts are made from recycled polyester, extensive on-site recycling and composting divert over 90% of waste from the landfill, and the bike racks are made from bamboo. The event devel oped the first registration system in the country to incorporate greenhouse gas offsets for participant travel, and through a partnership with the Climate Trust over 75% of athletes offset their carbon footprint. The triathlon will again be the only major event in the country to feature a naturopathic medical tent.

Never before has this level of sustainability been achieved by a major sporting event.

A triathlon in downtown Portland would not be possible without the decades of work carried out by Oregon Trout, a Portland-based non-profit organization founded in 1983 to protect and restore native wild fish and the habitats that sustain them. Recognizing that clean water is as crucial to triathlon as it is to our very livelihood, Oregon Trout deeply supports the mission of this race through its title sponsorship. A portion of race proceeds will return to Oregon Trout to continue their mission.

More information on Oregon Trout can be found a t www.oregontrout.org.

More information about the City of Portland Triathlon can be found at www.portlandtri.com.

Highlights:

NEW BIKE COURSE
The Powers That Be have approved a shiny new bike course for 2008, a loop
twice as long as 2007 and with four times the charisma. Athletes will
enjoy a scenic odyssey through some of the best of downtown, including the
riverfront, leafy Terwilliger Boulevard, and a haunted tunnel. Much of the
course is completely closed to traffic, and it’s spectator-friendly and
low in carbs.

SPRINT RACE ADDED: MORE TIME FOR THE BEER TENT
With the approval of a new bike course, conditions are perfect for the
addition of a sprint course to complement the existing olympic-distance
race. Beginners, those looking for a shorter option, or those eager to
dive into the post-race festivities should give this a look. Instead of
three loops of the bike, you ‘ll do two, and instead of two loops on the
run you’ll do one. All of the best elements will be in both the sprint and
the olympic, but you’ll be first in line at the massage tent.

THURSDAY WEEKLY SWIMS – great photo opp this week pre-event!
Starting this evening, every Thursday through the triathlon we’ll be
heading down to the Willamette River for an informal swim. The swim will
be unofficial and unsupported, but a chance for you to test the waters and
hone your open-water skills. Bring a bright-colored swim cap and converge
on RiverPlace Marina at 6pm, on the North Breakwater dock (same place the
triathlon starts). Swim the course or do your own thing, but get out there
and enjoy bobbing around in the middle of a city of a million people!

PACIFIC NW REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
The City of Portland Triathlon has received a special designation for
2009: Pacific NW Regional Championship. What does this mean for you? A
faster front end of the field and more qualifying spots for USA
Triathlon’s national championships. Next year we’re also planning to add
an open-water swim on Saturday evening, so make plans now to spend some
time with us in Portland.

RIVERFEST!
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In 2008 the triathlon is proud to
kick off RiverFest, a new 10-day event coming to downtown Portland in
celebration of the Willamette River. In the days before and after the
triathlon, you’ll be able to enjoy canoe and kayak paddles, bridge tours,
the Oregon Symphony, dragon boat races, community tables and educational
seminars, live music, and good food – plus a whole slew more.

Contact for more information:
Jeff Henderson — Race Director, 503-922-1589

OR

Rachel Trice — President, PUNCH Event Marketing, 503-341-4851

P U N C H
Event Marketing & Ma nagement | Sponsorship | Creative Services

107 SE Washington St., Suite 137
Portland, OR 97214
Direct: 503.341.4851
Fax: 503.236.7792
rachel@ineedpunch.com
www.ineedpunch.com

Notice: Comments needed on Springwater Corridor project

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Just received this info sheet and call for comments from Clackamas County Parks planner Katie Dunham. They’re also have a public meeting on Sept 3rd (more info here). I hope to have a Front Page story on this soon.

Please voice your support for the Springwater Corridor in Clackamas County!

Clackamas County is requesting $1,200,000 for the Springwater Corridor Improvement Project through the 2011-2013 Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Transportation Enhancement Program (TE). The Project will pave 2.21 miles of the Springwater Corridor from Rugg Road in Clackamas County to Dee Street in Boring, with a 10 to 12 foot wide multi-use pathway with soft shoulders for use by pedestrians, bicyclists and equestrians.

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Springwater Trail/Boring Station meeting

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Clackamas County Parks and Portland Parks and Recreation will hold their second of three public planning meetings to discuss improvements to the Springwater Corridor and the Boring Station Trailhead Park.

Meeting is at:
Boring Middle School
27801 SE Dee Street
Boring, OR 97009

Questions, suggestions or comments may be sent to kdunham@co.clackamas.or.us
or call 503-794-8051 Visit the project Web site at
www.boringstation.com

Clackamas County Parks
9101 SE Sunnybrook Blvd.
Clackamas, OR 97015

With community’s support, Team Zoobomb focuses on Maryhill

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Team Zoobomb’s Gabe Tiller after a
training run in the West Hills
last Sunday night.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Portland’s Team Zoobomb will vie for the crown of fastest gravity bikers in the world at this weekend’s Maryhill Festival of Speed. The event takes place on legendary Maryhill Loops Road in Goldendale, Washington and it’s the official International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) World Championships.

After spending the last few days applying layers of duct tape to their racing leathers and ordering parts for their bikes, Team Zoobomb members Chuck Bridge, Aaron Truman, and Gabriel Tiller are already taking practice runs on the course. And, because of an outpouring of community support, they can focus solely on the task at hand.

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Road Rage: Rider buzzed and then confronted near North Plains

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The following story was shared by Lynne Cuevas and posted on the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA) email list (emphasis mine):

“I was on the newly chip sealed Helvetia rd yesterday riding along in the center of the lane trying to find the smooth spots in the road as there was no traffic at the time. All of the sudden there is an older brown chevy p.u. whizzing by my left shoulder blaring his horn. My reaction was to fly the bird and keep going.

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Volunteers needed for Last Thursday (8/28)

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This Thursday (8/28) is the first-ever officially carfree Last Thursday on Alberta event.

To make it happen smoothly, organizers — which includes the City of Portland and a local non-profit group — need volunteers.

There will be a short training session (not much to learn really) Thursday night at 7:30 at the corner of NE 24th and Alberta.

The volunteer shifts are from 8:30 to 10:30. Your help would be greatly appreciated.

U.S. Senate hopeful Merkley looks to Portland’s cycling community

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Jeff Merkley
(Photo: JeffMerkley.com)

Jeff Merkley (D-Portland), the Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives, is turning to Portland’s bike community for help in his race to grab a seat in the United States Senate from incumbent Gordon Smith.

I received an invitation yesterday for a fundraising event in September that will take place at the Bike Gallery store in downtown Portland. The event is being hosted by Bike Gallery owner Jay Graves, his wife Alison Graves, and friend Mary Roberts.

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AP: Less driving equals fewer deaths

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According to the Federal Highway Administration, Americans drove 12.2 billion fewer miles this past June than a year ago.

An Associated Press article published yesterday, Traffic fatalities driven down by high gas prices, highlights a new study that draws a direct connection between less miles being driven and the lowest number of traffic deaths since 1961.

The study was completed by the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute. The author of the study, Michael Sivak found that over a 12 month period (April 2007 to April 2008), as gas prices rose, driving and fatalities declined.

From the AP:

“The surprise, said Professor Michael Sivak, author of the study, was the huge decline in fatalities in March and April as gasoline prices surged above $3.20 a gallon.

Over the previous 10 months, monthly fatalities declined an average of 4.2 percent compared to the previous year. Then, Sivak’s data shows, fatalities dropped 22.1 percent in March and 17.9 percent in April of this year — numbers that did not show up in a recent federal report that tracked a drop in traffic deaths through the end of 2007.”

It’s an interesting article and I recommend giving it a read.

TriMet work narrows Steel Bridge sidewalk

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Steel Bridge sidewalk-2.jpg

A rider on the narrow Steel
Bridge sidewalk (view is facing
west on the north side of the
bridge).
(Photos © J. Maus)

TriMet recently completed a construction project on the Steel Bridge and the result is a narrower sidewalk on the north side.

The majority of people that ride bikes over the Steel Bridge use the shared, non-motorized vehicle pathway on the lower deck, but the upper deck is still an important connection for some. When headed eastbound, I prefer to use the upper, bridge sidewalk because it is more direct and quicker for me than taking the lower-deck and then connecting to the Esplanade.

During the morning commute, I still often see people on bikes use the westbound sidewalk. But with the newly narrowed sidewalk, TriMet is urging extra caution and has posted an alert notice that states, “The optimal route for pedestrians and cyclists remains the lower deck of the bridge.”

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