2008 Archives

BTA, TriMet announce bus/bike safety initiatives

TriMet GM Fred Hansen
is working with the BTA
on bus/bike safety.
(Photos © J. Maus)

In the wake of the tragic death of 15 year-old Austin Miller, who was killed when he and a TriMet bus collided in Beaverton earlier this month, TriMet has issued a press release (full text below) that outlines immediate, near-term, and long-term actions they will take “to make it safer for bicyclists and buses.”

Working in partnership with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), TriMet says in the statement that after the Miller fatality, “it became clear to the leadership at TriMet and the BTA that preventing future crashes like this one would take more than simply admonishing bicyclists and drivers.”

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Blumenauer, shown here at the National Bike
Summit last year, hopes his Bike Commuter
Act will finally fly with lawmakers.
(Photo © J. Maus)

On the heels of record profits by the big five oil companies, U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Portland) will once again try to enact a tax benefit for bike commuters and close the “Hummer tax loophole.”

The bike commuter tax benefit (a.k.a. the Bike Commuter Act and the Conserve By Bike provision) would amend the IRS code to include “bicycles” in the definition of transportation covered by fringe benefits. The Hummer tax loophole would fix what Blumenauer refers to as “a serious mistake” in the tax code that provides an additional tax break for business purchases of luxury SUVs weighing over 6,000 lbs.

Reprinted with permission from Dan Piraro.

This position has been filled. Sorry.

Job Title
Customer Service/Sales

Company/Organization
Waterfront Bicycle Rentals – Website

Job Description
Expert customer service skills and sales experience, must be friendly and enjoy working with tourist, a strong knowledge and ability to explain how to get around Portland by Bike, and good mechanical skills.

How to Apply
email resume to waterfrontbikes[at]earthlink[dot]net

Injured cyclist looking for driver who hit him

Still from a KGW-TV video.

[Via KGW]

Sage Silver was hit by a left-turning car at about 10:00 pm while riding home from work along NE Alberta last Friday (2/22).

The driver stopped to make sure Silver was OK. Silver said he was fine, so the driver left the scene. But the next morning, Silver felt abdominal pains and checked himself into the Emergency Room.

[Updated: 2/26, 11:37 am – I’ve added audio from the Councilmembers’ testimony (see below).]

Last night, the Vancouver City Council voted 5-1 in favor of an expanded, all-ages helmet law. More photos here.
(Photos © J. Maus)

If the all-ages helmet ordinance
passes tonight, this Sprockette would
face a fine if she was
performing in Vancouver.
(BikePortland file photo)

Tonight at 7:00, the Vancouver City Council will hear public testimony and vote on an ordinance that would make it illegal for anyone to ride a bicycle in Vancouver without a helmet.

The ordinance began as an 18 and under law, but was amended and revised to include adults at the behest of community members.

The all-ages amendment was unanimously approved by the Council two weeks ago and tonight a final hearing and vote is expected.

In the article, Austin Miller wrote,
“How would we solve this biking
problem? Well for starters, why
don’t all major roads have
bike paths?”.

A year before a tragic fate befell Austin Miller, the 15 year-old Beaverton student wrote an opinion article on bike safety for his school newspaper titled, “Please Do Not Run Me Over.”

Writing under the pseudonym “Charlie Elsewhere”, the article (full text below) was published in The Savant, the school newspaper at the Art and Communication Magnet Academy in Beaverton, where Miller was a sophomore.

Reading through it, I had mixed emotions. As a father, I found it chilling and immensely sad. As a bike advocate, I found it frustrating. I also had no idea that Austin was so well-versed in bike advocacy.

UPDATE, 3/3: The Columbia River Crossing project staff have issued a memo refuting Cortright’s claims. Download that memo here (300 KB, PDF).

Economist Joe Cortright
(BikePortland file photo)

Economist Joe Cortright, who reported last June that Portland’s “green policies” add $2.6 billion into the local economy, has once again set his sights on debunking the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project.

Cortright’s five-page analysis (download PDF below) raises red flags around several “key issues” surrounding the effort to build a new I-5 bridge over the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver.

Cortright believes that a new bridge will “induce” more traffic, that it won’t reduce congestion, and that tolling the existing span could cut trips “by as much as half”. He also questions the financing of the project saying that, “$4 billion is a lot of money we don’t have” and that the huge expense will mean the region’s other transportation needs will go unmet “for a decade or more”.

If you want to be part of the International Towards Carfree Cities Conference in Portland this summer (and who doesn’t!), don’t forget to take advantage of the early registration discount.

By registering early for the four-day conference you can save as much as $110 off the price of admission.

The program for the event includes an exciting mix of well-known speakers (including Gil Penalosa), workshops, and panel discussions.

Visit CarFreePortland.org for more information and stay tuned for more coverage.

Middaugh certified, looks to woo votes from fellow bikers

Jim Middaugh City Council candidate-4.jpg

You can add Jim Middaugh’s name to the list of City Council candidates who are now officially certified to receive public financing.

Middaugh — who I profiled back in January — is running for Council Seat #2 (currently occupied by Erik Sten) and this morning, City Auditor Gary Blackmer gave the official word that Middaugh will receive just over $140,000 in public funding to run his campaign.

Middaugh’s certification comes as no surprise; he and his supporters were able to raise an impressive amount of individual, $5 contributions at a record clip. And now, they’re wasting no time in asking the bike community to help him go from candidate to Commissioner.

It’s official: Press release below…

OFFICE OF CITY AUDITOR CITY OF PORTLAND

February 25, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

JIM MIDDAUGH CERTIFIED

Today, the Auditor certified Jim Middaugh as a Campaign Finance Fund candidate for the May 20, 2008 Primary Election. Mr. Middaugh, candidate for Commissioner No. 2, achieved 1,623 verified qualifying contributions from Portland registered voters during the qualifying period. In addition, Mr. Middaugh has filed for office by declaration. The Auditor has determined that Mr. Middaugh has complied with all applicable provisions of City Code Chapter 2.10.

Read more

BTA, TriMet announce bus/bike safety initiatives

Bike Commuter Act, “Hummer tax loophole” up for House vote tomorrow

On the lighter side: A Bizarro look into the future

Customer Service/Sales (Waterfront Bicycle Rentals)

Injured cyclist looking for driver who hit him

Updated: Vancouver passes all-ages helmet law

Tonight: All-ages helmet ordinance before Vancouver Council

A year before the tragedy, Austin Miller wrote “Please Do Not Run Me Over”

UPDATED: Economist contends new I-5 bridge will “induce traffic,” use up transportation budgets “for a decade or more”

Discounted registration for Carfree Conference ends Friday

Middaugh certified, looks to woo votes from fellow bikers

Press Release: Middaugh certified for Council run

Latest Headlines

Reminder: No riding through River View Cemetery during Memorial Day Weekend

Guest Article: Demand a pause on PBOT’s SW Alder decision

Guest Opinion: The bike beat lives on in all of us

Our 20th Anniversary Party is this Wednesday

From the Archives

The 10 busiest bicycling spots in Portland