4/25: Hello readers and friends. I'm still recovering from a surgery I had on 4/11, so I'm unable to attend events and do typical coverage. See this post for the latest update. I'll work as I can and I'm improving every day! Thanks for all your support 🙏. - Jonathan Maus, BikePortland Publisher and Editor
From Portland Bureau of Transportation. See original statement here.
(October 21, 2022) The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) plans to change NW Pettygrove Street between NW 11th and 12th avenues into one-way westbound for vehicle travel as part of the NW Pettygrove Neighborhood Greenway project on Sunday, October 23. This traffic pattern change will prevent eastbound vehicle travel on NW Pettygrove Street at NW 12th Avenue.
PBOT’s Maintenance Operations crews are performing the work of NW Pettygrove Neighborhood Greenway Project. Please follow on-street signage and flaggers. Construction noise should be minimal. All work is weather and resource dependent and the schedule may change.
When parking cars on NW Pettygrove Street between NW 11th and NW 12th avenues, please continue to follow the direction of traffic. If you are parking on the left side of the street, please drive slowly, look for oncoming bicyclists, and proceed to park your car with the driver side door to the curb. Parking on the right side of the street continues as normal. No changes will be made to the number of on-street parking spaces between NW 11th and NW 12th avenues.
What’s next
Traffic pattern changes are being installed using low-cost, temporary materials that can be easily moved or modified. PBOT will collect area data including vehicle speeds, vehicle volumes, and area on-street parking utilization in spring 2023 (approximately six months after installation). We will monitor the benefits and impacts of the diverter and share the results of the monitoring, community feedback, and any resulting changes that need to be made.
Additional speed bumps, sharrows, and neighborhood greenway signage will be installed on NW Pettygrove in the winter as weather allows. At the conclusion of the project sharrows and neighborhood greenway signage will be removed from NW Overton St west of NW 14th Ave.
About the NW Pettygrove Neighborhood Greenway Project
This traffic pattern change is part of the new low-stress walking and biking route along NW Pettygrove St, connecting Chapman Elementary School, the growing Slabtown area, the North Pearl District, and Fields Park. The route briefly transitions to NW Overton and NW 9th Ave to connect to protected bike lanes on NW Naito Pkwy. This neighborhood greenway will replace the one currently on NW Overton Street in the Northwest District.
PBOT will build new speed bumps, change traffic patterns to limit cut-through traffic, and make pedestrian crossings safer. These improvements will make these streets safer for pedestrians and people biking while preserving the ability of people driving to access area homes and businesses.
The project was identified by the Northwest in Motion Plan, which represents over two years of analysis, community outreach, and problem-solving to improve walking, biking, and public transit in the Northwest District and surrounding area.
View the project map with illustrations of the planned greenway enhancements and other information about the project on the project web page.
“I am convinced that the city should narrow North Vancouver by one lane through this stretch.”
– Allan Rudwick
The “Vancouver-Williams bicycle highway” was one of the first routes suggested to me to get around north and northeast Portland back in 2007 when I was first beginning my utilitarian cycling career. As a long, straight route between downtown Portland and Vancouver with relatively gradual hills, the Vancouver-Williams couplet is an obvious choice for a designated bikeway.
In the early 2010s, I was a member of the North Williams Safety Project Stakeholder Advisory Group, and I spent a lot of time thinking about how to tame a road where people lived, worked and played alongside drivers who regularly topped 40 miles per hour. From my observations, the biggest benefit of that project was not moving bicycles to the left side of the road or adding the concrete islands, it was reducing the car capacity to such a trickle as to force speeding drivers to slow down or consider alternate routes.
Fast forward to the 2020s, and my daughters have started attending our local neighborhood elementary school, Boise-Eliot/Humboldt School (BEH). This school name represents three schools being consolidated into one due to shrinking household sizes and intentional depopulation of the neighborhood by the Oregon Department of Transportation, Portland Development Commission, Emanuel Hospital and others. BEH is one of the better schools in the Portland Public Schools system at student retention. Our family has been very happy with the experienced teachers and administration at the school. The biggest challenge for us is commuting along and across the busy streets of our neighborhood, most of all N Vancouver Ave.
In 2010, I took a class at Portland State University called “Portland Traffic and Transportation.” Designed for citizen-advocates, the course guided each student to pick a road design problem in their neighborhood and empowered them to work with Portland Bureau of Transportation engineers to design a solution to their problem. I chose to look at the N Vancouver and Cook Street intersection because it was the most dangerous I’d seen. I personally witnessed the aftermath of multiple crashes at the intersection of Vancouver and Cook including one bicyclist/car collision.
The PBOT engineer who I ended up working with was not too surprised to hear about the collisions, as he happened to be doing an analysis of the worst intersections in the city. He was surprised that the city hadn’t noticed this problem area previously. I no longer share his sense of surprise, however, because I now know that our neighborhood had been overlooked by the city for many years up until the most recent wave of gentrification. I proposed adding traffic signals at the intersections on Cook Street with N Gantenbein Avenue, N Vancouver Avenue, and N Williams Avenue. Ultimately the city decided to add traffic signals at N Vancouver and N Williams Avenues, and this resolved a number of issues at the intersections.
Map of the route I take to school with my girls.
To cycle from my house east of NE Rodney Avenue to BEH with my girls, there is only one comfortable route to the school. We bike to NE Cook Street, cross at the lights and ride the sidewalk around the ODOT onramps to get to N Gantenbein Avenue, and then we ride down the N Ivy Street alley to the school. Other than dodging shopping carts on ODOT’s poorly maintained sidewalk, it is a relatively peaceful trip from a car interaction perspective. On the way home, riding on this sidewalk puts us on the “wrong” side of the street, so I have opted to bike south on N Vancouver, which I find incredibly frustrating. My girls have learned how to maneuver through this configuration and follow me closely.
However, three narrow lanes of car travel with a narrow bicycle lane in the middle is uncomfortable for everyone, including drivers. I am convinced that the city should narrow N Vancouver by one lane through this stretch. Hardly anyone is using the southbound travel lane next to New Seasons to turn left on Cook street anyhow, so I think there is an easy win here. With that change, all the lanes could be expanded a bit to give everyone a little more breathing room while traveling. It would also reduce the number of lanes pedestrians and cyclists have to cross to reach the other side of the street.
Vancouver Ave is a preeminent route in what the League of American Bicyclists calls a “Platinum Bicycle Friendly Community,” and it’s unacceptable these blocks are designed for car throughput above all else. We deserve better.
Bike Loud PDX Chair Kiel Johnson delivered a powerful speech as ODOT Director Kris Strickler and PBOT Director Chris Waner (in middle on the left) looked on. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Well over 200 people who showed up for a community forum to discuss street safety issues at Cleveland High School Thursday night.
Just 16 days after Sarah Pliner was hit and killed while bicycling across SE Powell Boulevard and 26th Avenue, the leaders of the Oregon Department of Transportation, Portland Bureau of Transportation, TriMet and a raft elected officials and top agency staff endured a two-and-a-half hour event where everyone was able to speak their mind, air concerns, and have direct access to key decision makers.
State Senator Kathleen Taylor on the stage.The Q & A line.The crowd (that’s Hami Ramani in green).Left to right: Portland Public Schools Asst. Superintendent Margaret Calvert, PBOT Director Chris Warner, ODOT Director Kris Strickler, TriMet GM Sam Desue, Jr.
Oregon State Senator Kathleen Taylor, who represents the district and whose daughter is a senior at the school (she also had a son who graduated three years ago), hosted the event. The fact that she was able to pull such an impressive gathering together on short notice might have had something do with Oregon Governor Kate Brown. After holding a moment of silence for Sarah Pliner, Senator Taylor shared in her opening remarks that just days after the tragedy, she got a phone call from the Governor: “She said, ‘Senator Taylor, I’m here for you and I am here for southeast. Let me know whatever I can do to be helpful,'” Taylor recounted.
While it was nice of the Governor to engage on this high profile fatality, folks in the crowd were much more interested in the two people sitting on the stage: ODOT Director Kris Strickler and PBOT Director Chris Warner. As we’ve reported, it appears that so far these two and their respective staffs have been working closely together for the past two-plus weeks. Last night’s crowd was peppered with high-level staff from both agencies (many of them feverishly scribbling notes as people spoke), a sign that they are taking the community’s concerns about SE 26th and Powell seriously. (I also noticed that both agencies brought government affairs staffers along — PBOT Intergovernmental Resources and Policy Affairs Manager Shoshana Cohen and ODOT Government Relations Assistant Director Lindsay Baker. PBOT Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty was also in attendance. She sat in the crowd and never sought the mic.)
The fact that leaders from PBOT and ODOT conspired just a few years ago on an intentional plan to make the intersection where Sarah Pliner died less safe for cycling, might have something to do with the actions, tone and urgency we see from them today.
Before he walked on stage, I asked Director Strickler why he’s been so willing to engage and respond to this incident. “We have so many needs in our state. Needs like this need to take priority,” he said. “We know we have incidents and we’re getting better addressing them, but it doesn’t mean we’re done. When you see things like this occur, we think we can do something more. It really is that simple.”
So far, that “something more” includes a lower speed limit and more paint striping in the intersection (more on planned changes below). I asked Strickler if he’s willing to consider a road diet on Powell. “One can say ‘reduce the lanes,’ and there’s a big part of me that’s all for reducing the lanes out here even [waving to Powell Blvd]. The problem with that is there are consequential outcomes associated with that for neighborhoods and other things so it’s not something we can do tomorrow morning. We need to have a conversation about what the impacts are. We don’t want to make it worse in other areas and create other safety issues.”
If Strickler needed to be refocused on the impacts and safety issues we face every single day on SE Powell and 26th because of those lanes, a powerful speech from Bike Loud PDX Chair Kiel Johnson likely did the trick. Sen. Taylor gave Johnson the mic to speak “for the bicycling community” before Strickler and Warner gave presentations about their project plans.
Johnson took full advantage of the moment. Standing just feet from Strickler and Warner, he said directly to them:
Listen to the full audio of Kiel Johnson’s speech.
“Sarah Pliner’s death was not an accident. It was the result of a series of decisions transportation leaders have made. In 2018, we stood at that very intersection to protest the removal of the green painted bike boxes. We stood there because we knew those green bike boxes made us safer. Why would anybody remove those bike boxes?!
If you go up and down Powell, you’ll see no pedestrian crossing signs, as well as places where there used to be ‘No Crossing’ signs until drivers ran them over.
That’s the approach ODOT has taken on Powell for decades, as well as with there other urban highways — to design the roads only for the capacity and speed of private automobiles. And to manage safety for people outside of cars by telling them to go somewhere else.
Sarah paid the price for that approach. It doesn’t work.”
So. What are ODOT and PBOT going to do differently?
The plans
Source: ODOT
We reported some of that’s in store Thursday morning. Last night we heard a lot more.
The big news last night is that ODOT will follow PBOT and install a school speed zone on Powell Blvd. That’s a big deal since Powell is a state highway and the school zone will drop the existing 30 mph speed limit to 20 mph. The resolution created by PBOT Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty and passed by council Wednesday called on ODOT to establish these school zones statewide wherever a school abuts a state highway. Strickler wasn’t ready to commit to that last night.
The other bit of news last night was that ODOT confirmed they will allow PBOT to install a leading pedestrian interval on the signal for northbound 26th Avenue at Powell. LPIs are proven safety measures that give crosswalk users a green several seconds before other road users.
Of course none of this matters without enforcement. To address that ODOT said they’ll install speed reader boards next month and they’ll follow-up with speed photo radar cameras on Powell east and west of 26th. But there’s a catch: Strickler said equipment delays mean they likely won’t deliver enforcement cameras for over a year. He said something about the pandemic playing a role, but it’s not clear why it takes so long (We’ll follow up on that to find out why.)
PBOT plans
On the PBOT side of things, they plan to stripe green “cross-bike” markings in the intersection to help accentuate the green bike lanes and bike boxes they plan to reinstall soon. In the mid-to-long term, Director Warner said they’ll consider elevating the northbound bike lane, “to increase separation.”
TriMet is an active partner in all this too. General Manager Sam Desue, Jr. was on stage last night and he had a staffer present potential bus route changes aimed and reducing the amount of times students would need to cross Powell to get to school (below).
TriMet proposals (option #2 seemed to be highly favored)
If the statements and plans from agencies aren’t enough to convince you folks are taking these issues seriously, how about the fact that Director Strickler said ODOT and PBOT have launched a task force to analyze not just Powell Blvd, but many other danger hot-spots throughout the region? There’s also a parent-teacher conference next week at Cleveland High where TriMet will flesh out their bus reroute ideas.
The Q & A
A poem posted at Sarah Pliner memorial by Owl Brooke, who also spoke at the event.
The second half of the event was all about the people who came to voice their concerns and pose questions. Dozens of people lined up and both ODOT Director Strickler and PBOT Director Warner got an earful.
The trauma felt by students, staff, and parents at Cleveland High was one of the most important things shared last night
A 14-year-old Cleveland student named Owl Brooke (who posted the poem pictured above at Sarah Pliner’s memorial) stunned many in the crowd. “I saw what happened. And it was just horrifying,” they said, gripping the mic tightly with both hands as they spoke. “And now there’s something that I have to go through in my life. And I’ve seen death. And some adults haven’t seen death. And it’s just, it’s just crazy. And I just wanted to say that like, something needs to change, something needs to happen here.”
A mom of a freshman at Cleveland named Susan stood up and described what happened right after Pliner was hit and her body was still in the road. Dozens of students where at Powell Park and had to walk across the intersection to get back to class. “A teacher held my daughter’s hand and guided her so she didn’t have to open her eyes again,” Susan said.
Kiel Johnson from Bike Loud asked Director Strickler about the possibility of a road diet on Powell. Strickler said reducing the number of lanes is something they “intend to analyze” in the upcoming weeks; but he also shared major caveats. “Now I will tell you the impacts of 40,000 vehicles that travel this facility,” he replied. “reducing the number of lanes and where they go, is something that we have to analyze very seriously, because the current street grid may not be able to handle it — and likely can’t — and so we have to analyze that with the city. But as I mentioned, all things are on the table. And we’ve asked our teams collectively to look at it with that in mind.”
Johnson also got Strickler to commit to adhering to ODOT’s Blueprint for Urban Design, a guidebook adopted in 2019 that requires engineers to use much more progressive facility designs that we usually see on state-owned roads.
Portlander Emily Guise wasn’t satisfied with Strickler’s answers on a potential Powell Blvd road diet. “I’ve heard a lot of talk about managing traffic, but I haven’t heard a lot of talk about how you will reduce traffic on Powell,” she said. “Just because there are 40,000 cars today doesn’t mean there needs to be 40,000 cars in the future.”
Next steps
These past few weeks have given us plenty of fodder for follow-up and have opened up important discussions about how to tame ODOT’s urban arterials. Coming so soon after the tragedies on 82nd Avenue last year, with traffic culture seeming to get worse with each passing day, and with a renewed sense of urgency for change, there is real possibility that this time we will see substantive shifts in how ODOT and PBOT approach these issues.
But with every passing day that Sarah’s death fades from the news cycle, so too might people’s interest in doing something to prevent the next one. I’ve seen it happen many times. And agencies know this. They know they won’t hear from people about any of this in a week or so. And that will tell them it’s OK to push this down their long list of “top priorities.”
If we want to change the streets, we have to change the system at its highest levels. We cannot let them forget Sarah Pliner. And Ashlee McGill. And Martin Crommie. And the dozens more dead people who’ve been sacrificed at the altar of automobility.
Last night, Portland activist Hami Ramani held up a piece of paper with the word “Love” typed on it. Then he yelled into the mic:
“When you’re out there walking, biking, taking transit, driving even — do you feel love on our streets? Is there love on our streets? It’s a simple question. I think it’s a resounding no. There is no love on the streets. I am so sick of the street-by-street. Are we really talking about bike boxes? Have you seen the pollution? We’re talking about bike boxes. So, do you feel love on the streets?”
Maybe “feel love on the streets” is a better goal than “vision zero.”
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Earlier this week, people in southeast Portland neighborhoods reported curious signs on the street. The signs were advertising the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program: a partnership between state, city and local nonprofits to make it safer and easier for kids to walk, bike and roll to school.
The only thing different from an official the Safe Routes to School sign was a statement on the bottom that read “No Camping.”
Wheeler’s edict spoke to a real concern from parents whose children go to school in areas where there is a lot of street and sidewalk camping, but it provoked backlash among many Portlanders who felt it was a cruel and clumsy way to approach the problem.
People who criticized the Mayor’s decision pointed out that, statistically speaking, homeless people camping along school walking routes are much less likely than people driving cars to be a threat to children on their way to school. Instead of sweeping encampments, leaving many people with no place to go, they said Wheeler should focus on making streets safer for people traveling outside of cars.
This comes at a crucial crossroads for Portland’s homelessness policy. Last week, Willamette Week reported Wheeler has plans to announce yet another camping ban that would apply citywide. Under this plan, unhoused people would be moved into 500-person sanctioned camping “campuses” across the city – a similar suggestion to the largely-unfavored idea mayoral aide Sam Adams proposed back in February.
Last week’s news about the proposed citywide ban didn’t seem to make a huge wave in homeless advocacy circles. Katrina Holland, who directs the housing nonprofit JOIN, posted a statement on Twitter calling the plan a “pie in the sky” political ploy and telling Portlanders not to give the news too much energy.
Portland City Council candidate Rene Gonzalez, who has centered his campaign against opponent Jo Ann Hardesty on her approach to crime and homelessness, took word of the potential ban as an opportunity to weigh in on the state of the city in a manner that was alarming to many.
In a tweet, Gonzalez called Portland “overrun and under siege” and suggested jailing those who continue to camp on the streets after bans have been enforced. If Gonzalez wins a seat on City Council, homeless advocates fear his approach will gain steam and lead to even worse outcomes. In recent debates and media interviews, Gonzalez has repeatedly mentioned his concerns about people living on cycling corridors like the I-205 and Springwater paths.
Transportation advocacy non-profit The Street Trust, whose logo appears on the unsanctioned signs, tweeted a statement giving members permission to remove these signs on their behalf.
“We support only proven, equitable programs & policies to achieve safe routes to school,” TST’s tweet says.
Recent stories about the benefits of programs like Sam Balto’s viral bike buses and a growing awareness of the deadly road conditions on streets like Powell Blvd (which is home to Cleveland High School) have led many people to champion transportation-based solutions to our biggest safety problems. None of the proposed solutions from transportation advocates include conducting homeless camp sweeps.
It’s unclear who put these signs up. But the situation speaks to a growing divide among Portland advocates, elected officials and the general public about how to address the issue of people living in the public right-of-way.
So while it’s tempting to compare them — they’re near each other and rolling out at the same time — that would be unfair. In planning parlance, a “regional center” is a much more ambitious undertaking than a “town center.”
Despite that difference of scale, however, the two efforts share a similar challenge, how to transform a car-centric area into a denser, people-centered community without pricing out current residents.
It is also informative to contrast how the larger WSRC project is able to tackle transportation problems straight on, while the town center project in West Portland lacks the heft to address its major traffic circulation problems.
Tigard – Washington Square Regional Center
Cross section of proposed complete street upgrades to Greenburg Rd, in Tigard. (Source: City of Tigard)
Sitting in the middle of Tigard’s regional center is the Washington Square Mall itself. The mall is owned by the real estate investment company Macerich. Macerich has ambitious plans to redevelop their holding, moving away from big box stores and toward a more urban experience.
The possibility of large private investment into the area is a nice tail-wind for the public redevelopment efforts.
Tigard has recently requested $21.5 million in Major Street Transportation Improvement Project (MSTIP) funds from Washington County to transform the arterial on the mall’s eastern border into a “complete street.” MSTIP is funded by a county-wide property tax unique among the Metro counties, and has delivered $900 million toward 150 projects over the past three and a half decades.
Dave Roth at The Street Trust Alice Awards in 2021. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
I recently met with David Roth, a Senior Transportation Planner with the City of Tigard, to talk about the Greenburg Road project, and the regional center in general.
Roth pointed out that Greenburg Road divides the mall from the Metzger neighborhood, home to many residents who face a high risk of displacement as the area redevelops. The project would provide safe crossings from Metzger to the retail center, as well as remedy the corridor’s many active transportation deficiencies.
He explained that the team had prioritized five transportation projects, with Greenburg having the highest priority. “Greenburg is a good project to start with. It will be a demonstration project that makes future projects easier to pursue.”
Other high-priority transportation projects included bicycle and pedestrian improvements at the Hwy 217 interchange, and a possible over-crossing at 95th Ave to allow safe bicycle and pedestrian connections to the Fanno Creek trail to the west.
“We are trying to establish a precedent for good planning and best practice for design to show what can be done,” remarked Roth. The Washington County Board of Commissioners will decide on project funding in the winter of 2023.
West Portland Town Center
Last week in Portland, the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) presented its draft West Portland Town Center plan to City Council, with a vote to adopt coming up on October 27th.
About six minutes into the BPS staff presentation, Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty asked the first of what ended up being a series of questions about land speculation and anti-displacement strategies. For several minutes the hearing became a conversational back-and-forth about zoning, densification strategies and infrastructure needs.
The exchange brought into relief the challenges of trying to increase density in an area with inadequate infrastructure—and without a commitment from the city to provide the needed capital to remedy the situation. (In Southwest Portland “inadequate infrastructure” usually means lack of stormwater facilities.)
Absent a way to fund stormwater infrastructure, the plan follows a two-phased zoning change strategy based on infrastructure readiness. The first phase immediately upzones areas ready to support densification. Identified as second phase is land which BPS would like to upzone, but cannot because of stormwater treatment deficiencies. Hardesty’s concern, and the Mayor joined her with questions, was that the interval between phases allowed for land speculation.
With the focus on zoning and speculation, the future town center’s transportation problems were not discussed.
Wrap up
The West Portland Town Center sits on a traffic quagmire formed by the crossing of SW Barbur Blvd and I-5, both under ODOT jurisdictional control. Many people have remarked that decommissioning ramps to and from I-5 would be a key step toward improving area safety and circulation.
But a town center plan doesn’t have the heft to activate traffic change of that magnitude. Zoning changes and Comprehensive Plan updates don’t cost much, so the focus becomes modelling a “new approach to equitable growth.” That, and phased plans to be activated if funds become available in the future.
The SW Corridor light rail project, had it passed, would have helped with some of the area’s stormwater problems. Without it, the WPTC no longer benefits from the synergy a better-funded and bigger project could provide to it.
Taken on this day in 2010. North Park Blocks near Portland State University. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Who’s ready for the weekend? I feel like the coming cold and rain is a welcome change from all this dry and dirty.
Here’s our hand-picked selection of the best rides and events coming your way. For more suggestions, see the BikePortland Calendar.
Friday, October 21st
Trek Portland Warehouse Sale – 10:00 am to 6:00 pm at Hollywood location (NE) Find deep discounts on everything you need to survive winter including complete bikes, apparel, and more. Sale goes through Saturday. More info here.
Freak Bike Fall – All weekend The fun starts at 6:00 pm at Ladds Circle Park where you can connect with your fellow freak bike friends and plug into a weekend of cool events. More info here.
Saturday, October 22nd
Leafer + Mural Ride – 9:00 am at Banks-Vernonia Trailhead (Banks) See the fall colors on the BV! It’s a great time of year to head out there and if you join this ride you’ll have built-in buddies to help see you through and make the miles more fun. More info here.
PSU Farmers Market Ride – 10:00 am (various locations in SE) This has become a classical local weekly ride. You’ll find friendly faces and a relaxed, social pace — and get some shopping done! More info here.
Bike Loud PDX SE/E Chapter Ride – 12:30 pm at Hampton Opera Center (SE) Special guest PBOT planner Zef Wagner will join the ride to share and explore bikeway connections on and around SE Hawthorne and beyond. More info here.
Sunday, October 23rd
Cyclocross Crusade Race #3 – All day at Portland International Raceway (N) The Crusade returns to PIR for what we hope will be some proper cyclocross weather. Grab your boots and mud tires! More info here.
Bike Loud PDX W Chapter Ride & Meeting – 1:00 pm at Director Park (SW) Connect with other activists and learn how you can help Portland reach its goal of 25% cycling mode share by 2030. More info here.
Bike Bus Meet-up with Coach Balto – 3:00 pm at Cully Green (NE) Meet Sam “Bike Bus” Balto and learn how he built the bike bus heard ’round the world. This gathering will be hosted by bike bus pioneer Kiel Johnson and will also include Hood River’s safe routes to school star Megan Ramey. More info here.
See all upcoming events here. Promoting an event? Know about something we should boost? Please let us know and we’ll get it on the calendar.
Pick up one of these mugs at Flanders Crossing next Friday morning! (Photo: Berkshire Ginsberg)
Breakfast on the Bridges has been around for 20 years to provide breakfast and coffee to people biking at several of Portland’s most bike-friendly bridges, and the tradition shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, as more carfree bridges pop up across the city, “B on B” is growing stronger by the month, cultivating carfree community amongst Portland’s early risers.
The longevity of this event is due to hardworking volunteers and financial sponsors who keep the coffee brewing and the pastry supply replenished. One of these sponsors is Portland law firm Berkshire Ginsberg (also a BikePortland supporter), who’ve recently stepped up their support in a few exciting ways.
Berkshire Ginsberg helped fund B on B’s recent expansion to the carfree Ned Flanders Crossing and Blumenauer Bridge, and just debuted some new reusable mugs to celebrate. B on B volunteers will bring them to the monthly breakfasts.
“These two bridges represent great progress for people-focused streets, and Berkshire Ginsberg wanted to contribute a mug that would visibly compliment that success,” Ayleen Crotty (who does social media for Berkshire Ginsberg and is also the founder of B on B) wrote in an email to BikePortland. “Mark [Ginsberg] says he wanted to see this longstanding Portland tradition remain a sustainable and creative way to thank people for riding their bikes.”
These mugs will be unveiled on Friday, October 28th at the Flanders Crossing location — so stop by and start repping B on B with pride as you sip your morning brew at the bridges!
It used to say “25 mph.” (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
“We’re encouraged by what we’re hearing in our conversations with ODOT and we really feel like we’re going to be able to accomplish a lot.”
– Dylan Rivera, PBOT
16 days after the death of Sarah Pliner outside Cleveland High School, the City of Portland and the State of Oregon have implemented the first pieces of a plan they hope will ensure it never happens again.
This morning just after 9:00 am, Portland Bureau of Transportation crews added new “20 MPH Speed Limit” and associated school zone signs to SE 26th in front of the high school. This comes about 24 hours after a resolution passed with unanimous support at Portland City Council gave them the authority to do so. When I visited the school this morning, I also noticed that new zebra-striping (a.k.a. “continental crosswalk”) has been added to all four of the existing crosswalks at the 26th and Powell Blvd intersection.
At the southeast corner where Pliner was hit by a truck driver, additional paint striping has been added to create a visual space buffer for turning drivers. Plastic turn-calming bumps (already in use citywide) are also in the plans and should be installed on this corner soon.
And these are just the start of changes in store.
All these stripes inside the crosswalk lines are new.
PBOT Public Information Officer Dylan Rivera was at this morning’s sign installation event (PBOT invited the media an hour before it happened). From his comments it sounds like there has been very close and positive communications between PBOT and the Oregon Department of Transportation. This is notable not just because the two agencies often clash over infrastructure designs and priorities, but because they had a very ugly battle at this specific location four years ago that could have played a role in the death of Sarah Pliner.
In 2018, ODOT forged a compromise with PBOT over existing bike lanes and bike boxes on SE 26th at Powell Blvd. ODOT was nervous about bike/truck safety issues given the long history of collisions, and PBOT wanted to build a new signalized crossing for a neighborhood greenway just a block south on SE 28th. (Since 28th crosses Powell — a state highway — ODOT has total veto power over any PBOT plans.) Seeking ODOT permission to build the 28th Ave crossing, PBOT agreed to remove the bike lanes on 26th in a bid to persuade riders to avoid it and use 28th instead (PBOT was under pressure to demonstrate high volumes of bike/walk users at 28th because ODOT requires minimum traffic counts to comply with FHWA “warrants” needed to permit a new signal). But since many people still biked on 26th, the risks remained while the infrastructure was made even more dangerous. ODOT promised to install wayfinding signs on 26th to direct bike traffic to 28th — a request made by The Street Trust — but those were never installed.
Those are jaw-dropping things for the most powerful person at ODOT to say. But did he really mean it? So far it seems like he did.
Today, PBOT’s Rivera said ODOT has been a willing partner. The first sign was the new striping in the crosswalks on Powell, which Rivera said PBOT pushed for and ODOT obliged.
Part of the plan. This was all installed today.
In addition to that striping and the new school zone signs and speed limit reduction outside Cleveland High, PBOT also plans to: move two bus stops on 26th north of Powell to pull them further away from the intersection; stripe a new mid-block crossing with a concrete median island mid-block in front of the schools main entrance on 26th; reconsider freight route classifications to remove as much truck traffic from 26th as possible; and re-install the green bike lanes and bike boxes that were removed in late 2018.
That last item got my attention. I can’t recall PBOT ever re-installing a bikeway that ODOT forced them to remove. It would be quite a coup if that were to happen. And it would demonstrate an amazing level of self-reflection and maturity from ODOT. I asked Rivera what’s different today than back in 2018. “We’re hearing a different message from ODOT today,” he replied, carefully.
Rivera also let slip that there could be a median island as part of a new crossing treatment on Powell in the future. That would be another huge move from ODOT since they are typically very reluctant to reduce driving capacity on state highways. (On that note, it’s telling that no one has brought up the one thing that could lead to a substantive change in the safety of traffic on Powell Blvd: A road diet.)
A missing crosswalk safety tool
Rivera also said PBOT “would like to see” the installation of leading pedestrian intervals (LPIs) on the 26th Avenue crossings. These are proven safety tools where the signal turns green for crosswalk users before other lane users so they get a head-start into the intersection (not to be confused with a “scramble signal” where all traffic is required to stop for people crossing the street).
It’s important to note that back in April 2018, ODOT Region 1 Manager Rian Windsheimer promised to install LPIs here. In a letter (PDF) to The Street Trust (cc’d to PBOT director and commissioner staff), Windsheimer wrote, “ODOT will be implementing LPIs on the crossings of Powell Blvd at SE 26th Ave. This will allow pedestrians to get into the crosswalk where they are more centered in a driver’s field of vision, before the driver can begin making a right turn.”
But a leading pedestrian interval was never installed.
This morning I asked ODOT Region Public Information Officer Don Hamilton why. “It’s on our list of things to do at 26th,” he replied. “Coming soon.”
ODOT owns the signals on Powell, but they have an agreement with PBOT for the city to maintain and operate them. PBOT’s Rivera said the LPIs haven’t been installed yet because the software that runs them needs an update. “We need to swap out a controller part,” he shared in a phone call a few minutes ago. “We believe we have the funding and the ability to do that in the next several months at 26th and 21st.”
It sounds to me like PBOT planners and engineers have swung quickly into action with a suite of changes they want to see on and around SE 26th and Powell — and that ODOT is giving them a much warmer reception than usual. This shouldn’t be a big deal, given that this is an urban area in the city of Portland where a lot of people have been injured and killed over the years. But unfortunately the bar of expectations for ODOT in these situations in the past has been set extremely low.
What does Rivera make of all this?
When I asked him if PBOT was going out on a limb and pushing their plans over ODOT objections, he said that wasn’t the case at all. “ODOT has decided to accept the things that PBOT has been proposing, designing, and advocating for,” he said. “This is not, kind of a ‘going rogue’ and see how they [ODOT] respond kind of thing,” he continued. “We’re encouraged by what we’re hearing in our conversations with ODOT and we really feel like we’re going to be able to accomplish a lot.”
Cycle Oregon is an Oregon-based nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming individuals and communities through bicycling. Over the last 30+ years, Cycle Oregon has built a passionate, loyal community of cycling enthusiasts by hosting world-class, fully supported rides through Oregon’s most breathtaking landscapes and supporting communities through grants from the Cycle Oregon Fund. For cyclists who want an unparalleled Oregon bicycle experience at their own pace, Cycle Oregon offers a unique perspective of the state, all the while managing every last detail.
About the Position:
The Customer Service and Volunteer Manager is a highly skilled professional with demonstrated skills in providing excellent customer service and managing a volunteer program. They provide expertise, insight, are an integral part of the Cycle Oregon event team, and are the first point of interaction with volunteers, riders, and the general public. Working closely with the Events Manager, they recruit and maintain volunteers that support events and operations, and develop operational tactics and collaborative relationships that deliver the Cycle Oregon brand promise. During events, they help manage various volunteer groups, are the point person for customer relations, and work with the Cycle Oregon team on managing the event sites.
Candidates should:
• Enjoy working with people!
• Have strong interpersonal skills; able to quickly establish credibility; develop and manage relationships within the organization, with community members, and community partners
• Be confident in working with great autonomy
• Have strong written and verbal communication skills that create positive interactions and the ability to de-escalate when working on customer and volunteer issues
• Be a self-starter; have demonstrated ability to handle a variety of responsibilities simultaneously and engage in creative problem solving
• Be well spoken, articulate, compassionate, and professional
• Be able to identify trends and opportunities and create cost-effective strategies to implement
• Be a strong team leader; understand and enjoy the work of producing events
• Create a culture where excellence prevails
Essential Job Functions:
Customer Service and Communications
1. Serve as the primary point of contact for riders, volunteers, and organization inquires.
2. Create and distribute detailed information to registered riders through the Ride Guide and email communications. Review, edit, and update Cycle Oregon’s website with current event information.
3. Develop relationships prior and during events with riders, volunteers, service providers, and the event host communities.
4. Create standards for customer service, share with the rest of the team and regularly evaluate and report on implementation.
5. Analyze and incorporate audience demographics, competitive landscape, and best practices into Cycle Oregon customer service efforts.
6. Manage event materials, including manifests, rider packets, accommodation plans, and other internal information pieces
7. Provide event support, including Rider Services, event registration and participant check in.
8. Manage all aspects of the registration system, including setting up registration annually for multiple events, vendor relations, system development, tracking, financial reporting, and troubleshooting.
9. Manage all customer systems and interactions with integrity and clarity.
Volunteer Management
1. Working with the Events Manager, develop and manage budgets related to volunteer operations.
2. Develop and maintain a culture of collaboration, confidence, and knowledge among volunteers; develop appropriate volunteer structure to meet organizational goals
3. Recruit, place, and evaluate volunteers. Plan all aspects of the volunteer recognition and appreciation events.
4. Create training materials for distribution, schedule and facilitate volunteer training sessions for each event.
5. Organize overnight accommodations and meals for event volunteers working within budget guidelines.
6. Manage a number of volunteer teams, both Cycle Oregon and community groups, on events.
7. Working with the Events Manager, determine needs and recruit local community volunteer groups for on-event support. Create, distribute, and track contracts for community groups.
General Qualifications:
This is a mid-level position. Minimum Requirement of at least 3 years professional experience as a customer service and volunteer manager or comparable role.
Experience with a variety of online platforms (Word Press, event ticketing, MailChimp, CRM platforms, Survey Monkey) is a plus. Previous event planning experience is desirable.
In addition:
• Capacity to motivate volunteers.
• Knowledge of social media, online database, and communications tools.
• A high degree of integrity and professionalism that garners the trust and respect of others.
• A professional demeanor tailored to meeting deadlines while managing conflicting priorities.
• Organizational skills when working under pressure.
Salary range: $45,000 – $55,000 DOE
Benefits: per Cycle Oregon policy (PTO, Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) match and more)
Hours: full time exempt, flexible, evenings, weekend and travel required
Reports to: Events Manager
Cycle Oregon is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a diverse staff of qualified, highly skilled, and creative individuals is necessary to achieve our mission. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our workforce across a range of dimensions.
How to Apply
Email resume, cover letter, and three professional references to annmarie@cycleoregon.com by 5:00 pm on November 9, 2022 with subject line ‘Customer Service and Volunteer Manager’
Bikeway art lovers — and yes we know you’re out there — it’s time get hyped for some fresh new additions: the Portland Bureau of Transportation and Multnomah County Library have announced the winners of this year’s Bike to Books design contest. Portlanders can expect to see several colorful new bikeway characters on our streets in the near future, including a bicycle-riding octopus balancing books on its head, a mushroom-and-rainbow-themed bike and a bike with rose petals as wheels.
The Bike to Books program has been an annual tradition from PBOT and the library since 2017 to encourage kids to get excited about riding bikes and reading books. Students across Multnomah County are invited to come up with designs for characters to live on Portland’s greenways and bike lanes, with three lucky winners getting their art etched on the street for everyone to see. (Check out our past coverage to see what awesome designs kids have come up with throughout the years.)
Here’s who came in first place this year from the three age groups, plus some words about their artistic inspiration:
Anita Baldivieso won first place in the Pre-K to 2nd grade category for her design, “Reading Octopus.”
Poppy Davis won first place in the 3rd to 6th grade category for the design “Mushrooms and Why They Matter”.
Liliana Jacobsen won first place in the 7th to 12th grade category for the design “Petals of a Rose Bike.”
The fun new pieces are set to be installed this spring.
Find out more about the Bike to Books program – and check out the students’ book recommendations that correlate with their artwork – at PBOT’s website. And while you’re waiting for these new installations to drop, why not take a tour of the city’s existing bikeway art? This is a standout piece of Portland bike culture that reminds us how fun biking is, so be sure to soak it in.
