On November 8th, Portland voters set into motion a massive shift in local politics when we voted overwhelmingly to support the charter reform measures. Simply put, our politics will never be the same. And that means the way we do advocacy won’t either.
If you want to be a changemaker in Portland, and be a part the exciting future many charter reform supporters think is now possible, it’s time to put on your thinking cap and learn how to operate in the new system. Because guess what? The powerful people and organizations that have a different version of the future are lining up to take advantage of the new playing field.
It was in this spirit that I called Matt Glazewski and Catie Gould and asked them to sit down for a chat in our new recording space in the BikePortland Shed (my new backyard office). I wanted to know how transportation advocacy might change once Portland has a new form of government.
“Portlanders need to start caring about who our new city manager and new city administrator is going to be, because that person is not elected. And that person potentially could be there for 10 years, and never actually have the will of the voter. So that’s exciting. But it’s also a little scary.”
– Matt Glazewski
“In 2018, city council authorized PBOT to make two new parking permit districts. Zero new parking districts have been created since. There’s been three different Pbot commissioners in that time and the institutional memory is just very short. Ideally, our city administrator is going to have a much longer memory and say, Hey, we’re supposed to do this.”
– Catie Gould
Matt used to work as a policy advisor for Portland City Commissioner Mingus Mapps and we had an interesting conversation in episode 18 of the podcast. As a former city staffer, I learned a lot by hearing his perspectives on what charter reform will mean to the day-to-day operations of City Hall. And as a former leader with BikeLoud PDX, member of the PBOT Bicycle Advisory Committee, and current researcher and writer for Sightline Institute, I knew Catie would also have some important insights to share.
Here are a few things we touched on:
Why everyone needs to know City of Portland Chief Administrative Officer Michael Jordan, who is now in charge of the transition process and will be a key figure going forward.
Why the new city manager position will be so important to the success (or failure) of this new form of government.
Why depoliticization of city bureaus is such a huge deal and will have dramatic impacts on how transportation advocacy plays out.
How will the role of bureau directors change and why does that matter?
How will having 7 more city councilors impact Portland’s ability to influence policy of other agencies like TriMet, Metro, and so on?
As you’ll hear in this episode, we had a super informative conversation. I learned a lot and I think you will too. Thanks for listening. If you’d like a transcript, you can view a PDF here.
— Get all the links to subscribe and listen to this and past episodes at BikePortland.org/podcast.
Even my baby had the blues (he didn’t love this helmet). (Photos: Shannon Johnson/BikePortland)
I emptied my bike’s cargo box, which had been accumulating nerf guns, discarded jackets, and a random assortment of baby stuff.
Oh winter. Rain, chill, biting wind, and early darkness. Has anyone else retreated to their cars or just stayed home under the covers? Maybe you weren’t ready for the rain when it started (guilty). Maybe you got discouraged by a nasty driver or near-collision (we did). Maybe you got sick and felt crummy (us too!). Maybe your garage door even broke and you literally couldn’t get your bike outside (okay, that one is probably just us).
Whatever had you down and not biking, I feel you. We’ve hit a lot of bumps recently, so much so, that we almost stopped riding entirely. Among other things, we had trouble finding a baby seat that is compatible with our new e-bike, and liked by our baby. We had to troubleshoot and install a different option than planned. Meanwhile, we had some family setbacks and serious illnesses. Little by little, all our “stuff” migrated to the minivan. Then our garage door broke and we couldn’t get the box bike out at all. As obstacles to biking piled up, we lost the habit. Then we got discouraged about pedestrian and cyclist deaths (including one that was close to our home). For the first time since we began biking, I felt afraid.
Not riding made things worse. The blues were piling up. And our bike was gathering dust.
Our winter re-start
Despite the setbacks, I could see that it was time to restart our biking journey. We’d had a great first year of family biking. Looking back on it, I think it was the happiest year of my parenting life. I was finally able to get outside with my kids on a regular basis, doing something I genuinely enjoyed, and they loved too. It’s a lifestyle worth saving. It’s worth restarting. I put the image back in my head of the kind of parent I want to be, the kind of family life I want to lead. I want us to be outside together, biking together, living consciously, a community-based life. But getting back on the bike wouldn’t just happen on its own. We needed a fresh start.
Fresh starts may be easier in the spring, but we need to restart biking now – rain and chill and dark included. The great thing is, restarts can happen any time! You don’t have to wait for New Year’s Resolutions or warmer weather. Make a decision to bike through this winter, or whatever blues have set you back. Then get yourself set-up to make it happen. With kids, preparation is key.
Step 1. Bike spiff up/tune-up
Cleaning can be cleansing. I emptied my bike’s cargo box, which had been accumulating nerf guns, discarded jackets, and a random assortment of baby stuff. I even vacuumed up the dirt and cheerio crumbs. I stocked the under-seat compartment with spare tires and ordered an extra tire pump to keep with us. I finally moved the panniers from my analog bike to the e-bike, cleaning out the junk that had accumulated in the bottoms, and got us generally set-up to haul library books, picnics and kid gear again. I also finally raised and tightened my bike seat for better comfort. We got a rear-view mirror installed, pumped all the tires, and checked all the lights. At last, the bike was ride-ready, and everything in order.
Is anything getting junky on your bike? Maybe a pannier needs emptied out. Maybe something needs fixed or replaced. Maybe your whole bike needs a full tune up and some love. Take the time to make it happen. You’ll start feeling better as you go along, and look forward to riding again.
Step 2. Get set for success: prep winter kid gear
When you need to go somewhere with kids, every detail can derail you. “Mom, where’s my shoe? Mom, I can’t find my other glove. Mom, I lost my helmet!”
To successfully begin biking again, especially in the winter, I needed to get our gear ready. The goal of gear preparation is to make our bike exits as efficient as possible, thus cutting out one of our biggest excuses for not biking. If the bike isn’t ready, and if our stuff isn’t ready, and if we don’t know where the pump is or the rain gear, or the diaper bag….those not-ready gear issues can set us back half an hour, plenty long enough for us to give up entirely.
You can think of winter prep like seasonal kid clothing changes. Every fall and spring, Mama has to go through each kid’s clothes to clear out the old (too small now) and wash and fold the new (hand-me-downs). We have to do the same for our outdoor gear and winter bike stuff.
Here’s what we got ready:
Winter hats and helmet re-sizing (to fit over hats).
Matching gloves for each child (I’ll keep these in the cargo box).
Rain Cover ready (if you don’t have a fancy rain cover, consider a water-proof picnic blanket–it works great!)
Rain jackets hung up on garage rain gear rack (it can be nice to have a garage or front/back porch to hang up dripping rain gear, without having to take it all inside).
Seat blanket folded and placed in bike
Diaper bag packed and put in bike (including water-proof changing pad, in case we need to do an outdoor diaper change.)
Water bottles. My kids are always dying of thirst. I keep a few sippy cups and water bottles permanently in a pannier or bottom of the cargo box.
Baby bunting fitted to new baby seat (this was donated from a friend’s outgrown stroller accessories). I’m so excited at how cozy it looks.
*If you aren’t loading up a big cargo box, think about packing your backpack, and even your kid’s backpack, with predetermined essentials. Whenever possible, get these ready the night before.
Pro tip: Get the kids involved. Teach your children what they need, where to find it, and how to pack their own gear–even my three-year-old can do this, with a little help. The kids are proud of their responsibilities and it really helps us to get out the door when everyone packs their own gear and contributes to the trip (like filling up water bottles or packing snacks).
Step 3. Lay out Mama/Papa’s winter kit
I picked out my favorite rain jacket and found my hat and bike-friendly gloves, then chose a place to keep them stored and ready. I’m particularly excited about my new wool hat, which makes me feel cozy and adventurous at the same time. I also switched my “purse stuff” to a new waterproof biking backpack. I felt like a kid getting ready for the first day of school: I was so excited to wear my winter bike gear and new backpack, I couldn’t wait for the next day’s ride!
Step 4. Plan a fun and easy ride to a favorite destination
We needed a good first trip back on the bike. We needed an easy victory. Fortunately, there’s a toy store in town, just a few blocks away. I can’t think of a better winning errand than to go to the toy store with kids, can you? We needed to pick up a birthday present for a friend, and then the kids could look at toys and dream about items to put on their holiday wish lists. “Let’s go to the toy store!” was an easy way to get everyone dressed and happily aboard.
Of course, you don’t need a toy store. Kids are pretty peppy creatures. You can probably just pack a thermos of hot chocolate or apple juice, bike wherever, then sip your special drink together. Or just ride in the rain and laugh. That works too. Keep it simple and easy to start. There will be days for longer, colder, perseverance rides. But rack up a few fun rides first, to build your confidence. You’ll also realize what you forgot (the bag of gloves!), which is better to find out on a short ride than a long cold one.
Step 5: Set new goals and make riding a habit
We did it! We got back on the bike. Now we need to make it a habit again. Last year, we became bikers by setting the modest goal of doing one ride per week. I think we’ll return to that simple idea, but this time we’ll double it, and see what happens.
One ride down, and I’m already so much happier. I’m once again listing off destinations and re-planning our bikeable activities. The fresh air is good. The chill is invigorating. And riding bikes is fun again. I hope whatever might have got you down or off the bike, you find your way back. Don’t wait till spring. The Portland weather is lovely – so dust off that bike, gear up, and re-start enjoying it
Ain’t it a beaut?! Full gallery below. (Photos: Breadwinner Cycles)
Turns out Breadwinner Cycles is as tough as the bikes they make. The plucky company founded by former bike messenger-turned framebuilder Ira Ryan and former Utah resident and mountain bike rider Tony Pereira, is celebrating a decade in business.
Tony (left) and Ira in their first space – Ira’s garage! — in 2013.Ira and Tony at their launch party at Velo Cult in 2013.Tony (left) and Ira in 2014.Ira, Jude Gerace (former owner of Sugar Wheel Works), and Tony after acquiring Sugar Wheel Works. Breadwinner through the years. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
In 2017, they opened Breadwinner Cafe adjacent to their shop on North Williams Avenue. It became a hub for local riders and was a great spot for drinks and snacks, but after pedaling against revenue headwinds, Pereira and Ryan opted to close the doors in 2020. Today the shop is still buzzing, even without as much caffeine, in large part because of the addition of the Sugar Wheel Works business they acquired in 2019.
With over 1,000 steel bikes being ridden worldwide, Breadwinner wants to get a solid start to their next decade. And to do that, they’ve just announced a custom-for-all version of their favorite bike, the “B-Road.” Named after the type of roads Ryan was famous for riding back when he had time to win major endurance races, the 10th anniversary B-Road epitomizes the Breadwinner ethos that both he and Pereira embody: It’s blue-collar tough and capable, yet refined; It has just enough high-tech touches to make riding effortless, yet it retains a classic feel that creates a connection between rider and steed.
Breadwinner has gone out and spec’d this special, limited edition B-Road with the best parts in the business. It comes with a cool new graphics package they say is, “a nod to classic bike races,” and can be yours for $6,995. And while you’ll get a custom fit, you’ll still get your bike by this spring because of an expedited production promise.
Make yourself or someone you love very happy this holiday — and support this foundational piece of our bike community — by grabbing one of these beautiful bikes! Learn more about it on their website.
And congrats to Tony, Ira, and the entire Breadwinner crew. Your longevity is a testament to the quality of your bikes and your character! Thanks for doing things the right way.
Full gallery of the 10th Anniversary B-Road (Photos: Breadwinner Cycles):
A major recent project on Hawthorne Blvd is just one example, the plaintiffs say. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
“We feel change is too slow coming when the need is so great.”
– BikeLoud PDX
Portland nonprofit BikeLoud PDX plans to sue the Portland Bureau of Transportation for not building legally required cycling facilities when they did major road projects — a requirement outlined in ORS 365.514, a law known as the Oregon Bike Bill.
Nearly 30 years later, another group of Portland advocates want the Bike Bill to have its day in court once again. BikeLoud PDX announced their plans at a meeting Wednesday night. Scott Kocher, a lawyer with Forum Law Group who has won transportation-related lawsuits against PBOT in the past, will represent the nonprofit. (Disclaimer: Kocher is a financial supporter of BikePortland.)
“The suit seeks implementation of key improvements identified in the City’s Bicycle Plan where those improvements better serve current needs,” a BikeLoud press release states. “Portland roads need safe facilities to reach our climate, community, equity, and safety goals for all road users.”
According to BikeLoud, there are “numerous locations where the city has failed since 1971 to provide safe and adequate places for people to ride and roll when streets were constructed, reconstructed or relocated.”
One of these locations – and a primary impetus for this lawsuit – is SE Hawthorne Blvd. Advocates wanted the city to include bike lanes in its Hawthorne ‘Pave and Paint’ project completed last year, but PBOT refused. Zach Katz, a former Portland resident and bike advocate who has since left the state, raised about $13,000 in a GoFundMe campaign to sue the city for its Hawthorne decision. That money will be used to fund BikeLoud’s suit, although they’ve decided to take on more than just Hawthorne.
The suit will include a list of over 20 projects BikeLoud feels did not comply with the law.
The bike bill requires that agencies provide walkways and bikeways on all roadway construction, reconstruction or relocation projects. If, for example, a bike lane is not feasible on a specific road project, a viable alternative must be provided. Advocates began looking more closely at the bike bill in 2020 when The Street Trust attempted to expand the bike bill through the state legislature.
“BikeLoud volunteers write letters, testify at hearings, meet with elected leaders, and take staff on policy rides because we are dedicated to serving people who are outside of cars who want to go places too,” the press release states. “We feel change is too slow coming when the need is so great.”
BikeLoud says they tried to work with the City of Portland, but when PBOT refused to cooperate with a public records request that sought information about projects that might have skirted the Bike Bill, the nonprofit felt a lawsuit was necessary.
The plaintiffs-to-be are not looking for a financial settlement. They want the city to build the bike infrastructure they believe they’ve failed to provide in the past. If it’s not possible to build bikeways on specific streets that were reconstructed, a judge could help both sides negotiate a fair settlement that would build higher-quality, nearby alternate bike routes.
This lawsuit has the potential to put BikeLoud in the spotlight in a new way, and members are ready for it. At a BikeLoud member meeting in southeast Portland Wednesday night, the excitement was palpable. It’s clear members think this could provide the energy needed to reinvigorate biking in Portland.
“There’s a general feeling this city has lost some of its vision,” BikeLoud chair Kiel Johnson said at the meeting. “Bicycling doesn’t solve all the problems, but it does make things a little bit better. I think it’s a really important thing to advocate for.”
BikeLoud will lead a ride this Friday (11/18) to file the lawsuit at the Multnomah County Courthouse.
An example of trees in the street on SE Hawthorne Blvd. (Photo: PBOT)
“If you don’t do something like this, these trees aren’t happening.”
-Gena Gastaldi, PBOT
Good news for Joni Mitchell and fans of sustainable city planning in Portland: the Portland Bureau of Transportation is considering depaving paradise and trading parking spaces for trees.
Though many neighborhoods in Portland’s central city are as green as can be, this isn’t the case everywhere. Tree canopy coverage is unevenly distributed across the city, with people in wealthier parts of Portland benefitting the most from dense urban forestry that lower-income neighborhoods are largely devoid of. As climate change continues making our summers hotter and the cooling effect of urban forests becomes even more palpable, the disparity between the tree haves and have-nots will be more apparent. Climate justice advocates have called on the city to make sure all Portlanders have access to trees, and planners have begun to include more greenery in their blueprints for new street designs, especially in lower-income parts of the city where concrete is king (like 122nd Ave).
At yesterday evening’s Portland Pedestrian Advisory Committee (PAC) meeting, PBOT’s Interim Pedestrian Coordinator Gena Gastaldi gave a rundown of a new city street tree pilot project.
Two options for trees in the street. (Source: PBOT)
This pilot plan, a collaboration between PBOT, Portland Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry team and the Bureau of Environmental Services, aims to “develop a framework for tree planting in the curb zone.” It will be funded through a $500,000 grant awarded to PBOT by the Bureau of Environmental Service’s Percent for Green program, which uses a percentage of development charges to fund green infrastructure projects that “provide broad benefits for watershed health and the community.” The pilot is part of the recently-updated Pedestrian Design Guide, which has a large section dedicated to improving tree canopy coverage on Portland’s streets.
But beefing up canopy coverage is more complicated than just taking a shovel to the dirt. Particularly in the most car-dominant parts of the city (which are also often the poorest), sidewalks are narrow and there often isn’t enough room for trees. To confront this challenge, PBOT’s pilot would take tree planting beyond the limited sidewalk furnishing zone and into spaces previously reserved for cars.
PBOT has recently faced backlash from people threatened by their plans to reallocate on-street parking, notably on NW Overton, where the agency ended up scrapping an already-built bikeway to reinstall parking spots. It’s apparent they’re wary of this happening again and want to get ahead of any controversy: documents outlining this plan clarify that turning some parking spaces into habitats for trees is essentially a last resort for fitting greenery into tight spots, and Gastaldi said PBOT will practice restraint with on-street parking conversion.
“We’re not talking about getting rid of all the parking. We’re talking about strategically reallocating some of that space,” Gastaldi said at yesterday’s PAC meeting. “If you don’t do something like this, these trees aren’t happening.”
SE Duke and 75thSE Holgate near I-205Two locations PBOT says are prime candidates for trees-in-the-street.
You can see examples of these curb extension planting zones in several places around Portland, such as near Director Park downtown and on SE Hawthorne near 46th Ave. But these were created as one-off projects with no intent to replicate them elsewhere. Now, PBOT and BES are going bigger with their plan.
In addition to the benefits trees provide for on-street cooling (and more), one important point PBOT makes is that street trees have proven valuable as a traffic calming enhancement. This is true: studies have shown the presence of trees improves traffic safety by encouraging drivers to slow down – similar to the calming effects of on-street artwork, but with more photosynthesis – and this effect can be amplified by planting them outside of the sidewalk and in the street itself. (This is one reason people were so angry about PBOT removing the tree from the traffic circle at SE 7th and Tillamook.)
Right now, planners are still determining where to first focus their tree-planting efforts, but it will likely first take off somewhere in the greenery-starved neighborhoods in outer southeast. They may tie this pilot into the Lower SE Rising Area Plan in the Brentwood Darlington neighborhood, utilizing the community engagement efforts already underway for that plan to also get public input on the street trees project.
The planning and engagement process will take place through the rest of this year and next year, with construction starting in 2024. You can find out more about the plan here – we’ll keep you posted on more details when they’re available.
“The problem is that cyclists are throwing themselves into lanes of traffic that should really be reserved for people who can afford cars.”
– The Cleveland Onion
How bad have things gotten for the Oregon Department of Transportation and their reputation for mismanagement of urban arterials?
The agency has been made the subject of a satirical news post from high school journalism students.
The Cleveland Onion is an Instagram account created by students from Cleveland High School. It’s a nod to The Onion and is a satirical companion to the school’s official newspaper. Cleveland High sits on the corner of Southeast Powell Blvd (ODOT’s Highway 26) and SE 26th Avenue — just across the street from where many students and staff witnessed the horrific killing of Sarah Pliner when she was hit by a truck driver during their school lunch period on October 4th.
And the Pliner tragedy was not the first time Cleveland has faced the reality of violent traffic outside their school. In 2018 their principal had to issue a traffic safety warning to students ahead of a planned walkout.
“The problem as we see it is that all these cyclists are throwing themselves into lanes of traffic that should really be reserved for people who can afford cars.” said ODOT in a statement this morning. “The fact is that many cars and semi trucks rely on being able to drive 50 miles per hour through a school zone to complete their daily commutes. We can’t just change the rules and layouts of our roads to accommodate the lives of pedestrians and cyclists. We have decided that in order to keep all these unwanted obstructions from getting in the way of gas-paying commuters, it would be best to expand the highway into Powell park and shave a little bit off Cleveland high school.”
This post is a stinging indictment of ODOT and shows how their reputation has transcended the realm of transportation advocates and is now part of popular culture. The post works, because like any good satire, it contains a shred of believability and allows us to lean on humor to deal with a tragic topic. Well done Cleveland students!
Just a few of the many amazing places I’ve explored with confidence thanks to Ride With GPS.
The world’s best tool for planning and sharing bike routes online celebrates their 15th birthday this week. And yes, I am biased because the company that makes this tool — Ride With GPS — is based right here in Portland.
After I first met the co-founders of the company, wide-eyed Oregon State students Zach Ham and Cullen King, at the Oregon Bike Summit in 2010, I had a strong feeling they’d go on to do something great. Since posting the very first route on November 14th, 2007, Ride With GPS has evolved and improved their offerings and is now a dominant player in the crowded field of online route planning.
One reason Ride With GPS is still alive and well is because they consistently add new, useful features. Check out the images below for a before and after. Note how they’ve added detail and capability in the current version, yet the interface is still clean and accessible.
Nerd out fellow route planning friends!
As a user myself, I can vouch that it’s so full of cool features and is so simple to use, it actually inspires me to explore. There have been so many times when I plopped down into a new city and used the route search feature to find good bike routes near my hotel or house rental. I used Ride With GPS to map out all my Cycle Exploregon adventures and have saved many of my favorite routes on the BikePortland ambassador page. One of my favorite features are the turn-by-turn directions I can get on my phone. Hearing that voice while out on a big adventure ride in unknown territory is often such a huge comfort.
To celebrate their birthday, Ride With GPS is giving away one-year subscriptions to their Premium service offering. All you’ve got to do is follow them on Instagram and answer a trivia question. If you’re a fellow route-planning nerd, don’t miss this recent post on their website to learn more about how this product has evolved over the years.
Happy Birthday and a huge “thank you!” to the entire RWGPS team. Your product has given us so much joy over the years and we are proud to have you in Portland!
Me and my new electric bike. (Photo: Dagny Daniel/BikePortland)
I was late to everything and felt like I was going to need an early knee replacement, but that’s the way I liked it!
It’s been about a year since I first wrote about my goal to buy an electric bike. At the time, I was a complete newbie to the scene, but since then I’ve learned so much about the world of Portland biking and transportation and have become a staunch advocate for electric bikes. I’ve seen how they change people’s lives and firmly believe they are going to be a big part of the cure for our societal car dependency. I evangelized about the e-bike to anyone who would listen, and some people actually did!
But all along, I’ve held a secret close to my chest. After seeking the advice of BikePortland commenters and people from all corners of the internet about which bike to buy, I was overcome with decision paralysis. I expected to make the jump after I sold my car, but even after the car was long gone, I still couldn’t make up my mind. Filled with anxiety about all the different considerations I needed to make before buying my new bike, I concluded that my non-electric bike was serving me fine and exhaled as I closed out all the tabs of e-bike research I’d amassed on my computer.
Over the next few months, I put thousands of miles on my non-electric bike, and typically didn’t feel constrained by a lack of electricity on my commute. On days I really didn’t feel up to an intensive ride I could rent a Biketown bike (this ended up costing me quite a pretty penny) or just stay close to home. Sure, there were times when I was huffing and puffing up the Alameda ridge or climbing up the west side of the Broadway Bridge when I wanted nothing more for a small boost, whether from a well-timed gust of wind or an electric battery. But once I reached my location and my heart rate slowed down, I usually forgot about those woes.
A couple weeks ago, however, I got an offer I couldn’t really refuse (try as I might). BikePortland co-owner Mike Perham took advantage of the big Rad Power sale in October and had a Rad Mission bike he wanted to donate. He asked if I was in the market for one, and though I was grateful for the consideration, I acted coy. Me? I felt unworthy. I’d been surviving perfectly fine with my regular bike! Sure, I was late to everything and felt like I was going to need an early knee replacement, but that’s the way I liked it!
Ultimately, I couldn’t deny it anymore: I wanted an e-bike. So, after a year of back and forth, I am now the proud owner of a Radmission bike that was very generously gifted to me. It really helped that I didn’t have to decide which bike to get, removing the whole agonizing decision-making process that caused me so much stress at the beginning of this process.
I’ve only had the bike for a week, but I already have some thoughts to share. These thoughts are particularly aimed at those of us who already ride bikes for transportation and wouldn’t be buying an e-bike as a car replacement, which is a demographic I think gets overlooked much of the time in these conversations.
Here are my takeaways so far.
(Oh, and quick note: the astute reader will recall that I very recently wrote about my roommate Dagny’s struggles with her Rad Power bike, which may have come across as an indictment of the bikes themselves. However, Dagny was able to fix her bike just by reconnecting a few of the cables and hasn’t had any problems since. I believe there still might be a reason someone might want to invest in a bike they can easily get serviced at a local shop, but we are both back in the pro-Rad Power camp, especially considering the accessible price point.)
1. Electric bikes can be game changers even for people who’ve already ditched their cars
A lot of e-bike advocacy (rightfully) focuses on how battery-boosted bikes can be total game changers for bike-hesitant people and shift the mode share away from cars and toward a decarbonized transportation system. I think people should certainly continue sharing this message far and wide. But what if your life is already oriented around riding a bike for transportation?
Personally, with or without e-bikes, I have no plans to ever own a car again. But now that I have this new bike, I’ve realized the benefits I was missing out on by insisting I didn’t need an electric option. Which leads me to my next point…
2. True freedom of mobility includes comfort
Sure, I might have been able to go pretty much wherever I needed to go without much constraint using my old bike. But sometimes the trip to my destination was a little less mundane than I would’ve liked. I don’t find it comfortable or relaxing to drive a car for a lot of reasons – traffic is a nightmare, and I don’t like the responsibility of operating extremely heavy and dangerous machinery – but a quick drive doesn’t tend to wear people out physically. If you’re in a car, you don’t have to mentally and physically prepare yourself to drive up that hill that’s on your way home or worry about your ice cream melting on the journey to your freezer.
I think everyone should be able to get where they need to go without needing a car and without feeling exhausted upon arrival. E-bikes are the solution to that problem.
3. The joy of riding a bike is translatable
Despite my best efforts to filter out snobbery and pretension, I have to admit I’ve internalized a bit of bike puritanism. It comes from a good place: as much as I am passionate about biking on a policy level to curb carbon emissions and make our cities more liveable, I genuinely love bicycling as an activity more than almost anything this world has to offer. I was a bit worried about tainting the experience by adding a battery.
But it turns out that being out in the fresh air, flying down hills, forming camaraderie with people biking by and even getting those thrilling endorphin rushes – that’s all possible on an e-bike, too.
4. Martyrdom isn’t a virtue
There are a lot of things that people who rely on biking to get around can rightfully gripe about. Near-misses with distracted car drivers, crumbling or nonexistent bike infrastructure – and how about the generally inaccessible price of most electric bikes, which aren’t given the respect they deserve as sustainable transportation alternatives compared to electric cars? A self-imposed abstinence from e-bikes for no good reason, however, isn’t really a valid complaint.
Biking should not be difficult. It shouldn’t be an arduous task based in a sense of moral superiority and a victim complex. So, this is all to say: if you want an e-bike and can afford one, get one, and let yourself enjoy the extra boost. You don’t have anything to prove.
Tom Miller in 2012. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
A familiar name has taken a top job for incoming Portland City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez: Tom Miller.
A reporter who works for The Oregonian reported via Twitter today that Miller will be in charge of the Gonzalez transition team. Gonzalez won a seat on city council last week and will take over for ousted incumbent Jo Ann Hardesty on January 1st, 2023.
Shortly after taking on the PBOT director role, Miller told me in an interview: “Your transportation director understands bike issues. I know bicycling’s place in the urban context and I understand that bicycling has arrived… I believe separated facilities are the only way to get the concerned cyclist riding more.”
Miller initially rose to prominence at City Hall as the man behind an effort to build a network of skateboard parks throughout the city. As we reported in September, he still found a way to be involved with that cause as a member of Mayor Ted Wheeler’s staff.
In addition to riding skateboards, Miller is also a notable cycling advocate. Many people think that former Mayor Sam Adams’ political focus on cycling (his most memorable campaign video depicted him biking to work) was a result of Miller’s influence. A good example of that was how Miller was such a big booster of bike share. Adams was one of the early adopters of the idea in the United States and wanted Portland to become the first city to have a bike share system. In 2008 Miller wrote a six-part series about bike share for BikePortland.
Miller and Adams were reunited in the office of Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler where both currently have top advisory roles — Miller as director of livability and Adams as director of strategic innovations. Wheeler instituted a ban on camping alongside dangerous roadways and on sidewalks near schools during their time on his staff.
During his campaign, Gonzalez used slogans like “restore Portland.” By choosing a veteran political insider like Miller, we are getting our first glimpse of what version of Portland he hopes to restore.
Last Wednesday (11/9), 33-year-old Bre Fry was walking across Southeast Powell Blvd when she was hit by a driver who fled the scene. Police say it happened just after 10:00 pm at the intersection with SE 64th.
According to a friend that has launched a fundraising effort on her behalf, Fry was walking her dog, “when a vehicle estimated to be traveling more than 70 mph struck her, left the scene and left her for dead. She was thrown several yards into the bushes but initial responders were able to find her due to her dog barking.”
Thanks to the GoFundMe page set up for Fry, we now know that she was taken off life support just two hours after the collision. Her husband and family thought she was dead. But miraculously, she started breathing again. “She is heavily sedated and ventilated but breathing and responding appropriately to stimuli,” writes Desiree D’Agostino, the person who manages the page which has raised over $19,000 in less than one day.
According to our Fatality Tracker there have been 10 fatal traffic crashes on SE Powell between 24th and 62nd since 2017. We can only hope that Fry will not join that list and that she makes a solid recovery.
This collision should add urgency to local and state efforts to tame traffic on this notorious road. Powell currently holds so many of us hostage due to its inherent dangers. On a Reddit post about this latest tragedy, people flooded the comments with their own experiences.
Powell Is a death trap for pedestrians and cyclists. Terrible road design.
an absolute nightmare and failure in city planning.
This stroad needs to be significantly redesigned.
The more we prioritize cars over people the more of these we will see. Shame on ODOT.
Coincidentally, the morning after this collision, ODOT issued a press release to update what they’ve done to meet their promises following the death of Sarah Pliner last month. So far ODOT has installed new school zone and 20 mph speed limit signs near Cleveland High School (at SE 26th), and have completed “crosswalk improvements” at 24th, 26th, 28th, 31st, 34th, 42nd, and 69th avenues. Still to come are speed reader signs that will tell drivers how fast they’re going and leading pedestrian intervals at signalized crossings to give walkers a head start through intersections. ODOT has also promised to install photo radar enforcement cameras and do a study to analyze a road diet.
“This effort will include development of a new rapid response bicycle and pedestrian safety program…”
Kevin Glenn, ODOT
Those measures are not nearly enough says the Portland Bureau of Transportation Bicycle Advisory Committee. The day before Fry was hit they sent a letter (PDF) to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and the four other commissioners, as well as top ODOT leadership. It was a scathing indictment of ODOT’s negligence and complicity in how they manage Powell and other urban highways.
“ODOT lacks sufficient oversight, safety goals, and direction to responsibly manage urban roadways,” reads the letter, co-signed by BAC Chair Ally Holmqvist and Vice Chair Joseph Perez. “While we are encouraged by ODOT Director Kris Strickler’s statement that ‘ODOT will be prepared to discuss ways we can make swift and meaningful changes to Powell Boulevard,’ this is too little, too late; it is feckless, banal and patronizing… We are tired of these avoidable traffic deaths and ODOT’s indifference to them.”
When the Oregon Transportation Commission meets this Thursday, Powell Blvd will be on the agenda. Looking through the meeting materials, one item about Powell in particular caught my eye. It relates directly to ODOT’s ability to quickly fund and build cycling and walking-related safety upgrades. “Over the past year,” reads the agenda item (PDF), “ODOT has been developing a program and with dedicated funding in order to be able to more quickly implement immediate pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements on state facilities with emerging active transportation safety needs.”
I followed up with ODOT to learn more and heard back from Communications Director Kevin Glenn. “Our current process for pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements is too slow,” he said. Glenn added that ODOT plans to bring outlines of a new funding program to the OTC “early next year.” “This effort will include development of a new rapid response bicycle and pedestrian safety program, modifications and revisions to existing programs to better incorporate social equity, and adoption of improved data practices from other state DOT’s and FHWA,” he added. “Our intention is that by reforming our methods, we can more rapidly and equitably increase safety for people biking and walking on the state highway system.”
That’s hopeful. But ODOT has made and broken many past promises, so we’ll have to wait and see. And given the way people are driving on these deadly highways, let’s hope we don’t have to wait much longer.
Welcome to the Comment of the Week, where we highlight good comments in order to inspire more of them. You can help us choose our next one by replying with “comment of the week” to any comment you think deserves recognition.Please note: These selections are not endorsements.
Last week was a pretty boring one in the BikePortland comments section, wouldn’t you agree? (Ha, ha!)
For those just tuning in, a quick recap: earlier this month, a woman in southeast Portland woke up to find the tires on her SUV deflated in an apparent act of climate activism attributed to UK-based climate activism group Tyre Extinguishers. I saw several local news stories about this situation framed in a way I disagreed with, and I had a rebuttal to the common narrative I wanted to share. So I wrote up my op-ed, and watched as the comments started rolling in.
Going into this, I knew my piece was likely to draw some ire, but I thought the topic was important enough to risk the backlash. And I hoped that by writing this piece I could start a nuanced, respectful dialogue that I wasn’t able to find about the subject on sites like Reddit and Twitter. I was genuinely interested in how people would respond.
Well, respond they did. This article drew almost 200 comments in a day before we decided to freeze the comments section to loosen the tension a bit (and give our comment moderators a break!). While I did not believe all the comments were conducive to a quality, productive conversation, there were quite a few that I found thoughtful and well-reasoned (even if they didn’t agree with my conclusion).
So here are my picks for comments of the week. Two diametrically opposed viewpoints, both rational and thought-provoking.
From SD, who used sarcasm to good effect to emphasize the points I was trying to make in the article:
Wow!!! I have to admit, I almost didn’t read this article because I kinda thought it was old news (Sorry BP). But, now I am so glad that I read it and the COMMENTS! Ms. Griggs opened a magic portal between BP and NextDoor that sucked in all this high-octane moral panic about the deflation of our beautiful way of life. People that were sleep-walking toward the collapse of our life-sustaining ecosystem forgot about their catalytic converters and the unsightliness of poverty for long enough to write about the catastrophic harm caused to people who had to put air back into their tires. Even better, I learned that it is the people who are protesting climate change that cause other people to make climate change even worse. Who knew?
As an avid driver, I understand how what appears to be small inconveniences are actually the ravenous moths eating at the very social fabric that makes life worth living. When someone appears to slow down car speeds, touches a car they don’t own, or deflates a tire; AND then I imagine this happening to all the tires every day; AND then I imagine very unique circumstances where this might, at the very right moment, maybe cause more harm than driving an SUV everyday…. I lose my freaking mind! Aaarhghghaahgh!
But, now that I have had some time to reflect (as the avid cyclist that I am, BTW) I am seeing how the real “inconvenience to freak-out ratio” works in favor of tire deflation. This post, other news coverage, and the tire flattening has brought so much attention to the very important issue of climate destabilization, without any real harm. So cool! Thanks to all the hyberbolic pearl-clutching comments on this article, I get how awesome letting the air out can be. Heck, I just flattened my and my neighbors’ car tires and we had a good laugh while we pumped them back up. He was worried about being late to work, but in considering the many ways that the car-based transportation system that we have all become addicted to often fails us, we just had another good laugh about the tyranny of capitalism. Ha!
I guess it’s like Jonathan always says “read the comments,” the ridiculous things that climate-change-denying drivers say just might make you want to flatten some tires.
And from maxD, who disagreed with my stance but did so kindly and without making threats (and gave me something to chew on):
I agree that we are in an emergency and it can cause despair that people are not acting urgently. I disagree that random vandalism is smart tactic. I believe that we need to face uncomfortable truths and we will need to drastically change our lifestyles, but I strongly hope we can do it together. The last 5 years have shown us the ugliness of increasing tribalism and violence. TX strikes me as analogous to window smashing in the name of racial justice. There were people who lost their businesses over that. My point is that there are are villains, but the people driving SUVs are not them. It is selfish and clueless, but not villainous. The villains are Phil Knight, Jeff Bezos, Zuckerberg, et. The billionaires who exploit and control our economy and our politics. Having enough money for an SUV or the poor taste to buy one is not reason to target and vandalize them. Attack the power and the systems that are ruining our planet- alienating people that are really our wealthier neighbors will only promote counter-productive divisions and tribalism. It is so mean, and petty, and a total distraction from the very real oligarchs we should be targeting.
You can read SD and Max’s comments under the original post.
And as alway, thanks for all your comments. We appreciate hearing so many different perspectives.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation spent several years testing out the effectiveness of a program that subsidizes transportation options for people who live in low-income housing developments, many of whom spend a good chunk of their income on transportation. We checked in on this program last year, when it was in its second iteration as a pilot and already garnering positive results.
Now, the Transportation Wallet for Residents of Affordable Housing pilot is moving on up the PBOT project ladder and will be fully implemented this spring under a new, less verbose name (Transportation Wallet: Access for All).
Here are PBOT’s goals for the Access for All program:
— Deliver Transportation Wallets to our partner affordable housing sites. — Reduce the barriers to using transportation options, like cost, technology access, credit/debit card requirements, and low-income verification processes for different providers. — Allow residents to access transportation and have the flexibility to use how much of the transportation options that fit their needs. — ProvideResources to services and community events. — Communicate climate and equity benefits of transit and bike improvements in the City and promote investments in economic, physical, and community health.
The Access for All transportation wallet program will be partially funded through the 20-cent transaction fee added to Portland’s metered street parking spots this past summer. PBOT expects to raise $2 million in annual revenue from this parking fee, which is part of a larger plan to fund sustainable transportation projects with small driving taxes.
Access to these passes were limited under the pilot program, and PBOT will be able to offer more of the subsidizes when the Access for All project launches. But exactly how many of these will be up for grabs remains to be seen.
This isn’t the only program within PBOT’s Transportation Wallet offerings. They launched the initial program in 2017 as a way to increase parking supply in some of the city’s most car-congested areas, including the Central Eastside and Northwest Industrial Parking Districts. PBOT also runs a Transportation Wallet for New Movers program that offers multimodal transportation credits to people living in new multi-unit developments. The whole lineup is intended to get people out of their cars and incentivize them to try different, more sustainable modes of transportation, as well as to promote freedom of mobility for people of all income levels.
Along with their more developed “Access for All” program, PBOT is also planning to launch a Transportation Wallet app created in collaboration with RideShark. This new tech will “allow users to more precisely track their credits and more easily redeem them” and “provide program planners with useful information to better tailor the program to customers’ needs and deliver more targeted outreach to drive program engagement.”
If you’re interested in getting involved with this program, PBOT is looking for community organizations to partner with. These organizations will help recruit participants and distribute the passes, and they’ll receive some compensation from the city for their help. Applications to participate in the program are due in January, and PBOT will host two information sessions about this partnership later this fall. You can find out more here.
I think the Transportation Wallet is one of PBOT’s most underrated programs. It incentivizes people to rethink their transportation habits and encourages the combination of car-free living with dense housing. The Access for All program promotes the idea of universal basic mobility, which says freedom to get around is a basic human right and should be treated accordingly. It’s good that PBOT is doubling down on Transportation Wallet programming – so stay tuned for more details as it moves ahead.
