Dems: Oregon would lose over $1 billion in House proposal

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House Democrats have reacted sharply to the transportation reauthorization proposal released yesterday by the Republican-controlled House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee.

Among the issues they (and many other critics) have with the bill is that it cuts back infrastructure spending by one-third from current levels.

To help drive that point home, House Democrats have published a state-by-state breakdown of how the Republican’s funding reduction proposal could impact spending (PDF).

According to their numbers (based on FHWA data), Oregon would get $2,975,097,936 over the next six years at current transportation funding levels. Over that same time period, the current House proposal would send $1,968,585,926 to Oregon — for a difference of $1,006,512,010.

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PBOT moves forward with N Michigan greenway project

Michigan (in red) is a popular
cut-through for Washington-bound
I-5 traffic.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is moving forward with a plan to create a new neighborhood greenway on North Michigan Avenue between N Fremont and Bryant Streets.

The aims of the project are to improve traffic conditions, make it more pleasant to walk and bike, and to reduce motor vehicle volumes and speeds. Another major issue PBOT hopes to solve with this project is all the traffic that uses Michigan as a cut-through for I-5 north when it backs up during evening rush-hour everyday.

PBOT’s main weapon to thwart the cut-through traffic (over half of which is Washington bound, see below) was a full median island on Rosa Parks at Michigan that would prevent left turns (onto the freeway on-ramp). However, that idea was shelved in favor of a partial median (which would still allow left turns) after some neighbors spoke out in opposition.

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Here they come! STP riders headed to Portland this weekend

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STP Party at Holladay Park

(Photo © J. Maus)

The annual Seattle-to-Portland bike ride is this weekend. That means about 10,000 people will roll into town (some on Saturday, but most on Sunday) via local streets en route to the finish line at Holladay Park in the Lloyd District.

STP usually takes the Broadway Bridge over the Willamette (except for last year when they opted for the Steel instead). But this year, organizers have chosen to take riders over the St. Johns Bridge and then through North Portland to reach the finish.

See the route into Portland below:

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Job: Bike Commute Challenge Program Coordinator (BTA)

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Job Title
Bike Commute Challenge Program Coordinator

Company/Organization
Bicycle Transportation Alliance (website)

Job Description

Reporting To: Programs Director
Rate of Pay: $12.50/hour
Status: Full-time, temporary: August 1- October 14
Location: Portland, OR

Vision Statement
Bicycling transforms communities by reinventing transportation and offering solutions that help solve the universal challenges to health, livability and the environment.

Executive Summary
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) is a non-profit membership organization with a mission to create healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safer, more convenient and more accessible in Oregon and SW Washington.

We are hiring one temporary, full-time Program Coordinator who will support the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s Bike Commute Challenge program from August 1st through October 14th. The Bike Commute Challenge is a month-long bike-to-work competition. In 2010, more than 11,000 people at more than 1,200 companies in Oregon and SW Washington participated.

Responsibilities
The Program Coordinator will work as part of team to:

– Teach Bike Commuting Workshops at workplaces, schools, and other locations throughout the Metro area.
– Help employers encourage bike commuting at their workplaces.
– Promote the Bike Commute Challenge at community events.
– Track and evaluate program reach and success including collecting and entering contacts and other data in BTA information systems.
– Assist in monitoring and responding to web help requests that come in through the Bike Commute Challenge Website
– Write content for the Bike Commute Challenge website, blog, Facebook page, and participant emails.
– Assist in planning and executing the Bike Commute Challenge Awards Party.

Requisite Experience

– Personal experience with and passion for bike commuting.
– Strong public speaking and teaching skills.
– Professionalism, comfort, and ease in a range of professional environments.
– Data entry and web facility.
– Strong written communication skills.

The ideal candidate will also possess:
– Basic bike mechanic skills.
– Event planning experience.
– Strong organizational skills.
– Proficiency in Spanish

How to Apply
Please send your cover letter, resume as well as a completed BTA application form in PDF format via email to stephanie@bta4bikes.org. No calls, please.

The BTA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, physical or mental disability or legal source of income.

BTA rolls out new logo

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The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), Oregon’s largest bike advocacy group, is refining their identity and brand. One of the first pieces of that process is a new logo…

Old logo on the left.

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Portland Police Bureau search for new ‘Bicycle Liaison Officer’

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“Develop and maintain an expertise in human powered transportation regarding its use and future development.”
— From the PPB job listing

The Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division is looking to hire a “Bicycle Liaison Officer.”

The job listing (posted in its entirety below) calls for an officer to be the “point of communication to the various bicycle advocacy groups” and to be the Bureau’s go-to expert on “matters of bicycle and other forms of human powered transportation.”

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Study shows cycling in heavy traffic may pose heart risk

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Riding on Broadway downtown-1

Riding on SW Broadway
in downtown Portland.
(Photo © J. Maus)

[Via Environmental Health News]

In what researchers call the first study ever to examine the relationship between traffic-related air pollution exposures and cardiac health among people who ride bikes, a study published last month found that cycling near heavy traffic “may have a significant impact” on heart health.

The research, Traffic-Related Air Pollution and Acute Changes in Heart Rate Variability and Respiratory Function in Urban Cyclists, was done in Ottawa by Canadian researchers and published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

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Where to watch the Tour de France in Portland (and other tidbits)

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Le Tour

The Tour de France started over the weekend and has been rolling its way through northern France with thrilling sprint finishes and gutsy performances (including a win by an American on the 4th!).

The Tour is the biggest bike race in the world and whether you like racing or not, it’s one of the few times a year when bicycling merits coverage in the sports pages and around the water cooler.

Hoping to bask in the aura of the Tour and offer a relaxing and social place to catch each day’s race, a few local establishments welcome fans with daily viewings.

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brownish-green Trek mountain bike 2009

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Year: 2009
Brand: Trek
Model: mountain bike
Color:brownish-green
Size:large
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2011-07-5
Stolen From: 1231 NE Broadway at the Goodwill store
Neighborhood: Broadway (Lloyd Center?)
Owner: Clayton Hawkes
OwnerEmail: claytonha@yahoo.com
Description: large Trek mountain bike, has a Rose bike shop (Orono, Maine) decal on the seat stay tube
Police reference#: 11-153528
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Metro wins ODOT grant to create ‘Active Transportation Plan’

Policymakers Ride-21

Metro plan will identify major
bikeways and the money to
build them.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Metro has earned state grant to develop a “Regional Active Transportation Plan.” According to project manager Lake McTighe, the plan will guide the development of our regional walking and biking network and, “Identify priorities and a funding strategy to get those priority projects and corridors built.”

The grant comes from the Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) Transportation Growth Management program. Metro requested $280,000 and will combine that amount with $56,000 in Metro matching funds.

Here’s more from the grant application (PDF here):

“The project will further refine the Regional Bike Parkway concept, adopted in the 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (adopted June 2010)…

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