park… and then walk during Last Thursday.
(Photos © J. Maus)
Shoshanah Oppenheim, the Mayor’s staffer who has been working with the Alberta community on the carfree Last Thursday, said they want to clear up as much space for pedestrians as possible for tonight’s event.
She got in touch with us today in hopes that we’d ask everyone who is riding a bike to Last Thursday on Alberta to please consider locking the bike up instead of walking with it. The City expects huge crowds and Oppenheim says the City has partnered with the Community Cycling Center (NE 17th and Alberta) to provide additional bike parking capacity for tonight ($1 suggested donation). The idea is to centralize bike parking to free up pedestrian space.
Thursday in May
In addition to parking at the CCC, there is a new bike corral at NE 31st in front of Vita Cafe and of course staple racks along Alberta and on side streets (which are usually filled up, as you can see from photo at right).
I think this is a good suggestion. This is not a mandate from the Mayor’s office, it’s just a request to remind folks to be conscious of the crowds and that more people can fit on the street if less bikes are being pulled through.
That being said, I think a lot of folks (including myself), tend to start on one end of the street and walk a few blocks with their bike, so it’s not convenient to lock it up. And then there’s everyone who would never consider locking up their bike because, as we all know, in Portland they’re a must-have fashion accessory.