BikeCraft IV will be here next week! We have an amazing collection of crafters and artists this year. More people than ever before came forward, with work ranging from gorgeous artisan metalworking to silkscreened patches for your messenger bag. There is something for everyone — so shop local this holiday season as you replenish your stylish warm-weather gear and find perfect gifts for all the bike lovers in your life.
So without further ado, here’s the full 2008 lineup:
[Editor’s note: This article is by our Family Biking columnist Marion Rice. Marion previously wrote about how to keep kids warm and dry on the bike. Today, she offers up her tips and thoughts about what to do when your little ones don’t feel like hopping on the bike (which is something that I bet happens to all families at one point or another).]
Sometimes my kids say they don’t want to go by bike.
“I also have to admit — I keep emergency chocolate in my Xtracyle bag.”
We do have a car and the mere presence of a motorized, temperature controlled cocoon creates the potential option for using it. I often wonder how other bike commuting parents deal with this and what they say to get their kids going when they don’t want to.
I’ve just added more books that were recommended by readers. Thanks, and enjoy! — Elly
The kid’s bookshelf at the BikePortland Bookstore is growing rapidly. We’ve rounded up a stack of recommendations that have come to us from biking families all over Portland.
These new additions are all picture books and simple story books that will be fun and inspirational for very young kids. Do you have any favorites which don’t appear here? How about bike-related books for older kids and teens?
Via the links below, you can order books to be shipped to you — or better yet, pick them up by bike! Just choose the “In-Store Pickup” option at checkout to have the books held for you at any Powell’s location.
Multnomah County is looking for members to serve on its bike and ped citizen advisory committee. This is a great opportunity for an engaged community member who wants to help make sure that County owned properties (like the Burnside, Hawthorne, Broadway, Morrison, and Sellwood Bridges) continue to function well for bike traffic.
Members sought for county bicycle and pedestrian committee
Multnomah County is seeking members to serve on its Bicycle and Pedestrian Citizen Advisory Committee who live or work in East Multnomah County. The committee advises the county on bicycle and pedestrian issues related to the county’s road system, which includes:
When it becomes a bill in front of state lawmakers in January, Governor Kulongoski’s Jobs and Transportation Act of 2009 will include language to expand the Oregon bike bill (ORS 366.514) and put into law a requirement for the Oregon Department of Transportation to spend at least 1.5 percent of its funding for highway projects on bike and pedestrian improvements — that’s a .5 percent increase from the existing law.
The expansion of the Bike Bill was not in the Governor’s original version of the plan, Governor’s plan was first introduced to lawmakers on November 10th.
[Update, 12/5: The Governor’s office has informed us that the above paragraph is not accurate. While the increase is not mentioned in the summary of the bill their office released it was included in the bill drafting instructions that were provided to legislators and the increase to the Bike Bill was discussed in the Legislative Hearing.]
The confirmation of this comes in a directive from the Governor’s office to legislative counsel (the body in Salem that drafts bills) that was obtained by BikePortland reporter Libby Tucker during her research for her story, Hey Governor, what about bikes?
This just in from Portland Parks and Rec:
Portland Parks & Recreation to close road through Delta Park for base repairs on Friday, December 5
(Portland, OR) – Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) announced today that they will be closing the roadway between the Union 76 service station and the intersection leading into PP&R’s Urban Forestry offices at Delta Park to all traffic between from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, December 5 for base repairs to the roadway. The intersection will remain open, and city and emergency vehicles will have access to the road, if needed.
Traffic that normally uses the roadway, which is also a designated bike path, will be detoured down N. Hayden Meadows Drive during the road work. The roadway will be reopened to car and bike traffic during the weekend, Saturday and Sunday, December 6 and 7.
Parks staff is taking advantage of the excellent weather conditions to start the work on Friday.Depending upon future weather conditions, the work there may resume on Monday morning, December 8, with the road closed for up to an additional 48 hours.
We’ve already shared some of the cool bike-part jewelry you’ll find at BikeCraft IV.
Today, we’ll share a bit of info and photos from not one, not two, but three(!) Portland artisans who will offer up their handmade bike panniers for sale at the event.
The first is Rebecca Pearcy of Queen Bee Creations. I first mentioned she was dipping her toes in the pannier waters back in March. The response to that story was so positive, Rebecca has decided to make them a regular part of her successful line of handbags and wallets.
Seattle-based Price Media, the publishers behind Outdoors NW magazine, have announced that they’ll publish NW Cyclist magazine in March 2009.
In a press release, publisher Carolyn Price says, “Seattle and Portland are known as the two greatest bicycling cities in the country and our readers want as much information on bicycling as possible.”
Price also says that timing of the new magazine is “perfect” and that the launch comes at a time when “bicycling is at an all-time high”.
The mag will be an annual (published just once a year) and will debut at the Seattle Bike Expo in March. Editorial coverage will include bike commuting tips, touring info, family biking resources and the best rides in and around Seattle and Portland.
The team behind the New York City-based Livable Streets Network that includes the Streetsblog.org blog, Streetfilms, and other tools, has launched their latest project — the Streetsblog Network.
The network aims to bring together and present the best online sources for transportation and livable streets content on the web, all into one place. When it launched Tuesday there were 100 blogs in the network (including BikePortland.org) and in just a few days that number has jumped to nearly 150.
I just came across this ad for Ford’s new Flex. It touts that the Flex can be outfitted with a “refrigerated console”.
Does anyone else think this is a bit crazy? Refrigerators in limos are one thing, but with all the problems we have with DUI (and I realize BUI is also a problem — as in, biking under the influence), is this really a responsible thing for Ford to do? Especially a company that is at this moment begging for taxpayer money to help it survive?
Would love to hear what you think….