SW Broadway on 12/26.
(Photo: Rex Burkholder)
I’m down in California, but judging from reader emails and a story this morning on KGW-TV, it looks like Portland’s bike lanes are in bad shape following an unprecedented storm that has left streets with mountains of snow, gravel, and other assorted hazards.
I left town just as The Big Thaw was about to begin and I can only imagine what it’s like out there now.
The day after Christmas, Metro Councilor and daily biker Rex Burkholder sent me photos of conditions on SW Broadway.
(Photo: Rex Burkholder)
It looks like it’s not just the snow itself, but also how it’s forcing some cars to park in the bike lane.
Adding to that is the perennial issue of gravel. We reported about it just a few days after the first snow fell, after PBOT said people who bike would “just have to wait” until they could pick up it. This morning, KGW TV did a story about how gravel is making things tough — whether you bike or drive.
Here’s what KGW said about biking conditions:
“It was a tough weekend for bicyclists like Ortman, who had trouble avoiding the tiny rocks, since bike lanes were temporary holding zones for the stuff. To make matters worse, several bike lanes were still covered in heaps of snow pushed there by plows, temporarily pushing cyclists into traffic lanes.”
KGW also reminds us of the unfortunate reality that the storm will lead to even more (and larger) potholes throughout the city, in part because of the rain and snow, but also because of all the tire chains and snow tires that have been pounding the streets for several weeks.
When I posted an update about the KGW story to Twitter (and it also showed up on my Facebook page), Tony Pereira replied that the gravel isn’t too big of a deal, but there’s another storm byproduct he’s worried about:
“I don’t mind the gravel much myself, but those broken tire chains out there could do some damage! Barely missed a half dozen of them yesterday.”
In their latest storm update (published 12/26), the Bureau of Transportation said, “Sand and gravel cleanup will not start until streets are clear of snow and ice.”*
*UPDATE: PBOT has just posted a new statement about the storm.
What are conditions like where you’re riding? Share your experiences and photos in the comments below.