(Graphic: PBOT)
One of our beloved cycling culture quirks around here is that our transportation bureau adds creative flair to bike lane symbols. It’s been going on since 1999 and the fact that it has survived as an official tradition for this long is a testament to the City of Portland.
It’s gone from being something that started organically at the maintenance bureau to becoming much more official. Case in point is a press release just sent out about an event tomorrow where a member of the Portland Timbers Major League Soccer team will help PBOT crews install a soccer-themed character on SW Naito Parkway.
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According to PBOT, striping crews will be joined by former player and current Director of Business Development Jack Jewsbury to install the art. PBOT has unveiled a bike lane character for the Timbers and for the women’s team, the Portland Thorns.
“The bike lane art celebrates the two beloved teams and also recognizes the large number of Timbers and Thorns fans who bicycle,” PBOT says.
This isn’t the first time PBOT has commemorated a sports team in our bike lanes. You might recall the one in honor of Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota or the one that memorializes former Trail Blazers great Jerome Kersey that’s outside the Moda Center. And of course who could forget when they did ones to honor music legends David Bowie and Prince.
Roll over to Naito and Ankeny tomorrow around 2:30 pm if you want to see this latest bike lane character get installed.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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These look awesome!
if this is now more “official” are they now doing this on work time ? if so could they perhaps see fit to respond to the numerous requests for street sweeping on the bike lanes, ie on the ‘bike route need maintenance” form found on their website, or does anyone know of a better way.
so annoyingly precious. if they have time/money to waste on such cuteness–how about spending that elsewhere on bikelane lines that actually need repainting????
Portland, you do the most to do the least. great job.