17 May 2016 Archives

Ted Wheeler is Portland’s next mayor; new local gas tax will improve streets

Ted Wheeler crosses Tilikum Crossing during Sunday Parkways in September 2015.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland

Portland’s next mayor is a Multnomah County commissioner turned state treasurer who embraced protected bike lanes and more neighborhood greenway traffic diverters from almost the start of his run for office.

Ted Wheeler was drawing 58 percent of Portland’s primary vote Tuesday night, easily defeating opponents Jules Bailey and Sarah Iannarone, among others.

Wheeler also set himself apart on transportation issues by endorsing a local gas tax to improve Portland streets on the day he announced his campaign — a position that rapidly became conventional wisdom among local politicians and won a narrow victory Tuesday night.

Bike commuter Jim Parsons in Washington County.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

The Portland metro area seems to have already discovered how to slow the growth of traffic congestion, the city’s bicycle planning coordinator said Friday. But it’s not investing in it very quickly.

Between 2000 and 2014, the three Oregon counties in the metro area added 122,000 new commuters. And inside the Metro urban growth boundary, less than half of that net growth came from people driving alone in cars.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

It will close tomorrow. But by the end of summer it should be much-improved.(Graphic: Portland Parks & Recreation) — It will close tomorrow. But by the end of summer it should be much-improved.
(Graphic: Portland Parks & Recreation)

We’ve got some bad news and some good news.

The bad news is that tomorrow (Wednesday, May 18th) the Portland Parks & Recreation bureau will close a key path in Washington Park: the entrance to the park off W Burnside and NW 24th place. It might seem like a little path that isn’t important in our transportation network, but a fair number of people rely on this path as a connection between the west side and downtown Portland. Thankfully the closure will only last one day.

The original notice from PP&R didn’t include anything about a detour, but in a follow-up email here’s what they suggested: Use NW 23rd to Vista Ave, then to Park Ave into Washington Park.

I’ve had 3 instances in the past month of drivers on NW Lovejoy between 23rd and 25th passing me (on bike) with a line of cars in front of me waiting on a light or stop sign. What gives? Is it the yellow dashes in the road where there should be a double-yellow line? Maybe there shouldn’t be a line at all.

In other parts of town, I’ve noticed that cars don’t often pass a bike that is moving at 20 MPH, however in NW Portland, cars seem to want to pass me no matter what speed I am travelling. Maybe this is part of the reason why biking in NW is much less popular than we would expect.

Why am I riding here? well the NW Marshall bike route ends at NW 22nd so anyone wanting to continue towards the west hills on Cornell Road would need to end up on Lovejoy eventually.

Bikes on TV shows and the endless possibilities of cities

A scene from Episode 2 of "Girls" on HBO. — A scene from Episode 2 of “Girls” on HBO.

This post is by our “Gal by Bike” columnist Kate Laudermilk. She previously wrote about how she’s been influenced by Portland’s silly group rides.

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There’s something noteworthy going on in movies and television lately — especially those taking place in New York City. There’s a theme that, while seldom discussed, speaks volumes: Bikes.

They can be found lurking in frame after frame of shows like “Girls“, “Broad City”, and movies like “Francis Ha”. Much like the iconic bike next to Jerry Seinfeld’s bathroom or the cruiser tucked away in Carrie Bradshaw’s hallway — but in a new New York City — one built by Janette Sadik-Kahn.

The Oregon Department of Transportation is hosting an interesting event. They’re asking people to ride a bicycle (or walk) through a work zone to see what it’s like first-hand.

The event happens tomorrow (May 18th) in front of ODOT’s headquarters in Salem where the agency has set up a temporary work zone to demonstrate how their crews are using new materials to ensure safe passage by people using feet and bikes. The event is part of the state’s Transportation Safety Month and it’s being done to help kickoff the summer road construction season.

“Have you ever ridden a bike through a work zone? Sound daunting? How does ODOT protect bicyclists and pedestrians in work zones?” reads an ODOT media advisory about the event. “Come find out! Bring your GoPros! Show the unusual perspective of riding through a work zone on two wheels.” (Love how they assume biking through a work zone is “unusual”.)

According to ODOT someone crashes in a work zone every 19 hours in Oregon (about 477 a year) and about seven people die in those crashes annually. Statistically, the most common cause of work zone crashes are people simply not paying attention and driving too fast for conditions.

Ted Wheeler is Portland’s next mayor; new local gas tax will improve streets

Even in suburban Oregon, drive-alone trips are a shrinking share of new commutes

Washington Park path at Burnside and NW 24th to close for improvements

Problems riding on NW Lovejoy between 23rd-25th

Bikes on TV shows and the endless possibilities of cities

ODOT hosts event to highlight bicycle access through work zones

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From the Archives

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