This guy has the right idea.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)
It’s coming. A collective flip-out has begun because several days of triple-digit temperatures are about to hit Portland.
Month: July 2017
The Monday Roundup: Tech, why words matter, a $35,000 python-wrapped bike, and more
This week’s Monday Roundup is made possible by Treo Bike Tours, who reminds you to reserve a spot for their upcoming (August 25-27) three-day ‘Journey Through Time’ riding experience.
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Welcome to the week. Everyone’s talking about the heat wave headed our way. Hope you can keep riding through it. Stay tuned for some tips and tricks to stay cool on the bike.
Before we get to last week’s best stories, remember to follow us on Facebook if you don’t already. We’ll be sharing more content there in the future.
Here are the best articles we came across last week…
NYC’s bike boom: What do you get when you combine the biggest bike share system in the U.S., a dense urban form, an aggressive DOT, and the nation’s best transportation reform advocates? More than 450,000 daily bike trips — and all the other immeasurablly positive benefits that come with them.
Hidden housing cost: The title of this piece says it all: “If you’re renting a US city apartment without a car, 16% of your rent pays for parking you don’t need.”
Bike tech and AVs: Researchers think bicycles need to feed data to autonomous vehicles (AVs) in order to prevent the future robocars from inadvertently running over bicycle users.
Job: Bike Tour Guide – Cycle Portland
Job Title *
Bike Tour Guide
Company/Organization *
Cycle Portland
Job Description *
We’re looking for individuals that love biking, exploring, and sharing our wonderful city with visitors from across the world. Cycle Portland is Portland’s oldest bike tour & rental company providing sightseeing tours, rentals, and repair at our full service shop in historic Old Town/China Town. Most tours last around 2-3 hours and the pace is about 10mph. Here you’ll flow between providing engaging and insightful tours and helping renters and locals with in shop bike services.
The Tour Guide/Shop Hand we’re looking for has:
Excellent public speaking skills with a genuine desire to work with the public and comfortability with large groups
Strong verbal and written communication abilities
A strong sense of craftsmanship
The itch to grow and learn about Portland, its past, present, and its future
A drive for a mix between fast paced summers, and mellow project oriented winters.
Eagerness to work with a bike shop values a fun, supportive, and inclusive work environment.
Requirements:
Candidate must be available to work at least 20 hours/wk starting.
Must be able to work weekends
Previous guide and shop experience is useful, but is not required.
Must be able to lift and maneuver heavy objects up to 55 pounds.
Compensation:
Position is part-time and seasonal with the potential of full time permanent work for qualified applicants. Pay starts at 13/hr with the potential to move up after a 30 day review.
How to Apply *
Interested candidates should send an email to portlandbicycle@gmail.com with a resume and a paragraph or two stating your interest in this position, and why you would like to work with us. Thank you.
Flashback Friday: Here’s what we were talking about in July 2007
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)
This is the first attempt at new thing I’ll be doing on Fridays: A look back into the BikePortland archives to see where we’ve been and how we have — or haven’t — changed.
It’s no coincidence that this also happens to be the 12th birthday of BikePortland. On this date in 2005 I bought the domain name, plugged in a free WordPress theme, and never looked back.
Actually, I have looked back. A few times. Luckily I never gave in to the temptation to give up. It hasn’t been easy surviving this long. But I’m very glad to still be here. I love this job more than ever and I’m committed to making this thing a true success once and for all (I’ll save what I mean by “true success” for another day). I think being around so long (relatively-speaking, for a blogger) gives me a greater appreciation for the value of longevity both to me personally and to the community-at-large. There’s a history of this place and its relationship to cycling that lives inside my head and on these pages. I hold a lot of different threads and I relish every opportunity to weave them together and try to expand the scope of understanding and provide historical context for our current decisions.
Which brings me to the “Flashback Friday” idea.
With 21,700 Front Page stories published so far, the BikePortland archives are like a real-time account of biking in this city since April 2005 (which is when I started doing the “Bike Fun” blog on OregonLive.com and before I transferred all those posts to BikePortland.org). It’s probably safe to say that I care about these archives more than anyone else on earth. They’re full of past friends and acquaintances, heartache and hope, fun and frustration.
So let’s dive into this first edition. What were we talking about in July 2007?
As dockless bike share booms in Seattle, Portland stands pat (for now)
(Images: Spin Seattle)
Is there room for another bike share system in Portland?
A company called Spin that just launched in Seattle thinks so. Spin is a start-up fueled by venture capitalists and founded by Derrick Ko, a former product manager at Lyft who’s now Spin’s CEO.
Greeley Avenue protected bikeway delayed until spring 2018
A new, 10-foot wide, physically separated bike path is coming to this section of North Greeley; but not until next year.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus)
(Photo: Jonathan Maus)
Bicycle users will have to endure stressful and dangerous conditions on North Greeley Avenue for another year because the City’s plans for a physically protected bike lane have been delayed.
Back in February we reported that the Bureau of Transportation planned to update this stretch of Greeley between Going and Interstate by adding a 10-foot wide, bi-directional path separated from motor vehicle traffic by a two-foot wide concrete barrier (see proposed cross-section below). The barrier is needed because a recent PBOT speed analysis showed the 25,000 motor vehicles on the road every day are driven at freeway speeds — about 56-59 miles per hour on average.
Greeley makes an important connection between downtown and north Portland neighborhoods from Arbor Lodge to St. Johns.
Take a ‘journey through time’ on this 3-day eastern Oregon adventure
Fly down smooth and nearly empty roads as you cross the John Day River at Cottonwood Canyon State Park.
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)
Note: This post is part of a paid promotional partnership between BikePortland and Treo Bike Tours.
Imagine following in the tracks of Oregon Trail pioneers and ancient dinosaurs from the perfect perch of your bicycle. Now imagine doing it in a weekend with all-inclusive support from one of Oregon’s premier bike tour operators.
Treo Bike Tours has put together a “Journey Through Time” ride that departs from Portland on August 25th and they have a limited number of spaces available.
For $565, you’ll get an all-inclusive ride that includes, lodging, food and snacks, full ride support, and door-to-door shuttle service (via a fully-stocked bus with nice big windows) from Portland to the dream-worthy roads of eastern Oregon. I’m not just promoting this trip because Treo is paying me. I’ve done these rides and can vouch not only for the excellent routes and mind-blowing landscapes they roll through; but also for the world-class hospitality of Treo proprietors Phil and Cathy Carlson. To get a better sense of what to expect, check out the photos and reports I did from a trip on these same routes back in 2014.
ODOT STIP process begins – Learn more here
Press release below from ODOT:
Ready, set, go! The 2021-2024 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program cycle begins
Ready or not, the process for distributing money to transportation projects in the 2021-2024 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program begins now. Because projects in the STIP are funded with taxpayer dollars, we are making every effort to get input from Oregonians about how we spend these funds.
To accomplish this, we created a website to share information. Check it out at oregon.gov/ODOT/STIP.
On the website you can:
— Take a survey to provide input on funding priorities.
— Sign up for our STIP email list to get regular updates.
— Watch a new video to learn STIP fundamentals.
— Keep current by viewing videos and materials from the Oregon Transportation Commission meetings and read monthly STIP updates.We want your feedback on how to spend the money so we are providing opportunities to weigh in at key points in the process. Get involved early in the STIP process and stay involved to make a difference in the future of our transportation system!
Blumenauer will host public forum on transportation in east Portland
From safety upgrades on Division to funding for Powell Blvd, there’s a lot to talk about. (Pictured: Bike Loud PDX activist Jessica Engelman at a demonstration in December 2016.)
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
A week from today three politicians will come together to learn more about transportation issues facing east Portland. And there’s a lot to talk about.
On August 3rd, U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer, State Representative Janelle Bynum and Multnomah County Commissioner Jessica Vega-Pederson will be joined by staff from the Oregon Department of Transportation, TriMet, the Portland Bureau of Transportation and other organizations for a Public Forum on Transportation.
The event was spurred in part by a flurry of legislative and planning activity on two of east Portland’s most infamous and important arterials: Powell and Division. The passage of a new statewide transportation law earlier this month included $110 million in funding for outer SE Powell Boulevard and a mandate to transfer its management from the state to the city. Advocates with the East Portland Action Plan have already started organizing to make sure these funds are spent in accordance with the Outer Powell Conceptual Design Plan which calls for creation of an “urban main street” with separated bikeways throughout.
Job: Deputy Director – Metropolitan Transportation Planning – Metro
Job Title *
Deputy Director – Metropolitan Transportation Planning
Company/Organization *
Metro
Job Description *
Deadline to apply: August 16, 2017 @ 5:00 PM, PDT
Salary: $125,081.00 – $181,379.00 Annually
POSITION SUMMARY:
Metro’s Planning and Development department is the steward of the region’s 2040 Growth Concept, a vision for how our community can sustainably accommodate growth and change over the long term while retaining the quality of life, environmental protection, economic competitiveness, and opportunity for all that makes the Portland Metropolitan region a desirable place to live and work.
The department’s structure links together Metro’s unique suite of partnership, planning, and implementation tools and resources to provide an integrated approach to achieving the wide range of goals in the 2040 vision. Metro is responsible for partnering closely with local cities and counties to fulfill federal and state requirements for transportation and land use planning through our regional policies. These requirements include both the Metro charter-mandated implementation of state land use planning laws requiring review of our region’s Urban Growth Boundary as well as the federal requirements associated with serving as the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) for the region. In addition to the planning and policy work, we administer investment programs that provide local communities with resources to accomplish our shared policy and development objectives. As a result of our unique structure and integrated approach, the Portland region and Metro have accompl ished great results that make us a global leader in regional planning, governance, and innovation.
About the Position:
Across the country, MPOs are continuing to implement creative and innovative solutions to equitably address transportation needs. Metro is seeking a Deputy Director for Metropolitan Transportation Planning who is excited to help Metro continue to connect our region’s roads, bridges, transit systems, bike lanes, and sidewalks to educational, social, and other opportunities and have meaningful impact on traffic congestion, development patterns, air quality, public health, and how our region connects to larger national and global markets.
The Deputy Director will provide strategic and dynamic leadership and management for our MPO and related activities, and will work closely with the managers of this group to develop and oversee a solid framework to integrate the policy, funding, innovation, and operational elements of our extensive transportation planning work with the department’s work overall. This position will also serve as the department’s primary liaison to our key federal and state partners within multiple levels of USDOT, FHWA, FTA, and ODOT, as well as other Oregon MPOs and will work closely with these partners on matters of regulation, policy, performance, funding, reporting, research, and project development.
This position will also serve as a key leader and member of the Planning and Development department management team and will serve as backup to the Director as a member of the agency’s senior leadership team. In addition to the subject matter portfolio, the Deputy Director will assist the Director with department budgeting, reporting, strategic planning, and other management projects as appropriate. The Deputy Director will also collaborate closely with the management team in Metro’s Research Center and other Metro departments as needed. Maintaining a broad and diverse network of external relationships with other key public agency, community and business partners is also a fundamental element of the position. Additionally, the Deputy Director will interact regularly with the Metro Council and other local, regional, and state elected officials.
At Metro, we hire a workforce representative of the communities we serve, understanding that a diverse workforce strengthens our organization. We value diversity and support a positive and welcoming environment where all of our employees can thrive.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Work Experience and Education
• Seven to ten years of specialized experience or operational management in urban planning, regional planning, land use planning, transportation planning or a related field; including
• Three to five years of experience managing teams and people, budgets, contracts and legislative processes (preferably in a public sector environment); and
• Bachelor’s degree in urban planning, economics, geography, political science, public administration, public policy or a related field; or
• Any combination of education and experience that provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the classification duties and responsibilities
How to Apply *
To apply: visit www.OregonMetro.gov/jobs for the complete job announcement and a link to our online hiring center. Metro is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.
Weekend Event Guide: Upriver screening, fountains, LaFart, Tour de Cure, and more
What? You’ve never splashed in Portland’s fountains? The Splish Splash Ride on Saturday will fix that.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
*Publisher’s note: You might notice this week’s guide looks a little different. That’s because we’re trying some new things with our event offerings… including a new weekly event email to BP Supporters (stay tuned) and the just-launched @PDXBikeEvents Twitter account.
Looks like the stellar weather we’ve been having shows no signs of letting up. Hopefully you’ve been able to enjoy it. If you need ideas for things to do on your bike, look no further than this guide and our always-improving Event Calendar.
Here are the best events coming your way this weekend, starting with Portland’s best free breakfast…
77-year-old struck by drunk driver while riding trike needs help with recovery costs
On July 1st, David Yarber was riding his three-wheeled bicycle across Southeast Foster Road at 60th when he was hit by an auto user. The person who struck him with their car didn’t stop and was later arrested and charged with Driving Under the Influence and Reckless Endangerment.
Now friends of Yarber have turned to GoFundMe to help raise money for his recovery.
Yarber’s recovery is even more complicated because he was born with cerebral palsy. Friends of his who reached out to BikePortland to share word of his fundraising campaign said that he was still unable to walk by himself two weeks after the collision. He’ll require a live-in physical therapist in order to regain his ability to walk and the independence that comes with it.
According to his GoFundMe page Yarber’s medical bills have already exceeded the Medicaid allowance and the government won’t pay for a live-in therapist. He has no immediate family to take care of him.