2024 Archives

Candidates and voters from all four districts will converge at Bike Happy Hour tomorrow

Come and join us on the patio. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Four districts, four rides, 35 candidates on bikes. The first ever 4 Quadrant Candidate Splash Ride happens Wednesday (tomorrow July 3rd!). And it includes a stop at Bike Happy Hour where teams of candidates will have to work together on a collaborative, bike-themed game. After an hour or so on the Gorges Beer Co. patio, the fun will continue to Duckworth Dock on the Eastbank Esplanade where swimming and sunning will ensue.

It’ll be another high point on what has turned out to be one o the most exciting summers of cycling politics Portland has ever seen. We’ve had dozens of candidates hang out with us at Bike Happy Hour, we’ve seen our future leaders show up at bike buses and Sunday Parkways, and BikeLoud’s candidate questionnaire has earned responses from 40 candidates.

Wednesday’s event builds on this momentum. Here’s what’s on tap…

Nonprofit BikeLoud PDX is organizing the ride. They’ll host meet-ups at four parks: Floyd Light Park in District 1, Peninsula Park in District 2, Essex Park in District 3, and Willamette Park in District 4. From 3:30 to 4:30, everyone is welcome to show up at a park to meet-and-great with candidates. At 4:30 all four rides will leave on an easy, 5-mile route to Bike Happy Hour at SE Ankeny and 28th.

All the candidates and riders will converge on the Gorges patio around 5:00 and shenanigans will ensue. We’ll split the candidates into four mixed-district teams (to mimic how they’ll have to work together on council) and then put them to work on a bike-themed group task that will require collaboration.

It’ll be a fun mix of politics, cycling, and socializing you won’t want to miss.

And after Bike Happy Hour, the party will continue to Duckworth Dock on the Eastbank Esplanade where Human Access Project and Lloyd EcoDistrict will host their weekly swimming event with a DJ, food carts, sunset viewing, and so on.

If you’ve been on the sidelines, now is the time to get engaged with this important election. Since the new charter includes a provision that alternates district elections every two years, this is the first and last time Portland will elect all 12 city council positions at the same time. And with just six months from the start of our brand-spankin’ new form of government, it’s time to buckle down, organize, and make sure we get great people into these leadership positions.

Speaking of which, below is the list of candidates who will participate in tomorrow’s event:

Council – District 1

Timur Ender
Sonja Mckenzie
Steph Routh
David Linn

Council – District 2

Elana Pirtle-Guiney
Christopher Olson
Nat West
Debbie Kitchin
Mariah Hudson
Jonathan Tasini
Mike Marshall
Laura Streib
Will Mespelt
Marnie Glickman

Council – District 3

Rex Burkholder
Theo Hathaway Saner
Daniel Gilk
Jonathan Walker
Matthew Thomas Anderson
Daniel DeMelo
Philippe Knab
Jesse Cornett
Angelita Morillo
Tiffany Koyama Lane
Luke Zak

Council – District 4

Mike DiNapoli
Ben Hufford
Sarah Strawberry Silkie
Michael Trimble
Eli Arnold
Andra Vltavín
Eric Zimmerman
Lisa Freeman
Mitch Green
Chad Lykins

Mayor

Liv Østhus
Durrell Javon Kinsey Bey
Keith Wilson

Bike Happy Hour is every Wednesday, 3-6 pm at Gorges Beer Co (2705 SE Ankeny). See you there!

The fantastic usefulness of a cargo trike

Stopping, shopping, and hanging out is so easy on a three-wheeler. (Photos: Shannon Johnson/BikePortland)

When it comes to bike versus trike, I generally prefer the feel of two wheels and I’ve been considering selling my current trike to replace it with a two-wheeled cargo bike. You might even say I have “bike envy” when I see those Urban Arrows riding by. But there is one place where the cargo trike excels over other two-wheeled rigs: the farmers market and anywhere slow and steady cycling is preferred.

The cargo trike is essentially a bikeable shopping cart and quadruple stroller, making it my dream vehicle for summertime trips to the farmers market and outdoor street festivals. If you haven’t experienced the fantastic usefulness of the cargo trike, allow me to sing the praises of my favorite mode of market mobility.

First of all, by biking to the farmer market, we avoid the chore of parking a car and don’t have to make vulture-like circles for a car spot. (Any sort of bike is a great way to go!) But with a trike, we don’t have to park at all, not even in nearby bike parking, because the trike is stable while walking or frequently starting/stopping. In areas like a crowded outdoor market or street festival, where a bike should be walked, the trike is a dream vehicle because you can sit on it and pedal as slowly as a walker, or even stop and sit without pedaling at all. With a trike, you don’t need to engage and disengage a hefty brake, or keep feet down and walk on tippy toes to balance. You can stand beside the trike and walk it easily, without needing two hands to balance it or keep it upright.

I have tried my two-wheeled cargo bike at the market and it’s been immediately obvious that a two-wheeled bike is meant to be moving. It doesn’t much like to be walked, especially if the cargo box is laden with children and produce. When I ride a two-wheeled cargo bike to the market, I prefer to park the bike and walk around to shop, because it’s unpleasant to walk a two-wheeled cargo bike, and one has to activate the hefty kickstand to look at food or goods in a stall. This makes a two-wheeled cargo bike unpleasant to haul around on foot: kickstand down, up, down; two hands on the handlebars; hold steady or she’ll tip. It’s one occasion where two wheels feels cumbersome.

Parking a cargo bike loaded with toddlers and all our stuff is also a bit of an ordeal, similar to parking a fully loaded minivan. It means unloading all the kids, then trying to determine what stuff is needed, and what can be left in the bike. In our case, that means we might be hauling water bottles, sunscreen, a diaper bag, picnic lunch, towels (for playing in the fountains), change of clothes. We probably need to put a stroller in the cargo bike just to be able to carry all of our stuff when we park the cargo bike, and also to carry a family-sized haul of produce home. I also don’t like to have toddlers on the loose either, and prefer to have them strapped in while I am shopping.

Which is why we love our trike: with its extra wheel, the trike is absolutely stable when stopped or being slowly walked. You can keep all of your stuff with you, as you walk the trike slowly along, and you can put all of your bags of groceries directly into the cargo box. And my husband’s favorite feature: you keep the littlest ones strapped into their seats, without worrying about them running off.

I say this, as a person who prefers a two-wheeled bike.

There is no question: when it comes to the farmers market, our whole family prefers the trike. My husband, who doesn’t otherwise bike, loves the trike for visiting our local outdoor market. It’s the easiest, most efficient, and most pleasant vehicle for the job. He can keep all of his kids inside, or let the older ones hop in and out at will. He can step away from it to buy a box of strawberries without it tipping or having to engage the hefty brakes. He likes it so much he’s made Saturday trips to the market a weekly tradition and says, “if we didn’t have the trike, I probably wouldn’t go. Or I wouldn’t take the kids with me.”

Cargo trike versus a two-wheeled bike

What would make the trike right for you?

Slow & Steady: I would recommend a cargo trike if you are planning to use it at slow speeds, and in situations with frequent starting-stopping, such as outdoor festivals and markets.
Match slow kid-rider speeds: The trike is also a great way to travel with a slow independent kid rider, as you can comfortably match the very slow speed of a young child rider or even walkers (which is more of a chore on a two-wheeled bike, and much harder with a front cargo bike).
No balancing needed: The trike is also a great option for those who have trouble balancing on two wheels or who are prohibitively nervous about tipping their box of kids over.
Good for snow? The stability of the trike may be especially relevant to those who bike more often in snow conditions–it’s pretty rare here, but I felt very comfortable slowly riding the trike on packed and slushy snow, while my two-wheeled kid riders were slipping and tipping. (Please comment, if you have more snow-riding experience).
Easy parking brake (no muscle needed): The trike may also be great for grandparents or anyone who has trouble engaging/disengaging a hefty double-brake on a two-wheeled cargo bike; this can vary by model, but I have found that engaging and disengaging the brake on a two-wheeled cargo bike takes some “oomf” and it’s a bit intimidating to wrestle with the brake while balancing a bunch of children in the box. My trike has simple hand-brakes for parking, which are easy to to engage, no “oomf” required.

If you are debating trike vs. bike, check back next week for my full comparison of the pros and cons.

In the meantime, enjoy the farmers market on whatever you pedal!

— View a video version of this story on Instagram.

Monday Roundup: Girmay Day, suffering, traffic, and more

Welcome to the week.

Not sure why, but the past seven days were a bit lighter then normal when it came to notable transportation and cycling news.

Hit the brakes: A new rule from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that requires cars to have automatic emergency braking is being opposed by lobbyists for automatkers on grounds that it won’t work and “will frustrate or flummox drivers.” (The Verge)

Pain pics: “The Art of Suffering” is a new book by professional cycling photographer Kristof Ramon that takes an inside look at the emotions and pain that define World Tour cycling. (CNN)

Historic stage: The Tour de France is off to a fine start and stage three was special because Eritrean Biniam Girmay became the first Black African rider to win a stage. (The Guardian)

The debate of our lives: It’s wild that in 2024 we still spend billions to widen freeways all across the U.S. One of the reasons is because of how impacts of projects are quantified and a debate over Highway 80 in California is a great illustration of the current conundrum. (L.A Times)

Gaming the system: DOTs can be pretty sneaky with how they manipulate policy in order to line themselves up for federal cash; but fudging pedestrian fatality goals just to not get dinged as much for failing to meet them is a new low. (Streetsblog USA)

Thanks to everyone who sent in links this week. The Monday Roundup is a community effort, so please feel free to send us any great stories you come across.

Experience the sights and sounds of the Loud N Lit Ride (Video)

Friday night’s Loud N Lit Ride was truly one for the ages. If you missed it — or if you were there and weren’t running around all over the place trying to document as much of it as humanly possible like I was — you’re in luck! Watch this video and bask in the bicycle cultural phenomenon that is known locally simply as “bike fun.”

You’ll hear from event participants and ride creator Jon Dutch, whose big personality first graced these pages back in 2008 when he was into gravity biking. These days, when Dutch isn’t leading massive bike rides in Portland, he’s a sought after acrobat who performs at NBA games and other performances nationwide.

Dutch has always had flair so it’s perfect that he’s the person behind Loud N Lit, which has become Portland’s biggest and baddest party dance bike ride of the year.

Don’t miss the full photo gallery I shared over the weekend.

Loud N Lit Ride Photo Gallery

Terry Brumfeld (center) and his crew rolled up to Irving Park early to soak up the scene. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

What an amazing night! The people and music and colorful outfits and lights and creativity of all types. I had a really fun time out there tonight. The turnout was unreal in terms of quantity and quality. It was impossible to count because I never saw the beginning or the end of the crowd. Just an infinite multitude of humanity and good energy. One thing that stuck with me as I went through the photos was the diversity of the crowd. The bike fun scene in Portland is exploding and it’s full of every type of person you can imagine. I love that!

And I’m sure thousands of them are still dancing the night away on this perfect Portland night.

It was so nice to see everyone! I focused mostly on video tonight, so stay tuned for that. But I also grabbed some photos because y’all were so irresistible. Here are the pics. I’ve been working since 7:00 am this morning, so I need to go to bed. See you on the streets.

Podcast: In the Shed #21

It’s been a big couple weeks since Eva Frazier and I sat down for our regular chat in the shed.

In this episode we talk about a forgotten Portland naked bike riding activist named Terri Sue Webb, Eva’s backyard cherry crop, how I resolved a dispute with an angry BikePortland protestor at Bike Happy Hour this week, and much more.

Have a great weekend everyone. Maybe see you tonight at Loud N Lit and then it’s back at the grindstone again on Monday morning with our latest news roundup.

In interview, Mapps blames BikePortland for Broadway bike lane scandal

On Monday July 1st, Portland City Commissioner Mingus Mapps will no longer be in charge of the transportation bureau. Mayor Ted Wheeler will retake the bureaus and pass them onto administrators ahead of an historic reform to our city government, making Mapps the last ever commissioner-in-charge of the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT).

It was perhaps a fitting end to the dysfunctional and outdated commissioner-in-charge system that Mapps, who hopes to be Portland’s next mayor, spent part of his final week in that position answering questions about a bike lane controversy he was solely responsible for. Mapps was asked about his role in the Southwest Broadway bike lane scandal in a podcast interview published by City Cast Portland yesterday.

Interviewer Claudia Meza pressed Mapps on a number of topics throughout the interview. When the conversation turned to the importance of clear communication from the city’s top politician, Meza told Mapps his stance on important issues was often misunderstood not just by Portlanders, but by his own bureau leadership.

When Meza used the Broadway bike lane “scandal” (her word) as an example — a story we covered closely back in September after Mapps told PBOT to rip out a protected bike lane because several downtown hotel owners didn’t like it, only to have his plans thwarted by swift pushback from the community — he didn’t take responsibility.

Instead, Mapps blamed my reporting.

“It doesn’t matter what’s right, what’s wrong, it’s the confusion,” Meza said. “People aren’t clear about where you stand, where you want things to go, including your bureau.”

To which Mapps replied:

“Well, Claudia, I think what you might be pointing to is the quality of reporting that happens in this space… Frankly, I did not recognize the reporting on this. It did not jive up with my experience… You know… I have no influence over what blogs publish.”

When Mapps first took over the PBOT commissioner job, he told me in an interview that he was, “the guy where the buck stops on transportation.” But when things got messy on Broadway, he ran away from chances to take responsibility and clarify his role. It was the PBOT director — not Mingus “Where the Buck Stops” Mapps — that apologized for what happened. And Mapps continued to share an inaccurate version of events when asked about it in public.

I’ve given Mapps every opportunity to set the record straight, including an interview just one day after I broke the story and several emailed requests for comment that remain unanswered. We still don’t have a the full picture of who did what and why.

While many Portlanders remain confused about where Mapps stands, he shows no self-reflection or humility about what happened. The only thing he’s clear about is who to blame. That’s not the type of leader Portland needs.

Video: The good and the gaps on bike route to new PDX airport path

You’ve all seen the cool new bike path that leads directly into the Portland International Airport terminal. But what good is safe bike infrastructure, if you have to risk your life to access it? And what’s it like to ride from north/northeast Portland neighborhoods to the new path?

When I made that video earlier this month I grabbed footage of my entire ride to the new path, but only shared the the last segment. In this video you’ll see what it’s like to go from Peninsula Park near I-5 in north Portland to the start of the path.

Along the way, you’ll learn about the extremely bumpy and potholed NE Holman neighborhood greenway, the blissful pocket park at Holman and NE 13th, experience the gap on the NE 42 Ave overpass to Columbia Blvd, see how the new(ish) protected bike lane on NE 47th is holding up, ride the white-knuckle gauntlet of NE Cornfoot Rd, and then find out how to connect to off-street sidewalks of NE 82nd Way and get to NE Air Cargo Rd where my other video picks up.

I also shared a bit of news in this video. That (last time I checked) PBOT has funding to build a new path along NE Cornfoot in 2026 and that the Port of Portland will start a project next summer to redesign the NE 82nd Way/Air Cargo Rd intersection to improve bike network connections to the new path.

Remember, getting to the airport by bike isn’t just some cool thing for privileged travelers, there are thousands of people who work at or near the airport who need/want an alternative to driving.

Do you ever ride parts of this route? What has your experience been? Do you think a significant amount of Portlanders would bike to the airport if we had a safe, “8-80” quality route the entire way?

Portland’s e-bike rebate program will launch summer 2025

By next summer, low and medium-income Portlanders will be able to walk into a bike shop and receive a significant rebate when they purchase an electric bike. That timeline was just one thing we learned yesterday as staff from the Portland Bureau of Planning & Sustainability presented new details to City Council about their forthcoming e-bike rebate program.

In addition to funding an estimated 6,000 new e-bikes (and adaptive e-bikes!) over the next five years, the program will train mechanics, and launch a program for e-bike parking and storage at multi-family apartment buildings.

Portland’s e-bike rebate program is part of the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund Climate Investment Plan. That plan, adopted by council in September 2023, pumps $750 million into projects and programs that help Portlanders with low-incomes and Black, Indigenous people of color fight climate change.

The plan includes $20 million for an e-bike rebate program. How exactly the program will be implemented came into clearer focus at the council meeting yesterday. The ordinance will authorize BPS to hire people and/or organizations to run the program. It was a first reading, so councilors and Mayor Ted Wheeler won’t discuss or vote on it until next week.

PCEF Transportation Decarbonization Lead Seetha Ream-Rao framed the program to council as a way to reduce fossil fueled car trips that is, “Absolutely essential to meeting Portland’s net zero goals.”

Ream-Rao cited recent Oregon Household Activities Survey data that the average daily trip in the Portland metro area was six miles and 80% of those are completed with a car. “That [distance] is well within the range of any e-bike on the market today and one of the biggest opportunities for carbon reductions,” she said.

For lower-income Portlanders, an electric car is way too expensive. E-bikes however, would be within reach with a little help in the form of a purchase incentive. Not only would these bikes open up mobility opportunities for more Portlanders, they’d save their owners lots of cash by being able to replace car trips — or in some cases allow families to not own a car or buy a second one.

When the rebate program is in place next summer, people will be able to visit a website, get a voucher, and then receive a point-of-sale rebate at a verified bike retailer. BPS also plans to establish a program to train 50 new e-bike mechanics. The third aspect of the program would create a pilot project aimed at residents of existing mulitfamily buildings to make sure they have secure storage and charging available for e-bikes on the ground floor.

How much will the rebate be? That detail is still unknown. Ream-Rao said they’re discussing the proper amount with retailers and other experts. Portland has modeled parts of its program on the City of Denver, where lower-income participants can receive up to $900 off an e-cargo bike.

Portland’s program will have two brackets, low and medium income (higher wage workers won’t be eligible). While the income brackets haven’t been shared, we learned yesterday the low-income rebate will have three tiers, depending on which type of bike someone wants: standard e-bikes will receive the (unknown) base rebate amount; cargo e-bike buyers will receive the base amount plus $750; and those who have a disability and need an adaptive e-bike will receive an amount based on a percentage of the final cost of the bike (up to a specific amount).

Ream-Rao said they want to remain flexible on the adaptive bike piece of the program, “Rather than trying to make a one-size-fit-all.”

For medium-income folks, there will be a single base incentive that will be less than the low-income incentive.

Whatever the base rebate amount is, Hayes Kenny, who manages River City E-Bikes, said during invited testimony that it should allow participants to buy a bike in the $2,000 to $3,000 range. Kenny said that’s the cutoff for bikes that will be easy to service and will last customers a long time.

Another thing we learned yesterday is that every voucher will come with a $200 “safety incentive” to purchase essentials. “We don’t want to see folks not be able to afford the helmet that they need to be riding these bikes, or a good lock, or the lights,” Ream-Rao said.

Making sure people ride the bikes will be key. In the city of Denver, where an e-bike rebate program was launched in 2022, a survey found that voucher recipients replaced 3.5 car trips and drove an average of 23 few miles in their cars per week.

You can multiply that behavior change by 8,644 because that’s how many Denverites have taken advantage of the program in just two years, said Elizabeth Babcock, who runs the city’s climate office and was invited to speak at council yesterday. Babcock said the program has been, “wildly successful.”

Sarah Iannarone, executive director of the nonprofit The Street Trust, said in her testimony that all these new e-bike riders will need more and better infrastructure. Iannarone said the Portland Bureau of Transportation needs to step up to handle the coming demand. “I think [this program] is going to be incredibly popular here. I also want to talk about the fact that I don’t see PBOT as actively involved as they should be in this,” she said.

The Street Trust has experience getting people on e-bikes through their Ride2Own program. Based on rider data from that program, Iannarone estimates BPS’s e-bike rebates will lead to over 180,000 miles traveled by bike, over 100,000 new bike trips and over 17,000 fewer car trips. “And the infrastructure is not increasing exponentially with it,” Iannarone said, “So we need to tap into the existing infrastructure and capacity at PBOT to make sure these programs roll out in tandem. I cannot stress that enough.”

Having too much demand on bikeways sounds like a good problem to have. But with different types of bikes and a new, battery-powered future, PBOT would be wise to do as much as possible to get ready before the latest phase of the e-bike revolution hits the streets next summer.

Report recommends protected bike lanes for Sandy Blvd

Recommended cross section above. Existing conditions below. (Top graphic: Strategic Minds Consulting Group)

A team of Portland State University urban planning graduate students has completed a report on the future of Sandy Boulevard. Their plan seeks to rescue the diagonal arterial from its notorious reputation and turn it into a destination.

Their recommendation: swap two existing on-street parking lanes for bike lanes and get rid of two general travel lanes to make room for two bike-only travel lanes that are physically protected from other road users.

Despite its 60-foot wide profile, Sandy Blvd currently has no dedicated space for bicycling. It has long been eyed for a bikeway due to its diagonal alignment that could provide convenient, efficient access to many destinations and other facilities in the bike network in a fraction of the time it takes riders to navigate around it.

With a full repaving project scheduled by the Portland Bureau of Transportation in 2026, nonprofit bike advocacy organization BikeLoud PDX worked with Strategic Minds Consulting Group, made up of five PSU Masters of Urban Planning (MURP) graduates who took on the project as part of their MURP workshop. The group has worked since January to research the stretch of the road between 14th and 28th. They held open houses, hosted interviews and surveys. They also came to events like Bike Happy Hour to present the project and collect feedback.

Strategic Minds released their existing conditions report back in May. Their final report calls for two 10-foot wide bike lanes — wide enough for a seven-foot lane and a three-foot buffer zone. Here’s more from the report:

“This alternative allows existing parking lanes to be maintained on both sides of the street, providing a further barrier of protection between the bike lane and moving vehicle traffic. Cyclists would be unprotected by parking at intersections, driveways, and areas where the roadway narrows to the extent that parking cannot be accommodated, mostly due to left turn lanes, bus stops, and pedestrian crossing curb extensions. In these areas, the bike lane would be separated from vehicle traffic with a 3’ physical barrier. Currently, pedestrians crossing Sandy must cross four lanes of moving vehicle traffic. This alternative would shorten the crossing distance to two lanes of moving traffic, increasing safety and comfort for pedestrians.”

Aerial view of recommended lane configuration.

The project team shared several justifications for their recommendation. Fewer lanes for car users will effectively narrow the driving space and lead to slower speeds overall, thus making it safer for everyone. Removal of two driving lanes will also make crossing Sandy much easier and safer. Their recommendation also aligns with Portland’s adopted Vision Zero goal, which specifically calls for a “safe systems” approach that includes road diets.

Strategic Minds also found broad public support for this change. “Engaged community members also put a strong emphasis on wanting Sandy Boulevard to be a pleasant place to spend time,” the report reads. “Rather than just a freeway bypass.” And from a business and economic development perspective, when Sandy Blvd is a quieter, safer place with capacity for more people (not just more cars), folks will be more likely to spend time on the street. And in economic terms, that means businesses could see more customers and larger receipts.

The project team says PBOT should consider a temporary demonstration project to test out this new configuration before the street is repaved. PBOT should be open to the idea since the agency once sought a grant to do a similar report of their own back in 2020.

In their detailed recommendation, the project team also shared how they’d approach a bus priority lane and shared ideas for how to transform several intersections along Sandy Blvd with traffic calming methods to make it safer and more human-scale.

While the project team reported latent bicycling demand and general popularity for changes like this, they also found some residents and business owners who are concerned about how it would impact parking. “The perceived shortage of parking, as well as the potential removal of existing spaces were frequently mentioned,” reads the report. “Community members expressed concerns that new apartment complexes without parking facilities would worsen the neighborhood’s parking situation.”

— Read the Future Sandy Final Report here.

Weekend Event Guide: Used bike sale, e-bike open house, and more

I hope everyone is having fun on all the great rides going on. Remember that it’s Bike Summer / Pedalpalooza season so you’ll want to check the official calendar and/or grab the Bike Fun App (iPhones only) for all the ride options!

Check out my picks for the best things to do for bike lovers this weekend…

Friday, June 28th

Sprockettes Hangout – 6:00 pm at Irving Park (NE)
Members of Portland’s now defunct mini-bike dance team, the Sprockettes, are in town for a 20th anniversary reunion and they want to hangout with old fans. More info here.

Loud N Lit – 8:30 pm at Irving Park (NE)
The biggest and baddest party ride of Bike Summer / Pedalpalooza is here. Light your bike, your body, and your mind and get out there to soak in the full Portland bike scene experience. More info here.

Saturday, June 29th

Reborn Bikes Cruiser Sale – 9:00 am to 4:00 pm at Summerlin Center Parking Lot (West Linn)
All bikes just $100 at this must-visit sale of refurbished bikes. Huge selection. First come, first served! More info here.

Cathedral Park River Fest & Yacht Rock Ride – 2:15 pm at Peninsula Park (N)
Our friends at Human Access Project have restored a sandy beach and upgraded the dock at Cathedral Park under the St. Johns Bridge and they’re throwing a big party to celebrate. And if you like yacht rock, come join us at Peninsula Park for a ride to the big bash. There will be food vendors, swimming, and immaculate hangout vibes. More info here.

Neighborhood Celebration for Safe Streets – 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm at Lents Park (SE)
PBOT and Oregon House Rep. Khanh Pham want to share all the cool bike and walk network updates they’ve made recently in the district. Show up for a family-friendly park party with drinks, games and quality time with Rep. Pham and PBOT leaders! More info here.

E-Bike Open House – 5:00 to 7:00 pm at River City E-Bikes (SE)
Snacks, swag, and 10% off purchase of an e-bike. What else is there to say? OK, how about taking a peek at the amazing selection and spacious showroom of this cool shop. More info here.

Sunday, June 30th

The Alley Ride – 1:30 pm at Peninsula Park (N)
You will not regret spending time on this 10-mile ride that will explore the multitudes of wonder available to us all in Portland’s unheralded alleyways. Art, mystery, adventure, alleys! More info here.

Biking With Toddlers Clinic – 3:00 pm at Rose City Park Elementary School (NE)
Join other folks with little ones to share tips and tricks for how to make cycling safe and fun. Once you figure out your gear and get advice from others, you’ll be confident to ride with the kids! There’s a playground nearby if anyone get antsy. More info here.

Inflatable Costume Ride – 6:30 pm at Holladay Park (NE)
You know you are curious about this. There’s still time to scrounge up an inflatable costume (T-Rex is my personal fave, sumo wrestler is fun too) and challenge yourself to pedal a bicycle while wearing it. More info here.

— Did I miss your event? Please let me know by filling out our contact form, or just email me at maus.jonathan@gmail.com.

PBOT will buy new protected bike lane sweeper

One of the models they’re considering. It’s just 48-inches wide. (Photo: Madvac)

Dirty bike lanes have been a persistent problem for the Portland Bureau of Transportation for years. The influx of protected bike lanes too narrow for PBOT vehicles to fit into has made the problem worse. Portlanders of all stripes have complained about the issue; but rocks, gravel and other road detritus continues to plague our bikeways.

At a June 20th meeting of the PBOT Budget Advisory Committee, PBOT Director Millicent Williams addressed the issue. “We’ve heard the voices,” she said. “We just ordered a bike lane sweeper.”

I reached out to PBOT to learn more and turns out the sweeper hasn’t been ordered quite yet, but it’s coming soon. The bureau is on the verge of buying a new electric sweeper designed for spaces as narrow as 48-inches wide.

According to PBOT communications staffers, they’re looking at two models, a Tenax Electra 2.0 Evos and a Madvac LS125E. Both are electric sweepers built for tight spaces. PBOT says they’re getting demos of each model and have set up rental periods for prolonged test rides before pulling the trigger on the purchase. They want to be sure because the Tenax would set them back $345,000 and the Madvac goes for $283,000.

The new sweeper would be used in addition to their other mini-sweeper used for curb-protected bike lanes. That one, a Mathieu MC 210 I profiled back in 2021, works OK, but PBOT says it requires “quite a bit of maintenance.”

In a speech at Bike Happy Hour last week, mayoral candidate Keith Wilson said PBOT had cut all of its street sweeping, and “especially to bike lanes.” I asked PBOT Communications Director Hannah Schafer about that. She said it’s not true. “We are still continuing with bike lane sweeping and it is incorrect to say that we have stopped.”

Despite the maintenance delays with the Mathieu sweeper, Schafer told BikePortland they’ve swept 343 miles of protected bike lanes in the last 12 months, which exceed their goal of 300 miles. One reason Schafer said PBOT has focused on sweeping bike lanes is because striping crews can’t paint fresh lines on dirty roads. So far this season, PBOT has striped 1,664 miles of roads, with 91% of all high crash corridor streets already receiving at least one pass (they try to do at least two passes of striping on all arterials as Portland winters wear down stripes significantly each year).

Regardless of the reason for doing it, cleaner bike lanes are an essential part of keeping people in the saddle. And folks that ride bikes have a right to well-maintained facilities.

PBOT should make a purchase decision on the new sweeper by this coming October. Stay tuned for a BikePortland video where I ride-along on one of the test runs.