Election night open thread

The BTA’s Susan Peithman shows how
we do it in Portland.
– See more reader photos below. –

With tonight’s election, Portland and the nation are on the verge of major changes.

As we settle in to watch how the votes come in, I thought some of you might want to share your thoughts and comments on candidates and policies that will be impacted by this election.

There are huge implications locally, as we could see a new majority on Portland City Council and some say voters in Clark County could deal a death blow to the Columbia River Crossing project.

I have not been impressed with any of the local (or national for that matter) candidates’ visions for bicycling’s role in our transportation mix. I sat down for extended interviews with both mayoral candidates, and while they had smart things to say about bicycling, they never got too specific on the campaign trail.

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gray Cannondale f600 1999

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Year: 1999
Brand: Cannondale
Model: f600
Color:gray
Size:large frame
Stolen in Portland, OR 97239
Stolen:2012-11-5
Stolen From: Unitus Building, on SW grant and Fourth.
Owner: Michael Lethin
OwnerEmail: mclethin( atsign )gmail.com
Reward: 50
Description: Front and rear splash guards, wiring for speedometer and front+rear lights, wide street tires, rear black bag rack, dent in down tube.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T12009494
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

KGW TV: “Bikes can be a lifeline” after disaster strikes

Screen grab of Woodlawn’s cargo bike disaster response unit.
– Watch video below –

KGW TV (Portland’s NBC affiliate station) ran a feature segment last night about how cargo bikes will play a role in our disaster response plans. It’s a story we shared back in March, and after superstorm Sandy proved once again that bikes are the most reliable and resilient form of transportation after a major natural disaster, the story is even more timely.

“When roads are wiped out, and supplies scarce,” noted KGW reporter Abbey Gibb, “bikes can be a lifeline… Cargo bikes, and bikes in general, are the simplest answer.”

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Bike shop employee snaps photo of stolen bike, suspected thief

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Ian Collins’ stolen bike turned up at the Bike Gallery
in downtown Portland.
(Photos courtesy Ian Collins)

Ian Collins had his Cannondale stolen off his porch in Northeast Portland back in August. Now, thanks to the quick thinking of the Bike Gallery employee, he’s got a lead on a suspect and he’s hoping more people seeing the photo might lead to the bike’s recovery.

An employee of the Bike Gallery store in downtown Portland (at SW 10th and Salmon) took action after she saw a suspicious customer come into their shop. She looked up the bike on the BikePortland Stolen Bike Listings, found a match, then photographed the man who brought it in before he left the shop.

Here’s the photo of the suspected thief:

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White + Red accents Fuji Absolute 3.0 2011~

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Year: 2011~
Brand: Fuji
Model: Absolute 3.0
Color:White + Red accents
Size:21″
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2012-11-5
Stolen From: Axcess 15 Apartments on 1500 NE 15th Ave
The bike was attached by U Lock to a fence inside the supposedly secure bike storage area in Axcess 15 Apartments. The fence was cut to steal the bike.
Neighborhood: Lloyd District
Owner: Damian Lulewicz
OwnerEmail: lulewicz(A T)gmail.com
Reward: $100
Description: The Bike was a white Fuji Absolute 3.0 with red accents. It had a water bottle mount and U Lock holder. A black helmet with red straps was also stolen.
Police record with: Portland PD
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Hillsboro’s “mobility hubs” idea a finalist in million-dollar Bloomberg competition

City of Hillsboro Sustainability Manager Peter
Brandom in a video about the idea.
(Watch it below)

The City of Hillsboro has been selected as one of 20 finalists (out of 300) for the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Mayor’s Challenge competition. If selected the City could receive either $1 million or a grand prize of $5 million dollars to implement their their idea of creating “mobility hubs” throughout Hillsboro that would “reduce the need to travel alone in a car.”

Below is an excerpt from the contest webpage that describes Hillsboro’s idea:

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City approves permit for ‘bike hub’ at First & Main building

First & Main Bldg

A rider rolls down the bike lane on SW Main at 1st Ave.
The building in the background is set to become
the location of a new “bike hub.”
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

A “bike hub” is set to be built in the ground floor of the First & Main Building at the foot of the Hawthorne Bridge in downtown Portland. If this sounds familiar, it’s because this project was first talked about way back in May 2006, before the building was even constructed. However, even though the building was completed in spring of 2010 and is currently occupied by several tenants, the bike hub has yet to materialize.

Now, according to permit documents recently approved by the City of Portland, the bike hub looks to be moving forward.

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ODOT Director affirms commitment to active transportation in MAP-21

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

“MAP-21 cut dedicated funding… Regardless, ODOT is committed to funding active transportation programs.”
— Matt Garrett, Director of ODOT

Oregon biking and walking advocates received good news on Friday when ODOT Director Matt Garrett announced his agency is committed to key biking and walking programs that lost dedicated funding in the recently passed federal transportation bill (MAP-21).

As we detailed back in June, MAP-21 completely changed (and/or eliminated) the way many programs were funded. These changes have caused anxiety among advocates who worry that the new rules will make it difficult for biking, walking, and transit-centric projects to compete with more traditional highway projects.

Here’s an excerpt from Garrett’s statement:

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Job: Wheel Builder – Chris King Precision Components

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Job Title
Wheel Builder

Company/Organization
Chris King Precision Components

Job Description
Chris King Precision Components™, manufacturer of bicycle components and Cielo bicycle frames, is seeking qualified applicants for an in-house Wheel Builder.

Must have a minimum of 5 to 10 years experience building wheels. Ideally this experience will include both production and custom wheels. Must be well versed in Chris King Precision Component hub options, various lacing styles, rim/nipple/spoke options, materials sourcing, routine maintenance and technical problem solving. Must be capable of generating and analyzing detailed reports. Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required. Experience in customer service, document generation, training and supervision helpful. The successful applicant will be team oriented, eager to learn, enthusiastic & have a strong commitment to community, the environment & excellence in general.

How to Apply
Please furnish letter of interest & resume by e-mail to people@chrisking.com (No attachments accepted). A drug free environment & EOE. Visit our website at www.chrisking.com.

The Monday Roundup

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Given that I’ve been working out of a suitcase for the past two weeks or so, I haven’t been filing away important and interesting bike stories at my usual rate. However, thanks to readers for sharing links and the wonders of Twitter and Google Alerts, I’ve managed to round up some stories I think you’ll find are worth your time…

— The London Cyclist blog has a fascinating breakdown of a report on lessons about traffic safety and visibility from a Royal Air Force pilot. The reports shares important insights into how our brains process visual stimuli, and why, “I just didn’t see him!” might be a legitimate excuse.

— Not sure if it was just a Halloween prank, but Portland State researcher Chris Monsere posted a photo of damage done by vandals to bicycle counters placed across the Springwater Corridor Trail.

— When Sandy hit New York, I decided to be a good citizen and stay inside; but after watching Casey Neistat’s amazing video footage of biking through flooded Lower Manhattan, I think maybe I should have headed out into it.

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Celeste (turquoise) Bianchi Veloce 1999

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Year: 1999
Brand: Bianchi
Model: Veloce
Color:Celeste (turquoise)
Size:63 +/-
Serial: WA81012921
Stolen in Portland, OR 97223
Stolen:2012-11-4
Stolen From: Bike rack in front of the Multnomah County Library.
Neighborhood: Downtown: 810 SW 10th, Multnomah Library
Owner: Mike Dennis
OwnerEmail: mikeddennis( atsign )msn.com
Reward: Definitely
Description: Unusual front gearing: 22, 38, 48 teeth
Cats Eye computer
Phone 503-380-0745
Police record with: Portland Police
Police reference#: T12009436
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike