Last week was one of the wildest I’ve ever had on this site. Among everything that happened, I was continually impressed with how our community responded: people showed up on a moment’s notice to testify at council, people wrote letters, they spoke out at meetings, organized events — and of course, many of you wrote comments.
So much of what we do here at BikePortland is made better by having a very open and accessible comment section. Out of the 422 (and counting) comments on our six Broadway bike lane stories last week, there were many that deserve to be singled out. But the one I’ve chosen for Comment of the Week stands apart. It’s a comment on my podcast interview with Mapps from reader MelK that I think nails some very important aspects of the controversy, and gets at the larger issue of how many politicians totally misread what we do here.
Read her comment below:
Towards the end of the interview, Mapps makes a comment about having to take into account all Portlanders’ concerns, while claiming that Jonathan only has to concern himself with BikePortland readers/cyclists. This is a false dichotomy. Yes, we read BikePortland, but many of us are here not because we identify as “cyclists,” but because we are regular Portlanders just trying to move through our city and want to do so safely. Aside from walking, biking is the cleanest, healthiest, most affordable, and most environmentally and socially just form of transportation. I am one of the “all Portlanders” that Mapps speaks of; it just so happens that my usual mode is the one that reflects the values I’m trying to impart to my kids and my community: one that emits no carbon dioxide or particulate pollution, one that causes far fewer fatalities and severe injuries than driving, one that improves my physical health, and one that ties me to my city and community. These are all things Commissioner Mapps claims he believes in and supports, and yet because I read BikePortland, I get lumped in as just a “cyclist.”
I don’t believe it’s a huge ask that our safety be prioritized over economic interests. When my husband and I put our 4- and 6-year-old on the back of our bikes to get them to and from school in the central city every day, it is imperative that we have protection. Automobile-related injuries and deaths are at an all-time high and it’s not easy to continue putting myself and my family in the “vulnerable road user” category. Yet we do it because we truly believe that biking is climate action, and as a parent I have to make the extremely difficult decision to weigh my kids’ long-term future against our short-term interests. The only way I know how to do that and not let the anxiety take over is to fight for safer and more equitable streets, which in turn will someday mean healthier and more resilient communities.
This should have been an easy one for Mapps. Getting complaints about a bike lane from wealthy business owners? Cool. Chat with them, make it clear that he can work with them if and only if any changes either maintain or add to the safety of his constituents, whose right to move themselves and their children from A to B safely is a priority. I was hoping for a PBOT commissioner and mayoral candidate who understands that, but Mapps clearly does not. Unfortunately, even if he appears to suddenly get it as we approach election day, we can no longer trust that he’s being honest and genuine about that.
Thank you MelK and all the others who contributed to an outstanding week of comments. You can read MelK’s comment in context here.
Welcome to the week. It’s going to get busy and interesting this week. Before the silliness starts, below are all the stories you need (from sources you can trust) to get up to speed.
Check your cranks!: After a whopping 4,519 reported incidents of crankset damage and several injuries, Shimano has issues a massive recall. Learn more here. (Bicycle Retailer)
School pick-up lines are a policy failure: The line of drivers just to pick kids up from school is “soul-sucking” and totally preventable. (The Atlantic)
Micro-mobility, mega impact: When people talk trash about e-scooters and/or bike share, keep in mind that those modes are an invaluable piece of the mobility puzzle for people with lower incomes. (Streetsblog USA)
Black people and bikes: Access to and love of bicycles contradicted popular ideas about the the lack of mobility for folks who lived in the nearly all-Black neighborhood of Newtown in Montgomery, Alabama in the mid 1960s. (African American Intellectual History Society)
DEA agent charged in Salem cyclist death: Samuel Landis is accused of criminally negligent homicide after he drove recklessly, hit and killed Marganne Allen, and then never stopped to see if she needed help. (Statesman Journal)
The Oregonian is trying: It’s nice to see Oregon’s newspaper of record saying thoughtful things about how they cover traffic crashes. Thanks to all the folks who contact them about it. Let’s see how it plays out in future coverage. (The Oregonian)
Environmental racism: When a major data analysis find that “More than 49 million Americans live within a mile of a highway and face startling health risks from traffic pollution,” it makes it all the more difficult to support any compromise for lane expansions. (ABC)
E-bike revolution strong as ever: A poll found that nearly half of Americans are in the market for a new e-bike, and corporate America is lining up for a piece of the pie. (Adweek)
xkcd on urban planning: About a dozen readers have sent me this strip on the “typical urban planning opinion progression” that reveals how many of us have become radicalized. (xkcd)
Victim blaming again: It’s almost as if police got to national conferences and trade tips on how best to absolve drivers in fatal bicycle crashes. This one in Texas (similar to one we’ve recently covered) says a highly-experienced bike rider just happened to “veer” in front of a truck before he was hit. (KPTV)
E-bikes can unite Oregon: What’s one transportation policy that could unite urban and rural Oregon? E-bike rebates! Imagine the flood of positive mobility impacts folks from rural folks (especially older ones) if they could hop on a motorized bicycle. (PBS)
Protected convenience stores: Here’s a stat that shows just one absurd consequence of America’s car-centric planning: “Over a 15-year period, 6,253 cars crashed into 7-Eleven storefronts in the U.S. – an average of 1.14 per day.” (ABC Philly)
Safe street tech: CycleRAP, A tool that anonymously captures road features and then runs it through a safety assessment is being piloted in at least one American city. Could it help advise planners on where and what to do to make cycling safer? (NY Times)
Washington County farm roads are medicine for the soul. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
I don’t know about you, but I could sure use a weekend and some great bike rides with friends right about now.
Check out our picks below for the best things to do this weekend. Note: Times posted are usually meet-up times. For roll-out times, see link for more info.
Saturday, September 23rd
BikePOC PNW Adventure Ride – 9:00 am at Ed Grenfell Park (McMinnville) A bit of gravel and a lot of good times are promised on this BIPOC only ride and post-pedal lunch. Pre-registration is required. More info here.
The Disaster Ride – 10:00 am at Irving Park (NE) This 9-mile ride, led by the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), will help you get informed and inspired about how you can work with your community when disaster strikes. More info here.
Goodbye to Rev Nat’s Cider – 10:00 am at Moda Center Fountain (N) The amazing elixirs of Rev Nat will soon be a thing of the past. Don’t despair, be there! Join Scott B for a ride to the final closing party at Rev Nat’s. And drink a pint for me if you do! More info here.
Audreality WNBR Screening Party – 8:00 pm at Tinker Tavern (SE) The video YouTube doesn’t want you to see! Local filmmaker Audrey Rose Goldfarb made a great vid of the Naked Bike Ride, but it was too raunchy for YouTube so she’s have a party to show it all off. More info here.
Sunday, September 24th
Beaverton to Portland with the MAX – 9:00 am at Pip’s Doughnuts in Beaverton (Washington County) Ride Westside wants to show you the cool way to ride up-and-over the west hills. Do the inclines on the way out, then take the MAX on the way back. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll learn. More info here.
Bike Swap Meet – 11:00 am to 2:00 pm at Rose City Food Park (NE) Everything you’d expect at a good, old-fashioned used parts and bikes swap. Plus excellent beer and food! $10 for a table. More info here.
Put Your Bike on the Bus – 11:00 am at Woodstock Farmers Market (SE) I know you’ve been eyeing that bus front bike rack and wondering if you could do it. Here’s your chance to practice and look like a pro when the bus pulls up. Hosted by The Street Trust. More info here.
Spicy Pumpkin Ridge and Farm Tour – 9:00 am in Hillsboro (Washington County) Get the first glimpses of fall on a group ride into the countryside on this 46-mile “brisk pace” ride that will be led by a Portland Bicycling Club member. More info here.
A big part of the Broadway bike lane scandal is how it all impacts rank-and-file Portland Bureau of Transportation staff. If what’s been happening makes your blood boil, imagine if you were a dedicated PBOT employee who is eager and able to carry out all the lofty plans and goals the agency works toward every day.
The self-inflicted wound carried out by their own leadership, hit the agency when it was already at a very low point. They’re facing a budget crisis, record traffic deaths, a steep drop in bike commuting (but I predict neighborhood traffic is way up!), leadership turnovers, uncertainty about charter reform, vast amounts of (frequently unwarranted) criticism from all corners of the city, and so on.
Having their own director, Millicent Williams, make the decisions she’s made since getting the job just two months ago, has been another gut-punch. But Director Williams wants to make things right — at least that’s what her contrite tone at Thursday evening’s PBOT Bureau Budget Advisory Committee expressed.
Right before that meeting, she sent an email to all PBOT staff. I’ve pasted the email (minus a few bits about specific projects that I’ve already covered) below:
Dear PBOTers,
This has been a hard week. I want to apologize to all of you, both in how I’ve communicated with you this week and the mistakes I made involving the Broadway bike lane downtown. I moved too fast on something and it cost us trust. I’ve heard directly how demoralizing the last two weeks have been for many of you, especially how this issue — and the public’s understandable reaction — has had a very real impact on you and the work you do every day to make our streets safer. For that, I am truly sorry.
For staff who feel out of the loop or are playing catch-up with news reports, we are talking about my decision to modify sections of the new parking-protected bike lane along Broadway downtown. Regarding my initial request for changes, I’ve heard your pushback and the public’s and have learned a great deal about how to avoid such quick decisions in the future.
Bottom line: we’re slowing down and evaluating the path forward.
It’s been over a year since we completed this project. This was what’s known as a Quick Build which, as the name implies, is cost-effective, but doesn’t always result in the best product. We continue to hear concerns from hotels and business owners and recognize we need to do something that will both keep people safe in the bike lane and make the bike lane and the entire street function better. Of note, we’ve gotten feedback not only from adjacent businesses but from our own street cleaning crews who find the current design hard to maneuver their equipment around.
In evaluating all options, we will consider investing more in this corridor to make it function the way our upcoming SW Fourth Avenue Improvement Project will.
…
Moving forward
In addition to this update, I want to reiterate how committed I am to the bureau’s goals around safety, climate, and mode-share and to working alongside you to build the safest network possible in our city. At the end of the day, I’m humbled by and immensely proud of the expertise and professionalism PBOT staff display every day. You help us stay true to our goals, and for that I am grateful. I will continue to listen to your guidance. In times like this, we’ll slow down. In others, we’ll try a different tack. Regardless, we’ll do this work together.
I own this most recent misstep. My sincere apology to the staff most impacted, both professionally and personally, as I know you were led to this work (as was I) to make a positive impact in our community.
Keep doing what you’re doing.
My door remains open for your feedback. Please talk to me if you have questions or concerns you would like addressed. This conversation will continue in our upcoming All-staff Meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 3.
Sincerely,
Millicent Williams (she/her) Director
If you’re wanting to hear from Director Williams directly, I’ve requested an interview with her. So far, PBOT says they are shifting to next week’s budget talks and she won’t be available until after that. We’ll see what happens.
The paused greenway project through Rose City Golf Course has been unpaused.
Reeling from the Broadway bike lane scandal, Portland Bureau of Transportation Director Millicent Williams has changed her mind about a key piece of the 70s greenway project. In statements made at the PBOT Bureau Budget Advisory Committee and in an all-staff email she sent Thursday, Williams acknowledged that it was her decision to pause the project — and now she has decided to unpause it.
“This is one part of the project I initially said to pause,” she wrote in the email. “No more pause. We will move ahead.”
To quickly rewind: PBOT planned to change the stretch of NE 72nd Avenue that bisects Rose City Golf Course from its current two-way configuration to a one-way for drivers. In order to create a more low-stress, family-friendly connection between NE Tillamook and Sacramento (both of which are bike routes), the redesign would turn it into one-way southbound for car drivers. The entire northbound lane would be reserved for biking, walking, rolling, and other non-car uses.
Some residents strongly opposed the plan, but after reviewing traffic data and their transportation policies and goals, PBOT opted to go through with the plan. They even sent out postcards to announce the start of construction. But then PBOT Director Williams put the project on ice. The rationale was that more community outreach needed to be done — in part because the initial round of engagement was done during Covid and (in Williams’ words yesterday), “When we were engaging on the project did not have the opportunity to connect some of the ways that we typically would, and so we want to get him to open community the opportunity to engage.”
Now the project will move forward.
“We decided today to move forward with the planned striping on NE 72nd Drive through Rose City Park,” Williams said in an email to PBOT staff Thursday afternoon. “This is one part of the project I initially said to pause. No more pause. We will move ahead on the striping.”
Williams said PBOT will move forward with the lane reconfiguration but that they still plan to do additional community outreach before all elements of the project are installed. “This is to do our due diligence because of the mixed feedback we’ve heard from the community about this segment of the greenway,” Williams wrote.
Portland Bureau of Transportation Director Millicent Williams just apologized for her role in the Broadway bike lane scandal.
Here’s the audio, followed by the full text of the statement she read at the start of today’s monthly PBOT Bureau Budget Advisory Committee:
“As you may have heard in the media last week. I sent an email directing staff to make modifications to the Broadway bike lane. That email understandably has led to a lot of concerns for people who are dedicated to making our streets safer, both PBOT staff and the general public, including, I’m certain, many of you.
I want to apologize to you. I moved too fast. I often do that… I moved too fast on this and have heard all of the many, many voices who’ve reached out and expressed their concern for slowing down now. Thank you for your feedback. And we’re going to evaluate our options.
It’s been over a year since we finished the project and we continue to hear concerns from hotels and business owners and recognize we need to make this bike lane and corridor better. The fact is that this bike lane was built as a Quick Build project, and as you all know, the budget for those projects are very limited and doesn’t always result in our best work.
There are several other items that informed the decision. But what you will likely hear, as we continue to discuss some of the things that I shared with the team, is that it’s not just about bike safety. It’s not just about all of the automobile drivers’ safety. It’s not just about pedestrian safety, but it’s also about our ability to maintain that road. And what we’ve heard from our maintenance crews is that it is incredibly challenging for us to maintain the road in a way that reflects the best of what PBOT has to offer.
And so we’re encouraging the team to go back and evaluate the opportunity to reimagine the corridor to make sure that it becomes the corridor that you would like for it to be and that we expect that you would want for it to be. So what this will look like is an opportunity for us to explore and we’ll be engaging the community to ensure that we are making the best — and the right steps — as we move this work forward.”
BBAC member Kara Helgren was the first person to respond to Williams. “Unfortunately Director Williams, I don’t feel that under your leadership, PBOT is really committed to finding safer ways for people to use streets,” Helgren said. Here’s more from Helgren’s comments:
Kara Helgren
“We’ve had so many deaths this year, and now there’s discussion about taking out a protected bike lane? I have ridden in that section of Broadway and I have been doored in that section of Broadway prior to this lane existing and it was incredibly dangerous. It feels like the input that’s being taken into consideration isn’t, you know, the riders or other users of the road, but these hotels who have complained. I’m not sure how giving huge carve-outs to hotels will make the general public in Portland safer.
It seems like there’s been a lot of bowing to pressure from some really adamant, anti-cyclist, anti-pedestrian voices when it comes to most of these projects. And I honestly would like a list of all of the projects that have been in the background that you’ve decided, maybe didn’t warrant as much input from the rest of us, because I would not be surprised if there were others that were just in the background that we’ll wake up one morning and there will magically be another bike lane removed or a Rose Lane painted over. I’m extremely frustrated with how PBOT has been so adamant that you have no budget — and you’re wanting to spend the budget on removing safety measures in light of the 40-plus deaths we’ve had on the road this year — to centering cars. I am just really, really frustrated and really angry about it.
I’m also really concerned about what looks like dishonesty coming out of either PBOT or out of Mr. Mapps’ office. I don’t know how easy it’s going to be to trust you that our input, when it comes to the budget, is going to be respected, or if there’s going to be money used to dismantle things and then PBOT will continuously tell us how poor they are.
It’s incredibly, incredibly frustrating and I feel like there’s been a lot of broken trust now between BBAC members, and PBOT, and especially you, Director Williams.”
In response to Helgren, Williams said, “I recognize the weight of the responsibility of the role and do not intend to use that opportunity to provide leadership irresponsibly.” She also said, “There are no other projects in the background… There are no other efforts to dismantle large swaths of any of the work that we’ve done… I have no intention of dismantling the work of the bureau.” (Rumors continue to swirl about removal of bus priority “Rose Lanes” on W Burnside, NE Couch, and SW Capitol Highway.)
Next up with a response Williams was BBAC member Ignacio Simon. Despite Williams’ contention a few minutes earlier when she told the committee, “There hasn’t been anything that’s been hidden,” Simon expressed that, “It is very clear that this whole thing with the bike lane on Broadway has been done behind closed doors.” Then Simon said he thinks Williams should resign:
Ignacio Simon
“I think the truth is that if it weren’t for the great journalism of some wonderful individuals in the Portland bike community, this would have proceeded and you would have had no qualms and doing it without any public input. I think that there’s also strong allegations that this specific removal was done to politically benefit Commissioner Mapps and I think that you should answer to that. Because again, your emails suggest this political motive. I think that you have, as a recent director who started about two months ago, you have broken the trust of a lot of members of the BBAC and the larger Portland community. I don’t see how you could possibly regain that trust.
I don’t believe you when you say that you don’t have any other intentions of doing things behind closed doors. I don’t believe that your apology is sincere. I wish I was in that room to be able to look you in the eyes and tell you that I think that you should resign.”
In response, Williams said, “I was not directed by the commissioner to do anything that I’ve done… I don’t consider myself to be political in the ways that you’re suggesting.”
One BBAC member, Mariah Dula, offered a different perspective:
“I’m a cyclist. I’m a driver. I’m a pedestrian. Broadway has never been a great solution for anyone. I think you’ve rightly identified that downtown is a changed environment the past few years, and I do want to see PBOT projects be responsive to that going forward — including the needs of businesses. It is hard to access hotels safely whether you’re a cyclist or driver.
I have a little bit of an alternate perspective. I live on a greenway. I bike a lot. But I personally prefer not to bike on Broadway. I don’t think it’s the best option, and I hope to see alternatives and move away from Broadway. So I look forward to continued engagement.”
Also at this meeting, Williams announced a major shift in her stance on the 70s greenway project and there were some other important exchanges about what the future could hold for Broadway. I’ll save those for separate stories. Stay tuned.
In this episode, I sat down for a video phone call with Portland Bureau of Transportation Commissioner Mingus Mapps.
His office set up this 30-minute interview to respond to our stories this week about Mapps’ involvement in a push from his PBOT Director Millicent Williams to make significant changes to the protected bike lane on NW/SW Broadway. Williams’ email to PBOT staff on September 14th made it clear she was ready to move forward — with what she claims was Mapps’ approval — on reversing the current Broadway bike lane design and replacing with a configuration that would be less safe for cycling.
Mapps’ policy advisor Adam Lyons (left) and Mapps on the call.
In the interview, Mapps repeatedly denies that he had any knowledge of a clear plan to move forward. He also characterizes Williams’ email as a message that was meant to start a conversation about possible design changes and that a public process would have always been part of the plan. That contention directly contradicts not only the words Williams uses in her email, it also makes it odd that Williams would make a full apology for her actions — which she just did at the PBOT Bureau Budget Advisory Committee.
More striping and signage to prevent drivers from parking in the bike lane are coming. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
“When you make a u-turn out there it doesn’t work. You run into the new curb, and it’s kind of terrifying when you have to put your car in reverse.”
– Dan Ryan, Portland city commissioner
The Portland Bureau of Transportation will make significant changes to the center median on Southeast Division in response to numerous complaints from people who live and own businesses along the corridor.
The Outer Division Multimodal Safety Project was mostly completed last fall, but a strong chorus of opposition has been building since before the concrete was even dry that the nearly continuous center median between 80th and 148th avenues has made driving too inconvenient and made businesses too inaccessible. One business owner in particular, Roman Russian Market owner Fatima Magomadova, has testified about her concerns to city council several times. Magomadova’s market is on SE 109th and Division.
This morning PBOT announced that they will make a break in the median to allow left turns onto 109th, right in front of Magomadova’s market.
PBOT installs center medians in large part to reduce the risk of crashes from drivers turning left from a large arterial onto a smaller street (or commercial driveway). This change will result in more turns and research shows it could increase the risk of crashes.
In addition to the median break at 109th, PBOT will do several other bits of what they refer to as, “corrective work” that includes: changes to make u-turns easier in some locations; more “No Parking” signs and stronger striping in the bike lanes; and more raised, reflective pavement markers to indicate where lanes shift in key areas.
The changes to allow easier u-turns are also in response to numerous complaints that there isn’t enough room to make them. Among those making complaints are City Commissioner Dan Ryan.
At a City Council meeting yesterday, Ryan sharply questioned PBOT Commissioner Mingus Mapps about the Division project (even though Mapps had very little to do with this project, since it was conceived and completed before he ran the transportation bureau). At the meeting, Ryan made comments about an unrelated project on 82nd Avenue when he turned to Mapps and said he wanted, “to make sure that we don’t repeat any mistakes that we made on Southeast Division.”
“We’ve heard consistent complaints about all the upgrades there,” Ryan said. “I’ve experienced it myself. They [people who oppose the medians] didn’t make up any stories. When you make a u-turn out there it doesn’t work. You run into the new curb, and it’s kind of terrifying when you have to put your car in reverse. The cars are coming down fast. So that’s a little terrifying. That doesn’t help the safety. I’m sure there’s been accidents out in that area because of this. And we spent a lot of money on that.”
Oddly, despite being extremely relevant to Ryan’s comments at council yesterday, PBOT Commissioner Mingus Mapps didn’t mention these changes.
It’s good to see that PBOT will add more “No Parking” signs to the bike lane, since that’s been a consistent problem since the changes went in.
News of these modifications to the Division project come on the same day an anti-median protest is planned in the parking lot of Magomadova’s business on 109th. PDX Real, the group who has led the organization of the event, has passed out signs that say, “Remove the medians, PBOT!” Whether or not this one change will be enough to satisfy them remains to be seen.
PBOT says work on these changes is scheduled to begin Monday, September 25th.
“I’m angry because they are treating Adam like a roadkill.”
– Gina Wilson, Adam Joy’s sister-in-law
Robert Weeks, the driver of a truck involved in a collision that killed bicycle rider Adam Joy on June 10th, was found to have no criminal liability for his death.
Joy was riding behind his 15-year old son about 10 miles south of McMinnville when the collision occurred. They were training for the Seattle-to-Portland ride.
Joy’s family is outraged by the DA’s decision and is moving forward with their civil lawsuit against Weeks.
According to the Oregon State Police, the decision to not charge Weeks was made on August 22nd by Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton. They say there was “insufficient evidence to support criminal prosecution.” While the DA and OSP felt the driver’s actions did not rise to the level needed for criminal penalties, they have issued Weeks two traffic citations: one for Careless Driving (ORS 811.135), and one for Unsafe Passing of a Person Operating a Bicycle (ORS 811.065).
A Ford F350 similar to the one driven by Robert Weeks.
Since Weeks’ careless driving led to the death of a “vulnerable roadway user,” (VRU) the citation triggers a stronger consequence. Bike advocates amended the careless driving law in 2007 for precisely this type of situation. Since the legal bar required for criminal penalties is so high, they sought to narrow the gap of consequences and bring more justice to families through the traffic citation. Violation of 811.135 with a VRU allows a court to require the driver to take a traffic safety course, perform up to 200 hours of community service, pay a fine of up to $12,500 and suspend their license for up to one year.
Even with those stronger penalties, Joy’s family is very disappointed with how the DA has handled this case.
As we reported, police initially stated that Joy “fell over” in front of Weeks’ large, Ford F350 truck just prior to being hit. They also said Weeks slowed as he passed. But a witness who was traveling on the same road at the time of the collision told BikePortland that they felt Joy was riding along normally and that Weeks was going very fast and appeared to never move over.
Joy’s family alleges that the DA handled the case in a way that protected Weeks.
“I’m angry because they are treating Adam like a roadkill, and the driver is getting away with just a couple of traffic tickets. How is a person only given fines for taking a human life?,” Joy’s sister-in-law Gina Wilson shared with BikePortland after learning about the DA’s decision. “How do I prove to my nephews that their father’s life mattered after the state is giving this man fines? Sure, one of them is large. But excessive speeding fines did not stop him before!” (a reference to Weeks’ prior citations for speeding).
I reached out to DA Felton multiple times in the past few months to find the status of this case. The most recent time was September 5th. On that date, DA Felton stated via email that, “We are still at the stage of an open, active investigation so I am not going to be making any comments.”
However, according to the OSP, the charging decisions in the case were made on August 22nd.
BikePortland filed a public records request to see a copy of the police report and investigation. Yesterday I received a response from an OSP legal specialist that the records are still part of an ongoing investigation and that they now consider my request for the police report closed. The next step will be to file an appeal.
It’s unclear why the Polk County DA has not been forthcoming with BikePortland about the details of this case.
Joy’s family still has an open civil lawsuit against Weeks, so perhaps we will learn more through that process. In the meantime, his family is still grieving and is left with no justice for his death.
“Monetary compensation will never be enough for Adam’s life,” Wilson shared with BikePortland. “The boys, these brilliant young men, they deserve more than this.”
The Portland Bureau of Transportation says pushback from local residents on their 70s Neighborhood Greenway plan have put a key element of the project on hold.
The five mile, $4.5 million project is fully funded and construction of some elements has already begun.
One piece of this project many bicycle riders are looking forward to is the conversion of a two-way road through Rose City Park Golf Course between NE Tillamook and NE Sacramento into a one-way only for car users. This would mean bicycle riders and pedestrians would have half the road width to roll freely and much more safely without being disturbed by drivers. The design was planned by PBOT as a way to improve safety on the neighborhood greenways. Greenways by definition are “family-friendly, low stress” streets where bicycle riders and walkers are prioritized.
Postcard sent to residents saying the new path was imminent.
Earlier this month however, we shared news that some Roseway Neighborhood residents are very opposed to the idea. They felt it was unfair to have to drive a longer distance. One person encouraged others to try and sabotage a PBOT traffic counter to make it seem like this stretch of 72nd had more car traffic than it actually does. Their thinking was that if PBOT saw a high car volume number, they’d scrap the plan.
The local media even picked up on the opposition. Local resident (and noted ant-bike advocate) Terry Parker told KATU News that, “People are going to have to go around the golf course, cut through more residential areas, or go down to 82nd, which is already somewhat congested, and they’ll be going into school zones.”
But despite this, we got word that PBOT pressed on and decided to enact their plan. After all, traffic counts and greenway policies are in their favor, as data collected in May shows that only 831 people per day drive cars northbound on 72nd — and 65% of the drivers were exceeding the speed limit.
So when I heard PBOT had already mailed postcards to residents around the golf course announcing the project was on its way, I put the story out of my mind. Then something changed. Now the project is on hold.
A reader who lives nearby asked PBOT for an update the project on Tuesday and was told by a project manager that,
“We are currently on hold to do that work… After hearing concerns from the neighboring community, the decision was made to pause this planned work until a more robust engagement process can occur as it relates to this portion of the project specifically. This is to ensure that we are getting direct feedback and exploring potential options with the neighboring community.”
The reader who shared that email with me said he’s very disappointed by the news. “This section [of the project] would have been superbly transformative infrastructure and was arguably the most thrilling concept in the entire greenway,” he wrote.
PBOT says all other work on the 70s greenway will continue as planned.
“Coming on the heels of the threat to Broadway’s protected bike infrastructure,” our reader who lives nearby laments, “this development raises serious concerns about PBOT’s support of sensible and secure bike (and pedestrian) projects.”
UPDATE, 9/22: PBOT Director Williams has decided that the project will move forward without a pause. Read more here.
PBOT Director Millicent Williams and Commissioner Mingus Mapps at Sunday Parkways on September 10th. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Statements made yesterday by the Portland Bureau of Transportation and its current leader, City Commissioner Mingus Mapps, are at odds with an internal staff email written by PBOT Director Millicent Williams last week.
PBOT and Commissioner Mapps issued statements yesterday after facing pressure from the public that came in response to a BikePortland story Monday where I reported that Director Williams emailed PBOT staff on Thursday, September 14th and instructed them to revert the protected bike lane on a 0.7 mile segment of Northwest and Southwest Broadway to a previous design that is less safe. They gave no clear justification for the move and rank-and-file PBOT staff were shocked at the news.
As numerous Portlanders flooded PBOT and Mapps’ office with emails and phone calls to express concerns, they responded in a way that doesn’t match that email from Williams and appears to intentionally mislead the public and the local media. Both offices said no decision about Broadway has been made and that public outreach will happen before they move forward with any changes.
And Mapps’ office in particular, says they have not been briefed on the issue at all.
“It is important to note that there are no imminent changes planned for SW Broadway,” wrote Mapps Policy Assistant Jackson Pahl in an email to a concerned Portlander Tuesday evening. “At present, we have not been briefed on any plans that include changing the design of the bike lanes on SW Broadway.”
When asked by BikePortland why he wanted to change the Broadway bike lane design, Mapps emailed, “I have asked PBOT to come back with a list of recommendations, and we look forward to being briefed on them,” and that, “change is not imminent.” Mapps also wrote in an email to BikePortland that, “We plan to have an open and robust engagement process before any decisions are finalized.”
Unfortunately, those statements from Mapps and his office are not true. Mapps had been briefed on this issue and had already signed-off on the plan — that was prepared by Williams — to revert the bike lane to its previous configuration.
And yesterday, PBOT Public Information Officer Dylan Rivera issued a statement to the media that said agency staff were asked by Director Williams (at the behest of Mapps) to evaluate options for possible changes to Broadway and that, “PBOT staff will be preparing these options, offering additional insights and engaging in public outreach in the coming months.”
But I can now confirm that a full evaluation of the options had already taken place and Williams made a clear choice to revert Broadway back to its previous configuration.
My initial story Monday was written without full knowledge of that internal email from Williams to PBOT staff. I was aware of the email and confident about its general contents, but I had not seen the full text. Now that I’ve seen that email, the picture about what happened is more clear.
Below is the full text of the September 14th email from PBOT Director Williams to PBOT staff (bolded and bracketed comments are mine):
Good Morning Gabe [Gabe Graff is Central City in Motion (CCIM) project manager] and Team,
Thanks for your continued attention to this issue and for offering alternatives for consideration. After reviewing all of the information and consulting with the Commissioner, I would like to ask the team to do the following:
Move forward with installation of parking pads in front of the Heathman and Vance Hotels (unless you recommend something to the contrary. Just trying to make sure that there is consistency where the platform already exists and I would rather not have us take out the one that has already been established). [“Parking pads are the concrete loading platforms similar to the one PBOT has already installed in front of the Arlene Schnitzer Concern Hall.]
Maintain parking protected bike lanes from SW Salmon to Clay (and beyond to accommodate PSU area cyclists)
Return curb-tight parking to Broadway from Burnside to SW Salmon
Maintain parking ‘as-is’ on the left side of the street.
Figure out the best way to transition from unprotected to parking protected bike lane at the intersection of SW Broadway and SW Salmon. My guess is some kind of distinct striping. Please provide a recommendation
Leave contra-flow bikelane on Broadway (on east side) from Harvey Milk to Burnside (Question: Is there currently still parking there? If so, please ‘clear the corner.’)
Return bikelane to 2018 configuration (to the left of the parking lane)
IF POSSIBLE paint bike lane green and put the cyclist icon in the lane
IF POSSIBLE place some kind of low barrier on the outside of the bike lane so that motorists will be able to detect if they are swerving into the lane. Not too big. I recognize that we might not have this in the inventory. If we don’t please let me know what is possible (even if there isn’t a real option) [This makes it clear Williams and Mapps supported making the bike lane less safe and unprotected.]
Even though we are restoring parking, let’s move forward with clearing the corners throughout the corridor. Please do so with both signage and yellow tape on the curb.
Identify and clearly mark the following zones: Passenger Loading Valet (If it’s 60 feet per hotel, so be it. Let’s just make sure that whatever we do is consistent as Gabe has advised); Drop-off zones (at the Schnitzer, Heathman and Vance)…we have A LOT of signs at those locations.
Since we will be dropping from three travel lanes to two at SW Salmon, we will want to make sure that we provide some advisory signage. I know that you already know that but I’m just running through my list.
From NW Hoyt to Burnside, please restore curb-tight parking and external bike lane
Please remove wands, wand bases, and turn-controlling tough-curb. Given the shifts, all of those items will be misplaced
To the extent possible, please remove phantom striping
Anything else that we should be doing that I don’t know or haven’t thought about.
Questions:
I recognize that there is a ZICLA platform [“ZICLA platform” is a brand name of the modular bus loading island currently in place in front of Central City Concern and several other locations around the city] in front of that establishment on the corner of NW Broadway and Burnside. Please let me know what we will do with it. Should it stay? Will leaving it be confusing? Is it a choke point? I think so. Please advise.
Who will put in the work orders? [“Work orders” are what PBOT gives the Maintenance and Operations group to start a project. It can be done without a long bidding process and can start almost immediately upon the orders being issued.]
How long will it take for us to do the work?
When can we start?
How will we publicize/communicate about what we are doing?
Is night work an option?
Finally, I recognize that this might be a fairly bitter pill to swallow and that there might be some politically charged discussions and advocate engagement. Please allow the Commissioner and I to handle those conversations.
Thanks for everyone’s consideration and cooperation. Looking forward to a favorable outcome.
Regards,
Millicent
Millicent Williams (she/her) Director
Based on that email, we know that Williams consulted with Commissioner Mapps earlier than September 14th, despite him saying otherwise. (I gave Mapps’ office a chance to explain this, but have not yet heard back.) We also know that before our story came out Monday, there was a clear plan to move forward with what PBOT now refers to as option 3 — reverting the existing parking-protected bike lane to the old door-zone bike lane with car parking at the curb that existed previously. PBOT staff say that design is less safe and the numerous crashes and complaints over decades are what spurred them to get rid of it in the first place.
The statements issued yesterday by PBOT (under leadership of Director Williams) and Commissioner Mapps leave out the important fact that they planned to move forward with this major change to the Broadway bike lane without sufficient public notice and without any clear rationale for doing so. (I’m working on a separate story about their justification for the changes.)
It’s only after the public became aware of this plan that PBOT, Mapps, and Director Williams changed their tune
On Monday night, after a full day of significant blowback from the public, Williams emailed PBOT staff again with a new plan:
“While I would still like for the team to devise a strategy to address the recommendations that I asked for, please make plans to perform the evaluation that you and the team have recommended [note that PBOT staff recommended an evaluation of options in their briefing packet to Williams but she initially opted against it] … I would also like for you to plan to perform a limited time community engagement period. I recognize that a great deal of engagement has been done – through CCIM and other complimentary efforts – but I ask that you spend more time on it.”
Williams also asked to see a sketch of a much better Broadway bike lane design. “One absent oddly-placed wands. One that functions smoothly – like I envision that 4th Avenue will,” she wrote. Her reference to 4th Avenue is the $17 million project PBOT plans to start early next year and that is considered a protected bike lane couplet to Broadway.
So who knows, maybe in the end we’ll get a plan for a major upgrade on Broadway — instead of the shocking downgrade they initially planned. Stay tuned.
— PBOT updated the Broadway bike lane project website last night. It says, “PBOT staff will be… offering additional insights and engaging in public outreach in the coming months.”
The Broadway bike lane. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
24 hours after we shared the story that changes to the protected bike lane on NW/SW Broadway were imminent, the Portland Bureau of Transportation and their Commissioner Mingus Mapps have issued statements.
After hearing from several reliable sources close to PBOT that a plan had been hatched by Commissioner Mapps and PBOT Director Millicent Williams to revert the Broadway bikeway back to its 2018 configuration between NW Hoyt and SW Salmon, BikePortland immediately filed a public records request. I have also sent Mapps’ office six questions to learn more about his rationale for making these changes. I have yet to get a response to either of those inquiries.
However, since other media outlets asked PBOT for information about Broadway, Mapps policy advisory Adam Lyons sent us this general statement earlier today (while they work on replies to my questions):
“Commissioner Mapps is committed to traffic safety, especially concerning pedestrians and bicyclists. It is important to acknowledge that we had our first bicycle fatality of the year this morning in North Portland. My thoughts go out to the family and friends of the cyclist. Since being assigned PBOT in January of this year, Commissioner Mapps has been discussing proposals for improving transportation infrastructure with Director Williams, including critical corridors. These have been very preliminary, and we will continue to dialogue with PBOT and the community moving forward.”
And just a few minutes ago, PBOT issued a statement of their own:
Since installing an update to the bike lane on NW and SW Broadway last year, PBOT has heard mixed feedback from people biking and people who work, visit, and own properties along the downtown Broadway corridor. Recognizing the dissatisfaction among people who use the street on a daily basis, Director Williams asked PBOT staff to review and evaluate a series of potential changes to the bike lane on SW/NW Broadway between NW Hoyt and SW Clay streets. After receiving additional feedback from PBOT staff, Director Williams asked staff to prepare 1) a full project evaluation that considers all users, 2) proposals for upgrading or “hardening” portions of the existing bike lane in its current configuration and in a potential future state (similar to the proposed bike lane for the forthcoming SW Fourth Avenue project) and 3) a proposal for a modified bike lane that clears parking corners along the corridor and increases signage and paint, while also returning the bike lane to its 2018 configuration between NW Hoyt and SW Salmon streets. PBOT staff will be preparing these options, offering additional insights and engaging in public outreach in the coming months. Additional information will be available on the SW Broadway Bike Improvements Project website in the coming weeks.
I’m still very interested to learn more about what motivated the need to change the design on Broadway. I tend to hear a lot of feedback from bike riders, and I’ve never heard much about it. As for “mixed feedback,” and “dissatisfaction”? Well, every bikeway in Portland gets that! Bike riders regularly disagree about facility design.
It’s also nice to hear PBOT will do public outreach on this. Hopefully if/when any changes happen, they will result in a bike lane that works better everyone!
In other PBOT news, Deputy Director Tara Wasiak has announced her resignation. Her last day will be next Friday, September 29th. In an email on Monday, she said she wants to pursue other interests.
