Kyle Lewis was out for an evening spin. He planned to do a loop from his home in the Buckman neighborhood south to Milwaukie. A few miles in, while pedaling on the Springwater Corridor path about one-third of a mile from the entrance at SE 4th and Ivon, he heard something strange: a car’s engine.
“I heard them coming up behind me,” Lewis shared with BikePortland. “I looked over my shoulder and had just enough time to swerve onto the grass before the car blew past me on the pavement doing what felt like at least 45. It was just extremely close. It must have grazed me. They didn’t slow, stop, or make any attempt to avoid or warn me.”
“We assumed it was an e-bike hauling ass. Then we realized it was a Mini Cooper coming straight toward us.”
— Erica Silveira
Kyle is just one of several Portland bike riders who are lucky to be alive after a drunk driver plowed onto the popular carfree path around 8:30 pm Thursday night. Bradley Krueger, a 43-year-old with with two prior convictions for driving under the influence, steered his Mini Countryman compact SUV onto the Springwater at its northern entrance and drove south three miles before he and his car were finally stopped by a bollard at SE Spokane.
The spot where Krueger blasted his way onto the path is one of the busiest cycling locations in Portland according to City counts. It’s considered a relaxing, safe place that many riders use to avoid more stressful routes and interactions with drivers.
Erica Silveira and her partner had dinner in Sellwood and were riding north on the Springwater to get ice cream in southeast Portland. “Since it was dusk we figured it was safer to take the trail rather than the roads,” Silveira shared with BikePortland, acknowledging the irony of her decision. After stopping for photos of deer grazing at the edge of Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge, Silveira looked up and saw a bright light heading toward them. “We assumed it was an e-bike hauling ass,” she recalled, “Then we realized it was a Mini Cooper coming straight toward us.”
Silveira and her partner were about one mile south of the SE Ivon entrance, just west of SE Holgate. With a cliff and the Willamette River on one side and a chain link fence and railroad tracks on the other, there was no escape as the light and fear intensified. “We got as far to the right of the trail as we could,” Silveira recalled. “It had to have been going over 40 mph, and it came within two feet of us.”
Aaron Kuehn wasn’t lucky enough to have a near-miss, but his run-in with Krueger could have been much worse. Kuehn was riding south near Oaks Bottom when he was clipped from behind. “I hear him coming up behind me on the long straight stretch, and think it’s a monster e-bike or something, but I didn’t turn around to look. And then he hits my hand and handlebar, sending me down,” Kuehn recalled in a message to BikePortland.
Kuehn, who happens to be chair of cycling advocacy group BikeLoud PDX, says he was shocked and angry.
There’s a bollard at the SE 4th and Ivon springwater entrance. But according to several witness statements and the condition of the bollard, it was likely in place when Krueger decided to drive over it. After he was almost hit, Kyle Lewis turned around, went back to the entry point and found the bollard in the grass a few yards from its base.
“This is vehicular violence,” Kuehn said, in a statement to BikePortland. “The driver did nothing to avoid people walking and biking and plowed straight toward them.” “That they were inebriated isn’t the point, it’s what they chose to do when they were,” Kuehn continued. “They chose to commit a highly violent act with their vehicle that could have been so much worse. If the other people on the trail hadn’t jumped or veered out of the way, if I had been a couple inches to the left, we would have suffered severe injuries.”
Cars on bike paths in Portland has unfortunately become a relatively regular occurrence. From what I’ve heard from readers, and based on past stories I’ve covered, most of the people who drive on paths are not as reckless or dangerous as Krueger. The drivers are typically coming or going from a tent encampment. Portland Parks has struggled to find a solution that keeps miscreant drivers out, while still making it easy and welcoming for legal path users.
Another issue with this specific case, according to what Kuehn has learned in the days since he was hit, is that the bollards at SE Ivon and SE Spokane are routinely removed by City of Portland work crews and vandals. If the bollards aren’t returned to their base or secured properly, they won’t deter drivers like Krueger. Kuehn plans to urge Portland Parks & Recreation to upgrade the bollards so something like this is less likely to happen again.
Because the bollard at SE Spokane did its job, Krueger was arrested after his three-mile rampage and cited with felony hit-and-run as well as four additional misdemeanor charges including; reckless driving, driving under the influence, criminal mischief, and recklessly endangering another person.
Kuehn plans to press charges if given the opportunity. He believes Krueger should no longer have the privilege of driving a car.
At his first court appearance on Friday, May 17th — despite this being his third DUI charge — Krueger was given a bail amount of $2,500. With the required 10% deposit, he was released after paying $250 and is due back in court May 28th.
Thanks for reading.
BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.
Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.
The experiences from the witnesses in this case are perfect anecdotes to why e-bikes often present a threat and seem dangerous to cyclists and are better suited to riding on roads and taking a lane!
I too thought it was interesting that 2 of the 3 people assumed the fast-moving, bright-lighted, larger vehicle coming toward them was just some e-bike. Really speaks to what’s happening right now with those.
Per “those”, I assume you are speaking of the new class of mega e-bikes with motorcycle sized tires and throttle tier 3 operation (28 mph max, suggested). And now marketed very similar to do anything SUVs.
This is about a drunk driver with multiple duis speeding down a car free path. Nothing to do with e-bikes. The person probably thought it was an ebike (before seeing the car) because it would not even occur to the average person that someone would be as reckless and irresponsible to actually drive a car at over 40 mph down the springwater corridor
Yes, this article is about this specific incident, however a bigger conversation is now happening.
I suspect based on those people’s descriptions of what they heard & saw, they probably meant e-motor vehicle and not what most folks think of your typical off the shelf e-bike.
I’ve seen a-motor dirt bikes, the Suron, Super76 e-motor mini bikes e-motor one wheels and unicycles and even e-motor skateboards going too fast for conditions/situations on the SWC regularly.
,
When I think of an ebike, don’t think of a conventional bike with a barely discernible battery, traveling at normal bike speeds (but using less effort).
I think of something like this:
https://www.amazon.com/SMARTRAVEL-Electric-Removable-Commuter-Mountain/dp/B0BSCV3TGY
Sounds live traveling at inappropriate speeds is behavior that is associated with ebikes. And I’d agree.
Some of those e-bikes and other e-motor personal vehicles go way too fast on the multi-use. shared paths, especially the SWC.
People walking w. their kids, dogs, kids learning to bike or skate, etc shouldn’t have to worry about being run over.
And to be fair, I’ve also seen plenty of lycra clad roadies on very pricey road bikes going too fast for conditions/situations.
I can’t think of a way to keep irresponsible, unsafe users of e-motor vehicles of the MUPs w/o penalizing people w. e-motor cargo bikes hauling their kids around too.
It’ll be a sad day when we have to deploy speed trap cameras on our MUPs to keep folks safe from other careless, stupid & selfish MUP users who think their personal freedom to do WTF ever they want is greater than their responsibility for other people’s safety.
The MUPs aren’t anyone’s personal race/training track. As Einstein said, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.”
What!?
I agree that it’s interesting that two anecdotes mention the riders’ first guesses about the oncoming vehicle, but I don’t think it proves that e-bikes offer the kind of threat that this article covers.
Also, the e-bike riders that you are concerned about might want to avoid drunk drivers just like you do! I’m fully in favor of enforceable *speed limits* on paths like the Springwater. But it would be unjust to relegate e-bike riders to less safe facilities.
No, it means they dont expect a car on bike lanes that have bollards to keep cars out. Why would they think its anything other than an e-bike?
As a cyclist, I dont feel threatened at all by e-bikes.
I agree–a logical assumption when you see two headlights coming fast at you on a path that prohibits cars and is protected (or at least I would have assumed is protected) by bollards is that it’s a pair of e-bikers approaching.
One lesson from this is that if you come across this situation, don’t assume you can stay in the middle of the path and have what you assume are two e-bikes pass by to either side of you.
I think the confusion in the replies is that the term “e-bikes” covers a very broad swath of vehicles. E-motorbikes vs. regular bikes with pedal assist. I’m hoping new regulations around e-bikes will bring clarity to the term and where different types of e-bikes are allowed.
For my own experience, I ride a cargo ebike as my primary bike. It’s a class 2, meaning it has a throttle and pedal assist but maxes out at 20 mph. On bike paths I’m rarely traveling faster than 15 mph, and I get passed by acoustic bikes a lot. The only times I use the throttle is getting started from a full stop because my bike is too heavy to make for an easy pedal-only start.
I don’t assume you are including bikes like mine or cyclists like me in your use of the term e-bikes. I definitely think those e-bikes that are more like e-motorbikes, that go 28mph or faster, are pushing it for what should be allowed on a bike path. Some of those guys (it’s always guys) go by so quickly you can’t even hear them coming until they’re right behind you. Mopeds aren’t allowed on bike paths, so I don’t think those types of e-bikes should be either.
I’ve encountered about a half dozen cars driving on our MUPs in the past few years. There’s an atmosphere or lawlessness on these paths and they no longer feel safe in multiple places. Anyone can remove a bollard with a medium sized set of bolt cutters, they’re only secured by padlocks. I don’t know what a more secure design would look like, but it’s got to be resistant to the folks who don’t think twice about cutting a fence or chopping down a tree for fun. Ceding our MUPs to destructive persons is a massive setback to the cycling community and all Portlanders. Not to mention the neighbors who are forced to live next to the chaos, trash and fires that our leaders seem determined to ignore.
I agree, this incident isn’t particularly surprising, I’ve seen cars east of 82nd on the springwater and see gas powered bikes, mopeds, scooters and motorcycles on mup’s throughout the city. Until we have real consequences for these people they’ll continue to act like toddlers stealing cookies that never get punished.
Considering the USA has the worlds largest priaon population and people keep doing crime, maybe we need to find a better way to get people to behave in certain ways other than fear of being punished.
What do you suggest? Nothing Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Colombia, Venezuela, Brazil, Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Chile, Equador, or Peru seems to be working that well either.
What I’ve seen in DC (to prevent van suicide bombers in front of government buildings and embassies rather than drunk MUP drivers) are Jersey barriers arranged in parallel in a bedstead pattern, with a very narrow pathway for parks utility maintenance trucks and emergency services to pass through at about 2 mph. It takes a bit of space, but it seems to deter drivers.
The irony here is that though many upvoted your comment, today on election day many readers of bike portland will vote to elect the same people that supported the allowance of this mayhem. We have elected those who believe police are bad, enforcement of our laws is racist, the homeless shouldn’t have consequences and promoted a shift in local government from prioritizing cleanliness, infrastructure maintenance, environmental protection and providing essential services to one fixated on ideological pursuits. In my opinion us voters are the ones to blame.
Yep. The article’s “considered a relaxing, safe place” is pretty outdated and/or disingenuous. Lest we forget, it was only about a year ago that something very similar happened on the very same stretch. https://bikeportland.org/2023/04/14/man-arrested-after-driving-stolen-car-at-high-speeds-on-springwater-corridor-bike-path-372969
Brian: good question…year there is a long design history of designing trail entrances to “exclude” motorized car like vehicles (70+ years). Generally the entry is designed with large objects to require a “weaving” route so as to minimize wider cars from slipping by a single bollard (or going over one). [Think the 2022 defence of Kiev.]
The problem we have here is that Portland Parks [and most other parks departments] has been going with “minimal” low cost options that worked well in the past (less driver lawlessness, less parallel route congestion and lower overall trail use – fewer witnesses) and they have not yet (?) revised their facility design standards to rise to the new occasion. Plus there is likely an institutional issue here…parks operations staff (like most ops staff) most likely like easy peezy to remove / replace so they can enter and depart efficiently from trails as they make their rounds.
Then we get to the prosecution topic…it cost me more to pay to get a car released from a tow yard than this driver from jail. No “3 Strikes & You Are In” but out of MC jail .[Another stake in the heart of Vision Zero.]
3rd DUI is lifetime suspension in Oregon.
Yes, but will the case actually to go trial if the suspect contests the charges, or will it be thrown out by the judge due to lack of public defense attorneys? And what will happen if the suspect chooses to continue driving on a suspended license in an unregistered vehicle?
perhaps we could start a go fund me to ensure he gets representation & the penalty he deserves?…
*** Moderator: I deleted a couple of sentences which were encouraging BP readers to contact the driver’s employer. That’s not welcome on this site. *** He most likely can afford an attorney. I hope he gets 5 years for hit and run.
Unless there aren’t enough public defenders and then the charges get dropped, just like nothing happened.
Sure the lack of public defenders can be a barrier but neighboring counties have much higher prosecution rates and have the same limitations. That points to the problem as being the DA, not the lack of public defenders.
Multnomah County prosecutes less than half of misdemeanor theft cases referred by law enforcement, while Washington and Clackamas counties prosecute these cases at a considerably higher rate.
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/investigations/multnomah-county-misdemeanor-theft-shoplifting-prosecutions/283-f787c79b-a70c-4cb6-b48a-fb22cafbc15d
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/the-story/portland-shoplifting-jail-booked-released/283-0828e80a-ea37-40f5-ab54-c858892b323c
Neither article mentioned a thing about the other counties having a shortage of public defenders. Both articles mentioned reasons other than ones involving the DA for why the prosecution rates are higher in the other counties.
It also makes sense that a DA with a lack of public defenders would prosecute a lower percentage of cases, because they’d know they don’t have the staff to take more cases through the legal process.
I’m not saying the problem can’t be–or isn’t–the DA, I’m saying those articles don’t show that the DA is the problem, as you claim.
Future Class 3 Chinese e-bike rider.
But how thoroughly is that actually enforced?
I’ve seen multiple instances of suspended drivers having access to cars after their convictions. A car I was traveling in several years ago was broadsided by another car whose driver was drunk, uninsured AND driving without a valid license.
Who is minding the store on this issue?
Given the lack of consequences for driving without a valid license ( see the Joel Schrantz case previously reported on), that doesn’t seem like enough of a deterrent for a serial reckless driver
Care to explain why my comment was not published, Jonathan?
Lisa here. I don’t see your comment anywhere, not in trash, not in spam, not in pending. Not sure what to say.
It’s a troubling situation, invisible-yet-visible comments. I feel like I should play along but have a busy day.
How about: “There it is up above!”
I’m pretty sure I’ve said this here in the comments before, but I’ll comment it again; cars on the Springwater and 205 path are incredibly common the last few years (give me your number and I’ll text you any pics on my phone that I haven’t deleted yet if this seems hard to believe). The chains or locks on the bollards get cut, the bollard gets tossed aside, cars, motorcycles and RVs come on through. Come out to the Springwater to where 205 goes over it, get juuuust east of the overpass, look south. Unless they’ve been cleared recently, you will see FULL SIZE RVs and tow-along camper/trailer set ups. To get where they are someone had to drive on one or both of these trails. Guys on mini dirt bikes were cruising around Powell Butte on Friday. Some guys had a golf cart at a camp a while ago that was getting used *a lot*. Cars get dragged to Beggars Tick and stripped, etc., etc.
I feel like in the past if someone drove on a trail, BP would write an article. Remember someone trying to get on the 205 path and getting stuck, like on the bridge, some years back. We were all stunned! at how insane that was. Now, if you are frequently using these trails, you might see this, no hyperbole, monthly. Without seriously hardening entrances, and maybe some sniper towers set up to take out tires, I don’t see how we get this to ever stop. The type of people that drive on the trails, they simply don’t give a shit. They aren’t bound by common sense or decency or shame or fear of any sort of consequence to this.
It’s all been normalized. Here’s a BP article from 2017 when this was a much more rare occurrence:
Rider calls police after being forced off I-205 path by truck driver
This was considered outrageous back then. The reddit post got over 600 upvotes, hundreds of comments.
Fast forward to today and “bike activists” will shut down the conversation because the person threatening your life with a 5000 pound pickup truck might be homeless.
We have truly lost the script. We need to defend our bike infrastructure from those who are abusing it, not keep enabling their behavior.
I had forgotten that article until I hit the pics. Not sure if it was written about here but I think right about where those pics were taken those fences were very recently taken out by someone driving off the path and tearing the fences out. What’s The Rush, Lents? had pics on their IG page or in a story or something.
Some of the apologists for the incredibly unacceptable stuff happening is very frustrating, I agree. You can have empathy AND also say, “oh yeah, this is definitely not cool and we can not accept this at all, drawing a line in the sand on this one”. Those things being trashing natural areas, cutting trees down, driving and dumping cars on the paths, burning trash in the middle of the trail, swinging machetes/bats/golf irons, and now add drunk driving shenanigans, etc. These trails are great but they are too often off limits for a lot of users and that sucks.
Yeah I noticed that last couple times I passed through, it looked like someone had driven from the trail into the back yard of someone’s house.
The segment of the trail between Division and Harold is some of the worst managed in the city. Anything goes there. I’ve seen a dozen presumably stolen cars stripped (and usually burned) along the path. I’ve suffered more flats in that stretch than anywhere else in town, too.
Empathy is when you say “we can not accept this at all”.
And remember, to build Portland, we had to cut down massive amounts of trees. But sure, all the trees needed to be cut down for the plot of land you live on ia fine, but homeless people, they are the ones that are truly destructive…
You dont have empathy towards homeless people and their conditions. Empathy would require you to be mad at the economic conditions that cause this, and not the individuals who suffer due to the economic conditions.
Oh ok. Thanks for the breakdown, I didn’t realize I didn’t know how I feel about this wildly complex topic.
Empathy is when inside, you’re really sad about something in an undetectable way, but change nothing externally that would indicate you have empathy.
Thanks for the sermon.
The sheer irony.
Ha! Good one, John. I’m a bonehead here, no doubt. But hey, my point stands; this used to be such an extraordinary thing that on the rare occasion this would happen, we were all aghast at how crazy and reckless that behavior was. And now it happens so much how could JM write about each event??
I sorta feel like this was written because of the location where it happened since out here in the shat-upon deep SE, auto use on the trails is frustratingly common. That this happened amongst the gentry of Sellwood, this is news.
Yep. The article’s “considered a relaxing, safe place” is pretty outdated and/or disingenuous. Lest we forget, it was only about a year ago that something very similar happened on the very same stretch. https://bikeportland.org/2023/04/14/man-arrested-after-driving-stolen-car-at-high-speeds-on-springwater-corridor-bike-path-372969
All car free paths need to have bollards at potential points of car access. Looking at you N Greeley and N Going multi use paths
It’s still unbelievable that they allowed that development and decided an 8ft MUP was the approved access point. I’ve been stopped and turned around there multiple times. But I guess I need to check my privilege.
This is a scary situation! I have reported the missing bollard on the Greeley MUP a handful of times- it got replaced once and lasted a day, maybe two. I have also reported the missing bollards at Salmon and Ankeny, but nothing happens. I believe the City is tacitly allowing vehicles to dive on these MUPS because they failed to designed functional systems and now people biking are left to navigate the hazards on their own.
This article makes me realize that I’ve been making assumptions about people based on the type of vehicle they drive, and I’m going to have to spend some time digging into why I have assumed (until now) that people who drive Minis are overwhelmingly restrained and rational, concerned with the way they comport themselves, and – not relevant to this story but still… – have impeccable taste. The driver was in a Mini Cooper. Not a Ford Fx50 or Kia SUV. Ok
I don’t assume this about anyone who drives a car. Driving a multi-ton steel box is very strongly associated with a lack of empathy for other human beings (or animals).
FWIW, Krueger was driving a Mini-shaped SUV, not the much smaller BMW mini hatchback.
When making your judgement, did you factor in the coffin on the roof?
Yeah, me too. I assumed it had been stolen.
I may be biased because I’m a skier and I saw the car top box and assumed the *owner* was a skier. I now see that I was mistaken: he must be a snowboarder.
(There is a longstanding skier joke that all collisions are the fault of snowboarders.)
He was arrested for DUII. Obviously a snowboarder.
Ah yes, skiers are angels…
One of my earliest Portland memories of a driver weaving through automotive traffic at way over the speed limit was someone in a Mini with “share the road” plates on SE Cesar Chavez.
I just rode this stretch an hour ago. The bollards at both Ivon and the southern entrance near Oaks Park are currently missing.
PBOT has removed the bollards after they realized they had installed them without first giving proper notification of affected neighbors. /s
Comment of the week
Thanks for sharing GG. I think a story in the bollards and Parks’ management responsibilities is worth its own post. But yes, apparently it’s common for vandals and even city maintenance staff to remove the bollards and not return them properly.
That’s because both bollards were badly damaged by this driver. Unfortunately they have not fixed or replaced yet.
It’s wild to me that 4 days later, the bollard on SE Ivon is still missing.
Also PBOT, Portland Parks, Rapid Response, COR, and others normalize this behavior by not utilizing alternative transportation methods to access work sites on the Springwater. There are all sorts of light-duty options like Gators, work carts, 4-wheelers, etc. that would be probably have enough storage/hauling capacity to do most jobs. Nothing quite like coming around a curve to the sight of a large truck coming at you to get your heart rate up, especially when stories like this one are unfortunately so common.
We deserve so much better.
I see Central City Concern pickup trucks driving on the 205 path frequently, doing garbage collection from camps. In fact I’d say I see them out there far more often then I see ODOT / PBOT / COP trucks out there. The trucks of course are too wide for the path and have created some ugly ruts along the asphalt at various points.
Of course “does providing an ever-expanding range of services to illegal camps encourage them to keep abusing our public spaces?” is the question you’re not allowed to ask…
I’ve also seen central City concern trucks driving in the Broadway “protected” bike lane.
I think we need to draw a hard line at NGOs illegally driving motor vehicles onto MUPs. I can stan a City truck doing it, even though they should be using a Gator or similar.
But what about when the government fails to provide these services?
You are basically stating that neighbors shouldnt be allowed ro help neighbors and that we should just be reliant on the state to handle everything.
I would prefer that the government provide these services. Instead, we have a system where government contracts are given to NGOs who are often lead by former government workers, obtaining lucrative contracts. This also incentivizes continuation of the status quo, often backed by financial contributions from these stakeholders.
Private citizens can certainly legally aid the individuals generating all of this trash in our natural areas and green spaces, but you would need to do it with a vehicle that can legally travel on the access paths.
No, he’s saying neighbors shouldn’t be driving trucks on bike paths.
So homeless people should have to live in trash?
Maybe be mad at the economic conditions that have caused so many people to be homeless rather than the people who suffer due to our economoc system.
When you do that, you realize its the economic system we live under thats abusing and destroying our public spaxes, and not the people who have literally nothing.
Stop punching down.
I like the cut of your jib, Sky. I agree with all your comments here. Thanks for speaking up.
Houselessness is not always a choice, but living in trash is (and I believe “homeless” is not the preferred nomenclature). There are housed people who choose to fill their houses with trash just as there are unhoused people who choose to keep their space tidy.
No, of course not. They should haul their trash out just like any other camper would.
So whats your solution to this. Your critique is of the economic system and those who are looking for options other than changing the economic system which likely they feel is beyond the scope of what they can realistically advocate for.
You don’t seem to suggest any changes specifically. You want communism? Or keeping private property but making other changes.
What are those changes?
I would like to see the City get better at providing more appropriate vehicles for their staff. If parks used golf carts or gators, the trail entrances could more easily preclude cars. I ride along the waterfront for my daily commute, mostly along Naito. Year-round, every single morning, there is at least 1 full-size pickup parked on the shared path in the park. It is not uncommon to see 5 of these trucks! They are often carrying nothin more than a toolbox for irrigation repair, or a single leafblower. Even the trash could easily be hauled using an electric golfcart. These trucks are huge and expensive and they block the path, but more importantly, they encourage maintenance staff to maintain vehicle access. There are all kinds of groups and individuals who access and use the park including a weekly Thursday free meal. That is a very nice thing to do, but it comes with up toa dozen cars parked in the park. I can see the need for a single car to deliver food and tables, but every volunteer feels entitled to drive through the park and block paths with their cars.
Are the trucks in fact more expensive than the alternative?
You probably still need to own and maintain the truck, but now you have a second vehicle that requires care and feeding. Getting the small vehicle to the work site might even involve carrying it in the truck at least part way, which raises its own set of issues. Dealing with more vehicles will take extra staff time and resources, and more different technologies require more different maintenance and fueling/charging requirements and such.
I’m not arguing against using smaller vehicles, but rather hoping to spur a more comprehensive view of the cost of alternative transportation technologies. One vehicle that can “do it all” might be the most efficient solution, even if it’s overkill for many tasks.
I saw a couple PBOT workers a year ago in a little John Deere Gator with a couple trash cans on the back out cleaning up Alderwood Trail. So they do have one at least… Haven’t seen it since, though, usually I just see large work trucks.
Last year, I was hauling a load of mulch and got run off the Columbia Slough Trail by a pickup truck driver. This spring it’s bad enough that people are just camping across the entire path.
Last week, I picked up some lumber in St. Johns with the bike trailer and tried to make my way back on the Peninsula Crossing Trail, and got stuck at the southernmost gate for five minutes or so.
I have pretty much lost access to both trails, but ironically, the less access people have to the trail, the more people can use them;At least Peninsula Crossing works for more people. Gate ‘em up!
This entire situation is largely why my wife and I have given up on cycling. It just doesn’t feel safe anymore, anywhere. The roads, the paths, everywhere seems to have loonies aiming at us. Sigh… Fix that, and I could go anywhere in this city without ever needing to set butt in car. As little as five years ago we rode hundreds of miles a week. The 50 mile loop from St. Johns to Milwaukee to Marine and back home was a common ride. Ride out to Hillsboro for work and back, no problem. Now: nada! I miss it.
Two quick thoughts:
1) On the riders thinking the Mini Cooper was an e-bike: The Springwater is the only place in Portland I have consistently been passed by people going 25+ mph on ebikes – and I don’t ride there very much. There is clearly an e-bike speeding problem on the Springwater that needs to be addressed.
2) Time for HARDENED barriers to bike infra in Portland. Might slow us all down a little, but a**hole drivers have demonstrated the need for it. It’s gonna be expensive.
Time to install more bollards? Maybe one every three miles isn’t quite enough.
Is anyone else surprised that driving under the influence is only a misdemeanor?
No wonder we have so many repeat offenders when the consequences seem… well inconsequential. In many other places in the world .08 (or less) can be fines, license suspension, vehicle confiscation and jail/prison time.
It makes me think of objections to the removal of parking outside the bar on 28th and Sandy a decade or so ago and the protests at removing ‘customer parking’. Perhaps the way to truly build out our public transportation is to remove all parking in establishments that serve alcohol combined with actually enforcing/strengthening our existing laws.
Why oh why would the street department not put up the path poles is beyond explanation!!!
A couple of years ago I was riding on the MUP along the Columbia where the Sandy River joins it. Not sure if it has a name but it’s part of the 40-mile loop. There were joggers and dog walkers and people with strollers. Then all of a sudden, near the Western end, there was an odd loud sound and I realized a quad (dune buggy style?) was doing probably 50-60mph towards me. I moved into the grass as the thing sped by in a cloud of fumes. When I got to the end of the path I saw a parked car on the MUP and a woman with two children who seemed to be watching and cheering on the buggy rider. Seemed like a family event? I should have called the police, … not sure why I didn’t. Maybe I just wanted to get home after a 50mile day and didn’t want any more interaction with this family after feeling lucky to be unharmed. I haven’t gone back to that path and have decided not to take friends there even though it makes for a scenic route to the historic highway into the gorge. What a f*ing waste of a nice path.
Maybe this year’s bike count should also count cars in the bike lane/path. Only slightly joking…
I’m just so confused why the driver did this??? Were they so drunk that they didn’t realize that this was a multiuse path or so drunk that they were uninhibited and indulged their hatred of people on bicyclists by blazing down the trail and terrorizing everyone? Was it drunk-fueled rage or something else?
They were likely late to their AA meeting. /s
Another clear example of the urgent need for hard infrastructure to prevent cars and trucks from hurting people and property.
Almost. On their own, cars and trucks don’t hurt anyone. Rather, it’s their drivers.
Did cyclists or pedestrians call 911?
What was the response time at 911 to answer the call?
What was the PPB response time or did they even show up?
Was this event even taken seriously by the PPB?
The fact is that DA chooses not to prosecute drivers who knowingly commit crimes that with any other weapon ( in this case a car) can kill people
He should absolutely be charged with assault with a deadly weapon for every individual that he encountered on the path. He should lose his license for years if not forever. Driving is a Privilege not a right! I too was intentionally hit by a driver in PDX some years ago and he got a slap on the wrist even with video evidence and eye witnesses. This is a systemic problem in our criminal justice system and we must hold the drivers the police the DA and judges accountable
Our court system is broken.