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Day: September 29, 2022
Lovers of bikes and beans will gather for international ‘Coffee Outside’ day
To a devoted set of Portland coffee and bike lovers, Saturday mornings are set aside for riding to a local park to brew (and drink) coffee outside. This weekly event, aptly titled PDX Coffee Outside, has been a weekly local tradition for several years and it’s still going strong. And this Saturday October 1st is extra-special because it’s International Coffee Outside day with over 20 cities taking part around the globe.
Though organizers recognize the event may be associated with a certain type of Portlander – folks really into coffee and bike gear – they say all are welcome. The joy of Coffee Outside comes from community and meeting new people, not from winning at bike or espresso trivia.
“It’s bike nerds hanging out and drinking coffee outside,” Michael Mann, a hallmark Coffee Outside attendee, said. “But it’s a really diverse crowd as far as types of riding and what people are into.”
Coffee Outside organizer Brett Callahan agreed.
“We want all kinds of bikes and all types of people,” he said.
Corey Johns, another Coffee Outside regular, told me they love Coffee Outside because it’s “able to bring people together through the shared appreciation of a simple pleasure like enjoying a beverage outdoors.”
“I’m so glad to share the morning with many faces both familiar and new each Saturday,” Johns said. “Community and friendship can spring from surprising places!”
Though Coffee Outside get-togethers are very much bike-centric, they usually don’t involve a planned ride. But this week will be different. Mann worked with Portland-based bike navigation app maker Ride With GPS to develop a route for a group ride. They’ll start at Laurelhurst Park at 8 am and end at east Portland’s Luuwit View Park an hour later – the designated spot to break out their coffee equipment and get down to the important business of drinking coffee.
Mann said he chose Luuwit View, which is located in northeast Portland’s Argay neighborhood, because he wanted to encourage people to branch out from the typical Coffee Outside park rotation. A lot of the usual participants live closer to the city center and might be missing out on a wealth of park experiences to be had further out.
Ride With GPS will be giving away coffee-related prizes at the end spot, so you won’t want to miss it. (You can also skip the ride and just meet at Luuwit View at 9.) If you don’t have a portable coffee machine, don’t worry. Just bring a cup and some treats to share – someone will get you covered on the coffee. Find out more on the BikePortland Calendar and via PDX Coffee Outside on Instagram.
Portion of Fanno Creek path in Beaverton raised in response to flooding
You won’t have to worry about getting wet while riding a section of the Fanno Creek Trail in Beaverton any longer. But you might have to worry about hitting your head.
Persistent flooding of the path where it goes under SW Scholls Ferry Road had become such a problem that Clean Water Services, a utility, recently completed a project that raised the path about 10 inches.
The causes of the flooding are threefold: the path is adjacent to natural wetlands where seasonal floods are normal; record rainfall has made the problem worse lately; and successful conservation efforts have led to a booming nearby beaver population.
As we reported in 2020, there are five beaver dams in a one-mile stretch of the trail between SW Hall and Scholls Ferry Rd. In a statement about the project released this week, CWS said they, “attempted to help reduce impacts in the short term by lowering the beaver dam downstream from Scholls Ferry Road twice in July, but the beavers quickly rebuilt the dam.”
The resulting floods on the path (which can also include thick mud) are more than a minor inconvenience because the alternate route is inconvenient and requires crossing of a very busy road
The newly raised path means the trail will remain rideable through the winter (for now at least). Unfortunately, because Clean Water Services (who collaborated with City of Tigard and Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation Department on the project) didn’t raise the level of the road, the new overhead clearance is a scant 7 feet! This is well below the 10-feet vertical clearance recommended by the national nonprofit Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) guidebook. AASHTO says if an area is “constrained,” the minimum can go down to 8 feet.
We hope the top of the underpass is well-marked with something reflective and lit so that no one is hurt riding under it.
PBOT maintenance staff ask council for support while union organizer says strike isn’t off the table
“We get a lot of thank yous from downtown, but those thank yous dry up when we ask for more money, and we’re suffering.”
-Andrew Sterling, PBOT and Laborers Local 483
The people who work in the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Maintenance Operations department do the nitty-gritty work of keeping this city moving — and their work is especially valued by those who rely on clean bike lanes and bright crosswalk stripes for their safety.
Their work is inherently laborious, but maintenance staff used to feel like it was worth it. The city benefits were good, yes – but employees also found a sense of satisfaction and pride in their work. But now, as staff shortages force employees to work excessive hours of overtime without reaping the same benefits or competitive hourly wages public employees used to receive, they’re calling on the city to repair their relationship or face a serious crisis.
As PBOT leaders often remind us, the agency has been dealing with a multi-billion dollar maintenance backlog for decades, which they hoped to finally get a handle on with a 10-cent local gas tax in 2016. Portlanders voted in favor of the gas tax again in 2020, but the extra funding hasn’t been the maintenance game-changer it was meant to be. And the lack of upkeep is showing.
As we’ve pointed out, this situation is frustrating for people who bike and walk in this city. Nobody likes riding on greenways full of bumps and potholes or bike lanes littered with glass, trash or leaves. (A recent Bike Loud PDX policy ride with PBOT Maintenance Operations manager Jody Yates provided an insightful look into the importance of street and bikeway maintenance.)
Maintenance staffers are aware of community gripes, but claim they don’t have the resources to fix them.
Deteriorating working conditions reveal cracks in the pavement
Andrew Sterling is a PBOT traffic crew leader and the Vice President of Laborers Local 483, the union that represents PBOT maintenance staff. Yesterday, he took employee concerns to the public stage when he addressed City Council to ask for their help to negotiate improved working conditions.
While Sterling’s main job description concerns doing things like striping bike lanes and maintaining crosswalks, staff shortages and recent emergency weather events (like the April snow storm) have interfered with day-to-day operations. In order to get it all done, crew members have to put in a lot of overtime.
“We worked entirely through Covid, in person, on-site every day,” Sterling said. “Many of my coworkers and myself work 70 to 80 hours a week during weather emergencies. Then we have to pick up where we left off for maintenance operations.”
Sterling said these conditions have made it difficult for the maintenance division to retain and recruit employees. He said people working in this department in the city are making less money than they would if they worked in the private sector, and they aren’t seeing the kinds of benefits city employment used to bring.
“Our retirement has been defunded. Our benefits have been in decline in the last 15 years,” Sterling said. “What I’m asking of you today is to support us and our day-to-day operations. We get a lot of thank yous from downtown, but those thank yous dry up when we ask for more money, and we’re suffering.”
“The city is responsive to crisis, and our folks are willing to make themselves a crisis.”
-James O’Laughlen, Laborers Local 483
In response, PBOT commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty issued words of thanks, but didn’t make any promises about changing the situation for these employees.
“Folks who work for maintenance have been in the lead on many of the crises this community has experienced over the last few years,” Hardesty said. “I just want you to know that your commissioner in charge absolutely appreciates the work that you do every single day with the limited resources we have. I also know it’s not your fault we have a $4 million [sic – it’s actually “billion”] maintenance backlog.”
James O’Laughlen, Field Representative & Organizer for Local 483, told BikePortland that the city’s transportation system is suffering as a result of these problems. If something doesn’t change soon, this backlog will only get worse.
“Having so much emergency work without the necessary workers crowds out the infrastructure improvements we’re all focused on, from achieving Vision Zero to meaningful ADA compliance on our sidewalks,” O’Laughlen said on a phone call this morning. “This work only happens because people go above and beyond. They show up for voluntary overtime because they know if they don’t, the backlog is going to grow and grow.”
Employees are keeping their options on the table
Union members have been involved in contract discussions with the city since March, and although their old contract expired at the end of June, they haven’t yet come to an agreement on the terms of the new one.
O’Laughlen told BikePortland the two main things they’re looking for in the new contract are wages and safety. They want to bring back the working standard public employees used to be able to count on that made arduous public sector jobs competitive.
“What we need for our members is to create an environment where people aren’t aggressively overworked, where they are protected from conditions that have been deteriorating and getting compensation for it,” O’Laughlen said on a phone call today. “It’s hard to recruit and it’s hard to retain in a low-morale environment. It’s hard to perform the work.”
If Local 483 and the city can’t come to an agreement soon, the next step will be to bring in a mediator. If they don’t work out a deal after that, there’s potential for a strike after a cooling-off period.
“There’s a reticence to do it, but our members have communicated strongly that they’re willing to go that far. It’s based on wanting to perform this public service work.” O’Laughlen said. “They know that that the city is responsive to crisis, and our folks are willing to make themselves a crisis.”
Update: While we didn’t hear back from the Portland Bureau of Transportation by press time for this story, we later received this comment from Public Information Officer Dylan Rivera:
“We cannot comment on on-going contract negotiations. PBOT leadership supports the work of our Maintenance Operations Group, who are essential responders for the entire city when it comes to emergency response to winter weather, the COVID-19 pandemic and other emergencies. Year-round, their work is critical to providing the safe access for biking, walking and other modes of travel for our community and we will continue to work with our labor partners to make sure the City of Portland can attract and retain top talent across all areas of the bureau.”
Weekend Event Guide: Endless Summer, Take a Kid MTB, and more
Who’s ready for the weekend? Here’s our hand-picked selection of the best rides and events coming your way. For more suggestions, see the BikePortland Calendar.
Saturday, October 1st
Sorella Forte Women’s Group Road Ride – 9:00 am at River City Bicycles (SE)
The Sorellas are one of Portland’s largest cycling clubs and they welcome all female-identifying riders on this long-running weekly ride. More info here.
Endless Summer Saturdays – 9:00 am at Deadstock Coffee (NW)
Club Roule is kicking off a new monthly ride series! Show up to Deadstock for some hangs, then choose from one of three route options while you get to know the folks behind this cool local cycling club. More info here.
Take a Kid MTB Day – 9:00 am at Gateway Green (NE)
It’s a national holiday (seriously, it was established by Congress in 2004)! What more reason do you need to participate in this excellent excuse to ride with your kiddos out at the always-fun Gateway Green MTB park? More info here.
Parkrose Pedal – 11:00 am at Parkrose Middle School (NE)
We were at the inaugural event (then called Prescott Pedal) in 2020 and are thrilled that it’s coming back. Join this wonderful community for a school-based ride where kids and families take over the streets to demonstrate the power and pleasure of cycling. More info here.
Know Your Greenways / Lincoln and Ankeny – 12:00 pm at Ladd Circle Park (SE)
Ride leader Tom Howe is back for what is sure to be another informative exploration of greenways. This time he’ll focus on the very useful east-west thoroughfares of SE Lincoln and Ankeny. More info here.
Sunday, October 2nd
Bike Swap Meet – 12:00 pm at Rose City Food Park (NE)
Clear out your used gear pile and/or pick up some well-priced items at what is shaping up to be a very solid swap. Vendor tables are $10 and come with one drink ticket! More info here.
Promoting an event? Know about something we should boost? Please let us know and we’ll get it on the calendar.
Tempers flare around Tillamook Street tree removal as neighbors press for changes
Nearly one month has passed since the City of Portland announced plans to remove the traffic circle on NE 7th and Tillamook. And while the large tree that once stood in the middle of the circle is now gone, the frustrations from many neighbors about how this project has transpired are not.
In the past few weeks, a small army of nearby residents have coalesced as Safe on 7th, an ad hoc advocacy group fighting to make sure the Portland Bureau of Transportation doesn’t end up making traffic dangers outside their homes even worse. On September 14th, they met directly with PBOT staff in charge of the Lloyd to Woodlawn Neighborhood Greenway project to share their concerns that removing the traffic circle would only exacerbate dangerous conditions. At that meeting PBOT heard that not only did many residents want the traffic circle to remain, they wanted much more drastic diversion in order to reduce the number of drivers who speed through the streets.
PBOT responded to some of their concerns and added additional traffic calming elements to the project, but so far the city’s action have only caused more frustration and anger among some residents.
On September 19th, PBOT announced construction of the project would move forward. On September 25th, the same group of neighbors who called the meeting with PBOT and who have placed signs on the intersection that read, “Our Neighborhood Does Not Support this PBOT Project!,” held a block party.
One of those residents, Randy Haj, told us the vibe at the block party was upbeat and positive. “Neighbors got chance to meet each other, often for the first time in person, and finally had some common space to gather without vehicle traffic ruining the atmosphere,” he shared in an email to BikePortland on Tuesday. Haj was referring to another revelation PBOT will have to grapple with eventually: This neighborhood loves their new carfree street that’s been barricaded off for the construction project for several weeks now. They don’t want drivers to return to this corner of their neighborhood. Ever.
Here’s more from Randy about what it felt like at the block party:
“Kids that were usually confined to their houses were out in droves — most of us had no idea there were this many kids in the neighborhood — and parents who usually need to have their heads on a swivel could sit back and relax into a conversation with their neighbors. In a working class neighborhood that was used to having their community cut in two by a noisy and dangerous street, there was a feeling that our families could enjoy the peace of mind that so many others enjoy in Portland every day. The steady stream of bikers crisscrossing the intersection and stopping to sign the neighbors’ petition and shouting words of support boosted the mood. The handful of drivers going around the party or through gaps in the temporary barricades was the only reminder of what the street used to be like, but they were so infrequent that everyone just laughed them off .”
“The community response team of PBOT showed up in the guise of a Portland Police sergeant all dressed in black with a bullet proof vest and a 9 mm pistol on his belt.”
– Mark Bennett, Safe on 7th
Randy added he and many others were disappointed that Commissioner Jo An Hardesty’s community justice coordinator Andre Miller didn’t show up — despite saying he would.
The day after the party, two things happened: PBOT contractors arrived on the scene to cut the tree down, and Eliot Neighborhood Association (ENA) Co-chair Allan Rudwick fired off another letter (PDF) to PBOT detailing his concerns about conditions on lower NE 7th and why he feels more diversion is critical.
According to a story just posted on the ENA website, there was a tense confrontation with neighborhood activists who planted themselves on the circle and demanded that contractors and a PBOT staffer show them a permit for the tree’s removal. When the resident refused to leave, the PBOT staffer called a Portland Police officer to the scene:
And then… the community response team of PBOT showed up in the guise of a Portland Police sergeant all dressed in black with a bullet proof vest and a 9 mm pistol on his belt.
The sergeant said, “You have the right to protest, but not on this circle. If you do not move from the circle, I will arrest you for misdemeanor trespass. It may not be a serious charge, but I will take you in for booking and it may not look good to your employers or any future employment you might seek.”
While that tussle was going on, Rudwick’s letter was bouncing around email inboxes at PBOT and Commissioner Hardesty’s office. The ENA wants to convince PBOT to install much stronger traffic diversion measures in order to dramatically reduce the number of daily drivers on lower NE 7th Ave from the 6,000 or so today, to a more livable amount of less than 1,000. Rudwick shared a GIS map created by the ENA (using publicly available traffic data) that showed all the local streets in Portland that have way more average daily car traffic volume than they should. They found 10 streets that shared this trait with NE 7th. “Four of the streets on the list have a parallel, non-local street where traffic should be routed according to the city’s policy documents,” the letter states. “Of those, two — SE 52nd at SE Division and SE Clinton at SE 31st Ave — have had vehicle diversion installed. The other two — Lower 7th Avenue and N Columbia Way/N Smith St — are in historically marginalized and politically disconnected communities.”
“We are proposing to keep Lower 7th closed to vehicles until at least one diverter is installed on Lower 7th,” the letter states.
PBOT hasn’t responded to the letter, but work at the intersection is moving along at full speed. City contractors are busy this week removing the circle and prepping to restripe the street with dedicated bike lanes, new crossings, new speed bumps, and other features aimed at allowing NE 7th and Tillamook to live up to its stature as the intersection of two major neighborhood greenways.
What happens once the project is done and the “Road Closed” barricades come down is what we’re anxious to see.