Artist’s rendition of how biking and walking paths could intersect with a public plaza on the Willamette riverfront as part of the South Waterfront Greenway’s North Reach. (Graphics: Sasaki via Portland Parks & Recreation)
The City of Portland is in the latter stages of a master plan update process that will decide the fate of the northernmost section of the South Waterfront Greenway path. Last week Portland Parks & Recreation released three of the design concepts in a presentation given by project consultants and now they want to hear your feedback.
Wheeler in September 2015. (Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
Ted Wheeler has started his tenure as Portland’s 53rd mayor with a bang. Or should we say, with a brrrrr.
Wheeler revealed on Twitter today (after being asked about it) that he rode his bike to work for his first day on the job. “This is Portland!” you might say, “That’s no big deal!” But consider this: When Wheeler left his home in the West Hills the mercury rose to only about 25 degrees. And there was a serious wind chill. And it was dark.
When we asked him how it went he said, “Cold, but the roads were dry and the stars were out.”
Riding a bike in an urban environment on a regular basis isn’t a pre-requisite for success as the leader of a major city; but it is certainly important. Given that nearly all policymakers have an automobile-centric perspective, it’s imperative that a non-driving worldview has a chance to work its way into our planning, policies, and priorities.
Commissioner Saltzman at a press conference for Portland Bike Share in September 2015. (Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)
City Commissioner Dan Saltzman has been given a new assignment by Mayor Ted Wheeler: the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Wheeler announced the bureau assignments via executive order this morning.
Saltzman has had his council seat since 1999 — the longest of any other member — and this is his first time having control of PBOT. The bureau was previously led by Steve Novick, who lost his re-election bid to Chloe Eudaly in November. In Portland’s form of government, each commissioner (and the Mayor) are given oversight of city bureaus. They then advocate for policies and funding plans that are advantageous to their bureaus.
Also as commissioner of PBOT Saltzman will represent the City of Portland on Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation, a body made up of elected officials that sets transportation policy and priorities for the entire region.
With PBOT in his portfolio, Saltzman can now guide one of the city’s largest bureaus and one that has a vast impact on people’s everyday lives. It’s unclear where exactly Saltzman stands on major transportation policies since he hasn’t played a pivotal role on the topic for many years.
A quick look at the BikePortland archives however does give us some clues.
The weather outside is frightful, but with the right gear and wisdom it can be delightful. This treasure trove of winter weather riding advice was inspired by an email thread from the hardy folks of “Unpaved” — a Google Group and Ride With GPS club that share and ride adventurous routes. It was originally posted in this form by Our Mother The Mountain and has been reprinted here with their permission. (Keep in mind, this advice is mostly tailored toward for big adventure rides, as opposed to commuting a short distance to work.)
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Winter riding in the Pacific Northwest can be a uniquely challenging affair. Whether exploring deep National Forest gravel roads, churning out paved base mileage, pounding grimy singletrack, or simply commuting — there are a few universal truths that will hopefully take a bit of the adversity out of the season. Initially compiled by Ryan Francesconi, the following list reflects the cumulative wisdom of the Unpaved community.
BikePortland’s mission has never been to publish stories for clicks and pageviews alone. That being said, it’s always fun to see which posts do the best at encouraging them.
In our end-of-year card mailing out to our advertisers and supporters (watch your mailboxes!) I said 2016 was our best year yet. And it’s true: From our award-winning original reporting to breaking news and profiles of interesting Portlanders — we produced an exciting array of content. And it just so happens that this year’s top 10 represents a solid sampling of the diverse range of stories we cover.
We had about 5 million visits and 9 million pageviews in 2016. And of the 993 stories we posted, here are the ones you read most (according to Google Analytics)…
Happy New Year everyone! After a good and long break I am back and ready for action. There’s a lot of catching up to do, but let’s start with a few good links you might have missed over the holidays…
Wi-fi bike share: Vancouver’s Mobi bike share system has a new injection of cash — and free wi-fi — thanks to a sponsorship deal with telecommunications company Shaw.
Widening freeways doesn’t help: The freeway widening debate will be strong in the Portland region this year so let’s bookmark this cautionary tale from Los Angeles where they just threw $1.6 billion down the toilet.
“Impairment starts with the first drink”: The state of Utah is considering dropping the legal limit for drunk driving to .05, which would make just a few drinks of alcohol grounds for a violation.
Fellow cyclists… It is time to get serious about switching gears and getting into race training mode. it is time to add some intensity to your winter pre-season rides. CycleOne Racing Academy is conducting indoor power cycling classes at Bethany Bike Repair in Bethany Village. We are offering free trial rides on Monday, January 2nd and Tuesday, January 3rd.
THIS IS NOT A SPIN CLASS.
These are neither spin classes nor group sessions on rollers while watching cycling videos. This is the real deal! This is the best way to improve your power and recharge your system for the 2017 road season. Experts agree that you should have 2 high intensity workouts weekly. Although you may be spending long hours in the saddle this winter, that does not get the job done. You must train smarter!
This is a progressive power development program using computer technology to measure and record your cycling power output. So you also get the benefit of FTP testing. These are training sessions using CompuTrainer Multi-Rider technology for structured power workouts in a group setting. It is real power cycling on your own bike with video enhancement and motivating music. Not only will you gain an understanding of your power capacity, you will train to improve your power to weight ratio. You will improve your ability to time trial as well as climb.
Here is a link to a video from one of the coaches at Carmichael Training Systems. Check it out…
The program will run for 10 weeks, and the first session begins on January 10th. Classes are limited to 4 riders so you will get plenty of personal attention, with a focus on correct biomechanics and power targeted training. Each session lasts for 60 minutes. Classes are available on Tuesday and Thursday evening 6:15-7:15PM & 7:30-8:30 PM. 10-week programs start at $200 for one session/week. For more information or to schedule a free trial, contact Mike Manning at 503-330-5531 or Martin Acosta at 503-840-5348 or info@bethanybikerepair.com
