(Designed by Studio Concepts)
I’ve watched the Rose Festival’s Grand Floral Parade for years, and each time it strikes me how bikes could play a much larger role. Does is really take a gas and oil-powered vehicle spewing exhaust fumes into the crowd just to power a float? Couldn’t we figure out a way to make the Grand Floral Parade more bike-powered?
Portland is home to the best and brightest in cargo bikes and electric-assist technology. Someday it’d be great to sit down with Rose Festival brass and discuss bike-powered floats as a serious proposal. It’d be great P.R. for them and a natural fit for a Portland parade. But for now, the good news is that this year there will be something of a test-run: at least one float will be completely pedal-powered.
The Oregonian is sponsoring what is believed to be the first bicycle-powered float in the parade’s long history. According to senior political reporter and Pedaling Revolution author Jeff Mapes, there will be six riders (including himself) as well as “a floatilla” of others behind the float. Riding behind the bike-powered float will be Mayor Sam Adams, members of his staff, their families, and other notable bike advocates (they did this last year too, see photo above).
Mapes says the float features a statue of Portlandia wearing a bike helmet (see graphic above).
Hopefully this float starts a trend and we’ll see more bike-power in the Grand Floral Parade in future years.
On a related note, also keep you eyes peeled for the bike-riding citizen volunteers organized by the Portland Police Bureau to help out with public safety and crowd control.