(Photo: Daniel Gebhart)
When big things happen, good or bad, many Portlanders turn to the community for support. And since cycling is such a powerful and common way to connect with other people and with the city around us — group rides become an organizing principle.
Whether it’s for a bike-related cause or not, Portlanders ride together as a way to process emotions, support each other, and inspire change.
This Saturday there are two rides that perfectly exemplify this phenomenon: the 82nd Avenue of Death Ride, and the Immigration Ride.
The 82nd Avene of Death Ride (5:00 pm at Woodstock City Park) is being organized by BikeLoud PDX, a grassroots, all-volunteer group that’s pushing for safer bikeways throughout the city. The name is a play on the street’s actual name: 82nd Avenue of the Roses. BikeLoud and many other Portlanders are angered by the death last Saturday of Lydia Johnson, who was killed when the driver of a truck collided with her at the intersection of 82nd and Flavel.
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“Too many people have been killed or injured on this ‘Avenue of Death,’ BikeLoud wrote in a description of the ride. “This Saturday, we will ride and walk in the street to protest ODOT and the City of Portland’s failure to make SE 82nd (and other high crash corridors) safe for people.”
BikeLoud is encouraging people to bring signs and “justified rage” at what they say is the state and city’s failure to keep citizens safe.
After the protest ride, get ready to celebrate cultural diversity on the Immigration Ride (7:00 pm at Fubonn Shopping Center, 2850 SE 82nd Ave). Organized by Portland resident and BikePortland guest contributor Taz Loomans, the ride will aim to counter the “anti-immigration and nativist sentiment” in America and around the world due to the political campaign of Donald Trump and the Brexit vote.
— Jonathan Maus, (503) 706-8804 – jonathan@bikeportland.org
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