March 2014 Archives

In light of run-ins with angry couple, BLM will increase patrols, presence at Sandy Ridge

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Riders at the Sandy Ridge parking lot.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

The Bureau of Land Management says they will step up patrols of the Sandy Ridge Trail System after reports of confrontations gained traction among local riding groups and in the media last week.

Last Tuesday, we reported that several users of the trails at Sandy Ridge claimed they were confronted by an “older couple.” The allegations described a man and a woman who had used mace on dogs owned by people riding mountain bikes. In one case, shared by a man named Chris Hess via a comment on BikePortland, the woman approached a family and pulled a stun gun on Mr. Hess’s wife “with her finger on the trigger sparkling it and taking steps towards her.”

We’ve been in contact with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office about the case and they’ve confirmed receipt of several complaints. On Friday, CCSO Lt. Robert Wurpes confirmed they have forwarded the case above to the Disrict Attorney for consideration of criminal charges.

The late Jake Owen.
(Family photo)

Here are the bike-related links from around the world that caught our eyes this week:

Distracted driving: If your advocacy for making streets safer needs a jolt of energy, you should read the first three paragraphs of this story about a proposed Maryland law that would make it easy for police to check whether people involved in car crashes were using the phone at the moment of impact.

Fake bikes: The world of counterfeit branded bicycles sold online is dominated by “very sophisticated organizations who launder money they gain from drug dealing, from prostitution, from slavery,” the mainstream bicycle industry warns.

Tolerating danger: “The Federal Highway Administration’s proposal on safety performance measures allows states to fail to meet half their own safety targets without consequences.”

Brand: Schwinn
Model: Hybrid Commuter
Color:grey
Stolen in Portland, OR 97219
Stolen:2014-03-16
Stolen From: Bike was stolen off of the rack on the back of the Lewis & Clark shuttle bus at 7:30 pm on the intersection of 6th and Salmon.
Neighborhood: SW 6th & SW Salmon
Owner: Amber Cooney
OwnerEmail: acooney(at sign)lclark.edu
Reward: Dinner
Description: My bike is covered in bumper stickers. One red sticker says “Wink, I’ll do the rest”, the other says “love>fear”.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Silver Specialized Sirrus 2009ish

Year: 2009ish
Brand: Specialized
Model: Sirrus
Color:Silver
Size:I’m 6′, the bike fit me well
Stolen in Portland, OR 97212
Stolen:2014-03-13
Stolen From: It was taken from the bike room in the Morgan Building, 720 SW Washington, in downtown Portland (corss streets Broadway and Washington).
Neighborhood: Downtown Portland
Owner: Nicholas Drake-McLaughlin
OwnerEmail: niko.dmcl( atsign )gmail.com
Reward: $100
Description: A silver Specialized Sirrus hybrid bicycle. It had Bontrager handlebars, black fenders, and green pedals (pedals were probably removed, they were very distinctive). Though normally the Sirrus bikes have 27 gears, this one was modified to have 18 (only two gears in the front).
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 14-151722
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Navy Diamondback overdrive sport 2012

Year: 2012
Brand: Diamondback
Model: overdrive sport
Color:Navy
Size:L- 19″
Stolen in Portland, OR 97202
Stolen:2014-03-13
Stolen From: Outside of the Muddy Rudder, Tacoma and 7th
Neighborhood: Sellwood-Moreland
Owner: Ashley DiLeonardi
OwnerEmail: ashdileo(AT)gmail.com
Reward: $20
Description: It is a 29er with an added waterbottle holder.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 14-21153
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

white/teal lettering Specialized Myka 2012

Year: 2012
Brand: Specialized
Model: Myka
Color:white/teal lettering
Size:Disc29
Serial: WSBC602204574G
Photo: http://imgur.com/wmxS2rw
Stolen in Portland, OR 97209
Stolen:2014-03-12
Stolen From: Was stolen out front of the life or rileys around 9pm on the night of march 12th 2014. Life of Riley Inc, Northwest 10th Avenue, Portland, Or
Neighborhood: Pearl district
Owner: Jennifer nelson
OwnerEmail: JNel16( atsign )me.com
Reward: a BIG hug
Description: Women’s specialized bike. Has a black mud guard on the back tire. A black water bottle holder in the middle of the frame. A flashlight attatchment on the front handle bars. Along with an odometer attatchment. Brand new perfect condition.
Police record with: portland pd
Police reference#: 1420427
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Red Felt F-85

Brand: Felt
Model: F-85
Color:Red
Size:Average
Serial: F003K050
Stolen in Portland, OR 97212
Stolen:2014-03-13
Stolen From: It was stolen from my porch–railling was ripped clean off. NE 13th and Hancock
Neighborhood: Irvington
Owner: Andy M
OwnerEmail: mcalisterandy(replace with at sign)gmail.com
Reward: …?
Description: It’s a red Felt bike–messed up old fenders, worn front tire, brand new back tire. Should have a sticker from Veloce bikes on the frame
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T14002376
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

As Airbnb moves to Old Town, Portland’s skilled work boom outpaces CRC’s job promises

Job engine?
(Photo by J.Maus/BikePortland)

Multnomah County alone has created more new “professional and technical service” jobs in the last three years than the Columbia River Crossing was projected to create throughout the region, in all sectors combined, by 2030.

It’s a fact that was underscored Friday by Mayor Charlie Hales’ announcement that San Francisco-based startup Airbnb will move 160 employees and its North American operational headquarters to Portland’s Old Town area.

That was the latest sign that Portland’s tech sector is in the middle of an historic boom — and a stark contrast with the freeway-rail project, once called essential to the region’s economy, that seems to have been killed by the state legislature one week ago.

According to the Columbia River Crossing project team’s own calculations, the long-term economic impact of increasing the capacity of Interstate 5 would be to create 3,441 more jobs around the region by 2030. That’d be about 0.15 percent of the region’s future workforce.

Biking on Barbur Boulevard.
(Photos by J.Maus/BikePortland)

An anti-transit vote in Tigard Tuesday could bite bike plans, too.

When Tigard voters narrowly approved a ballot issue this week designed to make it harder to build a light rail or rapid bus line through their city, they also threw a wrench in a different process: improving biking in the suburbs southwest of Portland.

Metro’s Southwest Corridor Plan, a 20-year effort to expand high-capacity transit down the Barbur Boulevard corridor potentially as far as Sherwood, has also been seen as a way to get state and federal funding for a related project: a flat, comfortable bike route through the area such as a physically protected bike lane on Barbur Boulevard.

Bike traffic on the Hawthorne Bridge as it goes under I-5.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

With well over 15,000 bicycle trips daily (according to 2012 counts), Multnomah County’s bridges play a major role in central Portland’s bicycle transportation network. You might not realize it, but the County owns, operates and manages six of the seven major downtown bridges: the Sauvie Island, Broadway, Burnside, Morrison, Hawthorne and Sellwood spans. Three (soon to be four) of those six bridges have a separated path for bicycle traffic and the Hawthorne is widely considered one of the busiest bicycle bridges in America.

Year: 2011
Brand: TREK
Model: COBIA
Color:Copper/Blk
Size:19″
Serial: WTU314C1361F
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2014-03-12
Stolen From: Stolen from underground garage at Office tower at Morrison and 2nd Ave.
Neighborhood: Downtown
Owner: Bronson Fox
OwnerEmail: bfoxonline(at sign)gmail.com
Reward: YES
Description: Men’s Mt Bike, commuter tires with Blk Plastic Fenders, Disc brakes, Color: Burnt Orange and Black
Police record with: Portland Police
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

At first 20s Bikeway open house, a moment to focus on the full 9 miles

Karen Gramp, 44, called herself a confident biker
but said she often hesitates to bike
to visit a friend who lives near SE 40th Avenue,
because the current route feels like a hassle.
(Photos by M.Andersen/BikePortland)

Rich Newlands, the planner of one of the longest bikeway projects in Portland history, seemed relieved Thursday night for a chance to talk about something other than its most controversial 4,000 feet.

“It’s not all about the central section,” Newlands said, noting that the city faces a similar tradeoff between auto parking and comfortable biking between SE Gladstone and Steele, at its southern end, as well as a series of many route choices up the Alameda Ridge and across Killingsworth Street at its northern end.

Thursday’s open house on the 20s Bikeway, the first of three over the next week, was also a reminder that when bike access improvements can come without removing on-street auto parking or changing existing lane configurations, they’re almost totally uncontroversial.

In light of run-ins with angry couple, BLM will increase patrols, presence at Sandy Ridge

The Monday Roundup: Catching distracted drivers red-handed, counterfeit bikes & more

grey Schwinn Hybrid Commuter

Silver Specialized Sirrus 2009ish

Navy Diamondback overdrive sport 2012

white/teal lettering Specialized Myka 2012

Red Felt F-85

As Airbnb moves to Old Town, Portland’s skilled work boom outpaces CRC’s job promises

Anti-transit vote in Tigard throws wrench in southwest corridor bike plans

County will host ‘Bridge Summit’ to help prioritize future upgrades

Copper/Blk TREK COBIA 2011

At first 20s Bikeway open house, a moment to focus on the full 9 miles

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