2023 Archives

New bill would tie Oregon’s hands to funding Interstate Bridge and I-5 Rose Quarter projects

A group of five lawmakers who sit on the Joint Committee on Transportation (JCT) dropped a bombshell of a bill last week that seeks to come up with Oregon’s share of funding for the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program. That project (estimated to cost between $6 and $7.5 billion would replace the I-5 bridge between Portland and Vancouver, and build seven new interchanges with auxiliary lanes between them for a five-mile stretch of the freeway.

Everyone knew the debate over how to pay this $1 billion expense was coming since we got a preview at the end of March. But the actual bill wasn’t released until April 12th, and it just happened to get its first public airing the following day — at the tail end of a lobby day organized by the Just Crossing Alliance, a coalition of nonprofits that wants to “right-size” the project. I was at the State Capitol for that event and was able to attend the JCT’s informational session. While there wasn’t a robust debate because no public testimony was taken and JCT members only invited highly supportive panelists, we still heard the outlines of the debate to come.

Before I share a few of the meeting’s exchanges, let’s take a closer look at what’s in the bill.

The bill

HB 2098 -2 (PDF) is a classic “gut and stuff” which means it was filed months ago with a summary that said it would deal with speed bump heights and markings. That’s all been deleted and the “dash 2” amendments are what folks are talking about now.

There are several key things this bill wants to do. First, it would set a hard cap on the total price of the project at $6.3 billion. This is likely a gesture from lawmakers who want to be seen as holding ODOT accountable. When I asked a source (and ODOT critic) about why this was in the bill, they grinned and said, “What happens if they go over it? There’s no way to enforce it.”

The main meat of the bill is in Section 3 (page four, line nine) where it says the legislature will, “support the Interstate 5 bridge replacement project through an investment of $1 billion, financed through the issuance of general obligation bonds over the next four biennia and repaid with General Fund obligations.” It’s notable that when JCT members revealed their $1 billion plan at the end of March they asked to use only $300 million from GO bonds.

And then the bill starts to creep…

On page seven, line 16 there’s a section that would force the legislature to “fully fund” the I-5 Rose Quarter project in the next two sessions. The section also seeks to give I-5 Rose Quarter project a pat on the head by re-stating that it, “remains a priority project of statewide significance.” It’s unclear why JCT members threw this in, but the controversy and deep skepticism surrounding that project and the increasing desperation from ODOT to fund it (and several other freeway expansions in the region) likely has something to do with it.

Tolls will be a part of this project. In a section on cost analysis, the bill requires the legislature to “evaluate the amount that users of each class of vehicle actually paid for the cost of maintenance, operation and improvement of highways, roads and streets in the state; and whether the amount paid was a proportionate share of those costs.” This passage has some concerned that lawmakers want to be able to consider the possibility of tolling bike riders, electric car drivers, and so on.

Relatedly, also in the bill is new reporting that would be required as part of a “Highway Cost Allocation Study.” This study would seek to determine, “The proportionate share that the users of each class of vehicle should pay for the costs of maintenance, operation and improvement of the highways, roads and streets in the state; and whether the users of each class are paying that share.”

This morning at a Metro advisory committee meeting, the director of ODOT’s Urban Mobility Office, Brendan Finn, pointed out that the bicycle and pedestrian components of the IBR project cost about $100 million. If you pass a bill that defines a bicycle path as a “tollway” and then you have a study that says bicycle users are not paying their share of that $100 million, who knows what kind of policy conclusions lawmakers might come to.

Remember, several leaders of the JCT were the folks at the table when Oregon passed the $15 excise tax on the purchase of new bicycles.

The politics

Less than 24 hours after its first meeting at the JCT, Governor Tina Kotek threw cold water on the entire bill. According to the Capitol Chronicle, “She balked at the proposed source of those funds.”

It’s totally reasonable that the idea of using General Fund monies to pay for transportation projects gives Kotek some heartburn. According to economist and staunch ODOT critic Joe Cortright, HB 2098 is the first time in Oregon state history that would ever been done (I told you they are desperate). The state typically uses only the State Highway Fund to pay for road projects. “This would be a massive break from that philosophy,” Cortright wrote Tuesday. “It’s really hard to understand why Oregon taxpayers should take money that could be used to educate children, care for the sick, or address homelessness, and use it to subsidize commuters (and shoppers) from another state.”

At the JCT meeting last Thursday, House Representative Khanh Pham (D-Portland) expressed strong concerns about how the bill goes beyond just funding the IBR project. “I don’t quite understand why we’re bundling language about studies on tolling, funding the Rose Quarter — there’s even language about potentially tolling bicycle paths and singling out electric vehicles for special fees statewide…. I’m concerned,” she said.

Senator Lynn Findley, a Republic who represents eastern Oregon, reminded IBR Administrator Greg Johnson that he’s not comfortable with the fact that the legislature hasn’t voted to support funding this project. “We have to be very careful how we say [we got unanimous support from local officials for the project], none of this panel has voted for this bridge. There’s a difference between a local elected official saying ‘Yeah we love the bridge and this is the option we want,’ and not writing a check. And then the state people saying, ‘Yeah, we like the bridge and we’re going to write you a check.'”

Rep Pham also pressed Johnson for details about how wide the bridge would be and she questioned ODOT’s track record of using only 30% unionized labor on their construction projects.

The JCT is set to continue their debate on this bill at their meeting today. And this time they’ve invited a more diverse panel of voices that aren’t as likely to sing the project’s praises. Stay tuned for more coverage.

In related news, Senator Lew Frederick (D-Portland) has been named as a Joint Committee on Transportation co-chair. Sen. Frederick is taking the place of Sen. Chris Gorsek (D-Troutdale) who is away from the legislature due to a medical issue. I-5 runs through Sen. Frederick’s north Portland district.

UPDATE, 4/21: A public hearing for this bill has been set. It will be 4/27 at the JCT. Details here.

New film marks one-year anniversary of Portland’s Alameda Bike Bus

Just a quick note to make sure you carve out a few minutes of your day to watch the latest Streetfilms put together by the one and only Clarence Eckerson. Clarence was in town last week and caught up with Alameda Bike Bus leader Sam “Coach” Balto.

As many of you recall, Balto is a physical education teacher at Alameda Elementary and created his bike bus as a way to get students more movement and fun time with friends before class. He launched it one year ago. It caught on like wildfire, not only in Portland where it doubled in size in just four months, but it helped spark a movement that has sprouted bike buses all over the country.

Here in Portland we have nine bike buses now in operation. While BP Reporter Taylor Griggs works on a roundup of them, sit back and watch this excellent film about the bike bus — and the leaders and volunteers — who helped start it all.

Weekend Event Guide: Vancouver loop, multimodal scavenger hunt and more

Bike riders on Sauvie Island. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Welcome to the weekend! We hope the rain ceases a bit so we can get a taste of spring. But regardless, there will be people out on their bikes, so here’s our selection of some of the best bike events happening this weekend.

Saturday, April 22nd

Sauvie Island Century – 8:00 am at Northwest Sauvie Island Bridge (Sauvie Island)
Up for a challenge? Join the Portland Bicycling Club on their Sauvie Island Century: a mostly flat route which makes for a great introduction for people new to century rides. The ride will go around beautiful Sauvie Island, heading to St. Johns for a coffee break before grabbing lunch in St Helens and riding back to the start location, which all adds up to a 106 mile ride. More info here.

Cycle Cats Vancouver Loop – 9:00 am at the Vera Katz statue on the Eastbank Esplanade (SE)
Join the Cycle Cats for an adventurous 47 mile loop around Vancouver and back. This is a no drop ride, but they go pretty fast, so be prepared to sweat a bit. More info here.

PSU Farmers Market Ride – 10:00 am at various locations (SE)
Despite what the weather says, it’s spring, so get on your bike and meet up with friends to see what’s for sale at the PSU Farmers Market. This weekly ride is led by Hami Ramani and is always a great way to meet new people or catch up with folks you haven’t seen in a while — with the opportunity for some shopping. More info here.

Sunday, April 23rd

Ride Westside First Ride of the Season – 11:00 am at Beaverton City Park (Beaverton)
The Ride Westside group leads rides all around the Portland metro area’s west side, and they’re kicking off their 2023 season with an easy-paced, mostly flat ride through Beaverton and Washington County that will end at the BG Food Cartel for refreshments. More info here.

Move for Mother Earth – A Multimodal Scavenger Hunt – 1:00-4:00 pm at the Lloyd Center Marshall’s (NE)
The Street Trust is kicking off Oregon Active Transportation Summit week with a scavenger hunt to encourage people to explore Portland by biking, walking or taking transit. Participants older than 16 will get a code to rent a Biketown bike for free. There are prizes to be won and entry to the event is free. More info here.

SE Community Garden Ride – 1:00 pm at Colonel Summers Park (SE)
Check out some of Southeast Portland’s wonderful community gardens by bike! The ride will visit several gardens and end with doing some gardening work at Brooklyn Community Garden, where pizza and lemonade will be served. More info here.

BikeLoud West Monthly Ride – 2:30 pm at The Fields Park
Join the BikeLoud West chapter for a casual ride around Portland’s westside checking out new routes and building community with advocates. The ride will end near some food and drink options so you can keep the advocacy momentum going. More info here.

Note: Our event calendar is on hiatus as we rebuild it into something better. If you are promoting a ride, please get in touch with our Sales Manager Jonathan Maus to find out if a promotional campaign is right for you. If not, we will do what we can to spread the word!

Freeway fight turns to half-billion dollar expansion of I-205 in Clackamas County

Portland-based advocacy group No More Freeways has become a household name among transportation reformers region-wide for their work in opposing the State of Oregon’s I-5 Rose Quarter project. Now the group has turned to another front in their freeway fight: An expansion of I-205 in Clackamas County.

ODOT’s plan for Phase Two of the “I-205 Improvements” project (Phase One is to build a new, wider Abernethy Bridge over the Willamette River) is to add one additional freeway lane for a seven-mile stretch between Highway 42 and Stafford Road.

NMF has launched a campaign urging supporters to comment on the project, which they say will add between 79 and 109 million vehicle miles traveled (VMT) a year — that’s about 1.2 million metric tons of carbon by their estimate. “This is directly in conflict with Oregon’s aggressive targets for reducing carbon emissions, prioritizing investments in safer streets, or ensuring ODOT has the resources to invest in basic seismic retrofits for the 700 bridges across the state that need repair,” writes NMF on their website.

When we first reported on this project in 2017, ODOT referred to it as “operational enhancements” and estimated the cost to be $450 million. Today that number has skyrocketed to $515 million (that’s in addition to the $544 million for the Abernethy Bridge in Phase One). By the time payments are due and this phase of the project gets built, it will likely be even higher, since Federal Highway Administration data shows that highway construction costs have risen 50% in the last two years alone.

“The addition of new lanes to I-205 will have no tangible impact on congestion… either on the freeway itself or on nearby local roads.”
– USPIRG

ODOT is already overextended trying to pay for a slew of freeway expansions across the state. In 2021 they had to go back to the legislature to pass House Bill 3055. That bill, which passed over staunch opposition from NMF and other groups, increased ODOT’s short-term borrowing (bonding) authority from $100 million to $600 million. The bill also earmarked $30 million of those funds to this phase of the I-205 project specifically. ODOT is also working feverishly on a tolling plan that is expected to help pay for this project.

According to ODOT, the project is needed because it’s the last remaining segment of I-205 in Oregon that isn’t already three lanes in both directions. They want to widen it to address “multiple lengthy bottlenecks” that if left unchecked could, “significantly impact state and regional economic activity.” They also cite safety benefits with the new lanes due to fewer weaving movements that will, “allow traffic to flow more freely and reduce the number of crashes.”

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) a coalition of nonprofits that advocate around consumer protection, public health and transportation issues, has called this project a “boondoggle.” “The addition of new lanes to I-205 will have no tangible impact on congestion… either on the freeway itself or on nearby local roads,” they wrote late last year.

ODOT is currently conducting an environmental assessment as part of the federally obligated analysis that must be completed prior to receiving tolling authority.

In addition to concerns about VMT, emissions, and a lack of fiscal responsibility, NMF feels ODOT should conduct a more thorough environmental impact study before moving forward with any plans. They also believe if ODOT were to toll first, they might find that the additional lane isn’t necessary.

“The legal somersaults and fingers-on-the-scale to justify patently absurd numbers about cost benefit analysis and traffic projections would be laughable if the consequences we’re so dire,” NMF writes on their action alert.

If you want to share a comment on this project’s EA through the NMF action alert, the deadline to do it is tomorrow (4/21).

Job: Program Coordinator – Cycle Oregon

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

Program Coordinator

Company / Organization

Cycle Oregon

Job Description

Program Coordinator

About Cycle Oregon

Cycle Oregon is an Oregon-based nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming individuals and communities through bicycling. Over the last 30+ years, Cycle Oregon has built a passionate, loyal community of cycling enthusiasts by hosting world-class, fully supported rides through Oregon’s most breathtaking landscapes and supporting communities through grants from the Cycle Oregon Fund. For cyclists who want an unparalleled Oregon bicycle experience at their own pace, Cycle Oregon offers a unique perspective of the state, all the while managing every last detail. Cycle Oregon advocates for safe and increased opportunities for biking in Oregon. Through its program arm, Cycle Oregon delivers statewide Safe Routes to School Curriculum to rural communities, manages the Oregon Scenic Bikeways Program, and strategically invests in community projects, bicycle safety and infrastructure programs, and the historic preservation and conservation of Oregon’s special places.

Cycle Oregon depends on a confident, creative, collaborative, and knowledgeable team who are passionate about Cycle Oregon’s mission. The team is small but mighty and relies on their ability to leverage resources, as well as volunteer and partner support to amplify its mission and outcomes.

About the Position

The Program Coordinator is a highly organized individual with strong attention to detail. Working under the direction of the Program Manager and with external partners, the Program Coordinator will coordinate bicycle safety education and community engagement programs across Oregon and assist with bike tourism programs. The Program Coordinator will and best practices, develop supportive relationships internally and externally, and support the delivery of the Cycle Oregon brand promise.

Candidates should:

Enjoy working with people!
Have strong interpersonal skills; able to quickly establish credibility; develop and manage relationships within the organization, with community members, and community partners.
Have knowledge of or experience with youth education.
Be comfortable with basic bicycle maintenance.
Have strong written and verbal communication skills that create positive interactions.
Be a self-starter; have demonstrated ability to handle a variety of responsibilities simultaneously and engage in creative problem solving.
Be well spoken, articulate, compassionate, and professional.
Be comfortable with regular travel.
Essential Job Functions

Bicycle Education Programs (85%)

Deliver training sessions for educators and “train-the-trainer” materials.
Support program planning and implementation of activities.
Establish relationships with educators and contacts throughout the state to expand the program.
Maintain multiple bicycle fleets.
Promote and schedule the use of the bicycle fleets, and support educators in their use.
Transport the bicycle fleets for use across the state.
Work closely with statewide consulting team and Safe Routes to School coordinators.
Review bike safety education curriculum and recommend modifications; collaborate on annual review of curriculum.
Gather, analyze, and incorporate feedback and best practices to keep the program functioning at a high level.
Bicycle Routes and Tourism (10%)

Collaborate with bicycle tourism proponents on phases of route development including the development of bike route plans and ongoing implementation of plans.
Assist proponents in being successful local advocates for designated bike routes and build support for the program.
Assist in administering quarterly committee meetings.
Assist in organizing an annual bike tourism proponent conference and represent Cycle Oregon at outreach/education meetings and workshops.
Maintain Oregon Bicycle Friendly Business database.

Other roles and responsibilities (5%)

Assist with administrative tasks related to events as needed.
Build awareness and visibility of Cycle Oregon through events and related activities.

General Qualifications

Minimum Requirement of at least 2 years professional experience in a comparable role; a bachelor’s degree in a related field or equivalent a plus. Expertise in youth programming, curriculum development, community engagement preferred. Driver’s license and competence in driving large vehicles with trailers is required. Knowledge of bike mechanics a bonus.

In addition, candidate will possess:

Confidence to work with great autonomy.
Excellent written, verbal, and public speaking skills.
Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work well with diverse populations.
Integrity and professionalism that garners the trust and respect of others.
A professional demeanor tailored to meeting deadlines while managing conflicting priorities.
Organizational skills when working under pressure.
An ability to develop and maintain a culture of collaboration, creativity, confidence, and knowledge among staff and partners.
A desire to create a culture where excellence prevails.

Salary range: $41,600 – $45,760 DOE

Benefits: per Cycle Oregon policy (PTO, Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k) match and more)

Hours: full time exempt, flexible, evenings, weekend and travel required

Location: Portland; some hybrid schedule flexibility

Reports to: Program Manager

Cycle Oregon is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We believe that a diverse staff of qualified, highly skilled, and creative individuals is necessary to achieve our mission. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who can contribute to the diversity of our workforce across a range of dimensions.

How to Apply

Apply at https://jobs.macslist.org/job/xh26fl/program-coordinator/portland/oregon or email resume, cover letter, and professional references to clint@cycleoregon.com by 5:00pm on May 19, 2023 with subject line ‘Program Coordinator’.

Witness describes fear of being hit by suspected car thief while biking on Springwater path

The driver was on this road initially. The Springwater Corridor bike path and fence Elliott Young was standing by is on the right (yellow arrow).

“I thought I was going to be hit. I thought they were intentionally trying to mow a bunch of people down on the bike path.”
– Elliott Young, witness

For several moments during a scary police chase on the Springwater Corridor last Friday, Elliott Young thought he’d become the latest victim of a reckless driver. Young was on his way to work at Lewis & Clark College, heading south on the popular bike path near Oaks Amusement Park when he saw someone in a car driving right towards him.

Young was one of the people who narrowly escaped tragedy when a suspected car thief chose to evade police by driving nearly two miles on the Springwater path at speeds near 50 mph.

“I noticed a car driving on the grass [near Oaks Amusement Park] and thought, ‘Oh must be some kids just having fun.'” Young shared with me in a phone call Tuesday. “But than as I got closer it went up the steep embankment and I thought maybe the person had lost control of the vehicle and it was headed right for me so I jumped off my bike.”

The white Kia after police stopped it. (Photo: PPB)

At this point, Young was standing right up against the chain-link fence that separates the railroad tracks from the path. And the driver of a white Kia was headed up the sloped embankment between the path and SE Oaks Park Way. “I thought I was going to be hit,” he recalls. “I thought they were intentionally trying to mow a bunch of people down on the bike path.”

Fortunately the driver of the car — a man who’s been charged numerous crimes including the theft of seven cars in the past four years — turned away from Young at the last second and continued north on the path.

Given the suspect’s long police record, it’s understandable why he wanted to escape the police.

According to court documents we’ve reviewed, the 23-year old man has been in and out of court and charged with numerous felonies since early 2019:

A sampling of court documents and citations for the suspect since 2019.

February 2019: Arrested for theft of a bank card and possession of meth in Deschutes County.
April 2020: Interfering with an officer of the law (misdemeanor).
November 2021: Arrested and charged with five counts: fleeing a police officer (felony and misdemeanor), unauthorized use of a vehicle, and possession of stolen vehicle.
March 2022: Arrested and charged with five counts: fleeing a police officer (felony), unauthorized use of a vehicle, and possession of stolen vehicle.
June 14th. 2022: Arrested for stealing a car on NE 33rd Avenue.
June 19th, 2022: Arrested for stealing a car on N Going Street.
November 2022: Arrested for car theft.
March 25th, 2023: Arrested for car theft.
April 14th, 2023: Arrested for attempt to evade police, use of a stolen car, reckless driving, and hit-and-run (property damage).

His latest arrest on April 14th included four felony and three misdemeanor charges. According to the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office he was released three days later and is no longer in custody.

It’s an indictment on our entire system that someone like this is in such dire straits and is able to continue to commit so many dangerous crimes.

“I think it speaks to the larger social issues that have been unattended to and uninvested in for the last 30 years in Portland,” Young said when asked to respond to the suspect’s long criminal record. “There’s obviously a lot of people who have various problems in our community that results in these kinds of behaviors. And it’s unfortunate, and makes all of us feel less safe.”

Young said he doesn’t want more police to be thrown at this type of problem. He wants the focus to be on the root causes. “My reaction is that we need to understand the underlying problems that lead people to houselessness, addiction, and mental illness; and then invest in finding solutions for people who are clearly hurting.”

Friday’s ‘Youth Climate Strike’ will focus on Kotek’s lack of action

Scene from 2021 Portland Youth Climate Strike. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The kids are back. And they’re (still) pissed.

The fourth annual Portland Youth Climate Strike will start at the Oregon Convention Center plaza Friday. Climate activists of all ages will meet at 10:00 am at the plaza in the northeast corner of the Convention Center (Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Holladay).

When we covered this event in 2021, there was a strong connection between the group’s demands and transportation projects. Many of the activists had “stop freeway expansions” as part of their messaging. Last year the focus was on “Climate Villains.” This year the focus is squarely on pressuring Oregon Governor Tina Kotek to prevent the expansion of a different type of fossil fuel infrastructure statewide: gas pipelines.

“Gov. Kotek has the most power in the state to prevent new fossil fuel infrastructure, and she can ensure that all new energy plans moving forward are environmentally friendly and protective of our future,” reads a statement from PYCS. “We demand that she officially condemn any and all plans that surround the expansion of new fossil fuel infrastructure statewide, specifically plans concerning the Gas Transmission Northwest (GTN) XPress pipeline project.” That project is backed by the same company behind the infamous Keystone Pipeline and activists say it would pump an additional 150 million cubic feet per day of fracked gas from British Columbia, through the center of Oregon, and into California.

“This expansion [of the GTN XPress project] would create over 3.4 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year,” and “completely disregards Oregon laws to decrease carbon emissions by 80% by 2050,” the youth climate activists say.

More broadly, the activists want Governor Kotek to make “climate justice” a larger priority.

Kotek touted her progress in the first 100 days of her tenure in a statement released Wednesday. She made zero mention of climate change and said her top priorities are housing and homelessness, mental health and addiction, and early literacy.

Students from around the Portland area and people of all ages will walk out of schools and workplaces to join the event tomorrow. Speeches and presentations will begin at 10:00 am and a march to Pioneer Courthouse Square will begin at 11:00 am. At the Square, youth organizers, teachers, and other activists will share views on why they feel Governor Kotek should make the climate crisis a larger part of her work.

Learn more about the event at the PYCS website or follow them on Instagram.

Podcast: The fight for a ‘right sized’ Interstate Bridge project

Last week we went down to Salem to cover the Transportation Future Day of Action lobby day. It was an event organized by Just Crossing Alliance as part of their “Right Size, Right Now” campaign that seeks to re-orient the trajectory of the Interstate Bridge Replacement Program project.

As we reported in our recap filed from the State Capitol Thursday, people from across Oregon came to Salem to connect with other advocates and talk with their elected representatives. As the day unfolded, I tracked down several people and asked them to share why they showed up at the event, what their vision is for the project, and if they felt the lobbying had an impact. I also got to talk with Oregon House representatives Khanh Pham (D-Portland) and Mark Gamba (D-Milwaukie).

Below are excerpts from those conversations and a full transcript of the episode:

Khanh Pham, Oregon House rep:

“My vision is that legislators understand the choice that’s at stake here. Sometimes we’re seeing this presented with this choice in isolation, it’s either do this or we kill the bridge, and I hope they see that there are many more choices… This is a billion dollar, once in a generation investment we’re making and we need to have robust public engagement to make sure that this investment is really aligning with the priorities of the people of Oregon.”

Aaron Brown, aide to Rep. Pham:

“In my years of advocacy, I don’t think until I had worked in the state legislature that I fully understood how much Salem, in this building right here we’re walking by, has enormous clout and power over the direction of ODOT… It feels very empowering to bring people into the government building where all these decisions are made and to just have a presence and to be actively getting to talk to the people that every other year for a couple weeks decide how the state transportation funding is going to go down.”

Adah Crandall, Sunrise PDX

“I think it’s really important that we’re engaging legislators from all sides of the political spectrum because this is an investment that is being made by the full state and affects the whole state. There are a lot of different reasons that we need a right-sized Interstate Bridge, and not all of them are the really lefty climate reasons. There are a lot of points that do appeal to these Republican lawmakers who care about fiscal responsibility.”

Zachary Lauritzen, interim executive director Oregon Walks:

“I think that people are recognizing if you start spending literally hundreds of millions, likely billions, of dollars of general fund money on one project so that people from Washington can skip down to shop tax-free in Oregon — that that does not meet the needs of their constituents. So I feel like once [legislators] hear that and they understand that’s what the trade-offs are, that we are going to build this coalition.”

Josh Laurente, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon:

“When I reflect on the history of this bridge, specifically the indigenous people who were uprooted to build this bridge, Black neighborhoods paved over to connect it to the highway, and frontline communities who are surviving toxic air pollution from the freeway, and when I think about that history and the need to replace this bridge now I am reminded of our collective responsibility to be good stewards of this land and of public dollars. Oftentimes, I was the youngest person in the room talking with these legislators, and I had to make sure that they knew that younger people are wise to the climate crisis and are making choices like choosing public and active transit, and so we really want to make sure that this bridge respects and honors that by making sure that that is front and center in the design of this bridge and not just a side piece that can be discarded later.”

Mark Gamba, Oregon House rep:

“It’s interesting to me that so many folks working in this building don’t have a clear understanding of how we fund transportation in this state and how limited and lopsided it is and that it really is going to be a big hurdle to begin to reduce our climate impacts from a transportation standpoint.”

pod-lobby-day Download

Listen to the full episode in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts. If you liked this episode, subscribe and browse our archives for past shows, leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, and tell your friends about it. BikePortland is a community media source that relies on individual subscribers to stay in business. Please sign up today if you aren’t a subscriber already.

Podcast: Live from the Ladds 500!

If you missed Saturday’s Ladds 500 and can’t wait for next year’s edition, check out this episode of our podcast where we take you right into the action.

In this episode you’ll feel like you are part of the event when you hear from an interesting cast of characters, including event founder David Robinson, Portland bike scene veteran Beth Hamon, bike community builders Joan Petit and Armando Luna, and many others.

Don’t miss the inside scoop on the homemade vegan cake pops handed out by Team Tie Dye, Beth Hamon’s reflections on why events like this are so important, Joan’s explanation for making a team that’s welcoming to everyone, the irreverent silliness of team Dead Baby Bikes Club as they celebrated their victory, or the many joyous sounds of the day.

Below is a audio preview of the episode:

Listen via the player above or wherever you get your podcasts. Browse past episodes on our podcast page and check a full transcript below (time-stamped version will be coming soon). Thanks for listening and supporting our podcast!

pod-ladds-500 (2)Download

A reminder on how to use our comments section

As most of you know, BikePortland moderates its comments. Specifically, either Jonathan or myself manually approve every single comment that gets posted — and there have been 7,041 of them so far this year. If I had to describe our system in a word, I would call it “flexible.” No set hours or days for who’s on, no written rules — occasionally we text or phone to make sure our thinking is somewhat in the same place.

I think it is a strong, albeit imperfect, system.

One thing we’ve been noticing the past few weeks is that extended back-and-forth dialogues between two or three commenters are dominating, and maybe inhibiting, discourse on some threads. So we thought it might be time for a refresher on how to effectively use our comments section.

Letters to the editor or social media? Some of you may remember the good old days of trying to influence the world by spending hours crafting a concise and powerful letter to the editor, mailing it in, and then waiting days to see it in print (or not). What exciting times! Nothing felt better than landing that top spot in the column.

We are not going back to that.

On the other hand, if you find yourself writing mostly one-, two- or three-line comments that are just reactions to what someone else wrote, consider that you might not be giving your thoughts the effort they deserve. Take a paragraph or two to say what you think. Work at it — and then step back. You’ve said it. Now let someone else have a shot. Remember, you’ve got a big audience and your comments are an important part of BikePortland’s content.

That said, there is a social media aspect to the comments. Many people post under their real name, many commenters know each other in person. Respectful disagreement can be informative. We encourage that. But as with any creative endeavor — even a comment to BP — do your audience the courtesy of giving it your best effort.

A newly discovered feature. There is a feature on the back-end that lets us open or close a comment sub-thread. I’ve only used it once or twice, but we may start putting a halt to some back-and-forths a little sooner than we have been by using the lock. You will still be able to comment on the post, just not into the locked sub-thread.

Limit yourself. I’ve got a ton of opinions, I could jump in on every thread — but I don’t. Here’s my rule of thumb, “limit yourself to five comments a week.” It can be hard, but a limit helps you to use the resource wisely. My impression is that the most respected commenters don’t write that frequently, but when they do they say something insightful.

Unpopular opinions? BikePortland gets accused of censorship for sometimes not publishing a comment, but I can’t think of a time when we pulled a comment because of the opinion behind it. Rather, it’s usually because the writer is calling people names, using facile tropes, or being disrespectful. Things get particularly difficult to moderate when the topic is policing, mainly because the discourse starts out so heated. I’d like to do a better job at that. It is a mistake to think that our comments sections reflect what anyone at BikePortland thinks about enforcement issues.

My advice to commenters concerned about expressing what they think might be an unpopular opinion — or an opinion on any controversial issue — is to stick close to the facts, lay out the argument methodically and specifically, without hyperbole, and to use your own words.

Problems with the trash. This is just housecleaning stuff, but several of our strongest commenters are going straight to trash. And our automatic spam filter also sometimes catches good comments. We often fish them out eventually, but if you find that your comments seem delayed, those could be the reasons. Our web developer is always working to prevent this from happening, but tech is often imperfect.

That’s it! Keep ’em coming!

Portland’s e-scooter ridership up, while future of rental program is in flux

Scooters in the mix on Naito Parkway in 2018. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Electric scooter rentals first hit the streets of Portland almost five years ago, during the summer of 2018, and they’ve since become a fixture in the city. Though once feared to be an agent of disaster, it seems like the panic over e-scooters in Portland has mostly died down over the last few years as people got used to their presence.

Today, Portland’s e-scooter program is in a state of flux. Even though the three companies that operate rental programs here —Lime, Spin and Bird — have all replaced their scooter supply over the past year and a half, the Portland Bureau of Transportation still hasn’t made its decision about which scooter company (or companies) will be integrated into a permanent system.

One thing seems certain, though: scooters are here to stay, so we thought it was time to check-in and take a closer look.

According to PBOT’s Shared Micromobility Snapshot for 2022, which the agency released Tuesday afternoon, 2022 was a “historic year for Portland’s Biketown and e- Scooter programs.” Regardless of which company becomes PBOT’s permanent scooter operator, scooter ridership is higher than ever and the devices are contending more and more with bikes as a means of personal transportation.

Why ride scooters?

A BikePortland reader who messaged me on Twitter said he uses a Lime scooter for his daily commute to work in Portland. This is the first I’ve heard of someone doing this, so I had some questions. He said his scooter commute costs as much as a TriMet ticket, and he prefers it to riding a bike because of the ease of use.

“I could bike…but lugging it up the porch, through the living room and down to the basement every day just seems like a pain in the ass. Leaving it locked up seems risky. With a rental scooter, I don’t have to worry about maintenance, flat tires, or it getting stolen,” he wrote. He added that you can ride an e-scooter in the summer without getting sweaty at all.

More casual users may ride for novelty — anyone who’s tried one of these devices would probably admit that they’re quite thrilling to use. And if that’s enough to get someone to replace a car trip, I think that’s great.

One of the reason more people don’t ride e-scooters for daily transportation is because the price can be prohibitively expensive. Portland’s e-scooter companies charge $.36-$.49 cents a minute, plus an additional $1 fee to start. But now that Biketown, Portland’s bike share service, has raised its rates, it may not cost that much more to rent a scooter than a bike. Plus, Spin and Lime both have equity programs (similar to Biketown for All), allowing people living on low-incomes to access free and discounted trips. E-scooter passes are also included in PBOT’s Transportation Wallet program, allowing more people to access the service free of charge or at a reduced rate.

Ridership data

Portland’s e-scooter data since Ride Report began tracking it in 2020. (Source: Ride Report)

One of the most helpful tools for understanding e-scooter use in Portland is the database of information created by shared micromobility management platform Ride Report in partnership with the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Let’s take a look at what the data shows.

During the last two summers, we’ve seen peak levels of e-scooter usage in Portland: from July 1 to September 30 in both 2021 and 2022, the daily average number of e-scooter trips was around 4,300. (In 2020, the daily average number of trips during that time period was just 2,300.) That’s significantly lower than the number of Biketown trips during those months. From July 1 to September 30 2021, Portland saw an average of 1,500 Biketown trips per day, and that number rose to 2,400 during the same period in 2022.

Portland e-scooter ridership during the third quarter of 2022 (green) compared to Washington, D.C. and Denver. (Source: Ride Report)

Still, compared to e-scooter usage in some similar-sized cities, Portland is falling short. Last summer, Denver saw a total of more than 1.5 million e-scooter rides, and there were about 1.7 million rides in Washington, D.C. There were only 391,600 rides in Portland during this time.

According to Nelle Pierson from Ride Report, this can partially be attributed to a lack of scooters in Portland compared to other cities. In Washington, D.C. there are about 13 vehicles per 1000 people, whereas Portland has about three scooters per 1000 people.

“To me, this says that when the city adds more scooters, we’ll see a lot more trips!” Pierson wrote in a message to BikePortland.

But e-scooter use in Portland is higher now than it has ever been, and that rise in ridership has been consistent with the decline in bike ridership in the city. Since scooter riders aren’t counted in PBOT bike counts, this could be one of the many reasons city bike ridership may have gone down over the last few years, and could call for a change in how the bike counts are done.

So: the people have spoken, and they like electric scooters. These programs are cropping up in smaller cities as well: Eugene just launched its first e-scooter program after more than three years of planning it, so clearly city transportation planners and scooter operators are still seeing these devices as a viable means of transportation (and profit) in lots of different urban environments.

Portland scoots ahead as other cities hit the brakes

Someone riding a Lime scooter in Paris. (Photo: Taylor Griggs/BikePortland)

The local scooter boom comes at a time when e-scooter rentals are in a precarious place in some cities around the world. Earlier this month, Parisians voted to ban e-scooters from the city’s streets. This was an effort supported by Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo, who has been lauded worldwide for her commitment to building out Paris’ bikeway system. But since the vote was held on a Sunday and had to be done in-person, less than 7.5% of eligible Parisian voters cast a ballot — so some people in Paris don’t feel like the decision was representative of what the population wants.

My friend Etienne, who lives in Paris, told me that there was “almost no communication” about the vote and his friends who used e-scooters are upset about it. He said the city could’ve done more to regulate e-scooters instead of banning them altogether.

“There are no real rules about circulation…they hit pedestrians sometimes because they usually ride on the sidewalk, but actually rules could’ve been made,” Etienne said.

A New York Times article about the Paris scooter ban posits that this could have an impact on other cities around the world who turn to the French capital for transportation inspiration. But barring an unforeseen plot twist, it seems unlikely that Portland will follow Paris’ lead on this issue.

The future of scooters in Portland

New Spin scooters just dropped last week. The company is permitted to have as many as 1,083 scooters in operation. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Though it’s still unclear which company PBOT will choose as its permanent scooter operator (or when they will decide), the existing companies are making some changes on their own terms. Spin recently upgraded their scooter supply, with a fresh orange paint job that bears resemblance to the newly-painted Biketown bikes. According to PBOT Public Information Officer Dylan Rivera, this isn’t an indication that Spin has been chosen to operate the permanent program.

“We will remain in the pilot program until we conclude the request for proposals for the permanent program,” Rivera wrote in an email to BikePortland. “Spin has chosen to upgrade their fleet, just as both Lime and Bird have done in the last 12-18 months or so.”

When PBOT finally does choose which company will operate the permanent scooter program, it will be based on a few factors, which are laid out in the 2022 Shared Micromobility Snapshot report. Companies will need to show that they are committed to:

Reducing vehicle miles traveled (VMT) to combat climate change

Promoting safety, responsible riding, and consumer protections

Reducing racial disparities and advancing transportation justice

One company that may have a leg up in terms of climate action is Lime, who has partnered with B-Line Urban Delivery to recharge scooters by electric trike as opposed to fossil fuel-burning trucks. Last summer, Lime also upgraded their fleet of scooters to include a locking feature, and riders are instructed to lock their scooter up to a bike rack if they want to avoid a $25 fee. Eventually, this will be required component throughout Portland’s entire scooter system in order to “promote safety on the sidewalks and reduce pedestrian conflicts.”

PBOT’s micromobility report also states that the city will add more e-scooters to its fleet to “further increase transportation access” and require scooter companies to have all W-2 employees to “promote equitable hiring practices and workforce development.”

With equitable pricing programs and more scooters for rent, the main thing that could prevent more ridership is a lack of adequate infrastructure. In my experience, since I’m less comfortable and experienced riding an e-scooter than a bike, I’ll only ride a scooter if I know there’s going to be proper infrastructure nearly the entire route to my destination. A new paper from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) provides some insight to city planners for building infrastructure for micromobility devices like scooters, and if Portland is planning to get serious with scooter ridership here, it would behoove them to take note.

Overall, scooters and bikes don’t have to compete with each other: the more people getting out of their cars, the better for all vulnerable road users. It will be interesting to see how Portland’s e-scooter program evolves as PBOT chooses the city’s permanent operator. Time will tell if the ridership increases will continue — and the way the city manages the permanent program will play a role in it as well.

Happy 18th Birthday to BikePortland!

18 years ago today, I wrote my first post about the Portland bike scene. It was an innocent few words, but it was the start of something that I would end up devoting much of my life to almost every day since.

In those days I wrote my posts in emails that I would send to someone at OregonLive.com (the website for The Oregonian) and they’d make the words magically appear on what was called the “Bike Fun” blog. There were no comments allowed, no outbound links to other sites, and no photos in those initial posts. I could only do that for about three months before I realized I could do something much more interesting on my own and launched the site as we know it today. Not long after, I quit my other job because I was so excited about what was happening on BikePortland.

My oldest daughter was just two years old when I started doing this. Now she’s in her second year of college. I know it’s not a long time in the grand scheme of life; but as I always say, in Internet years, it feels like a very long time.

How it started (2006 photo by Clarence Eckerson) and how it’s going (selfie from Salem last week).

I have had a lot of ups-and-downs. A few times I really thought of walking away from all of it. One time I even applied for a job. I am so glad I didn’t get a call-back! I love doing this work and I love being a part of this community. Through all the changes we’ve gone through, I’m so proud and excited that BikePortland is still here. And in my very biased opinion, we are doing our best work ever.

This site would not still be alive without the support of my wife Juli. She understands how important this work is to me and she has held our family together with what she says has been “a lot of smoke and mirrors” just so I can continue to do it.

After Juli, the most important people that have kept BikePortland alive are all of our wonderful subscribers and financial supporters (especially the folks at Thomas, Coon, Newton & Frost who’ve been our longest advertisers). Without your monthly subscription payments, Juli would have forced me to pull the plug a long time ago. I am also extremely grateful for the financial investment of Mike Perham, my partner in co-ownership of this weird business.

When it comes to the future of BikePortland and whether or not we’ll make it to year 20, that is still up in the air. Honestly, the business and revenue side remains a very difficult challenge. I’m hopeful, but I know enough to be realistic. I’ll be pushing very hard in the coming months to boost our revenue through subscriptions and advertising sales so that I can rest a bit more easily.

There’s so much work to do. And I’m eager to get to it.

If you haven’t already, check out the video below that features a conversation between Clarence Eckerson and I. Clarence launched Streetfilms the same year I launched BikePortland and it was fun to chat with him about our experiences making community and advocacy-oriented transportation content for the past two decades. And don’t forget to swing by the Bike Happy Hour this week — 3-6:00 pm at Gorges Beer Co on SE Ankeny and 28th! Hope to see some new faces.