(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
In case you haven’t heard, the Portland Trail Blazers are one of the hottest teams in the NBA. After saying goodbye to four of their five starters in the off-season everyone had written this team off. But now they’re sitting comfortably close to the upper ecehelon of the Western Conference and are poised for a playoff run.
So how about getting some friends together and biking to a game? If that sounds like fun, Blazers Bike Night on April 6th would be the perfect time to do it. This season marks the 10th birthday of BikePortland’s involvement with the Trail Blazers. It all started in 2006 when a few dozen of us rode from the Lucky Lab on Southeast Hawthorne to the Rose Garden Arena (I still miss that old name) to root for the home team.
This year I’m happy to report that the Blazers have adopted the event as one of their own. That’s right: Blazer Bike Night is now an annual part of the Blazers schedule. In fact, our friends at the Blazers tell us that other NBA teams have taken note and are looking to do their own bike night events.
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Buy a ticket and you’ll get one.
Here in Portland, the Blazers organization has made Bike Night part of their “Sustainability Series Green Games” and the upcoming April 6th contest (against a very good Oklahoma City Thunder team) is their official transportation-themed night. This was our goal all along. To have the event become a larger part of the Blazers plans so that cycling — not just to the games (which isn’t an option for a lot of Blazer fans) but in general as a great way to get around — could get the publicity and attention it deserves.
You can become a part of this awesome cross-community event by grabbing a few tickets and joining us. Tickets start at just $20. Go to the special Bike Night website to find your tickets (make sure to enter promo code “BIKE” to get special pricing). Every ticket purchased comes with a custom reflective pinwheel logo sticker and enters you into a raffle for a helmet signed by Blazers’ team leader, up-and-coming rapper, and all-around good guy Damian Lillard.
Bicycles and basketball are the two loves of my life (besides family of course) and this partnership with the Blazers is very special. To everyone who has supported this event over the past 10 years… Thank you!
— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org
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Last year you offered to have a conversation with staff about the dangerous right-hook conditions that they create when flagger wave people across bike lanes into parking garages. I continue to have conflicts and frequently wonder if you have had a conversation with them and what they said. I cannot be only fan that feels alienated by this.
Totally agree, I’m a solid rider and feel very confident. However, going through the Rose Quarter before a Blazer game is terrifying. Those flaggers have put my life at risk many times. I don’t even go in the bike lane any longer and just take the far vehicle lane, and that’s typically just a zoo of distracted drivers…
I made the mistake of riding on Interstate right after a Blazers game ended. It was terrifying.
Hi Max and pdx2wheeler,
Thanks for reminding me about this. I have had a discussion with the facilities manager of the Moda Center. He talked with the flaggers about the issue… But I suspect that not every flagging employee has gotten the memo. I also suspect that it’ll take much more than one conversation to change this issue. It’s not just the right hooks into the garages. It’s a huge problem all over the area both before and after the game. I’ll try to work some channels but my impact will likely be limited. I suggest you contact PBOT about the issues via 823-SAFE or via their new online safety request form. This issue is larger than I can fix at the moment. Wish I had a better answer for you.
Thanks Jonathan. I realize that you cannot simply fix this, but I think this will be taken more seriously coming from you and hearing that it is not just one lone biker who is affected. For what it is worth, I have called the City, but I find them completely unresponsive on all issues. I also contacted some Rose Quarter staff. I had a few constructive-seeming conversations, but nothing has changed. At this point, I am beginning to hope they have a losing streak so fewer people drive in to see the games!
At least I’ll give them credit for fixing the broken sidewalks.
The other right hook that needs to be fixed belongs to Noah Vonleh.
Sounds fun! When is Timbers Bike Night? 😉
That’s an awesome idea! Could be tricky to get a large block of tickets though.
True. A bunch of Timbers Army tickets could work, but we’d have to get there early or sit in 200 level.
why u gotta’ hijack my post? kidding. Thanks for the comments. Seriously though.. FWIW this is about the Blazers! Timbers are fun and great and all… But the Moda Center is where we need to raise the profile of cycling. One of the main reasons for this event is to cross-polinate cultures… and Timbers culture doesn’t need much cross-pollination with cycling. Most everyone at Timbers games walks, rides, or takes transit already.
Good point! Maybe a Timbers match would be better served by a #bikingtobeers event instead.
Totally agree that the Rose Quarter area needs better bike infra. Do they set up temporary bike parking like they do at Providence Park?
No. The Moda Center doesn’t set up an extra bike parking for regular games… for two reasons: 1) they already have a big bike parking area and 2) not nearly as many people bike to Blazers as bike to Timbers.
That being said, we have worked with Bikeracker in the past to offer more bike parking during Blazer Bike Night events.
Every match.
The biggest problem ( or challenge) at Blazer games is that a lot of people who arn’t used to urban driving or walking conditions roll in to the Moda Center from the Hinterlands. I find myself waiting at the Broadway and Ross Streetcar stop before most Blazer games and it is terrifying watching fans fresh in from the suburbs cross Broadway on foot. So the crazy driving such as right hooks, etc is par for the course. Not sure there is much we can do except turn the parking garages in to urban houseing and force Blazer fans to walk, bike or ride mass transit like Timbers Fans.
bikeninja,
the Blazers pay flagger to stand on the roadside with orange vest one and light flashlights to wave people into the parking garages. They can see the bikes coming and could be trained to tell people turning to stop when it is unsafe and proceed when it is safe. The City could also get out there and bust people for blocking intersections and roadways, not signalling turns, not head-checking. driving while distracted, driving drunk (esp. after games), etc.
I cycled down to a Blazers playoff game last season and it was so ridiculously fun and easy compared to driving that I was giggling all the way.
“Comfortably close to the upper echelon”? More like “better than even chance to make the playoffs but would have to have some insane luck to crack the top four”. But I get your point, Jonathan. This team is just more fun to watch than the previous bunch, mostly because of the wide open style they play, and the way they click as a team. I’m going to say I’d rather watch Damian play than Steph Curry, because it feels like it means more to him. I’d love to get a couple of these guys on bikes in the off-season, which I hope starts as late as possible for them.
Ugh. Last night proved me right. The Blazers are not quite there yet. But I still love them and will get my ticket for the game!