Looking west across Orenco Station Parkway on NE Cornell. This is direction driver was headed.
Around 7:00 am on December 12th, a young Hillsboro man was involved in a traffic collision while riding his bike. The crash happened at or near the corner of NE Cornell Road and Orenco Station Parkway. According to a crowdfunding page set up by a friend, a twenty-something named Connor is the victim and he’s still in the hospital recovering from serious injuries.
Photos taken by KATU-TV at the scene show a white sedan (pulled over on NE 61st Ave, one block west of the intersection) with a significant damage to its upper driver-side windshield. The damaged bicycle Connor was riding was shown in a photo without its rear wheel and with a helmet and backpack strewn about the street about 100 feet west of the Cornell/Orenco intersection.
This is the second serious traffic crash at this same intersection in less than a month.
Despite being a (relatively) dense commercial and residential area, this section of Cornell is known as a place where people drive dangerously. “People drive way to fast down Cornell in that stretch. I work right there and constantly hear what sounds like drag races up and down daily,” wrote one person in a social media comment. “People often forget to yield to the pedestrians in the crosswalk here,” wrote another.
The speed limit is 45 mph, the cross-section has 5-6 lanes for drivers and narrow, unprotected bike lanes. In the westbound direction there’s a straight, one-quarter mile stretch between NE Century and Orenco Station Parkway with no traffic signals.
The Gofundme page made for Connor says he’s lived in the Beaverton/Hillsboro area since 2007. According to his mom (via Gofundme) Connor was riding to work about two miles away when he was hit. “We have a long recovery ahead of us but Connor is strong!” she wrote. “He will be back on his bike before we know it!”
Need a job? Want a better job? Just looking for a change? You are in the right place.
Quick note: I got a bit behind so there are three months of jobs in this roundup! Sorry. That won’t happen again. Remember, you can always stay abreast of jobs as soon as they get listed by signing up for email updates.
These are paid listings. And they work! We’ve helped hundreds of people find great jobs and great staff members. If you’d like to post a job on the Portland region’s most popular bike and transportation news platform, you can purchase a listing online for just $100. Learn more at our Job Listings page.
Looking north. That’s Ross Island Bridge in the background. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
A new section of the South Waterfront Greenway was recently completed. The Willamette Tower development triggered construction of a 700-foot path that closes a gap in the greenway between Old Spaghetti Factory (S Lowell St) and a quarter-mile section completed in 2015 between S Lane and S Gibbs streets.
Along with a 12-foot wide path for cycling and other vehicles, there’s a separate path for walkers. The paths are clearly defined with different colors and a planted median. As with any new greenway development they’ve also fully restored the riverbank with attractive plantings and there are high quality furnishings where you can sit and take in the view.
What makes this section of path so nice is its proximity to Ross Island. When I was out there on Friday I was amazed how many birds I saw and heard.
Before…After!!Looking south with Old Spaghetti Factor in the background.Fun details like these golden bike symbols. Love!Looking south from Tilikum Crossing you can see end of the path and start of Zidell parcell.It’s already popular!Very nice.
This completion of this path means all that’s left to complete the greenway is redevelopment of the 30-acre Zidell Yards property. Once that happens, we’ll have a continuous riverfront path from northwest Portland (near the Fremont Bridge) all the way to the Sellwood Bridge.
There’s already a master plan on the books for the Zidell parcel and the land-use review process is moving forward. Once all the permits are approved it will likely be several years before construction begins and we make the final connection under the Ross Island Bridge to existing streets and paths near at the western landing of the Tilikum Crossing.
If you’d like to access this path from the north, head to South Waterfront via SW Moody then take a left to go east on S Whitaker. That will take you to the river and you’ll find this new section if you head south a bit from Whitaker.
For more on this path, see the video below (sorry the last few seconds are cut off). And go ride it when you can!
Plans for north Portland near Marine Drive. (Source: IBR Program)
“This is a big moment for the Pacific Northwest,” is how Oregon Governor Tina Kotek characterized news announced Friday that the Interstate Bridge Replacement project (IBR) won a $600 million Mega Grant from the Biden administration’s infrastructure bill. These funds are in addition to $1 billion already authorized by the legislatures of Oregon and Washington.
You know a project is expensive when a $600 million grant is just 8% of the total estimated project cost — which in this case could be as much as $7.5 billion.
The IBR is a freeway expansion project that will add lanes to nearly five miles of I-5, enlarge seven interchanges, extend MAX light rail into Vancouver, create new paths for walking and biking, and more.
Despite critics that say the bridge will promote sprawl and increase vehicle miles traveled (VMT), Governor Kotek was one of many local elected officials that welcomed the grant. “This project will help advance our goal of reducing emissions through a modern, multimodal bridge and will provide an infusion of federal funds to our region that will support local jobs and broader workforce opportunities,” the Governor said in a prepared statement.
Even with $2.5 billion already committed to this mega-project, the IBR is still looking for another $2.5 billion in federal grants and both states plan to use toll revenue to make the budget math work out.
News of the grant came out just a day after a scathing article on the project was published by Streetsblog USA. That story relied on economic analysis from noted project critic and No More Freeways Co-founder Joe Cortright. Cortright’s group urged the FHWA to “carefully examine the benefit-cost ratio” of the project and to, “reject the proposes application for federal funds.” The thrust of Cortright’s concern is that the state DOTs from both sides of the river are using the need to replace the Interstate Bridge as an excuse to widen five miles of freeway and expand seven interchanges.
“Most of the cost of this project comes from a freeway widening that doesn’t produce many, if any, benefits,” Cortright told Streetsblog.
Supporters of the project point to the extension of MAX light rail into Vancouver and updated biking and walking paths as proof that the IBR will be a net positive. Many believe that the project will relieve congestion and that cars emit less greenhouse gas emissions when traveling at a steady speed versus being stopped in traffic.
When a precursor project to the IBR was proposed a decade ago, it died (after hundreds of millions were spent on planning) when right-leaning Washington lawmakers balked at the sticker price. So far anti-project voices haven’t emerged in a big way; but as the project gets closer to the finish line, it’s likely they’ll get louder. Whether it’s the use of tolls, presence of light rail, or the sheer cost of the project, we’re likely to see some politicians get nervous.
But with each new funding commitment, the IBR gains momentum. And as we’ve learned over the years these mega-projects rely on momentum to help roll over any speed bumps that might pop up along the way.
Upon hearing the news last week, noted right-wing media personality Lars Larson called the project a “fraud on the taxpayers” and wrote on his blog that the new bridge design isn’t big enough and spends too much on light rail. “We should just call this thing, ‘Boondoggle Bridge 2 point oh’,” Larson wrote.
PBOT rendering of new protected bike lane on SW 4th between Jefferson and Madison in front of City Hall (on the left).
By the end of 2025 Portland could have a protected bikeway couplet through the heart of downtown. At a meeting of the Downtown Neighborhood Association this morning, a Portland Bureau of Transportation staffer presented an update on the Southwest Broadway and SW 4th Avenue projects and shared the latest on when we can expect to see major changes in these key north-south streets.
PBOT Capital Project Manager Gabe Graff started his presentation by getting DNA members up to speed on SW Broadway (it was the first time he was in front of the group since the Broadway bike lane scandal happened back in September). I noticed how he carefully described what the kerfluffle was about. “We installed a parking-protected bike lane… And our data shows that that’s working pretty well,” Graff said. “But we have had we have heard some concerns from some specific stakeholders — and particularly our director and Commissioner were concerned that the design that was was not working very well.”
Graff then said PBOT plans to break ground on three new valet loading platforms on Broadway in January. As BikePortland reported in September, the new platforms will be located in front of the Vance, Heathman, and Benson hotels. He also said PBOT wants to get rid of the existing, white plastic flexi-posts that define the cycling space today and replace them with concrete medians, curbs, and planters. The idea would be make the corridor safer for walkers (who could wait on concrete medians to cross), and more “aesthetically pleasing” while upgrading the existing temporary materials to something more permanent.
Note the image on the right where green outlines future concrete medians on SW Broadway.
The new platforms will likely be installed by spring 2024. These additional upgrades to SW Broadway are being scoped but Graff didn’t offer a timeline for when we can expect to see them on the ground.
It’s great to hear PBOT wants to make Broadway better for bicycling, because it needs to catch up to its much larger sister project three blocks over on SW 4th.
PBOT will spend nearly $17 million* on a reconstruction of a 1.25-mile section of SW 4th Ave between SW Caruthers (just south of I-405) and W Burnside. The project is the northbound couplet to SW Broadway and was identified as a top priority in the Central City in Motion plan adopted by City Council in 2018. (*Funding comes from a mix of sources including the Fixing Our Streets program, PBOT maintenance funds, transportation system development charges, and contributions from Prosper Portland and TriMet).
For some reason, I haven’t covered the project since 2020. That might be because it has been delayed several times. Last time I checked, it was supposed to break ground in December 2021 and be done by 2022. The pandemic and higher-than-expected contractor bids due to inflation pushed the timeline back. Now PBOT says they hope to start construction spring of next year (2024) and finish in mid-2025.
The project itself is really exciting. Since this is a major capital project and not a quick-and-cheap project like SW Broadway, we’ll see quality, concrete separation instead of “paint and posts.” Since PBOT plans a full rebuild, we’ll see what they choose to do with a clean slate. The design is complete and we got a taste of what it’ll likely in a video PBOT shared in 2021.
As you can see in that video, this will be a dramatic change to SW 4th. Below are more slides from this morning’s presentation followed by the main project elements (via PBOT):
Bus lane at Caruthers. Note bike lane on right. It switches from right to left at SW Caruthers.SW Hall
Repave SW Fourth Avenue from Lincoln to W Burnside streets
Safer crosswalks and curb ramps that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) from Lincoln to W Burnside streets
A protected bike lane along the westside of SW Fourth Avenue from Caruthers to W Burnside streets.
A business access and transit (BAT) lane between Sheridan and Mill streets. BAT lanes give priority to buses and people turning into driveways or cross streets.
A bus stop platform at SW Fourth Avenue and Hall Street
A new traffic signal at SW Fourth Avenue and College Street
Updated streetlights between Sheridan and W Burnside streets
Improve existing traffic signals at the intersections of SW Hall, Taylor, Sheridan, Caruthers, Lincoln, Montgomery, Market, Clay, Jefferson, and W Burnside streets
If budget allows, improve additional existing traffic signals at the intersections of SW Alder, Harvey Milk, and Pine streets
Graff said because the contractor bid came in higher than expected, they’re still currently negotiating the scope and how best to “value engineer” the project. The result of that process will likely be a decision to put off some planned signal upgrades at SW Harvey Milk, Oak, and Pine (none of which should impact bicycling safety or flow).
Stay tuned for updates as this project gets off the ground!
Our first Christmas after I began biking with my kids was particularly special: every kid got a “new” (used) bike. I loved seeing the brightly colored bikes all lined up in the living room, circled around the tree. It was a happy moment, filled with the joy of the memories we’d made, and the rides we were looking forward to. It was a celebration that my newfound joy of biking was also a joy for my children, a joy and gift that we could share together. Furthermore, I was 9 months pregnant that Christmas, due any day, and seeing the array of little bikes under the tree gave me hope for our family’s coming year, as they were a vivid commitment that we would keep riding, even after a new baby joined our crew.
That first magical year of our biking journey!
Of course, we do a lot of bike hand-me-downs, so our tree doesn’t get to be adorned with new bikes every year. But biking gifts are a holiday staple. I don’t want to suggest we need new bike gear every year; but when bike-related gifts feature under our tree, they are a representation of how much of a gift biking is for us, and how committed we are to continuing to bike as our family grows and changes each year.
Most of these items are not cheap, and I feel badly about that, because I know it sucks to see things and not be able to pay for them. Maybe our family biking allows us to save enough on gas to pay for this stuff. I don’t know for sure. But I know that biking has been such an improvement to our lives (especially to my life as a mother) that it’s worth investing in, as much as we can manage (and so much better than video games!). Often, we make do with what we can (look for a “DIY” post coming next year) because we can’t afford all the cool gear I would love to have. But we also have found that quality gear and upgrades have been worthwhile, and have helped us bike more, bike farther, and bike happier.
So, what bike stuff do we have under our tree this Christmas? What are we looking forward to using this coming year? How will we improve our family biking? (And what did we open early because we couldn’t wait? Notice: I opened all my bike-related gifts early!)
The Big Gift
It can tote bikes or whatever else.
Bakkie Pannier Bag
I had been trying to figure out how some of you bike folk tow other bikes behind your bike, and I hadn’t managed to figure out the system. Then a reader from the Netherlands suggested I add the Bakkie Pannier Bag to my post about toting strollers, as they are popular in Dutch Bakfiets circles.
Apparently, this Bakkie bag can do just about anything. Tow a stroller, a bike, a guitar. Maybe it will carry next year’s Christmas tree! I put it on my wishlist and was trying to convince my husband of its usefulness, as my six-year-old listened in. He really wants to ride his own bike, but he gets tired, and then he wants to climb into the bike box, but we need a way to carry his bike the rest of the way home. My little guy got so excited about this bike bag invention that he then put it on his Christmas list, so that he can go on more rides on his own bike, and then have Mommy tow it home when he gets tired. He’s been pestering us about it regularly. It’s on his list, in case we forgot. Shhhhhh. It’s here, waiting under the tree for him.
For my oldest independent rider (age 10): Showers Pass Jacket
My oldest son rides himself to swim practice every day, and otherwise keeps up with me wherever I am riding. He’s been my steadfast, cheerful, determined companion these last three years of family biking, and I think he’s earned some quality bike-specific gear. Unfortunately, he prefers all-black clothing (not good for night-time biking), so this bright (“firecracker”) Little Crossover Jacket from Showers Pass might not be an immediate favorite; but I’m hoping it’s quality and functionality — and actual coolness — will win him over.
(Kid Biking Gloves: My independent riders need warm gloves every bit as much as I do. I don’t see the famous Showers Pass Knit Waterproof gloves in kid sizes, so I’m still on the hunt. Does anyone have kid bike glove recommendations?)
Gifts we opened early
Bern helmets
Bern gifted us amazing helmets to try, and I didn’t even know I could be so excited about headgear. (Look for a longer helmet post coming soon). I admit I would not have thought to upgrade our helmets, but we were overdue to improve our helmet situation and if you have daily helmet troubles with unhappy kids, I would totally recommend you go to the store and try out some new helmets to get a great fit (and a happy kid).
My kids love their new helmets so much, they are really excited to wear them. See below for what we are loving about our new helmets.
My 6-year-old son, who usually cries about his helmet and never has it on properly, was so happy about his new Brentwood helmet from Bern that he said, “I could wear this every day, all the time, and I would never ever get tired of it!” He absolutely loves the brim, “It’s sunny and I can see and the sun doesn’t go in my eyes, and mom, I want to wear this every time!” And the “compass fit” is a real winner. It’s easy to adjust over his thick hair, with a winter hat, or without a hat. He’s so excited, and I’m so excited. No more helmet tears or fights about wearing it right or tightening it enough. It’s snug, secure, comfortable, and even adds extra functionality with the brim for sun/rain. And my kid couldn’t stop raving about it. He was so happy to finally have a helmet that fit comfortably.
Momma happily opened the new Hudson e-bike rated helmet because I sincerely hope I never have to find out how amazingly protective this helmet is. But it feels incredible. The fit is amazing. The brim is fantastic. There is a plug-in blinky red light that pops into the back of the helmet, which I really like. And my favorite part: It has a winter liner underneath.
Bike liner (a winter under-helmet-hat)
Bern’s “cold weather bike liner upgrade” which is basically a winter cap designed to fit snugly under a helmet — without the bulk and “roll” of traditional winter hats. My husband really liked borrowing this liner–which fit great under his cheap non-bern helmet. He even showed it off to his cyclist coworkers, who were all interested.
At last: I have a solution to the hat/hood/helmet issue: I love my wool hat, and I like my rain cape and rain coat with hoods, but I can never quite get everything to fit together. The hat is bulky under the helmet. The hood doesn’t fit well under the helmet. I’m always adjusting. Bern’s winter liner and helmet with brim are the perfect combination for getting the hat-brim-helmet to fit together. And the helmet’s compass-fit adjuster makes everything fit perfectly. I was so happy from the moment I put this on. Definitely not waiting until Christmas to start enjoying these!
Vessi waterproof boots
After I asked for a “rainy lifestyle shoe” that I could wear to the puddle-covered playground, BikePortland readers responded with useful suggestions. After considering the highly recommended Blundstones, I opted for Vessi boots, a more casual option recommended by a commenter, and so far I am loving it. I wear these every day.
WoolX Merino Wool Leggings
These WoolX leggings are super-warm 85% Merino wool leggings, and I wish I had more pairs (they even have Tall sizing). They are really warm, really thick–but still soft and stretchy, and I was completely comfortable wearing them on a lightly rainy ride, and I stayed warm and comfortable with damp wool pants when I reached my destination. This was another package I opened immediately, and I am so glad I did. These are admittedly expensive, so one is all I can get. Fortunately, they can tumble dry, so I don’t have to worry about shrinking them.
Maybe next year?
I definitely don’t “need” another rain cape/poncho/jacket, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting to try something different. These coats from Amsterdam-based ByBrown are more like a rain-dress-meets-rain cape-chaps combo. And I think the hood is adjustable, so that it can go over-top a helmet, which is intriguing. It just looks fantastic, like it’s waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.
—
We wish all of you, dear biking friends, a Happy Holiday. We hope you are able to ride cheerfully through the winter drear, and that your destinations are warm and cozy. We look forward to sharing our New Year’s biking resolutions and making plans for new bike adventures in the coming year. Merry riding everyone!
bike works is looking for a dynamic individual to help support our social purpose enterprise community bike shop in East Portland. In partnership with the Rosewood Initiative, bike works supports Portland’s Eastside communities, providing low cost, low
barrier access to bike education, repair and sales of refurbished bicycles and parts. Prior community bike shop experience is a big advantage. Our shop is located at 141276 SE Stark St.
The primary role of the bicycle mechanic from January through March will be to build up the shop’s inventory of bikes that are ready for sale before business picks back up in the spring. This position will require mechanical aptitude and attention to detail. Additional duties include: tearing down unusable bikes and processing used parts, help with customer service and miscellaneous shop functions, participate in shop inventory counts and shop organization efforts.
As demand for repair services increases in the spring, the mechanic role will increasingly focus on customer repairs and direct customer service. This will include check in/out of customer bikes and bike repair assessments and sales. As an essential part of our team, you will model excellent customer service and professionalism for our youth interns.
Required Qualifications & Competencies
● Commitment to advancing equity and creating and maintaining an inclusive environment that is welcoming for all
● Commitment to non-violence and compassionate responses
● Bike shop mechanic experience – several years preferred
● Excellent customer service and communication skills
● Able to work independently, problem solve and complete tasks with minimal
oversight
● Bilingual a plus
Essential Duties & Responsibilities
● Exemplifies compassion and understanding around the barriers of homelessness and underrepresented populations in the community
● Maintain an organized and efficient work environment
● Professional communication with supervisors
● Proficiently execute assembly, repairs and maintenance for all types of bicycles,
particularly used and older bicycles
● Adheres to any and all safety procedures regarding lifting, usage of tools and bicycle safety checks. Helmets must be worn when riding a bicycle.
● Assemble, test and service new and used bikes
● Represent bike works and its mission positively and professionally
● Identify barriers and recommend solutions to better serve the community
Mechanics
o Properly assess and determine bike repairs and recommend customer options
o Repair and refurbish bicycles to be sold in the shop, as well as to be donated
o Track parts used per project
o Maintain a neat and organized workspace
o Maintain a high level of professionalism
o Perform quality control checks on bikes built
Winter Production Work
● Select and fully repair bicycles for sale through the shop
● Produce 2 complete bicycles per day
● Track inventory and inputs on each production bike
● Complete no fewer than 100 sale bikes by the 1st of March
Shop Operations
o Salvaging usable parts from bike donations
o Cleaning and organizing used part inventory
o Assist customers in the shop with purchases and bicycle repairs during
sales
o Strong proficiency with bicycle tech
Physical Demands
● Able to sit or stand and walk throughout the scheduled work shift
● Ability to lift and/or move up to 75 lbs
bike works by p:ear
Bike Works by p:ear promotes the bicycle as a vehicle for social change, creating opportunities for homeless youth and build resilient and diverse communities. p:ear’s social enterprise bike shop works to make bicycling accessible and affordable to Portland’s east side community. Our full service bike shop provides an array of services, from minor adjustments and tune-ups, to full bike overhauls.
p:ear’s Bike Mechanic School serves as a conduit from which our shop’s intern mechanics became educated and trained in the art of bike mechanics. Under your guidance p:ear youth interns will continue to build their mechanical hard skills as well as develop the soft skills of customer service, time management, problem solving and independence to name a few.
The Rosewood Initiative
The Rosewood Initiative connects and empowers Rosewood neighbors to build a safe, prosperous, vibrant and inclusive community. The Rosewood Community Center is a hub where neighbors can help the community as they improve their own lives. Neighbors
come here to interact with one another, work on projects and feel safe. Rosewood builds capacity in the neighborhood by helping people learn useful skills and by connecting friends, partners and resources. The Bicycle Shop Manager position is a partnership between p:ear and The Rosewood Initiative. This person will be expected to follow all organizational policies and procedures of both organizations.
p:ear Bike Works Agreements
Lastly, we expect the following agreements to be used with regard to every youth intern, customer and individual regardless of race, religion, color, creed, national origin, age, disabling condition, political affiliation or sexual orientation.
Agreements*
Agreements are more than a vehicle to keep conversations safe and focused. When used to their potential, agreements are an actual tool. Agreements are a tool that supports both individuals and organizations in understanding “how” to engage in productive efforts to advance equity and inclusion. We expect all employees, interns and volunteers to honor the following agreements:
• Stay Engaged • Speak Your Truth Responsibly •Listen to Understand
• Be Willing to Do Things Differently / Experience Discomfort
• Expect and Accept Non-Closure •Confidentiality *Adopted from the Center for Equity and Inclusion
How to Apply
p:ear builds positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthier lives.
p:ear respects and celebrates the diversity, creativity and strength of the p:ear community. Equity and inclusion are a priority across all parts of our organization. We are committed to using our time and resources to help identify and eliminate disparities based on identity and to promote equitable access to our programs so we can all live in the world we want for our young people.
Position: Bicycle Mechanic
P/T: Wednesday-Saturday ~ 32 hrs/week
Reports To: p:ear Works Director / Shop Managers Compensation: $19/hr.
TO APPLY: Please send resume and answers to the questions below as PDFs to the questions in lieu of a cover letter to nathan@bikeworkspdx.org with “Bicycle Mechanic” in the subject line. The job will remain open until full. Email only, no phone calls, please – phone calls will not be returned. Successful candidates will be contacted for an interview starting early January 2024.
1. How will you incorporate equity into your work as a bike mechanic at bike works by p:ear? Please outline your approach to customer service and working with underserved communities.
2. Describe your level of bike mechanic expertise and proficiencies, including types of bikes worked on and past or current shop environments that you have worked in.
Looking north on NE 33rd from NE Holman. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Crews hired by the Portland Bureau of Transportation removed the bike lane on Northeast 33rd Avenue on Monday morning. They finished a job they started on November 1st but were forced to pause due to protestors who stood in front of their trucks.
There was no one to stop them this time.
Men in two trucks took turns going over sections of bright white and green paint. They peered out the windshield over their steering wheels as an attachment with stiff bristles aided by a spray of water whirred swiftly and erased infrastructure that — for the last three months — provided some safety for bicycle riders between a greenway route on NE Holman and existing bike lanes over Columbia Blvd at NE Dekum.
PBOT initially planned to remove this (relatively new) bike lane because they said it was installed by “mistake.” Due to an administrative error, PBOT striped the new lanes without notification to adjacent residents. When that mistake was compounded with strong opposition from some residents who saw it as a continuation of historic mistreatment by the City of Portland, PBOT felt it was impossible to leave the bike lanes in while they dealt with the neighborhood fallout.
In meeting last week, a top PBOT manager said the mishap “triggered emotional harm” and “connected to a perception that Portland is intentionally trying to ostracize and push out certain members of our community.”
As I watched the much-needed bike lane get removed, I was more frustrated than mad: Frustrated that PBOT still doesn’t possess the competence to avoid situations like this after more than a decade of controversial projects and decisions in north and northeast Portland; frustrated that yet another bike project has been unfairly attached to complex racial dynamics and a deep distrust of city government; and frustrated that this entirely avoidable episode sets us back even further in the important work of becoming a less car-dependent city.
Last week PBOT said they are still committed to making this section of 33rd Avenue safer for cycling. I hope we can write that story before we have to write one about a someone being hurt or killed while using this stressful, two-block section of road — a section designated as a “city bikeway” in Portland’s Transportation System Plan, that was recommended for a bike lane in PBOT’s 2021 Columbia/Lombard Mobility Plan, and where nearby residents requested a bike lane six years ago.
Now that the bike lane is removed, let’s hold PBOT to their promise that conversations can now begin about how to fulfill city plans and help all road users feel safer and more respected.
I had to flip a coin this morning. Because it’s not ten comments of the week, or two, it’s just one.
Friday’s story about BikeLoud PDX’s decision not to protest the removal of the bike lane on Northeast 33rd Avenue continued the avalanche of strongly-felt opinions about this PBOT screw-up. Maybe you think the issue has already been adequately hashed out. But you might have missed a comment that came in Sunday afternoon, one of the most insightful perspectives on Portland I’ve read.
Here’s ITOTS’s take on how our city handles some racial conversations:
“This time, that conflict happened on NE 33rd, but it is not an isolated instance, and is in fact an ongoing experience for our neighbors of color, particularly Black people.” — BikeLoud PDX
This phrase emerged in the last few years, but we need to get even more specific here, because as lovely as it is to “center” black voices, that’s not a specific enough description of who is experiencing these conflicts negatively. Reversing this project doesn’t center black voices and doesn’t provide a pathway to resolve these kinds of conflicts (when they actually are substantive) in the future.
Once again for the people in the back (or the ones in the front who are hard of listening): the black community is only a monolithic community insofar as it has been and continues to be treated as such by culture, discussion, and policy. Viewing black people as all somehow alike led to and justified slavery, Jim Crow, housing discrimination, urban renewal targeting, financial discrimination, and the war on drugs. Doing it here doesn’t help us parse the situation and how to address it and similars.
Portland’s struggle to understand and constructively work with black people is actually due to the fact that there aren’t enough black people in Portland to interact with for everyone else to organically recognize there is no black community; there are many. And that black perspective and opinion is just as fractured and varied as that of the people any other demographic box is drawn around. Asking a random group of black people what they think about bike lanes or the government and expecting a coherent answer to emerge is just as absurd as expecting a coherent answer to emerge from a group of white people.
For every black person that takes each slight, mistake, omission, turn of phrase, or look from a stranger and places it into the context of just another example of a racist society or system, there’s another black person that connects all those events differently and tells another story about their lives and how other people relate to them, e.g. a racist government chasing a black family out to the edge of the city and trying to push them out vs. a city organization screwing up, failing to follow its own notification procedure for a run-of-the-mill project.
It’s irresponsible and unhelpful to give any oxygen to that first way of viewing the world when an action is not actually part of the trend and neither PBOT nor BikeLoud should be going out of its way to do so. You can validate feelings and worldview while still communicating the facts of the situation — the plan, the function, the normalcy* of the action in the city context, the slip up, the remorse — and that, despite the feelings of some individuals, because in reality this action doesn’t uniquely or disproportionately target black people, isn’t part of some system-wide decades-long strategy to make it hard for black families to live in Portland, and it’s normal and okay for projects to create some inconvenience, the project is moving ahead, or in this case, staying put.
Yep it’s a complex and challenging message to deliver, but it’s honest, honors all interests, and PBOT needs to learn how to deliver it.
Or it can keep showing black people that if they evoke their membership in a racial group vs. as a disgruntled individual on a street of people of many identities, they can stop anything they don’t like.
*It’s very likely that in projects outside these higher profile bike v Black Portlander moments (Williams, 7th, 33rd), the city inconvenienced 100s of black households through parking removals for bike lanes, bus lanes, and curb extensions without anyone knowing because those individuals chose not to characterize public works projects that are visible coming online across the city as racist acts specifically targeting them when the same changes sprout up in front of their house.
Thank you ITOTS. You can read the comment in context of the full thread here. (Don’t miss the comment just below by Portland Bicycle Mapper who made an arcGIS map to explain himself!)
Thank you to everyone who contributed comments this week. If we had a “Thread of the Year” selection, several threads this week would be in the running.
‘Sham’ process inflates IBR value: Don’t miss this assessment of the “fuzzy math” being used to justify the Interstate Bridge Replacement project, which economist Joe Cortright said should be considered as a federal crime. (Streetsblog USA)
Life with an a cycling lover: A sweet little column that I think a lot of “avid cyclists” can relate to. (Gold Country Media)
Rebuild walking culture: It’s very likely that a major reason more Americans are being killed while walking is that so few of us are doing it. (Streetsblog USA)
Major honor: Major Taylor, the first Black American global sports star who was simultaneously revered for athletic prowess and reviled for the color of his skin, is up for a congressional gold medal, the highest civilian honor bestowed by lawmakers in the Capitol. (The Washington Post)
Bigger cars, bigger problems: “The story of car bloat—the continually expanding size of the typical American automobile—is one of carmaker profit, shifting consumer preferences, and loophole-riddled auto regulations.” (Slate)
What to do about it: We can control the car-size problem in America by looking at Paris where their mayor wants to triple what it costs to park an SUV in the city. (Guardian)
A real climate plan: How is it that Paris is able to frame major transportation and climate-related policies and projects in a way that leads to real progress instead of the incremental stuff we do here? That city’s new climate plan is so exciting. (Momentum)
A plea for political will: Important op-ed from someone who warned PBOT Commissioner Mapps’ office about a very dangerous crossing outside a school — and then was almost killed himself at the exact location he was worried about. (The Oregonian)
Freeway failure in California: A strange and wonderful thing happened at a meeting of the California Transportation Commission: A planned freeway expansion project failed to get approval because a majority of members felt it would increase VMT and not address alternatives to driving. (Streetsblog CA)
Modeling good behavior: A new Biden admin memo says federal employees should take zero emission vehicles whenever possible. (FEDWeek)
Traffic death immunity in Salem: Lawyers for a DEA officer who struck and killed a bicycle rider say the man should be immune from prosecution because he was working a drug case and a judge has agreed to move the trial to federal court over local objections. (Statesman Journal)
Commissioner Mingus Mapps and PBOT Director Millicent Williams prepare notes before speaking at this morning’s press conference. (Photo: Lisa Caballero/BikePortland)
— Lisa Caballero contributed to this story.
Standing on a gravel street in southwest Portland this morning, Commissioner Mingus Mapps kicked off the campaign to renew the local gas tax. As we hinted last month after seeing early drafts of the proposal, Mapps confirmed today he won’t increase the tax and it will stay at the 10-cent per gallon rate for the next four years. Mapps’ Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is in crisis-mode and desperately needs the money, so he was surely tempted to ask for more — but must be mindful of voter sentiment and can’t afford to come away empty-handed.
The tax funds the Fixing Our Streets (FOS) Program first approved by voters in 2016 and renewed in 2020 as a local source of transportation revenue. FOS funds projects like Safe Routes to School, the gravel streets program, and other projects citywide. Its largest expenditure so far has been the recently completed Capitol Highway project. The funding is crucial because only about 20% of PBOT’s $510 million annual budget is discretionary revenue.
Commissioner Mapps and Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) Director Millicent Williams announced the plan at a press conference near a rivulet on SW Arnold Street, one of southwest Portland’s many unpaved streets. It was cold, but spirits were high because, let’s admit it, dump trucks and big equipment bring out the kid in everyone. By the end of the event, PBOT’s maintenance crews had nearly completed grading and graveling the street (they would have been done sooner if they hadn’t had to dodge the assembled press corps).
(Source: PBOT)
PBOT’s draft proposal for how to spend the $70.5 million the tax is expected generate each year includes $23.5 million for paving streets like SW Arnold, as well as busy streets and neighborhood greenways. The plan Mapps will ask voters to approve in May splits the revenue into three equal parts: $23.5 million for “smoother streets”, $23.5 million for “safer streets”, and $23.5 million for “community street services”.
As of today, the FOS website includes more details on the type of projects we can expect from each bucket.
Here’s the breakdown (taken from PBOT):
Smoother Streets
$19 million for grind-and-inlay paving projects on the most critical and most used streets that benefit the most people and experience the most wear and tear. This means collector streets and arterials, transit and freight routes, emergency routes, streets on our High Crash Network, and the Neighborhood Greenways that make up our pedestrian and bike network.
$4.5 million for crack seal and slurry seal projects on local streets, specifically where there is a high concentration of streets that qualify for this type of pavement preservation work.
Safer Streets
Safety on busy streets: A total of $9 million for crossings, sidewalks, lighting, and other systemic safety fixes on busy streets, as follows:
At least $1 million invested in each of the four new city council districts, ensuring all Portlanders see a benefit from these safety investments, for a total of $4 million;
$5 million used strategically to make larger safety investments with a focus on areas that score higher on PBOT’s Equity Matrix, especially projects that leverage additional outside funding.
Safety on neighborhood streets: A total of $6 million for safety projects like neighborhood greenways, traffic calming, and crosswalks on local streets and minor collectors that primarily serve the surrounding neighborhoods, as follows:
At least $750,000 invested in each of the four new city council districts, ensuring all Portlanders see a benefit from these safety investments.
$3 million used strategically to make larger safety investments with a focus on areas that score higher on PBOT’s Equity Matrix, especially projects that leverage additional outside funding.
Safe Routes to School: A total of $6 million for safety projects like crossings, traffic calming, lighting, signage, and improvements along neighborhood greenways directly adjacent to schools and on the main routes regularly used by children and parents to get to school, as follows:
At least $750,000 invested in each of the four new city council districts, ensuring all Portlanders see a benefit from these safety investments.
$3 million used strategically to make larger safety investments with a focus on areas that score higher on PBOT’s Equity Matrix, especially projects that leverage additional outside funding.
Additional safety enhancements:$2.5 million citywide to strategically leverage repaving projects, utility projects, and other similar work to add safety features like enhanced crossings and other pedestrian and bikeway improvements
Community Street Services
Potholes ($5.5million) – Funds a crew to efficiently address potholes
Signal and lighting maintenance ($3.5million) – Funds to address the growing backlog of signals and streetlight repair and maintenance
Gravel Street Service ($4million) – Funds a crew focused on PBOT’s Gravel Street Service throughout the city
Base repair ($4million) – Funds much-needed support for base repairs
Safer intersections ($2million) – Funds safety improvements at intersections with signals. Examples: adding accessible pedestrian push buttons, changing signals to give pedestrians a head start crossing the street, and adjustments to signal timing.
Pedestrian, bicycle, and public space retrofits ($2.5million) – Funds permanent upgrades to temporary safety installations. Examples: replacing reflective plastic wands along a bike lane with concrete traffic separators; replacing a painted curb extension with a concrete one; or supplementing planters with concrete islands.
Residential street safety and traffic calming ($2million) – Provides support for PBOT’S transportation safety and livability hotline to respond to safety concerns from the public. This would also fund traffic safety interventions such as speed bumps on residential streets, with such projects prioritized by safety and equity criteria.
Mapps told the crowd this morning he plans to present the gas-tax renewal to city council at the beginning of the year and that he was confident in the support of his fellow council members. If all goes as planned, voters will be asked to renew the tax on the May, 2024 ballot and it will provide revenue through 2028.
