April 2012 Archives

Activist exposes gap in safety of City’s storm drains

The gap in this storm drain grate in downtown
Portland is wider than a bike tire.
(Photos: Jim Parsons)

Super citizen activist Jim Parsons is at again. And this time, he’s mad about a bike-wheeling eating storm drain smack dab in the middle of downtown Portland and what he feels is a lack of action by the City to fix it.

Parsons has garnered quite a reputation for his tenacious, street-level activism that focuses on roadway hazards like overgrown vegetation (he carries pruning sheers in his panniers), potholes (he carries spray paint to mark them), and especially, storm drain grates (he’ll lift and turn them himself if possible so any gaps are perpendicular to traffic). (Learn more about him in our profile from a few years back.)

Last week, Jim found a prime example of a hazardous storm drain grate that, “could pose a bicycle safety hazard” on the southwest corner of SW 6th and Harrison (across from the PSU Bike Hub). Jim called the City’s 24-hour maintenance hotline (on speed-dial of course) and emailed a few contacts about it (along with a photo). “In this photo,” he wrote, “you can see my friend’s bike’s tire can easily slip inside the gap. If he had been riding when that happened, we can imagine the results.”

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

In a sign of the growing business opportunities that come with the renaissance of urban biking in America — and Portland’s reputation for being in the center of it — Woodinville, Washington-based Sportworks will launch its new “No Scratch” bike rack line at Bridgeport Brewpub in the Pearl District next month.

Sportworks is already the nation’s leading supplier of bus and transit racks (used in over 500 U.S. cities), and now they’re looking to bolster their brand and garner business in the bike parking market. This is a great example of the data we often see in the bike advocacy world being translated into pure bottom line economics. Here’s an excerpt from a press statement published yesterday by Sportworks:

Job Title
Bicycle Mechanic

Company/OrganizationThe Bike Commuter

Job Description
The Bike Commuter in Sellwood is a busy, growing neighborhood shop. We are looking for an experienced bike mechanic that is a customer service superstar to work 30hrs per week.

This position will include various duties necessary to keep the shop running smoothly. The bulk of the work will be mechanical, with an emphasis on professional, detail oriented service work on a variety of bicycles from kids bikes to full Di2 machines.

Daily tasks may include: service work, inventory receiving, service writing, store cleanup, bike building, warranty work, and most importantly, customer service.

The ideal candidate will have prior bike shop experience, be detail oriented, a fantastic communicator, and be willing to work under pressure with deadlines, love burritos, and have a passion for all kinds of bicycles.

Any candidate must take direction from, and work closely with the owners. We are willing to train the right person, but we would prefer a UBI gradute, or a certification from another training program.

We are a friendly shop, known for excellent customer service, so any candidate will need to make our customers an absolute priority.

We foster a non-judgmental environment, where all cyclists are treated with respect. No typical bike shop “snobbery” will be tolerated here!

How to Apply
Please email resume to info@pdxbikecommuter.com, or drop off at the shop 8301 SE 13th Ave, Portland OR 97202

Friends, family plant trees along I-205 path in honor of Gail Achterman

Gail Achterman’s husband Chuck McGinnis (L),
his son Daniel McGinnis and daughter-in-law
Cheryl McGinnis, plant a tree in her honor
along the I-205 path.
(Photos: Friends of Trees)

Gail Achterman was honored over the weekend when friends, family, and colleagues planted more than a dozen oak trees in her memory along the I-205 path in SE Portland. Achterman passed away back in January after decades of public service as a lawyer and advocate for environmental preservation and sensible transportation policy. She was most recently Chair of the influential Oregon Transportation Commission.

The trees were planted in the grass along the I-205 path between SE Schiller and SE Pardee — in the district Achterman represented as OTC commissioner.

Tour of Flanders, Portland-Style - De Ronde-4

The flag (and the pain) returns Sunday.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The Ronde PDX (a.k.a. De Ronde Van West Portlandia), Portland’s ultimate unsanctioned test of cycling sanity, is set for this Sunday.

The ride is a leg-and-lung-busting tour of the steepest climbs in the West Hills. It was first held in 2007 and has become legendary. Since that first running, the Ronde has received major media coverage and now attracts upwards of 700 riders.

A story in The Oregonian today shares some quotes and background about the ride from its organizers Hugh Givens and Brad Ross (the same Brad Ross who manages Portland’s Cross Crusade series and many other major bike races).

Location where MAX tracks cross E Burnside.
Crosslin was traveling from the right
side of the image to the left.

This morning, the MAX tracks on East Burnside just east of I-205 (at SE 97th Ave) caused Portland resident Thomas Crosslin to crash his bike. Thomas crosses these tracks every day on his commute from East Portland to downtown and says he’s an experienced rider. He shared a letter with me that he wrote to TriMet in hopes they might do something to fix what he sees as a serious safety issue.

I decided to share Thomas’s letter to raise awareness of this crossing and to show that it’s not just novice riders who have trouble navigating around streetcar and MAX tracks. It’s also important to note that this specific set of tracks has been on our radar as a safety issue for over five years.

Oregon Active Transportation Summit-32-2

Director of PBOT, Tom Miller, at the
Oregon Active Transportation Summit.

During a speech at the Oregon Active Transportation Summit in Salem yesterday, PBOT Director Tom Miller got advocates up to speed on the funding crisis at the agency and organizational changes they’ve made that could reap benefits for bicycling. In addition, Miller made the unexpected announcement that PBOT will soon roll out a formal 10% bike mode split goal, a step in accountability he says is unprecedented.

Miller said PBOT is being forced to adapt and change due to a “crisis in transportation” that revolves around funding. He said Portland has a 21st century transportation vision they are trying to carry out with a 20th century funding model.

Rules that would have outlawed ATVs and other
motorized vehicles in nearly 4,000 miles of
eastern Oregon forest land have been
put on pause.
(Photo: US Forest Service)

A management plan released last month by the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest that would have prohibited motorized travel on nearly 4,000 miles of eastern Oregon backcountry roads, has been withdrawn.

In a statement released yesterday, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest Supervisor Monica Schwalbach said she has decided to “stop the clock” on the plan in order to, “be sure the various options for moving forward are considered in a constructive manner.”

While many people the plan was a step in the right direction — including the director of Cycle Oregon Jerry Norquist who said it was a “good decision” due to the environmental damage being caused by motor vehicles — other forest users who ride ATVs, and drive cars and trucks on the roads have complained loudly.

Year: 2011
Brand: Fuji
Model: Feather
Color:RED
Size:49cm
Serial: ICFJ11L15277
Stolen in Portland, OR 97217
Stolen:2012-04-18
Stolen From: backyard at home.
Neighborhood: Overlook
Owner: Shawn Records
OwnerEmail: mailbag@shawnrecords.org
Description: can’t remember what they’re called, but the bars sweep straight back.
Police record with: Portland
Police reference#: 12-152415
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Artists hope for grant to create Major Taylor mural in North Portland

Mock-up of proposed Major Taylor mural on N. Shaver between Williams and Vancouver.

It’s been a full day of networking, breakout sessions, panel discussions, and speeches here at the Oregon Active Transportation Summit.

I don’t have time to share the details of everything just yet (have a session to get back to!); but I wanted to share a few photos and brief notes.

The day started out with an opening keynote from Anita Hairston, a transportation policy expert with PolicyLink, a research organization that advocates for economic and social equity. Hairston shared what PolicyLink has learned about how to go beyond the usual suspects and reach into a broader audience for active transportation. (Many advocates are struggling with how to get their messages into more racially diverse and lower income communities.)

Activist exposes gap in safety of City’s storm drains

Sportworks to launch ‘No Scratch’ staple rack in Portland

Job: Bicycle Mechanic – The Bike Commuter

Friends, family plant trees along I-205 path in honor of Gail Achterman

The ‘Ronde’ sufferfest ride returns on Sunday

In letter to TriMet, man urges safety fix after crash on MAX tracks – UPDATED

At Summit, PBOT Director announces new 10% bike mode split goal

US Forest Service withdraws Wallowa-Whitman road plan

RED Fuji Feather 2011

Artists hope for grant to create Major Taylor mural in North Portland

Day Two at the Oregon Active Transportation Summit

Latest Headlines

Transportation advocates say lawmakers ‘betrayed public trust’ with budget bill support

River City Bicycles owner survives heart attack while on bike ride

Weekend Event Guide: Gold sprints, Springwater cleanup, and more

Guest opinion: ‘Bikeable Portland’ plan will get more people riding

From the Archives

With six kids and no car, this mom does it all by bike