2015 Archives

Looking beyond city core, Better Block PDX wants your ideas for 2016

Naito Parkway last summer.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

The volunteer organizers of Portland’s three-year-old team of street rethinkers say they’re in the “off season” but getting ready to scale up.

Better Block PDX is the group behind a much-praised temporary redesign of NW/SW 3rd Avenue that led to rapid installation of crosswalks and a buffered bike lane and (more recently) a two-week test of walking and biking lanes on SW Naito Parkway that has some in the city talking about permanent changes.

They’re about to begin considering temporary street demos for 2016, and plan to hold a public meeting this February to start the selection process.

Leroy Parsons on a video monitor
during a hearing last month.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

A ruling yesterday by a Multnomah County judge marks a turning point in Portland’s ongoing battle against bike thieves.

Leroy Parsons, a prolific criminal and Portland’s most brazen bike thief, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. That’s the longest sentence ever handed down for bike theft according to Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Jim Hayden. Hayden and his team also convinced the judge to give Parsons a five-year probation period, much longer than sentencing guidelines dictate.

The sentence was the result of years of hard work by downtown bike patrol officers and it marks a significant change in how the DA’s office handles bike theft cases. It’s also a big win for Portland’s Bike Theft Task Force.

I spoke with DA Hayden on the phone this morning to understand more about why this case matters.

Crossing Tilikum.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Two months ago, we made an unfortunate error: We ran a post observing that the new Tilikum Crossing was simultaneously boosting bike traffic and reducing bike congestion on the Hawthorne Bridge sidewalks.

Trouble was, the source of our data — the Hawthorne Bridge’s automated bike counter — had been malfunctioning, so the findings were bogus.

Now the better data has arrived … and it shows pretty much the same thing that the fake data had seemed to.

52nd Avenue as of this morning.
(Photos by Benn Schonman)

With record rains and wind, Portland road users have had a lot to worry about recently. Now a popular bikeway is impacted by a maintenance project that’s expected to last two weeks.

The Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) announced late Friday night that they’re starting a pavement preservation project on SE 52nd Avenue from Woodstock to Steele (about 0.4 miles). The project started this morning and is expected to last through January 4th.

According to PBOT the street will be an active work zone from 7:00 am to 5:00 pm each word day.

This section of 52nd Avenue is a popular bike route that’s part of the 50s Bikeway that opened in the summer of 2014.

While the road won’t be completely closed, PBOT says to expect a rough road surface. And keep in mind that lane striping has been torn up. “People riding bicycles should avoid the work zone, and either use alternate routes, open travel lanes or sidewalks,” PBOT says.

BikePortland reader Benn Schonman rolled up on the project this morning. He sent in some photos and offered this report:

“SE 52nd between Woodstock and Ramona are really chewed-up for repaving… lots & lots on gravel in bike path as well as all over both sides of road….no crew on site @ 10am.”

— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org

Bike parking review: Planet Granite in the Pearl District

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Bikes parked outside Planet Granite on NW 14th and Pettygrove.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

I have a thing for bike parking.

Chicago’s new Washington Street.
(Image: CDOT)

This week’s Monday Roundup is sponsored by Holly Go Bikely, handcrafted, bike-inspired jewelry made right here in Portland.

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

Chicago buses: The city’s new downtown bus-only lanes, which include some protected bike lanes too, are opening this week.

Car seats: They aren’t tested at more than 35 miles per hour, but medical workers never insist that you to avoid freeway driving with your infant.

12196311_636318903174507_9195926065097983805_n

Small is the new big when it comes to bike shops in Portland. Over the past few years we’ve seen a clear trend in what type of shops are opening up. They are small and service-oriented, tucked away in places that often only a loyal stable of local customers know about.

In the past few months three new small bike shops have opened up in Portland. Here’s what you need to know about each one of them…

Tuite Bicycle Repair – 2234 N Lombard (Google Map)

Tommy Tuite opened up his shop back in September. With over 10 years of experience at local stalwarts like Veloshop (now Portland Bicycle Studio), Western Bikeworks, and Velotech.com, Tuite offers a little something for everyone. He and his (growing) family live just a few blocks from the store, so it’s truly a neighborhood place where you’re certain to feel welcome. “We aim to add a positive space for the community to discover bicycles for racing, health and transportation,” Tommy said in an email to us a few months back.

If you haven’t read Jonathan’s haunting, exclusive report that Martin Greenough seems to have been killed on his very first bike commute, two weeks after moving to Portland, it’s not one to miss.

Part of the story is that the city’s official bike map inaccurately suggests that Lombard is a fine place to bike. But as BikePortland reader El Biciclero pointed out in a must-read response, the problem here is not really with the map.

The problem is that the only way to bike around Portland without near-death experiences is to use a map.

Built in 1927, illegal to build today.
(Photo: M.Andersen/BikePortland)

Whether you hate demolitions, love garages, yearn to live in a duplex or just think the rent is too damn high, now’s your chance to let the city know.

All this year, the Real Estate Beat has been writing about the ways that Portland could increase the supply of homes in its bikeable areas without totally transforming its understandably beloved residential neighborhoods.

In March, we shared local microdeveloper Eli Spevak’s prescription for affordable infill, which drew praise from neighborhood association organizers. In April, we explored one of those ideas: charging lower development fees for smaller homes. In June, we looked at 11 medium-density buildings built before Portland’s 1959 zoning reform and asked why they should be illegal.

Kraig Buesch, Starbucks manager and downtown
retail committee chair.
(Image: City of Portland)

As the Portland City Council debates whether to raise downtown street parking meter prices from $1.60 an hour to $2 and allow paid hours to extend into early evening, there’s been a lot of talk about the costs to a very specific category of person: a low-wage downtown worker who drives to work.

At the council Thursday, Commissioner Amanda Fritz said she was worried about downtown commuters who “have to park there because they can’t get to their job on transit at 5 o’clock in the morning or whatever it might be.”

Those concerns have drawn criticism from others who say, based on Census data and a city-conducted survey, that preserving cheap or free parking downtown would help almost no poor people, because virtually no low-income downtown workers arrive by car.

This menu of delicious rides and events is brought to you by our friends at Hopworks Urban Brewery. Their support makes BikePortland possible.

If you weren’t in the holiday spirit before this weekend, you pretty much don’t have any choice now. We’ve got several fun and spirited rides that will have you embracing the yuletide cheer with each pedal stroke. Just don’t forget your rain gear!

Friday, December 18th

Dropout Bike Club Monthly Ride – 9:00 pm at Colonel Summers Park (SE Belmont & 20th)
Join your friendly local freak bike club for a romp through the city on cool homemade contraptions. Get ready to party and have fun! More info here.

Put on by Livable Streets Action, an affiliate group of BikeLoudPDX. This vigil was held to remember the 409 people who have died on Oregon roads so far in 2015... and particularly Martin Greenough, who was killed five days ago while biking on NE Lombard.

The vigil was staged in front of ODOT’s Region 1 headquarters on NW Flanders street in downtown Portland.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Over two dozen people stood outside the headquarters of the Oregon Department of Transportation in downtown Portland on Thursday night. As rain pelted their jackets and umbrellas, a collection of activists and friends and families of people that have died while using Oregon roads demanded actions to improve safety.

The event was organized by Livable Streets Action, an affiliate group of BikeLoudPDX.

Looking beyond city core, Better Block PDX wants your ideas for 2016

Portland’s most wanted bike thief gets unprecedented prison sentence

Tilikum Crossing already seems to be boosting bike traffic (for real this time)

Paving project adds gravel, bumps and closures to 50s Bikeway route

Bike parking review: Planet Granite in the Pearl District

The Monday Roundup: Chicago’s Loop links up, car seat problems and more

Three new Portland bike shops so small you might have missed them

Comment of the Week: A map should not be an important safety tool

Advocate! Tell the city how to change residential infill rules

Starbucks manager backs parking meter hike, says all his workers bike or walk

Weekend Event Guide: Holiday spirit edition

Friday, December 18th

Vigil at ODOT headquarters draws attention to 409 deaths this year

Latest Headlines

PBOT will upgrade, expand enforcement camera program with new supplier and operator

Monday Roundup: E-bikes at war, individual responsibility, Helsinki’s triumph, and more

Police to PBOT: Remove traffic diverters in the name of public safety

Recap and Photo Gallery: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly ride

From the Archives

What five people say about living outside along the Springwater path