🚨 Please note that BikePortland slows down during this time of year as I have family in town and just need a break! Please don't expect typical volume of news stories and content. I'll be back in regular form after the new year. Thanks. - Jonathan 🙏
The Portland Bureau of Transportation just issued their latest press release about the big winter storm. This time, the focus is on potholes.
PBOT is urging residents to report potholes* because the “heavy snowfall caused treacherous conditions for motorists…” (Hey wait, don’t potholes pose an equally, and even more severe potential hazard to cyclists?).
Since the outset of what has become an epic Storm of 2008 (stories, photos), we wondered how the Bureau of Transportation would handle the perennial problem of gravel on the roadways — and especially the gravel that inevitably ends up all over the bike lanes.
“Where sweepers could get to the curb, our first priority was bike lanes.”
— PBOT spokeswoman Cheryl Kuck
On December 16th, we reported that the City had their hands full with the storm, telling people who bike that they’d just have to wait until crews could clean it up.
In Portland, sometimes it seems like there are nearly as many yoga instructors as people on bikes. In fact, those two populations often seem to co-mingle.
A number of yoga studios around town offer deals for patrons who show up to class by bike, and a growing number of yoga instructors are taking the yoga-bike connection a step further by offering classes specifically tailored to the needs of everyday bikers, with particular attention on the muscles that are used the most in cycling. (These bike specific issues, and some suggested yogic solutions, were thoroughly outlined in Yoga Journal a few years ago.)
As part of their ongoing Central Portland Plan and the Central Portland Transportation Plan, the City’s Bureau of Transportation commissioned an analysis of parking conditions in the central city.
As part of that work, Kittlelson & Associates, Inc. (the planning firm the city hired), did a survey to find out which travel modes people use to get to the central city. [Note: The boundaries of the “central city” used in this analysis were Johnson/Naito Parkway/Burnside and 15th in the northwest and Burnside/Naito/Jackson and 18th in southwest.]
During his speech at the swearing-in ceremony at Parkrose High School yesterday, Mayor Sam Adams laid out his top three priorities; jobs, education, and sustainability.
There was no mention of bikes specifically, but it’s clear that “sustainability” is where Adams plans to push two-wheeled travel. Here’s a look at what he said about sustainability, interspersed with my thoughts.
After painting a picture of this planet’s “potential environmental doom”, Adams said there’s a “silver lining to this toxic cloud”:
“Portland is the ideal starting place for this nation to get serious about environmental sustainability. We can show what’s possible, setting an example the rest of the world can follow. And we can prove sustainability pays off.”
The speech below was given by Mayor Sam Adams at his swearing in ceremony at Parkrose High School on January 5, 2009.
BETTER TOGETHER: BECAUSE PORTLAND BELONGS TO ALL OF US
Thank you Portland! My name is Sam Adams. I am honored to be your mayor.Thank you for the introduction. And thank you Parkrose High School Broncos for your hospitality!
What a glorious and quirky city we have. Where else can you buy a donut designed to look like “dirt?” Or browse one of the world’s largest bookstores and then walk a couple of blocks to the world’s smallest park. There is a reason experts always seem to rank us so high. As the nation’s most livable city, the best city for seniors, the best city for walkers — a city known for its bikers and hikers; food and flowers; beer and bridges.
The reason for all this is clear: That reason is you. Us. All of us. Because we have created this think-different, keep-it-real, improve-the-world kind of culture; a culture of sustainability, a culture you can’t find just anywhere else. It is the reason why Portland is a city we can love. And it’s those values that position us to thrive at this moment of transition and transformation.
Portland has also become what it is, in part, because of our leaders. Like Mayor Tom Potter. He brought youth, immigrants, Portlanders of color into civic decision-making. Like Mayor Bud Clark. He boosted the city’s rainy day fund from a few thousand dollars to $20 million.And like my dear friend, Mayor Vera Katz. She created beautiful Portland places like the esplanade that circles the Willamette. Thank you. We are better people and a better place because of you.
In yet another sign that bikes are good for business…
The venerable Sunset Magazine (devoted to “Living in the West”) shares a trip to Portland with readers in their January 2009 edition. Their “Northwest weekend” section features a day trip to North Williams Avenue and the focus is on the area’s bike-ability and bike-friendly vibe.
Last night at City Hall was the big, public welcome party for Portland’s new mayor Sam Adams. There was lots of food and free beer and by all accounts it was a wild and zany night.
Before things really started getting crazy, Adams and each of the four commissioners addressed the crowd briefly. Adams said he feels Portland’s authenticity and quirkiness (that was on display all night) will help us stave off economic hard times and that he has “faith in Portland’s willingness to take on challenges”.
With a broad grin, Randy Leonard told the crowd he’s been holding himself back for the last few years (a joke, given his outspoken demeanor) and that, “Now Sam’s going to let me go.”
The Retro Image Apparel Company is the latest addition to Portland’s growing “bicycle industrial complex”. The company designs and markets bike jerseys adorned with vintage poster graphics and iconic characters like The Grinch and Popeye.
I spoke with the owner of the company, Roger Mallette, yesterday. Mallette said he has moved into a 4,000 square foot warehouse on SE Madison (at 2nd) that he’s sharing with bike apparel retailer Doug Dugay and his BicyclingHub.com business (I profiled Dugay in November 2007 at his previous location on SE Water Street).
Here’s the full press release about the 2009 plans and 2010 ambitions for the Portland-based Veloforma/ZYM women’s professional cycling team:
VELOFORMA/ZYM ANNOUNCES 2009 NRC ROSTER:
Sets sites on UCI license for 2010After an impressive racing season in the Pacific Northwest with sixty-three wins in 2008, the Veloforma/ZYM Women’s Professional Cycling Team has its sights set on the 2009 National Racing Calendar (NRC). As early as next year, Veloforma/ZYM hopes to become a UCI registered team. With a successful racing season and returning talent, the team is on track for an impressive 2009.
With Oregon emerging as a cycling mecca, the region is the ideal environment to produce a high-caliber program such as Veloforma/ZYM. Even so, the team is looking to branch out from the Pacific Northwest. “We plan to be at bigger races this year in preparations for our future,” said team owner Mark Duff. “This has been our goal from the beginning. In 2010 our goal is to add a European sponsor in order to help us set our sites on becoming a UCI team and having Europe on our racing schedule.”
Veloforma maintains its title sponsorship and is joined by ZYM Hydration Products as a presenting sponsor. The team’s success has attracted new sponsors for ‘09 and joining Veloforma bikes are Upper Echelon Fitness, Corsa Concepts, Dedacciai, Rol wheels, Defeet, Champion System, Rudy Project helmets and eyewear, Showers Pass rain jackets, Ironclad Performance Wear gloves, and Hudz. Additionally, Russell Cree of Upper Echelon Fitness will provide coaching, bikes and other support services for the women. Cree and Martha Walsh will serve as director sportifs for select races.
During its inaugural year Veloforma/ZYM collected some notable finishes including Tour of Willamette Stage Race overall leader for the senior women, the Eugene Cycle Celebration and the FIAC National Six Day Championships. Other highlights included a podium finish at the Elite National Road Championship race, two stage wins at Elkhorn Cycling Classic and a fourth place finish at Cascade Classic in Bend, Oregon. The Veloforma/ZYM women swept the top three podium spots in Oregon Bicycle Racing Association’s Oregon Cup, the premier road race series for Oregon’s elite riders.
For the 2010 racing season, the team roster includes five returning riders based out of Oregon: Rebecka Hartkop, Susan Peithman, Tina Brubaker, Alice Pennington and Miranda Moon. Part of Duff’s plan is to expand the club out from the Pacific Northwest and four new riders have been added: Robin Secrist from Kirkland, WA, Sabrina Savage from Mesa, AZ, Melissa McWhithers from Scottsdale, AZ and Christina Smith from Denton, TX. Duff is still in talks with other top notch talents to round out the roster. With the new talent, Duff lists Secrist, Pennington, Smith, McWithers, and Hartkop as GC contenders.
The elite squad’s ’09 focus includes the Tour of the Sun in Arizona, Redlands Bicycle Classic, the Oregon Pro Cycling Classic (formerly the Mt. Hood Cycling Classic), Philadelphia’s Liberty Classic, the Manhattan Beach Gran Prix, the Cascade Cycling Classic, and the Priority Health Cycling Classic and Ann Arbor Cycling Classic in Michigan.
# # #If you would like to schedule an interview with Mark Duff, please contact him at HYPERLINK “mailto:mark@veloforma.com” mark@veloforma.com or 503-789-6735
This morning, Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Brian Schmautz officially announced his retirement. Schmautz has been at the center of some issues between how the Police Bureau has handled several bike-related incidents.
I’ll have more thoughts on this on the front page soon, but in the meantime, here’s the announcement he sent to regional media outlets:
“Morning everybody, last Wednesday I notified the Police Bureau that I would be retiring on January 30th. We are posting my job today and Chief Sizer is beginning the process of selecting my replacement. I believe Chief Sizer hopes to select the person and have them in the office during the week of January 19th, so we can begin the transition.