The City of Portland’s Bureau of Transportation issued a traffic advisory for a big event coming to the Rose Quarter tomorrow: a rally for presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders.
The rally is expected to draw thousands of people and the city is warning people to avoid the area entirely between 7:00 am and 3:00 pm. That is, unless you’re showing up to rally for Bernie. And if you do that, PBOT is encouraging everyone to walk, bike, or take transit.
Oh and don’t forget, the main deck of the Broadway Bridge is currently closed to all vehicles until next month. Just the biking and walking path on the north side is open.
Given that buses share the road with cars and light rail is likely to fill up quickly, our advice is to walk or bike if you can. Given what we know about the political leanings of Portlanders who love to bike, we have a hunch a lot of local Bernie supporters will get to the rally on two wheels.
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And if you’re worried that you won’t find a good bike rack near the Moda Center, PBOT says “Additional bike parking will be made available by the Rose Quarter for attendees.”
If past political rallies are any indication of what to expect, the place will be packed with bikes. Remember the historic Obama rally in Waterfront Park where an estimated 75,000 people showed up?
Doors open at 9:45 am and the rally is set to begin at 12:45 pm. It’s free and tickets are given out on a first-come, first-served basis. For more info check out BernieSanders.com.
If you go, remember that they won’t let you in with your bike bags and/or panniers. Also keep an eye out for Michael and/or myself. I’ll be shooting photos and chatting with folks who arrive by bike.
— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org
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I’d never seen so many bikes in one place as at the Nader rally at Memorial Coliseum in 2000.
Thanks for the warning. I might just join the crowd to help fight off the Trump protesters that go out and disrupt everyone else.
During the Obama rally in 2008, my wife and I were returning from the Oregon Coast. As we drove over the Marquam Bridge we saw 75,000 people crowded into Waterfront Park. We drove downtown across the Hawthorne Bridge and into the first Smart Park. It was half empty. I couldn’t believe the number of bikes locked 5 deep on every handrail and on every piece of furniture in the park. Apparently everybody avoided driving that day.
Smorgasbord for bike thieves?
I wandered all over the place and could not find any of that bike parking the city of Portland said they would install. People were locking up bike illegally to railings and benches. On the way out I spoke to other people who left because the could not find bike parking.
Sanders raises millions a day from his true believers, the campaign should supply the parking, not the PBOT. Send your complaints to Bernie…..
Well they didn’t do it. It is the campaign that is ultimately responsible. They either do it or pay to have it done. That is how political campaigns work….
I don’t think there will be another candidate in my lifetime who could potentially do more for transit and bicycling.
Except they didn’t think about bike parking for their own event….
Well that’s just a smart idea.
I was one of those who left. Besides limited parking, what was I to do with my panniers I was told I couldn’t bring in?
Are you on tour? How much stuff could you possibly need to bring to this?
This thread is sounding like O’Live with overgeneralization and negativity.
“Other people never do enough to accommodate me.” The gist of what I’m reading these days.