2013 Archives

Job: Bike Mechanic – Sunset Cycles

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title
Bike Mechanic

Company/Organization
Sunset Cycles

Job Description
Sunset Cycles is looking to add staff for the 2013 cycling season. The primary duties are wrenching, building, and repair check-ins. Must have the ability to prioritize, manage one’s time effectively, problem solve, work in a fast paced environment and be flexible, especially during the busy summer season. Must possess good communications skills in order to effectively interact and to explain technical issues clearly to the satisfaction of customers. Candidate must be knowledgeable of bicycle industry terminology, computer literate in POS, internet, spreadsheet and word processing systems.

How to Apply
Please send resume to sales@sunsetcyclesnw.com to apply.

Report: End of driving boom requires a new direction

Cover of report.

A report released today by Transportation for America and the OSPIRG Foundation calls on government agencies to “re-assess transportation policies” in light of continued statistical evidence that Americans are driving less.

“We welcome bicyclists at our drive-through lanes… riding a bike is just the kind of healthy, environmentally-friendly activity we welcome at our stores.”
— James Graham, Walgreens corporate media relations

Walgreens, America’s largest drug store chain, has responded to concerns that one of their policies unfairly excluded customers who ride bicycles. As we detailed last week, for at least the past several years people have been refused service by some Walgreens employees at outdoor service windows (a.k.a. drive-thrus) based solely on their mode of transportation. When asked about this refusal, store managers have listed a number of reasons — from safety concerns to liability insurance constraints.

Before we published that story, we contacted the Deerfield, Illinois-based corporate offices of Walgreens Company to ask for a clarification about this policy. James Graham in Walgreens’ corporate media relations department responded and confirmed that they had heard feedback from “bicycling customers” about this issue and they agreed to review their policies. This morning we received the following statement from Graham:

Model: Roadmaster Sport SK
Color:Red
Size:26
Photo: http://alicynx.com/bike/
Stolen in Portland, OR 97202
Stolen:2013-05-13
Stolen From: 13th and Harney/Sherrett
Neighborhood: Sellwood
Owner: Alicyn Henning
OwnerEmail: ali@alicynx.com
Reward: $100
Description: Hodge Podge bike – Roadmaster base frame with Ridish extracycle attached. It’s been outside, so the bags on the back aren’t clean – slight rusting in spots but nothing major.
Police record with: PPB
Police reference#: 13-152986
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Those interesting bike racks at Portland’s newest park

Believe it or not, those are bike racks!
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Yesterday I finally got a chance to visit The Fields, Portland’s newest neighborhood park. Situated on NW Overton between 10th and 11th at the northern end of the Pearl District, The Fields is a beautiful addition to our city. It’s got fantastic views of old industrial areas, a panorama of the Fremont Bridge, and lots of green grass to lay and play on. Whenever Portland opens a new public space, I’m always interested to see how they deal with bicycle access. In the case of The Fields, they’ve created a nice area for bicycle parking; but it took me a while to 1) realize it was there and 2) figure out how to use it.

Community gathering for Kathryn Rickson-26

Ryan Gaughan at Rickson’s ghost
bike on May 18th, 2012.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

This coming Thursday will mark one year since the tragic death of 28 year-old Kathryn Rickson. On the night of May 16th, Rickson was riding downhill on SW Madison Ave just one block from City Hall when a man driving a large delivery truck turned right onto SW 3rd and the two vehicles collided.

Now Rickson’s friends and family have planned a memorial event to remember her. I asked Ryan to share a few thoughts about Kathryn, the collision, and this past year…

Riding on the NE 7th Ave bike lane
through the Lloyd.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Bike Score (the same folks that created the more widely-known Walk Score) have ranked Portland as the #1 “most bikeable” large city in the United States. In their rankings, which were released today to coincide with National Bike to Work Week, Portland squeaked into first place, just 0.3 points ahead of San Francisco. Denver, Philadelphia, and Boston rounded out the top five spots.

When these same rankings came out last year, Portland was #2 behind Minneapolis, but this year cities above 500,000 people competed against each other while smaller cities were put on a separate list.

And for the first time ever, the Bike Score team also scored individual neighborhoods. In Portland, the Lloyd neighborhood was found to be the most bikeable, receiving a 98.2 out of 100 points. The Bike Score methodology ranks locations based on four equally weighted components: Bike lanes, hills, destinations and road connectivity, bike commuting mode share.

The new buffer will be completed this week
(brown area is parking lane).
(Photo: PBOT)

The Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is taking advantage of a paving project to improve bicycle access on a major street in northeast Portland. On Friday, PBOT announced a new buffered bike lane is coming to NE Cully Blvd between Prescott and Failing streets.

This 1/3 mile stretch of road is being repaved and PBOT is taking the opportunity to re-stripe the road in order to make the bicycle lane wider and more comfortable. PBOT will add a three-foot wide buffer to the existing five-foot wide bike lanes. The start of this project is just south of the existing physically separated cycle-tracks on Cully Blvd which were completed nearly two years ago. According to PBOT, when coupled with the cycle-track, “the buffered bike lane will provide people riding bicycles with nearly one mile of separated bikeway.”

This new buffered lane will also help smooth out the jarring emotional transition from the cycle-track to a standard, door-zone bike lane. It’s important to note that there are two schools nearby: Harvey Scott and Rigler.

To get the space for the wider bike lane, PBOT reduced the center turn lane from 15 to 10 feet and narrowed the two standard vehicle lanes (total road width is 66-feet).

“People who drive less than average tend to subsidize their neighbors who drive more than average.”
— Todd Litman, Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Welcome to Monday. We’ve got a lot of great stories to bring you this week. But before we do, below are a few of the noteworthy items and other fun stuff you might have missed last week…

— In this excerpt from a recent stand-up comedy routine, the great Louis CK nails the “different set of values” people exhibit when they are behind the wheel of an automobile (and they’re not pretty).

— An editorial from USA Today (of all places) shares a perspective on the debate over how to generate revenue for infrastructure. They say the VMT tax and other schemes are too complicated and, for now, “The simplest, fairest and least invasive way to respond to lower gas tax revenue is with higher gas taxes.”

Year: 2000
Brand: Trek 2008
Model: 4300
Color:Yellow
Stolen in Portland, OR 97209
Stolen:2012-11-4
Stolen From: Bike storage room at The Wyatt, 1125 NW 12th Ave. The bike was locked with a cable lock which was cut.
Neighborhood: Pearl
Owner: Dave Riney
OwnerEmail: Noelmhamilton(replace with at sign)hotmail.com
Reward: $200
Description: Yellow trek 4300 mountain bike with a light on the front
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T13004049
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

black Trek 7.4FX 2013

Year: 2013
Brand: Trek
Model: 7.4FX
Color:black
Size:BLue
Serial: WTU268C7633G
Photo: http://i.imgur.com/s41fvhF.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97213
Stolen:2013-05-10
Stolen From: 49th avenue, Multnomah & Euclid Heights Portland OR 97213
Neighborhood: Hollywood / Parkrose
Owner: Rex Vaccaro
OwnerEmail: rrrex( atsign )q.com
Reward: 150
Description: Black and bright blue, disc brakes, black rack at back with bag that slides on it, set up for headlight on handle bar and tail light under seat, 1 silver cup holder on cross bar
Police record with: Portland Police
Police reference#: 13-37905
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Black Trek Allant 2009

Year: 2009
Brand: Trek
Model: Allant
Color:Black
Size:17″
Serial: WTU351C0813D
Stolen in Vancouver, WA 98660
Stolen:2013-05-5
Stolen From: Gated condo/apt. parking lot across from Esther Short Park.
Neighborhood: Downtown Vancouver
Owner: Mike Cannady
OwnerEmail: gailandmike34(replace with at sign)yahoo.com
Reward: yes
Description: Flat rack on rear fender. Bell, mirror, light base on handlebar.
Police record with: Vancouver PD
Police reference#: 13050772

Job: Bike Mechanic – Sunset Cycles

Report: End of driving boom requires a new direction

Walgreens now “welcomes” people on bikes at outdoor service windows

Red Roadmaster Sport SK

Those interesting bike racks at Portland’s newest park

One year after her death, friends plan memorial event for Kathryn Rickson

Bike Score ranks Lloyd #1 “most bikeable” Portland neighborhood

City to widen bike lanes to NE Cully Blvd

The Monday Roundup

Yellow Trek 2008 4300 2000

black Trek 7.4FX 2013

Black Trek Allant 2009

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