2008 Archives

PDOT works to identify more bikeways in North Portland

Roger Geller presenting potential
new city bikeway designations
to an advisory committee
on Tuesday.
(Photo © J. Maus)

As part of an ongoing effort to update the Bicycle Master Plan, city bicycle coordinator Roger Geller (and his trusty associate Denver Igarta) recently completed a field work and bikeway identification and mapping exercise in North Portland.

Geller presented the results of that work to a meeting of the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee last Tuesday.

Israel Nebeker and Ryan Dobrowski
(Image grabbed from BlindPilotMusic.com)

Blind Pilot is making a lot of noise in the music scene these days. The band, headed by Israel Nebeker (guitar/vocals) and Ryan Dobrowski (drums), has been heralded by the press (“I’m smitten” wrote a reviewer at the Willamette Week) and they nabbed an iTunes “Song of the Week” nod last month.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Event Website HERE

Location:
United Bicycle Institute
401 Williamson Way in Ashland, OR

West Side Cross Clinic

Come join the Yakima Bike Vigilantes for a guided tour of the wonders within Cyclocross. We’ll split into groups depending on skill levels. Everyone from the first time rider to the pro will be pampered like a little school child.

DATE!:Thursday, September 18th.
Price: FREE – just show proof of OBRA membership
Location: Hillsboro Stadium – take entry B to the gravel lot
Time: 6:00pm – 8:00(or till its to dark to see the baricades)

Cyclepath will be offering tubless tire setup clinics and demo’s.

I-5 Bridge Bike Tour – cancelled

The BTA has cancelled this event.

~~MORE INFO AND RSVP LINK HERE~~

This Saturday, September 13th, Todd Boulanger from the City of Vancouver will lead guided bike tours across the I-5 bridge bike paths from Vancouver to Portland and back. If you’ve been wanting to commute across the bridge but aren’t sure how, this is your chance to find out!

Vancouver-to-Portland bike tour
11:00 am – 12:00 pm, Saturday, Sept. 13th
Meet at the Farmers’ Market, W 8th and Esther, in Vancouver.
Bike maps provided. Helmets required (by Washington state law).

Portland-to-Vancouver bike tour
12:00-1:00 pm, Saturday, Sept. 13th
Meet at the Paul Bunyan statue at 8420 N Denver, in Kenton, Portland.
Bike maps provided. Helmets required (by Washington state law). Bring lunch money for the Vancouver farmers’ market.

BTA looks to bolster Board of Directors

BTA Board Chair Hugh Bynum
(Photos © J. Maus)

The Portland-based Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) is looking to expand their Board of Directors. The
BTA’s Board is a key part of the organization and it helps set the direction and tone of their advocacy work.

Their Board currently operates with 12 members, but according to public affairs director Karl Rohde, their bylaws allow up to 20. Six of the eight potential new Board members are new and have yet to serve a two-year term.

Current BTA Board members include; TriMet Communications Director Mary Fetsch, TriMet Administrator John Bloss, Bike Gallery President Daniel McGinnis, real estate developer Jim Meakin, and retired Intel employee Hugh Bynum (Board Chair).

Watch TriMet TV episode below.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The latest episode of TriMet TV is titled, Buses, Trains & Bikes: Sharing the Road.

The piece outlines many safe biking measures aimed at keeping bike riders safe while operating around buses and MAX trains.

Among all the expected messages the narrator shares (use signals, walk your bike on MAX platforms, look both ways, etc…) is this one about the dreaded “leap-frogging” that occurs on some busy bike and bus routes (like N. Williams):

The view from a truck mirror.
(Photo: Aaron Tarfman)

The Portland Water Bureau plans to host an event next week that will educate the community about the unique safety concerns of large trucks.

According to a press release from the Bureau, the event will take place in a parking lot near the Rose Quarter (adjacent to their Interstate facility) and it will give “bike commuters” the “opportunity to see the view from a dump truck’s driver’s seat and learn more about blind spots and other dangers of riding near large vehicles.”

Set to debut at the event will be a new video produced by the Water Bureau that illustrates hazards and “tells cyclists ways to help ensure their safety by being visible to car and truck drivers.”

Download the 2-page report (PDF)

A new report has found that the total economic activity generated by bike-related industry in Portland totals approximately $90 million, a 38% increase in value since 2006.

The report — which was conducted by Alta Planning and Design (whose principal Mia Birk is the former bicycle program manager for the City of Portland’s Office of Transportation) — was conducted as a follow-up to a 2006 study.

Here are some key findings from, The Value of the Bicycle-Related Industry in Portland:

“Loss of the Colwood open space could also result in a permanent gap in the 40-Mile Loop Bike and Pedestrian Trail.”
— Tony Fuentes, NE Portland resident and member of the Keep Colwood Green! Coalition

Citizen activists and a host of environmental organizations and neighborhood associations are hoping to save 138 acres of open space that straddles the Columbia Slough in Northeast Portland.

If successful, they’ll save not only a potential new regional park, but they’ll keep the door open for a future connection of Portland’s venerable 40-Mile Loop — a trail that was originally conceived over 100 years ago.

A PDOT concept drawing of new on-street bike corrals coming to downtown Portland by the end of this month.
(Click to enlarge)

There is no denying that the cyclocross season is upon us.

The first sign is always an increase in sales of ‘cross bikes and parts on the OBRA email list. Then, I hear shop employees telling me how everyone is coming in to gear up for the season. Eventually, local bike bloggers start writing about it, Forest Park and Willamette Blvd (which riders use to loop back from Forest Park) begin to fill up with ‘cross riders, and friends I would never expect to try it, start saying they’re excited to race for the first time.

PDOT works to identify more bikeways in North Portland

Portland band takes on West Coast tour by bike

Southern OR Custom Bike Show

West Side Cross Clinic

I-5 Bridge Bike Tour – cancelled

BTA looks to bolster Board of Directors

Watch TriMet TV episode on sharing the road

Water Bureau announces bike/truck safety event

Report: Bike-related economy worth $90 million, employs 1150 people in Portland

Effort to keep Colwood green would leave room for bikes

City to unveil four new “bike corrals” downtown

Slideshow: ‘Cross is coming…are you ready?

Latest Headlines

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From the Archives

The 10 busiest bicycling spots in Portland