March 2008 Archives

A ‘Green Street’ made safer with new markings

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

A new bike lane design encourages
cyclists to use an advanced stop bar.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The City of Portland Office of Transportation (PDOT) has added new bike lane markings on SE Clay Street at 12th.

In a partnership between PDOT and the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES), Clay Street has been the focus of a special “Green Street” project (this project has nothing to do with the new green bike lanes and bike boxes PDOT is also working on).

According to BES, the SE Clay Green Street project is intended to give residents a safer connection to the Willamette riverfront while providing sustainable stormwater management.

Framebuilder Ira Ryan (L) and lawyer
Mark Ginsberg were among the
700 attendees at last year’s
Alice Awards.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Oregon Convention Center might have a hard time passing for any part of Paris, but that won’t stop the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) from trying. They’re just a few days away from their largest party and fundraiser of the year — the Alice Awards.

Since 1995, the BTA has honored bike heroes from across Oregon and southwest Washington at their annual gala and this year the theme is all about Paris. The BTA chose the Paris theme not just because Parisians know how to party (and look good doing it) but because of everything they’ve done lately to “make bicycling irresistible, including rental bikes and Sunday Parkways along the Seine.”

Local historian and publisher of Cafe Unknown, Dan Haneckow, recently uncovered some interesting documents and videos about Portland’s first efforts to tame its traffic safety problems.

The bike box at SE Hawthorne and 7th in action.
(Photo by Jay Lawrence/Polara Studios)

Local pedicab operator, Rose Pedals Pedicabs, adds to its fleet with new partnership.

Casey Martell in action.
(Photo © J. Maus)

A recent pedicab partnership will result in many more of the three-wheeled vehicles on Portland’s downtown streets.

Local pedicab operator Rose Pedals Pedicabs has joined forces with Bellingham, Washington-based Cascadia Cabs. Rose Pedals owner Casey Martell says that last week he received 12 brand new cabs and plans to add more in the coming months.

The Pornography of the Bicycle;
now available nationwide.

You’ve probably already heard of Portland’s Naked Bike Ride — an annual tradition that has grown in recent years to become one of the largest such rides in the world. But in addition to that (and several other, smaller naked rides that have cropped up recently), there’s another part of Portland’s sans-clothing cycling culture you might not be aware of yet — bike porn.

Yes, whether you approve or not, bicycle pornography has its fans. The man on top of the genre — the charismatic and quirky Phil ‘Reverend Phil” Sano — has embarked on another tour that will expose his distinct brand of bike love to audiences up and down the East Coast and across the country’s midsection.

Traffic Division Captain Larry O’Dea.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The City of Portland’s campaign to remake several intersections with colored bike boxes and bike lanes is made up of much more than just markings on the pavement. Along with the new markings comes a significant change to the law; at all intersections slated to receive a bike box, right turns on red are now illegal. Motor vehicles must also stop prior to the bike box when the light is red.

In addition to a bike box advertising campaign (who hasn’t seen one of the new billboards?), PDOT has coordinated with the Police Bureau on an enforcement strategy to complement their outreach and education efforts.

I asked Traffic Division Captain Larry O’Dea to share a bit about their strategy.

This morning, in well-timed nod to St. Patrick’s Day, City of Portland crews finished the installation of the green bike box and bike lane at SE Hawthorne and 7th. They also installed new permanent signs adjacent to the intersection warning motorists to yield to bikes in the green lane and reminding them of “No Turn on Red”.

The box is large, highly visible and offers quite a welcome mat for cyclists. The box is 14 feet deep and the green stretches across an entire standard-width lane and the adjacent bike lane.

Bike Walk Vote, which bills itself as “the political arm of the Portland area’s bicycling and walking movement”, has announced several more endorsements. This is their second round of choices, back in January they endorsed Chris Smith and Jeff Bissonnette.

For Portland City Council, they have chosen to endorse Jim Middaugh and Randy Leonard. In the mayoral race, the nod goes to (not surprisingly) Sam Adams. Here’s the full press release:

City Council candidate Jim Middaugh (foreground) chats up the crowd inside Roots Brewing at the BikePortland Social Hour.
Council hopeful Chris Smith is in black on the left.
(Photos © J. Maus)

My five year-old daughter tests out Portland’s new bike box. By Monday it will be painted green just like the colored bike lane next to it.
Slideshow below
(Photos © J. Maus)

“What this does is elevate bikes and peds as important and meaningful modes.”
–ODOT Government Liaison Shelli Romero

The wheels of change continue to spin toward a more balanced transportation system in our region.

Yesterday, Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT), for the first time ever, voted unanimously to put bicycle and pedestrian projects at the front of the line to receive funding through a major federal funding allocation process.

A ‘Green Street’ made safer with new markings

BTA abuzz with ‘An Alice in Paris’

Portland in the 1930’s: A look back at traffic safety (it wasn’t pretty)

The new bike box: What do you think so far?

Pedicab partnership will bolster local business

Portland’s sultry cycling export spreads to East Coast

Police plan bike box enforcement strategy

Portland’s first green bike box is now complete

Bike Walk Vote releases more endorsements

Social Hour recap: A Council candidate two-fer

First look inside Portland’s new bike box

Landmark decision gives bike projects regional funding priority

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From the Archives

What five people say about living outside along the Springwater path