(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
In case you forgot (we mentioned it back in March), the annual Memorial Day closure of River View Cemetery starts tomorrow (5/25) and runs through Monday (5/27).
This closure is done to maintain calm and order on the streets through the cemetery on their busiest weekend of the year.
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Please respect this closure. The cemetery is a private enterprise that graciously allows bicycle riders through its property because the optional routes are dangerous and highly stressful. Let’s not abuse this privilege and/or give the River View board of directors any reason to change their current policy.
Spread the word to friends and feel free to use the roads again starting on Tuesday (5/28). Thanks.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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During the Summer months especially, when cycling traffic is at it’s peak through the cemetery, I always try to stop and thank the grounds crew for accepting bicycle traffic through the property. The connection to/from SW for me makes Riverview my favorite “infrastructure” in the City. Please be courteous to all users and don’t be afraid to stop and thank grounds crew or other staff you may see on site. They inevitably encounter a lot of entitled a-holes regardless of mode. A little love can go a long way.
Couple of things:
1. if someone forgets about the closure and finds themself at the lower gate, a good alternative is to take SW La View from Virginia Street to Barbur. Or the reverse when going downhill. This route is not well signed. You can ride a block or so on the Taylor’s ferry sidewalk from Virginia to La View, no need to cross or ride on Taylor’s ferry. https://goo.gl/maps/XE2QXCKEY4d2xtWd7
2. Please take time next week (i.e after their busiest weekend of the year) to thank the Riverview folks for providing a vital (and low-stress) transportation link from the central city to outer SW Portland. Remember also that this route on private property is filling a transportation hole the city has shamefully left open. Their public email is info@riverviewcemetery.org
I got lucky one morning and found the right lane of Taylor’s Ferry coned off for work which was apparently just one pickup stopping at every manhole. It was an okay ride. Why do we have two lanes for cars to race up if they’re all going to sit in the same line at the top? Coming down is easy but I wouldn’t want someone riding my wheel the way some drivers do, leaving less than a second even at 30mph.
It would be nice of the city would provide some detour signs for what is a major route (private or not) for cyclists.
3. River View is a non-profit organization and will accept tax deductible donations from cyclists. If you ride through a often, consider chipping in a little.
River View Cemetery
8421 SW Macadam Ave
Portland, OR 97219
The Quick and The Dead
Still ticks me off that I can’t ride my bike into the cemetery to sit next to my grandfather’s grave, but anyone can drive a Hummer or a loud motorcycle into the cemetery on Memorial Day weekend and disrupt my private memorial.
Monday morning I walked through the cemetery instead of riding. I was pleased to see only 2 cyclists. They apparently missed the 3 closure signs and 3 kids handing out brochures at the lower gate.
Many thanks to Riverview for the way it has supported both recreational and commuter riders over the years.
Folks:
You might be interested; I just completed a video about bicycling in situations where this is not enough room in a lane for a car to pass a bicyclist. This takes place in Bellingham, but I can see that it could be applied to Barbour, or whatever the street is next to Riverview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRTRMg5XmWc&t=12s
Mark Allyn
Bellingham, Washington