(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)
Today is the first day of National Bike Month. I don’t usually tend to make much of these things (every month is bike month in my world); but there’s so much going on around it in Portland that I feel this month-long recognition of bicycling is worth noting. Not only are organizations and businesses making a big deal about Bike Month this year (my inbox is full of PR pitches timed to coincide with it), there seems to be a major uptick in riding. Everywhere I look in Portland these days there are signs of bike.
Did you notice the Business section of The Oregonian on Sunday? There was a big article about how our local software sector is booming. And look how bikes became part of the story…
A love of bicycling by software and tech firms is nothing new; but then two days later I shared the story of Daimler Trucks North America — a major employer on Swan Island where they’ve had to install a covered bike shelter to respond to employee demand. And guess what? The people that showed up to park their bikes in it did not fit the young hipster stereotype many people associate with bike commuters…
And have you noticed the bike traffic out on Portland streets lately? I’ve seen platoons of riders during the morning and evening rush hour that number 20 people or so! In fact, according to the Hawthorne Bridge Counter, Portlanders made 37,071 trips over the bridge on bicycles last week. That’s the second highest weekly total since the counter was installed back in August (just 2,400 trips off the record). And given the amazing weather in the forecast, I bet we’ll top that this month.
Speaking of good weather, I did a great ride last weekend that was led by a PBOT staffer and a local urban greenspace expert (I’ll recap the ride and share more photos soon). What amazed me about the ride was who showed up. We had young kids and retirees riding side-by-side, exploring neighborhoods by bike.
Also on that ride was something that speaks to how bicycling touches so many aspects of life here in Portland. Despite the inexplicable positions often taken by their Editorial Board and their frequent tendency to simplify and sensationalize the narrative in a way that negatively impacts bicycling, The Oregonian employs a lot of people who love to bike. When I rolled up on the Sharrows to Sparrows ride, I was almost giddy to see three of my favorite Oregonian reporters: political reporter and author of Pedaling Revolution Jeff Mapes; transportation (and other things) reporter James Mayer (now retired); and columnist Steve Duin. While Mapes and Mayer were there just for fun, Duin was on the clock. I’ve rarely heard a peep about cycling from Duin, yet there he was on a Saturday ride, taking notes and doing interviews from the saddle! (Here’s the story he wrote a few days later.)
And one last thing about The Oregonian. If you haven’t seen it yet, they’ve stepped up their focus on blogging about bikes with the new “Ocyclers” project. They’ve tasked a group of reporters to write daily bike news posts. So far they’ve shown a true commitment to do the topic justice.
One final note on National Bike Month… If you have friends, co-workers, or acquaintances who haven’t made a commitment to ride a bike more often, this is the perfect month to start.
The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation is in full bike promotion mode this month. They’ve got clinics, rides, and eight Bike Breakfasts that will be held throughout the city (starting tomorrow!). Keep in touch with all the fun via the PDX Bike Month Facebook page.
And on May 17th, Regence Health Care is hosting the Portland Employers Bike Summit. It’s a full day of excellent workshops on how to bulk up your company’s bike culture and the event will be kicked off by none other than author and advocate Mia Birk.
If you’re a PSU student, check out the Bike to PSU Challenge. If you have kids and you bike them to school, make sure to register for the BTA/ODOT Walk+Bike Challenge. And no matter what state you’re reading this from, you can sign up for the National Bike Challenge. These “challenges” are simply ways to bring more people into the fold. Biking to work, school, the store, the park, and so on is actually really easy. You just find a bike and start pedaling.
— For a great roundup on National Bike Month rides, resources, and tips, check out the League of American Bicyclists blog.