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

Big Bike News Roundup: Shop move, cargo bike doc, Timbers, foodie ride and more

Have you seen this new art rack downtown?
(Photo: Christina Lacy)

We’ve reached that point again where I have so many interesting and cool bits of news on my story list that I’ve decided a Big Bike News Roundup is the best way to share them all.

In the past I might have just posted each of these small items as Front Page stories, but these days Michael and I are more drawn to doing longer, more meaty stories. Page Two might also be a good home for some of these but I realize that many people miss those stories since they don’t appear on the Front Page. So, enough with this boring under-the-hood stuff, let’s get to the news!

Here are eight great things happening in our community (posted in no particular order)…

Community Cycling Center expands youth Bike Camp programs

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PBOT will host open house tonight for ‘NE Rodney Bikeway Project’

You’re invited!
(Photo sent in by reader)

Just in time for the annual uptick in bike traffic, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is moving forward with a project that could alleviate bike congestion on one of the busiest streets in the city. Many people already eschew North Williams’ narrow and crowded bike lane in favor of NE Rodney a few blocks to the east because the residential street is much calmer, quieter and less stressful.

At an open house tonight, PBOT will share details on their plans to turn two miles of NE Rodney — from Broadway to Killingsworth — into an official “neighborhood greenway.” According to a flyer PBOT has mailed to area residents, the goal of the N Rodney Bikeway Project is to “provide a safer, shared-use environment for bicyclists.”

While funding for neighborhood greenways has all but dried up, this project is moving forward because it’s technically part of PBOT’s North Williams Traffic Operations and Safety Project. The idea for adding traffic calming and other bike-centric features to Rodney emerged two years ago as a recommendation from that project’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee.

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City’s ‘SmartTrips’ marketing program shifts focus

linda ginenthal

SmartTrips program manager Linda Ginenthal in 2006,
surrounded by “doodads, goodies, prizes, swag.”
(Photos by J.Maus/BikePortland)

After 12 years of bike maps, blinking lights and walking tours, one of Portland’s most innovative transportation programs is shifting direction.

Starting next week, the city’s residential SmartTrips program, which gives Portlanders customized packages of free resources to help them get around by walking, biking or taking transit, will stop targeting specific neighborhoods and instead focus on reaching people who’ve recently moved.

The city’s website will continue to offer the free bike maps that adorn thousands of local refrigerators. But as it manages a 17 percent budget cut, Smart Trips is focusing its outreach and its free mail-order goodie bags on 45,000 or so households that will move to new homes in Portland this year.

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Brown Raleigh Superbe

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Brand: Raleigh
Model: Superbe
Color:Brown
Size:Has Child’s seat
Stolen in Portland, OR 97211
Stolen:2014-04-9
OwnerEmail: woodlawntrees(at sign)gmail.com
Description: FOUND: Raleigh Superbe. Brown. With Child Seat.

Found near Dekum and 13th.
Describe some parts that were added to this bike that will identify that this is your bike, so I can return it to you.

Also, If you recently had a stolen white fixie or singlespeed with white wheels, I might know there your bicycle is.

Can new-fangled mortgages finance Portland’s tiny-home boom?

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Kol Peterson, who also teaches classes for homeowners about developing ADUs, in his home.
(Photo courtesy Peterson.)

Real Estate Beat is sponsored by Portlandia HomePortland’s enthusiasm for building small and tiny homes has been so abrupt, so unusual and so locally unique that the home mortgage industry hasn’t figured out how to take advantage of it.

But people in both government and real estate who see accessory dwelling units as a boon for affordable density in bike-friendly, walkable parts of town are trying to help lenders catch up. And there are signs that it’s working.

As we reported last month, Portlanders are responding to the surging demand for local housing by building and/or permitting hundreds of accessory dwelling units. One in 10 new homes in some inner north and Northeast neighborhoods is an ADU, a city specialist says.

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Today is our 9th birthday!

A bike tour of The Dalles-40

Hi! This is me being very
happy during a recent trip to The Dalles.
(Self portrait)

Nine years ago today, I published my very first blog post about biking in Portland.

Back then my posts were published on OregonLive.com’s “Bike Fun” blog (which no longer exists). After being hosted by OregonLive for about four months, I decided to go it alone and launched BikePortland.org in its current form on July 29th. After that big move, it would still be several years before I started doing the blog full time.

And what an amazing run we’ve had since then!

Here are a few stats to ponder:

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Business, fun and diversity on the agenda at Oregon Active Transportation Summit

Oregon Active Transportation Summit-6

Anita Hairston, a transportation policy expert with
PolicyLink, spoke at the 2012 Summit.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Good conferences are like good cities: the most interesting things usually happen between schedules and around edges. For a transportation conference here in Portland, that probably goes double.

The two-day Oregon Active Transportation Summit, which starts one week from Monday, is filling out its schedule and the official agenda has some must-see keynotes and lots of breakout sessions that will be informative and inspirational (if past year’s are any indication). But there are two events not on the agenda that you should definitely plan to attend.

Learn more about them below the jump…

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The BikePortland Podcast: The state of bike advocacy

Bike Summit Lobby Day on Capitol Hill-13

Cycle Oregon Executive Director Alison Graves,
Community Cycling Center CEO Mychal Tetteh and
Humans on Bikes founder Christopher Delaney at the
National Bike Summit in Washington DC last month.
(Photo by J.Maus/BikePortland)

Does Portland-area bike advocacy lack a unifying theme?

That’s one of the questions we tackle in the BikePortland podcast’s latest episode, about the state of bicycle advocacy in Portland and elsewhere.

“We don’t have a short-term goal for how we want bicycling to get better,” co-host Jonathan Maus says in this month’s half-hour show. “We just sort of follow a shiny object. Oh, Barbur road diet has to happen. Over here, there’s been some tragedy, we have to go focus on Vision Zero. Oh, let’s go talk about 20s Bikeway. There’s no fundamental, organizing principle that everybody can rally around. I think that’s a big gap we have right now.”

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Job: Customer Service Lead – Velotech, Inc – FILLED

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Sorry, this job has been filled. Browse more great jobs here.
Job Title
Customer Service Lead

Company/Organization
Velotech, Inc

Job Description
Customer Service Lead

Velotech’s Customer Service department is looking for a CS Lead to take our sales to the next level. Usually, that’s just something people write in job ads, but in this case, we’re serious. We’re ready to make Zappos look like the DMV, and we need someone special to make it happen.

Key Responsibilities:
● Oversee all customer interactions (phone, email, social)
● Provide phone, email and in-store customer service that leads by example
● Be a consistent voice for the customer in all company discussions, from software development to operations
● Continually develop and enforce consistent CS policies and procedures
● Develop a strong understanding of all systems and customer management tools used by Velotech and a willingness to train others
● Manage schedules and staffing of CS agents
● Manage call center phone systems and email support
● Generate performance reports and recommend improvements
● Consult with the Director of Sales & Marketing and additional departments to continually improve customer experience
● Think creatively to solve problems, streamline processes and add value for customers
● Maintain strong awareness of e-commerce customer service standards and continually recommend improvements

The CS Lead must also be able to perform these core CS functions:
● Answer product questions & assist with the order process
● Demonstrate excellent communication and organizational skills
● Analyze customer questions, troubleshoot, and provide clear answers in an efficient and professional manner
● Demonstrate knowledge of cycling products and the ability to help customers of all levels of experience
● Comfortably navigate a sophisticated order processing system
● Work with Marketing to assist with customer-facing content, including site maintenance, product images and descriptions
● Coordinate with Returns to assist customers with returns and exchanges
● Assist walk-in customers with product questions and purchases
● Retrieve products from the warehouse to assist walk-in customers
● Increase sales by genuinely helping customers learn about additional/alternative product options

The position requires a minimum of two years experience in a sales or customer service role, demonstrated computer skills and a solid knowledge of cycling. Previous mechanical and additional experience in the cycling industry is a strong plus.

How to Apply
To apply please send your resume and cover letter to Jobs@velotech.com

Job: Customer Service Rep – Velotech, Inc – FILLED

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Sorry, this job has been filled. Browse more great jobs here.

Job Title
Customer Service Rep

Company/Organization
Velotech, Inc

Job Description
omer Service Rep

This position is responsible for responding to customer phone calls, emails, and for working directly with customers in our store. Customer Service Representatives provide product information, advice and order assistance. Qualified CS Reps also review orders and price match requests and assist with site content, including product reviews, photos and descriptions.

Sales & Support candidate must:
● Answer product questions & assist with the order process
● Have excellent communication and organizational skills
● Analyze customer questions, troubleshoot, and provide clear answers in an efficient and professional manner
● Help develop trust and loyalty with consumers and build value in our brands
● Be comfortable in a high volume, fast-paced environment
● Demonstrate knowledge of cycling products and the ability to help customers of all levels of experience
● Comfortably navigate a sophisticated order processing system
● Work with Marketing to assist with customer-facing content, including site maintenance, product images and descriptions
● Coordinate with Returns to assist customers with returns and exchanges
● Assist walk-in customers with product questions and purchases
● Retrieve products from the warehouse to assist walk-in customers
● Increase sales by genuinely helping customers learn about additional/alternative product options
● Maintain a professional demeanor with all customers
● Be willing to talk about bicycles all day (even the kind you don’t like, if there’s a kind out there you don’t like)

The position requires basic computer skills and a strong knowledge of cycling. Previous customer service experience is a plus, as is sales, service and mechanical experience in the cycling industry.

How to Apply
To apply please send your resume and cover letter to Jobs@velotech.com

BTA announces 2014 Alice Award winners and ‘People’s Choice’ finalists

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The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) has announced this year’s crop of Alice Award winners. The awards, which debuted in 1995, are meant to put a spotlight on people and organizations “who have worked to make bicycling better in Oregon.” And new this year are a crop of ‘People’s Choice’ candidates that will be chosen online via the BTA’s Facebook page.

The Alice Award winners are: Kristin Dahl, Jenna Stanke, and the Regence Bike Commute Team. This year’s Emerging Leader Award goes to Briana Orr and the Bud Clark Lifetime Achievement Award has been given to Mike Cosgrove. According to the BTA each winner has, ” truly made an investment here in Oregon for healthier communities, for economic development, and for making Oregon a better place to live and ride.” (The theme of this year’s Alice Awards are “Investing in the Movement.”)

The People’s Choice Award will got to one of these three businesses: Hopworks Urban Brewery, New Relic, or VeloCult Bike Shop & Tavern.

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black/silver Focus AX 2 2011

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Year: 2011
Brand: Focus
Model: AX 2
Color:black/silver
Size:58cm
Serial:243811005
Photo: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgrefurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikesatbrighton.com.au%2FBikes_at_Brighton%2F2011_Focus_Recreational_Bikes.html&tbnid=ztrd0ohxaZvz4M:&docid=-79laMTDrtT1wM&h=700&w=1167
Stolen in Portland, OR 97211
Stolen:2012-04-07
Stolen From: cross street: Next to house, behind locked gates… NE 30th and Alberta
Neighborhood: Concordia
Owner: Mac Henry
OwnerEmail: studio.b3@gmail.com
Reward: yes
Description: black/white/gray 2011 Focus AX 2, carbon fork, gray bar tape, shimano xtr pedals, 105 group
Police record with: Portland PD-online
Police reference#: T14003249
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike