Year: 2022

The Monday Roundup: Better barriers, Molly Cameron, enforcement research and more

Welcome to the week.

Here are the most notable items our editors and readers came across in the past seven days…

Better barriers = better bike lanes: New York City’s transportation department has launched a new initiative to add more physical barriers to existing bike lanes in a shorter timeframe.

Deadly infrastructure: Chicago is reeling after two children under four were killed in preventable traffic crashes in just one week. On Thursday a woman carrying a three-year-old had to leave a bike lane to avoid a truck and crashed before the child was run over by a semi truck.

National spotlight: Local racer, business owner and activist Molly Cameron is the subject of a major feature story in Bicycling Magazine for her work in pushing for more inclusion of transgender athletes in cycling.

Bikebahn: Observers estimate as many as 30,000 people took part in a protest march on the autobahn in Berlin to push for better cycling infrastructure.

Behavior change: New research from NHTSA says that high-visibility traffic enforcement efforts can have a measurable impact on driver behavior and lead to safer roads for everyone.

Error prone: Local freeway fighting urban economist Joe Cortright lays out the many times the State of Oregon has failed to correctly estimate the cost of freeway megaprojects in his latest essay titled, “ODOT’s Reign of Error: Chronic highway cost overruns.”

High speed planning: Washington state will spend $150 million to plan their portion of a high speed rail line that would connect Portland to Seattle and British Columbia; but unless something changes it’s not like to be completed for another 20 years.

More Black people on bikes: Listen to this segment of Here & Now radio program about the growth of the Major Taylor Cycling Club in Kansas City, Missouri.

Flying with your bike: Here’s a thorough guide to taking your bike with you when you travel on an airplane.

A bus driver’s view: Absolutely wrenching and important story from WaPo about a bus driver in Denver who faces myriad urban ills on her daily route and struggles to withstand the emotional toll dealt by her riders.

Thanks to everyone who sent us links this week!

Dispatch and photos from Filmed by Bike Street Party

Mitch & The Melody Makers.
Photos by Amit Zinman for BikePortland.
Filmed by Bike Founder Ayleen Crotty.

After a few hours chasing cargo bikes at the Disaster Relief Trial (can’t wait to share our video with you Monday morning!) I was glad to switch gears and attend the fun Filmed by Bike festival street party. It looked like the organizers worked hard so that partygoers would have an enjoyable evening with plenty to do. The street behind the Broadway Theater filled up with canopy tents in preparation for rain, but luckily, it only drizzled for a short time.

“For our 20th year anniversary,” said Ayleen Crotty, the film festival organizer, “we just had to bring back this signature part of the history of Filmed by Bike, and I’m happy that we could all party in the streets with a live band, lots of bike groups and vendors coming out to all have fun in the streets.”

The event’s emcee, Meghan Sinnott (known for organizing the Pedalpalooza Bike Summer Festival), has been bringing her trademark good vibes and sweet energy to the street party for years now. “I think that as long as I keep buying wigs, Ayleen will let me go on stage,” said Meghan.

Meghan spoke to a crowd gathered to socialize and dance to the music of Mitch & The Melody Makers, a local 60’s rock ‘n’ roll cover band.

Meghan recommended people visit the interactive photo booth, which turned out to be lots of fun! Jamshed, my friend who helped me with photography throughout the wild evening, and I went and posed for photos. We received a QR code that sends us to a website where photos can be downloaded. Angela Dawn, the owner and operator of the booth said  they are no longer printing, to be more ecologically friendly.  

Some street partygoers enjoyed island-inspired Asian rice-based sandwiches, sold at the Pidgin Hole food truck. I didn’t personally sample any of it but I was seeing folks eating a lot of that grub everywhere so it must have been really tasty!

Other folks in the crowd spoke to members of the Sorella Forte women’s cycling club about promoting women’s health, fitness and community through recreational and competitive cycling; found out more about Shift, a local organization that promotes bike fun and hosts an online bike event calendar; and visited the booth of the Corvidae cycling club, to pick up some zines, stickers and patches.

Meghan Sinnott
Josh Hetrick
Linda Watts
Sole Fiumefreddo
Click for full gallery.

It wouldn’t be a Portland biking party without a fun bike ride stopping by, this time the Underground Rave Party Ride, which stopped for about 20 minutes to sample the Filmed by Bike street party, then moved on to other fun dance parties in town.

All in all, a successful event  celebrating bikes, film and having fun in a very Portland way!

If you read this on Sunday and still want to catch a screening, the final one of the festival begins at 5:30 pm. See the website for more details.

Temporary, partial closure of Eastbank Esplanade begins Sunday

From City of Portland Parks & Recreation:

Temporary, partial of Portland Parks & Recreation’s Eastbank Esplanade begins Sunday, June 12, 2022, due to rising river levels

End date TBD depending on river conditions

(Portland, OR) –

A portion of Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R)’s Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade will be temporarily closed for safety starting Sunday, June 12, 2022. The area affected is the floating portion of the popular multiuse path from north of the Morrison Bridge to south of the Steel bridge.

The Eastbank Esplanade is a popular, 1 ½ mile-long multiuse path popular with people using mobility devices, cyclists, and people traveling on foot. PP&R officials have been monitoring data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), which now indicates the Willamette River is expected to rise to 15.5 feet by mid-morning Sunday. That’s the threshold to temporarily close the floating portion of the Esplanade – the transitions onto and off the pathways become angled too high for safe passage.

The end date for this previously unforeseen closure is yet to be established; but current forecasts indicate that reopening this section Wednesday or later is a possibility, depending on river water levels. The temporarily closed areas will be marked with signage and fencing.

The Esplanade transitions from a sidewalk to a 1200-foot-long wooden deck over water beneath the Burnside Bridge on both sides. It’s one of the longest of its kind in the United States. This temporary safety closure will affect the path from around SE Ash Street on the north down to near SE Everett Street.

As the water rises from recent ongoing rains, it has lifted the floating path so that the connecting portions between the bridge and fixed, concrete sidewalk are approaching unsuitable angles.  Portland Parks & Recreation’s primary concern is for the public’s safety and appreciates people adhering to the temporary closure.

PP&R urges all visitors to respect the protective fencing and signage now being installed. People who had planned to use this portion of the Esplanade will have to find alternate routes to their destinations.

Portland Parks & Recreation will post updates at portland.gov/parks/nature/trail-closures-and-delays

For more information about the Vera Katz Eastbank Esplanade, visit portland.gov/parks/eastbank-esplanade.

Whet your appetite for Blumenauer Bridge opening with these fresh photos

Looking south from the north side of I-84 on 7th Ave. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

As you read on Wednesday, the City of Portland is planning a big party on July 31st to celebrate the opening of a new carfree bridge over I-84 between the Lloyd and Central Eastside districts.

This is a huge deal and we’re psyched this will finally open. We know it will be a nice riding experience on the bridge, but we hope it spurs more and better connections on either end.

I happened to be near the south side of the where the bridge will land last night and snapped a few photos to give you a sense of where it looks today. It had been about seven months since I’d taken a good look at it.

Beyond the bridge itself, notice the improved spaces on the ends. On the south side there will be a new path to approach the bridge and a plaza with what appears to be a new water feature. On the north side, PBOT has extended the sidewalk into NE Lloyd Blvd and built a huge curb extension on the northwest corner. This will make it safer and easier to cross Lloyd.

Here are the rest of my photos from the south side (click to open gallery):

Here are the rest of my photos from the north side (click to open gallery):

City of Portland unveils bicycle ambulance prototype

The city’s first attempt at a bike ambulance.(Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The Portland Bureau of Emergency Management has long understood that when a disaster strikes, the ability to use cars and trucks could be extremely limited. Because of this reality, PBEM sees bicycles as a key ingredient in their disaster response plans.

Read more

Job: Warehouse Worker – Castelli Sportful USA

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

Warehouse Worker

Company / Organization

Castelli Sportful USA

Job Description

Position Summary:
Position Title: Warehouse Worker
Hourly or Salaried: Salaried
Reports To: Warehouse Supervisor

Position Description:
Castelli/Sportful USA is seeking a full-time (M-F, 8-5) Warehouse Worker for our warehouse in Northeast Portland. The position performs various warehouse functions (picking, packing, shipping, receiving, etc.). Applicants should be highly motivated with an attention to detail and a team player.
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Picking and packing orders correctly, quickly, and efficiently
• Shipping orders using UPS/FedEx shipping software
• Receiving inbound products and putting away on shelves
• Keeping warehouse neat and clean
• Helping with physical inventory counts
• Processing returns from customers
• Other duties as assigned

Personal Qualifications:
• Must be detail oriented and organized
• Must have a positive attitude and be highly motivated
• Must be punctual and maintain a good attendance record
• Comfortable working in a fast-paced work environment
• Ability to multi-task
• *Must be able to lift 40lbs*

Preferred Education & Work Experience & Qualifications:
• High School Diploma
• 1-2 years Warehouse experience
• Basic PC skills: Word, Excel, Outlook
• Use of UPS Worldship/FedEx Ship Manager a plus

About Castelli/Sportful:
Castelli/Sportful is a premium cycling apparel manufacturer, with world headquarters in Italy and US headquarters in Portland, Oregon. We operate two apparel brands: Castelli and Sportful. We have a history of product innovation and performance that goes back over 75 years. Our products have been used by Tour de France winners, World Champions and Olympic Gold Medalists.
Our office and warehouse are in the Hollywood/Laurelhurst district of NE Portland and close to MAX and bike routes.

Full-time positions offer competitive salary, health care, 401k, paid time-off, and a generous product allowance.

The Castelli/Sportful team strives to create an inclusive workplace that promotes and values diversity. Companies that are diverse in age, gender identity, race, sexual orientation, physical or mental ability, ethnicity, and perspective are proven to be better companies. More importantly, creating an environment where everyone, from any background, can do their best work is the right thing to do. We welcome all applicants.

How to Apply

email a resume to careers@castelli-us.com

33 arrests, 116 traffic stops during public safety initiative missions

Via Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office:

On Sunday, June 5, Multnomah County sheriff’s deputies and Gresham Police officers performed a joint traffic enforcement mission to reduce reckless and impaired driving, and locate and recover stolen vehicles.

In total, during Sunday night’s mission, deputies and officers made 51 traffic stops. Eight people were arrested and two stolen cars were recovered. One gun was seized.

In response to the county’s dramatic rise in violent crimes, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, along with our public safety partners, has implemented data-driven violence reductions strategies. One solution is performing patrol missions in hot-spot areas where traffic-related fatalities and gun violence intersect.

Since these efforts began in mid-April, these missions have resulted in 116 traffic stops, 33 arrests, and 7 recovered stolen vehicles.

“These focused enforcement missions tackle immediate public safety issues,” Sheriff Mike Reese said, “by preventing, deterring and interrupting criminal activity, helping crime victims recover stolen property, and potentially saving lives by removing unsafe and impaired drivers and firearms from our East County communities.”

We want to thank the Gresham Police Department and Portland Police Bureau Air Support Unit for their assistance with these missions.

Upper Larch Mountain Road reopens for season

From Multnomah County:

Upper Larch Mountain Road reopens for season

Upper East Larch Mountain Road in the Columbia River Gorge is now open for recreational access. Every autumn the county closes the upper portion of the road by installing a snow gate near milepost 10. The closure protects the traveling public from severe weather conditions and reduces snow removal maintenance costs. The gate is opened each spring. This year, the road reopened later than normal due to heavy snowfall late into the season.East Larch Mountain Road is the highest road in Multnomah County, reaching an altitude of 4055 feet. At the road’s summit there is a parking lot for visitors to the Sherrard Point lookout. The snow gate is at an elevation of approximately 2300 feet. Multnomah County maintains Larch Mountain Road and 269 miles of roads. For more information, visit https://multco.us/roads/larch-mountain-road.

Regional mayors and transportation bigwigs in DC for annual lobbying trip

JPACT members on Capitol Hill. (Photo: Juan Carlos Gonzáles)

Over the past two days, a group of transportation bigwigs from around the region have rubbed shoulders with the most powerful decision makers in America. Members of Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT) arrived in Washington D.C. on Tuesday to take part in an Oregon tradition that’s nearly four decades old.

Read more

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