Bike traffic in Portland on the first day of summer (Photos)

I don’t know if I’d call the Hawthorne Bridge “stressful”, but you (“you” meaning ALL of us) have to keep your eyes open. I do tend to breathe a sigh of relief when I make it past the bridge and into Ladd’s Addition. But then I have to watch out for those sneaky cops!

If everyone remembers that in dense traffic conditions you need to slow down, then I don’t find Hawthorne stressful. If people think that because they’re on a bike they should be able to go as fast as they’re physically able, no matter the conditions, then I find Hawthorne stressful.
TFFC? STFD!

Thanks Nick V and el timito,

I use the word stressful in this case to describe what the combination of hazards and noise that are present on the Hawthorne. I personally find it stressful when I go slow to be holding up a lot of people behind me. I find it stressful to have huge trimet buses blow by within a few feet of my elbow. I find it stressful to have people on bikes zoom by me.. i find it stressful to dodge runners with headphones, tourists walking 4 abreast, and so on.

People in cars and in transit have to deal with none of those things… Of course they also don’t get the breezes and views and sheer delight of riding, which is stress-reducing… so maybe it all balanced out? ;-).

Its not that bad. Non-riders, please get on your bikes and congest these routes to make it really bad so that we can get some changes!

This guy would fit in perfectly among the crowd of bike commuters: http://therethere.com/portland/mens-portland-bigfoot-charcoal-1.html

The most dangerous part of crossing the Hawthorne Bridge is the other cyclists.

The Williams Ave. photos are particularly striking–especially the one that shows about 10 people on bikes occupying a very narrow bike lane, flanked by about 7 people in cars occupying two very wide car lanes.

Something, as they say, has gotta give.

I’d love to Photoshop that first image of Williams to get rid of the cars but leave their drivers hovering above the road, showing the imbalance of space allocated to the few SOV users and the people on bikes crammed into the bike lanes.

Two stressful parts of my ride the last two days. The first was a Trimet bus driver “taking” the bike lane forcefully at the first stop after the Weidler and Williams intersection. I was far enough back with a sufficient traffic gap (and a confident and quick enough rider) to take the left lane (the bus driver pulled diaganolly to the stop effectively blocking the bike lane and the left lane) and get around the bus, but others ahead of me had to stop quickly. I though Trimet had a bike lane yield policy? I don’t know what the driver was thinking.

Then yesterday, I flinched as not one, but two folks on bikes cut the Weidler red light / red crosswalk indicator at the Weidler and Williams intersection as the bus was starting up Williams. The bus had the green for a few seconds and I thought they were pancaked. One person was riding a bike with gear that hinted that they were more likely someone who commutes most of the year. I don’t know what the riders were thinking.

I have to agree with Nick V. and el timito.

Personally, I feel extremely grateful for what we have here in Portland. We do need more bride crossings, but I’ll take a congested Hawthorne any day of the week. Remember that it is an URBAN bridge and very old. Buses, vibration, noise, people, these are all part of the package and always will be. Absolutely it can be stressful, but also a great luxury. I’m not sure if you drive at all Jonathan but driving in Portland stresses me out all the time. And riding tri-met is by no means a tranquil experience.

As for N. Williams a solution will reveal itself over time. Hopefully sooner than later. I ride that lane 2-5 days a week and my only real problem is with dangerous cyclists who want to push the limits of the lane and safety. Yesterday was opening day of idiot season, so get ready for some bike lane fun. Just like when I drive, it’s the minority of drivers creating dangerous situations for everybody.

Bikes everywhere – I’m loving it!

WIlliams is in definite need of some changes to accommodate the amount of bike, bus, and car traffic. Or else we need a new bridge from North Portland into downtown.
Also, the foot traffic on bridges needs to be regulated. Pedestrians crossing a bridge need to do so on the correct side, moving with bike and car traffic, and stay to the right. Always.

The Broadway Bridge heading westbound into downtown would be a great place for photos. Tons of traffic and they just repainted the 4 1/2 foot bike lane. The one thing I enjoyed about the streetcar construction was having a full protected bike lane there.

I’m busy enough at work that I don’t leave the office (SW 6th and Alder area) until 5:30 p.m. or later, and I’ve never seen bike traffic that congested on the Hawthorne. I suspect that if things get really bad, people will start to time their departure to avoid the 5 p.m. rush … a self-adjusting system!

Besides, the peak crowds will only last for 3 months or so, and then it’s back to private bike lanes for the rest of the year 😉

I will say that Williams looks packed; I’m happy to do the bulk of my commuting on Lincoln.

I’m staying off of Williams until the rain comes back. Amatuer hour out there when the sun is shining — too many fair weather cyclists who don’t know how to ride a bike. And that makes it dangerous.

Great photos Jonathan. It’s so inspiring to see so many people out biking. Can’t wait to see what our bike counts will look like this year.

I’m struck by how much worse the commute would be for everybody if all of those people on bikes were in cars. A coworker of mine has proposed a demonstration called “drive your bike to work day” to demonstrate how much auto traffic is eliminated by people riding their bike.

I’m struck by the difference in style between Portland bike commuters and Copenhagen bike commuters.

Finally, in the second photo of the Williams set (I think this is where Williams crosses Weidler?), I love the way a bunch (herd?) of bikes can look like a chaotic mob.

Thanks for the reminder of how many people are commuting by bike.

It has been suggested (last summer?) that pedestrians should be directed to the opposite “sidewalk” (south side am, north side pm).
There doesn’t seem to be consensus on which portion of the “sidewalk” to ride on. I interpret the illustrations to mean bikes to be ridden on the left side, but many people ride in the middle or weave in and out of groups of pedestrians on the right side. I ride as close to the left edge as I dare allowing speedsters to skoot by on my right when the opportunity presents itself (but I know that this is anathema to those conditioned to always pass on the left).
Rodney is a mellow neighborhood street one block east of Williams – sure it has stop signs, but there are no traffic lights.

My issues with the Hawthorne bridge are usually with fair weather runners going the opposite way in the bike lane and not moving over. It is so much easier for runners to move over but for some reason not all of them do.
Secondly, everybody’s sense of a safe passing speed is going to vary. Personally anything below 10mph is dangerous. You are less stable and unpredictable at low speeds. You need to keep your line, and signal when you are moving across. On days when I’m just cruising, i’ll take the right side on the bridge so that I don’t slow down bike traffic and then proceed to pass them on the uphill after the bridge:) I also take it really slow coming down Hawthorne after the bridge because there’s just a lot to contend with even with the wider lanes; doors from parked cars, cars on the left, cyclists trying to pass, cars pulling out, etc.

These comments made me think about my daily ride, and what I find most (and least!) stressful about it. I think Nick V, Allan, Crash N. Burns, and others make some good points.

My best rides are when everyone — on bikes or in cars/buses, including me — is friendly, aware, and responsive. My worst rides are when people — including me — are unfriendly, oblivious, and defensive. My ride is stressful when I think of others as obstacles; it isn’t when I think of others as actual people (and when I feel like they think the same about me).

As a year-round bike commuter (and one of the people in the Williams photos), I know that my trip up Weidler from the Broadway Bridge to the I-5 ramp on Williams can be intense, and filled with buses, cars, bikes, pedestrians, and people who keep standing in the Weidler/Williams jughandle. Until Williams gets the updates it needs to create a safer space for all, just being aware of my surroundings goes a long way towards a safer, more enjoyable (if a bit slower) ride.

And while the influx of summer cyclists can be annoying after a winter of open lanes, I’m glad those people are on bikes on the road, increasing our visibility, and making the case for better bike infrastructure.

I agree that the Hawthorne bridge is stressful… they need to close the outer lanes to motor traffic, put a surface on it like they did the sidewalk, and make it a bike lane… that opens the sidewalk back up to pedestrians…

it’s obvious in both locations that more space for bikes is needed…

Spiffy
I agree that the Hawthorne bridge is stressful… they need to close the outer lanes to motor traffic, put a surface on it like they did the sidewalk, and make it a bike lane… that opens the sidewalk back up to pedestrians…
it’s obvious in both locations that more space for bikes is needed…

exactly! what percentage of the total traffic on the Hawthorne Bridge needs to be cyclists before they give cyclists their own lane? It’s already over 25%….

Is it true that 25% of Hawthorne Bridge traffic is by bike?

spare_wheel
if they are not endangering you or others, then what’s it to you?

unsafe riding or lawless riding makes all cyclists look bad, and it creates bad blood with the driving public

grow up and realize that your actions affect others

Great photos and good discussion going on. Maybe it’s a good time to dust these PSA’s off and remind folks that rider behavior can make a huge difference on how stressful a bike commute is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXmwTghij5s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JN3seH6dRZI

I think rush hour is an awful time to try to pass anyone on the Hawthorne bridge. Sit back and enjoy the ride!

I for one love a crowd! Plus, statistically (read this somewhere authoritative) it dramatically reduces the probability that you will be hit by a car. I think its fun fun to look at other bikes and the people who ride them. If you are super-concerned with time efficient commuting you would probably still take a car/transit anyway right? Chill & cooperate.

“you would probably still take a car/transit anyway right?”

Commute by bike: ~20-23 mins
Commute by car: ~30-40 mins
Commute via trimet: 40-50 mins

spare_wheel
ironic how you mention unsafe riding when i specifically stated…and i repeat: “if they are not endangering you or others”. cognitive dissonance.

and you ignored the lawless part of my post…what’s your point?

spare_wheel
“you would probably still take a car/transit anyway right?”
Commute by bike: ~20-23 minsCommute by car: ~30-40 minsCommute via trimet: 40-50 mins

these commute times are my experience too…bike is faster for me

Just an outsider’s perspective but WOW, what a great scene to have so many bikes on the street – and not on bike-to-work-day! Jonathan, you asked us to drop you a line about places to photograph – how about Missoula, Montana??

Thanks for the great pics — looks like $4 gas and better infrastructure is creating another year of bicycle traffic growth.

The photos show just how much we need a second bike lane on Williams. It’s nuts trying to cram a huge bunch of commuters with a range of preferred operating speeds into a single lane.

Ted Buehler

dan
Besides, the peak crowds will only last for 3 months or so, and then it’s back to private bike lanes for the rest of the year 😉

Cheers Dan. This is precisely why I largely take the summers off from biking and walk significantly more. As soon as the temp drops and the clouds roll in, I’ll be back to my much more spacious commute.