Month: February 2017

Gravel update: Progress in places and broom-wielding heroes

Progress!
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

How are things looking out there on the bike lanes you use the most?

Since our post last week there’s been big progress on some key bikeways we’ve been watching and I’m curious how the clean-up is going for you.

In particular, and since we helped make such a big deal out of it to begin with, I want to share the progress on Highway 30 and the St. Johns Bridge.

Sweeping has happened on the bridge sidewalk. It’s not perfectly clean; but it’s a vast improvement. I got some video the day it was swept (2/17):

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Weekend Event Guide: Adventures galore, advocacy, architecture, and more

Check out the Baja Divide slideshow and storytelling sesh from Limberlost tomorrow.

The weekend is right around the corner and we’ve got some great ride and event ideas to tempt you with. But before we get to them…

Have you noticed our events calendar yet? It gets better every day and in our biased opinion it has become the most comprehensive bicycling and transportation advocacy calendar in Oregon. We listed over 70 events this month alone (and it’s only February!). It features a wide array of events — from advocacy meetings and town halls, to weekly group rides and special events.

It’s easy to keep up with all the events: you can read this weekly event guide; check out the calendar pages in monthly, weekly, or daily views; and if you follow @bikeportland on Twitter you’ll get an update each morning with a link to7 the day’s events. If you want to help keep this resource strong, please support us via a financial contribution, subscribe or become a business partner (we offer weekly sponsorship of this Weekend Event Guide, and a whole lot more).

OK, now let’s get to the events this weekend…

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PBOT’s ‘Patch-a-thon’ promises pothole relief

Double-whammy. A pothole on N Willamette deposits gravel into the bike lane.
(Photo: @Dcay via Twitter)

As if the snow and ice and gravel wasn’t enough — now we are dealing with the scourge of potholes.

Potholes are nothing new, but this winter’s storm has created an alarming amount of new ones. They’re everywhere! Old ones are bigger and more treacherous, while new ones creep up where and when you’re not expecting them. For people using a car, a pothole can damage your wheels and rims. But for people on a bike the risk is greater. In addition to equipment damage, potholes can lead to crashes and injuries.

Today the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) announced what we hope will be a salve for our wounded streets: “Patch-a-thon” is the city’s new initiative that will aim to attack potholes with more maintenance crews. Here’s more from the official statement:

“Starting tomorrow, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will launch Patch-a-thon, a new initiative to fill the numerous potholes caused by this season’s many winter storms.

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Industry Ticker: New ‘Atlas’ jacket from Showers Pass; Islabikes launches ‘cross tires for adults

New offerings from Portland-based Islabikes and Showerspass.

We love seeing local bike companies expand their product lines. It demonstrates that our bike economy is strong and that the spirit of innovation from our local bikey brain trust is alive and well.

Today we’ve got words and pictures of two new products now available from two Portland companies: Showers Pass and Islabikes USA.

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Get hip to the STIP: ODOT needs your input on next batch of projects in our region

ODOT map of “STIP” projects in the hopper for the Portland area.

The Oregon Department of Transportation needs your comments on the 2018-2021 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) — a list of capital projects the agency will move forward with over the next four years. There are 170 projects currently on the list and 70 of them are in Multnomah County.

ODOT estimates they’ll have about $32.5 million to spend in Region 1. Before the shovels start turning, you can still influence the details of these projects and ODOT makes commenting very easy.

What do I mean by influencing details of projects? Here’s an example: One of the projects will spend $3.3 million on “safety improvements” on the northbound and southbound I-205 exit ramps at SE Division Street. ODOT will make “lane adjustments”, widen the ramps, adjust signal timing, add new signage, and so on. Given that Division has relatively well-used bike lanes in this location that connect directly to the I-205 path, are there elements of this project that could improve bike safety? Do you think ODOT planners are thinking about how bike cross-traffic might be improved with this project? If you ride that section of Division, you can share your concerns and insights directly on this project at the ODOT STIP website.

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Here are the Oregon House bills we’re following this session (Part 2 of 2)

Legislator bike ride at the Oregon Bike Summit-1

(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

The 2017 Oregon Legislative Session is well underway and we’re following as many bills as humanly possible (in a one-person newsroom).

Out of the thousands of bills swirling around the halls and meeting rooms of the state capitol building in Salem, there are few of particular importance to transportation reform advocates. Last week we shared the Senate bills we’re following and below are the House bills we’ve got an eye on…

House Bill 2355

Summary: “Directs Oregon Criminal Justice Commission to develop method for recording data concerning officer-initiated pedestrian and traffic stops” (Official overview)

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Guest article: Why I perservere on the west side’s mean streets

Ride Along with Ali Reis-36

(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

[Note: This article is by BikePortland subscriber and Beaverton resident Naomi Fast. Naomi’s perspective is formed in part by the fact that she doesn’t own a car and she’s lived and worked in both Portland and Beaverton.]

In my first subscriber post, I wrote about Beaverton, where I moved in 2013 after a decade in Portland. It occurs to me a few people might wonder how I live without a car in the suburbs. Sometimes it’s not easy! But living without a car is not all that rare, and bike commuting infrastructure is becoming a more vocal priority as Washington County looks to the future.

But challenges in the here-and-now are plentiful, and sometimes I feel frustrated.

For example: Recently, I was riding in dangerous gravel in the SW Murray Blvd bike lane near the Nike Woods, and had to move into the main traffic lane at times to avoid skidding. At the red light, a woman holding her phone in one hand, deep in conversation, drove up on my left. I motioned her to roll down her window. I let her know I was needing to take the lane at times, so please keep an eye out for me! She said she’d drive more to her left to give me room, so that was nice.

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Steering committee members sought for Post Office redevelopment/Broadway Corridor project

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

With the city’s purchase of the US Post Office block (west end of Broadway Bridge), the potentials for better bikeway connections are obvious and vast. The Portland Development Commission is leading the redevelopment project and they need members for a steering committee. If you’re interested, check out the info below…

Dear Community Partner,

The Portland Development Commission (PDC) is seeking members for a Steering Committee to guide redevelopment of the Broadway Corridor.

Broadway Corridor Development Opportunity:

Redevelopment of the Broadway Corridor is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to add to Portland’s economy and vitality and to deliver community benefits. The Corridor includes the 14-acre United States Postal Service distribution facility which will relocate next year, Union Station, and several other publicly owned properties. PDC is pursuing planning and redevelopment of the Broadway Corridor with an intentional focus on ensuring all communities have an opportunity to engage in and benefit from its redevelopment. As such, PDC is seeking a diverse mix of community leaders to serve on the Steering Committee and represent a broad range of topic areas.

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The Monday Roundup: Lego hair helmet, riding against the wind, L.A.’s next ‘great street’, and more

This week’s Monday Roundup is sponsored by no one. Please contact our sales manager if you’d like to promote your organization or event in this space.

Welcome to Monday.

Here are the most noteworthy links and tidbits that came across our desks last week…

LA’s next “Great Street”: What was standing in the way of the City of Los Angeles’ exciting vision for updating Venice Blvd from car-centric thoroughfare to a modern, world-class street? It used to be owned by their state DOT. Now in City control, the project can begin. (Sound familiar?)

Thanks, Trump: The United States House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee’s new director of outreach and coalitions is the former director of federal relations for the American Petroleum Institute.

Now what? The numbers are in. And just as we suspected, road deaths have taken a striking spike in the U.S. Now the question is: What are we going to do about it?

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Job: Shipping Specialist – Velotech

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title *
Shipping Specialist

Company/Organization *
Velotech

Job Description *
Velotech, Inc. is looking for a detail oriented shipping specialist to join our fast paced and fast growing operation. This person will be expected to pick, pack, and ship customer orders and receive incoming shipments in a timely manner. Additionally
there will be many random tasks that will assist in warehouse operation.

* Must be able to lift 50lbs
* Must be comfortable with ladders
* Basic knowledge of cycling components preferred
* Enthusiasm for cycling
* Full-time
* Great benefits and vacation package

Velotech, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship, pregnancy or veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

How to Apply *
Please apply by clicking on link below:

https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/index.php?/job/apply&clientkey=4C6D7027145254251F7D24DAA9BDF3F7&job=4367&jpt=

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