January 2010 Archives

red/blue Kona Fire Mountain 2003

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2003
Brand: Kona
Model: Fire Mountain
Color:red/blue
Serial:uknown
Stolen in Portland, OR 97203
Stolen:2010-01-29
Stolen From: City of Portland Water Pollution Control Lab 6543 N Burlington, Portland OR 97203
Neighborhood: St Johns
Owner: Peter Bryant
OwnerEmail: petertbryant@gmail.com
Description: Blackburn Voyager headlight. Armadillo tires. Front and rear fenders. Toe clips.
Photo here too: http://twitgoo.com/cngw3
Police record with: Portland Police Bureau
Police reference#: 10-8182
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

All set for the Summit

The Oregon contingent and
Congressman Peter DeFazio in 2009.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Earlier this week I bought my plane ticket and officially registered for the 2010 National Bike Summit in Washington D.C..

With a transportation bill in limbo, “livable communities” buzzing on everyone’s lips, high-speed rail and distracted driving making major headlines, and social media changing how people communicate, it should be a very interesting year.

This week’s featured job opportunity is with one of the State of Oregon’s premier innovative bicycle manufacturers. If you know your Pocket Llama from your Speeding Tikit, you may have what they need.

Sales Consultant — Bike Friday

Vergnetti’s Coffee: Bikes welcome.

What streetcar did for the Pearl District, bikes are doing for North Williams Avenue. O.K., so maybe it’s not quite an equal comparison, but the presence of bike traffic on Williams has encouraged its share of development and the influx of bike-friendly businesses popping up along the street shows no sign of letting up.

Newcomers Queen Bee Creations and Vergnetti’s Coffee are just the latest businesses who are embracing — and adding to — the street’s bike-oriented reputation.

Washington County Commissioner
Dick Schouten addresses the
crowd in Tigard last night.
(Photos © J. Maus)

If the energy and turnout at our Get Together in Tigard last night is any indication, the West Side is poised for big leaps in biking in the coming years — but it won’t come easy.

About 60 people filled the back room at the Fanno Creek Brew Pub on Main Street in downtown Tigard. The turnout was diverse — from Tigard Mayor Craig Dirksen to local bike shop owners, and even a few Portland residents who work in the area.

A serious and important community forum tonight kicks off a weekend of haywire bike fun and creative activism. Who says we can’t have it all? Share your events and plans below.

Thursday, January 28

6:00pm – 8:00pm: 21st Century Civil Rights: Transportation Health Equity Community Forum
How can improving our transportation systems improve our communities, our health, and our lives — that is, for all of us? Come learn about and discuss these issues at the PSU Native American Center.

Friday, January 29

7:00am – 9:00am: Breakfast on the Bridges
Leave a few minutes early for your downtown commute and take a break on the Hawthorne or Steel Bridges for a cup of coffee, a donut, and some good company.

Show me the money.

On the same day President Obama announced $8 billion for high speed rail and “the largest investment in infrastructure since the Interstate Highway System,” a report released today by the non-profit Alliance for Biking and Walking (formerly known as the Thunderhead Alliance) shows that in almost every state and major U.S. city people that walk and bike are at a disproportionate risk of being killed and are more likely to have serious health issues because they receive less than their fair share of transportation dollars.

I know you’re thinking, “Duh, we already knew that!” — but in this country, where biking and walking are still struggling to gain respect as viable modes of transportation, these sort of reports are needed to pressure lawmakers into action and to give advocates and citizens ammunition to push for change.

A sign of things to come?

Will a new LEED-like road certification program help the Oregon Department of Transportation do more for biking and walking access?

According to the Daily Journal of Commerce, the ODOT is considering whether they should adopt The Greenroads Sustainability Performance Metric. Greenroads is a joint effort by the University of Washington and CH2M HILL, a large project consulting firm with offices in Portland and around the world.

According to the Greenroads website, the program gives points to road projects (new and rehab) and then gives them a rating from honorable mention to “Evergreen.”

The BTA’s Board Chair Mary Roberts sent out a letter via email today with updates on “major initiatives” they’re working on.

Here are a few bits from the letter that caught my eye:

Preparing for the 2011 Legislative Session
The legislature will be making critical decisions about transportation and bicycling in 2011. The BTA will present a legislative package, including a vehicular homicide law, to make Oregon safer and more convenient for bicyclists.

ReRack (and the BTA) want
your used racks.
(Photo: ReRack)

I’ve heard a lot of good things about ReRack — a Portland-based company that buys and sells used roof racks and components — and now they’ve teamed up with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. It makes sense. After all, for many people who ride bikes, having some sort of way to carry them around on a car is a fact of life.

When Jesse Cornett threw his hat into the ring in the race for Commissioner Dan Saltzman’s seat on the Portland City Council, I immediately heard from my sources at Portland State University (where Cornett worked before leaving to run his campaign). They were ecstatic that someone with such a bike-sensitive ear and track record in government (he was PSU’s lobbyist in Salem) was making a run to be one of Portland’s five leaders.

I met Cornett for the first time at the BTA’s annual New Year’s Day ride and I’ve been looking forward to a more formal sit-down interview ever since. I got that opportunity yesterday. Cornett and I discussed a number of issues — including how to pay for new bike infrastructure, the Columbia River Crossing project, bikes as an economic development tool, and more. Read a transcript from our conversation below:

The Portland Business Journal reports that the Rose Garden Arena (home of the Portland Trail Blazers) has been awarded a “Gold” level LEED certification. Among the reasons is the large percentage of attendees get there by something else besides a car.

Here’s the blurb about their transportation green-ness:

More than 30 percent of Rose Garden attendees use public or alternative transportation, such as bicycle commuting. The team subsidizes transit passes for staff and uses bikes and electric vehicles for on-site operations.

red/blue Kona Fire Mountain 2003

All set for the Summit

Job of the Week

Bike-oriented development continues on N. Williams

Talking bikes in Tigard – Get Together event recap

Weekend Event Guide

Thursday, January 28

Friday, January 29

New report: People on bike, foot are at risk due to lack of investment

UPDATED – “Greenroads” for ODOT? Maybe

Alice Awards in June, vehicular homicide, and other updates from BTA Board Chair

BTA hopes to go from racks to riches with donation event

A conversation with City Council candidate Jesse Cornett

Rose Garden goes LEED Gold: 30% get there by bike or public transit

Latest Headlines

TriMet: Service cuts will start in November

Pause or proceed? Commission weighs future of I-5 Rose Quarter project

Housing construction fee waiver comes at a cost for transportation infrastructure

Kotek calls special session, pushes back layoffs (UPDATED)

From the Archives

Opinion: If we’re serious about cycling, let’s get serious about cycling infrastructure