🚨 Please note: BikePortland is currently on hiatus and only publishing guest articles. Learn more here. Thank you. - Jonathan 🙏

On the podcast: The ‘invisible urbanism’ of traffic signals

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Portland’s traffic signal guru, Peter Koonce,
in our podcast studio.
(Photo J.Maus/BikePortland)

When you change something about a traffic signal, people don’t notice. They simply obey.

Well, mostly.

Maybe that’s why signals have quietly become one of the most important and unique ways that Portland has made itself a better place for walking, biking and driving cars at reasonable speeds rather than at noisy and unsafe ones.

In this month’s episode of the BikePortland podcast, Jonathan, producer Lillian Karabaic and I interview one of the wizards behind the curtain of Portland’s unusually safe streets: Peter Koonce.

Koonce, the division manager for Portland’s signals and street lighting division and one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet in municipal government, talked with us about all the tricks in the city’s signal system that you never even noticed. And as always, we close with a transportation tip of the month, Lily’s favorite tweets about TriMet and the uncannily appropriate song that Lily found for the subject of the show.

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Weekend Event Guide: Shuttles, films, and blesssings and more

2011 Pioneer Century-28-27

You’d be smiling too if you were rolling on the perfect roads on the Pioneer Century route.
(Photo J. Maus/BikePortland)

Welcome to your menu of weekend rides and events, lovingly brought to you by our friends at Hopworks Urban Brewery.

Yes, yes, we know Pedalpalooza starts today and fills the entire weekend with dozens of bike rides… But believe it or not there is a world of bicycling beyond that joyous kingdom of bike fun. So, we present to you a carefully considered selection of rides and events that you won’t find on the Pedalpalooza calendar.

(Program note: We’ll be posting a Pedalpalooza Preview each Saturday morning beginning this Saturday.)

Friday, June 6th

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Lifestyle column: Observing, analyzing Portland’s stop sign culture

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Lifestyle columnist Cathy Hastie.

My friend, a recent transplant from the Midwest, was describing his 35-mile round trip bike commute during the misty quiet of the early mornings. He sets off in the dark, living his ideals, even on those days when he doesn’t really want to. His commitment put me in awe.

But what he wanted to talk about was stop signs.

“What do people here in Portland do?” he asked, eager to know. “At 4 a.m., when no one is around, do you stop?”

At first, I thought he was joking. Is there any place in the U.S. where people stop their bikes at stop signs at 4 in the morning when no one is around?

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Drk Green Trek 7.5 FX WSD 15 TL 13 2014

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Year: 2014
Brand: Trek
Model: 7.5 FX WSD 15 TL 13
Color:Drk Green
Size:15
Serial: WTU357C7029G
Stolen in Portland, OR 97215
Stolen:2014-06-5
Stolen From: Back deck of my house. SE 52nd and SE Stark
Neighborhood: Mt Tabor
Owner: Victoria Skakel
OwnerEmail: zvskakel(A T)gmail.com
Reward: Yes
Description: Computer, headlight, Shimano SPD Touring pedals, back rack with black bag (but is easily removed), bottle cage
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Tan K2 Astral 3.0

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Brand: K2
Model: Astral 3.0
Color:Tan
Size:Medium
Stolen in Portland, OR 97209
Stolen:2014-06-3
Stolen From: 937 NW Glisan . Between NW 9th and 10th Ave
Neighborhood: Pearl
Owner: Adam Crelling
OwnerEmail: acrelling(A T)hotmail.com
Description: Almost new. No damage. Tan in color. Standard peddles. Straight crossbar handlebars.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T14005927
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Maroon Fuji Crosstown 2008

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2008
Brand: Fuji
Model: Crosstown
Color:Maroon
Size:17″
Serial: ICF7L08523
Stolen in Portland, OR 97217
Stolen:2014-06-01
Stolen From: Vendetta Bar, 4306 N Williams Ave. Portland OR
Neighborhood: Boise
Owner: Matt Brown
OwnerEmail: Baseboardmatt(at sign)yahoo.com
Reward: Beer
Description: Unisex bike, black fenders, near new condition, rarely rode,
Police record with: Portland
Police reference#: 14-45501
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Red Surly Instigator 2009

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2009
Brand: Surly
Model: Instigator
Color:Red
Size:Large
Stolen in Portland, OR 97210
Stolen:2014-06-4
Stolen From: Rae’s lake new lounge
Neighborhood: NW Portland by Montgomery park
Owner: Andy Throckmorton
OwnerEmail: Andythrockmorton(replace with at sign)gmail.com
Description: Red frame black accessories, polished steel Chris King headset silver brake levers. Disc brakes, large tires big gussets on connecting the steer tube to the top tube and down tube.
Police record with: Portland
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Is Portland’s newest urban corridor good or bad? City is asking residents

SE Division street scene - photo by Michael Andersen

There’s nothing like a walk to better understand the impact of changes to a street.
(Photo M. Andersen/BikePortland)

Portland’s planning department is trying to figure out if the rapid transformation of Southeast Division Street will become a template or a cautionary tale.

On Wednesday night, it’s invited the public to attend a “community walk” to assess the rapidly redeveloping street and “consider zoning issues through a local lens.”

The walk is 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and begins at Piccolo Park, SE 28th and Division. According to the official description, city staffers will ask:

  • What’s working well or not so well regarding new development?
  • How can zoning code regulations help support a thriving business environment?
  • What building features, scale, or site designs will enhance the character of the area?
  • What design features will create a quality environment for future residents?
  • What are appropriate ways of creating transitions in development scale and activity between mixed use development and adjacent residential areas?

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Get Legal: Auto insurance, biking, walking, and you

Charley Gee helps us work through the
wonk on insurance.

Welcome to our Get Legal column. This is usually written by noted local bike lawyer Ray Thomas. But this time we’ve got one of Mr. Thomas’s co-workers Charley Gee filling in. Gee, an attorney at Swanson, Thomas, Coon & Newton is also an expert on how bicycles fit into the legal fine print. Today he’ll unravel confusion that often exists around insurance. Specifically, how auto insurance policies impacts those of us who don’t drive much (or at all).

Q. I have an Oregon automobile insurance policy. What does that mean?

A. In Oregon, every automobile insurance policy has four areas of coverage: Liability, Personal Injury Protection (PIP), Property Damage, and Uninsured/Underinsured Motorist Coverage (UM/UIM).

Q. What is PIP?

A. PIP covers medical expenses and lost wages if you are injured in a collision. In Oregon, the minimum amount of coverage is $15,000. PIP is (usually) “first party” coverage which means your automobile insurance covers your medical bills and wage loss despite the collision being the fault of another road user.

Q. I ride a bicycle and walk places sometimes, do I need to buy an additional insurance policy that covers me when I ride?

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$10,000 REI grant will help boost MTB trails at Stub Stewart State Park

(Photo: NWTA)

Stub Stewart State Park is slowly but surely becoming a mountain biking destination. And it’s only going to get better this summer as the Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA) just announced a $10,000 grant from outdoor gear retailer REI.

According to the NWTA, the grant will help fund a package of trail stewardship and improvement projects at Stub Stewart. The park, just 33 miles west of Portland, has been the focus on NWTA work and advocacy since 2008. It already boasts 15 miles of mountain bike trails, a network of free-ride/mountain-bike specific trails, and there’s plenty more that could be built — the only thing missing is money and volunteers.

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Black Schwinn Searcher e8 electric Womens 2011

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Year: 2011
Brand: Schwinn
Model: Searcher e8 electric Womens
Color:Black
Size:Small
Photo: http://www.performancebike.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/mProduct4_10551_10052_1107375_-1_
Stolen in Beaverton, OR 97005
Stolen:2014-06-4
Stolen From: My house off Rita and Murray
Owner: Mychal Hall
OwnerEmail: mychalhall(A T)yahoo.com
Reward: Yes
Description: Has cargo carrier attachment on it (cargo carrier was not stolen) with unique screws on each side that hold up the rear battery.
Police record with: Washinton County