I’ve got a feeling this upcoming Sunday Parkways Downtown on September 14th is going to be a very cool moment in the history of cycling in Portland. We are already going through a renaissance of sorts in terms of getting our cycling groove back, and this event just seems perfectly timed to capture all the momentum.
To make it even better, the City of Portland is organizing seven bike bus rides from neighborhoods that will descend on the downtown route en masse. It’s a fantastic idea and shows how the Portland Bureau of Transportation has really been showing up for cycling lately. There’s just one thing: They need volunteers to lead these bike buses! If that might be you, keep reading…
PBOT just around an email saying they need more folks to sign up for bike buses, which will start at 12:00 noon and 1:00 pm that Sunday — and then back home again at 3:30 and 4:45 pm.
Here’s more from PBOT:
As a Bike Bus volunteer, you can take on one of three roles: leader, middle support, or caboose. You’ll help keep the group together, ensure everyone has a safe and fun ride, and make the journey part of the celebration. All ages are welcome to join, so your expertise will help make the ride smooth and enjoyable for everyone.
If you are interested in this chance to be part of Portland cycling history, go fill out PBOT’s bike bus volunteer form.
See you out there!
Thanks for reading.
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The more PBOT is involved with bikes on the street the better. As more people discover how close they are to downtown they are much more likely to use bikes to attend all the things that happen there.
I still miss the liberating feeling of a Critical Mass ride. The community has shown that such things do not ruin cities, and now we have PBOT starting them in sevens!
I hope it goes well for everyone. I just don’t want to hear people proclaiming “downtown is back” after this one event only to have things return right back to the status quo when it’s over.
The fact that the route only exists Downtown South of Burnside shows how flawed Portland’s municipal government remains.
I mean, they don’t have a ride in my neighborhood either, but they have a limited budget, and a limited number of volunteers. Growing the route when you don’t have the volunteers to actually protect the street closures is a recipe for disaster. Burnside is a natural barrier to a ride like this, as the crossing points would require police and/or flagging contractors to manage traffic.
The route is pathetically small this year, but I think that is a symptom of the lackluster funding we devote to this program.