I joined Mayor Keith Wilson for his ride into work this morning. It’s the first time we’ve met up since his successful campaign for mayor when he showed up to speak at Bike Happy Hour several times. I did my best to record the interview as we biked, so sit back and have a watch and/or listen as we tackle all types of topics on the 30-minute ride from North Williams Ave to City Hall.
I was prepped for a chill conversation about biking (since I have a more formal sit-down interview scheduled with him next Wednesday at Bike Happy Hour — you should totally come!), but in typical Mayor Wilson fashion, he got right into a bunch of serious issues and was well-researched and ready to go. Heck, we didn’t really do introductions and he was talking about tolling on I-5 and its impacts on bike safety.
It was a good conversation and shows the depth of knowledge, candor, and work ethic that have become hallmarks of Mayor Wilson’s approach to the job.
I just finished putting this together and don’t have time to share all the highlights since I need to run off to Bike Happy Hour (today, 3:00 to 6:00 pm at SE Ankeny Rainbow Road Plaza, Gorges Beer Co.). I’ve shared a PDF of the transcript below if you’d like to scan the text.
Be aware of a significant closure of the Springwater Corridor Trail path in southeast Portland early next month. Portland General Electric tells BikePortland there will be two sections of closures that will begin in early September.
A reader sent us an image of a sign and said when she called the Portland General Electric number, no one she spoke to could share any details about how the closure would impact the path. “This will have a big impact on lots of people’s morning commutes (mine included) so I thought more investigation may be warranted.”
I reached out to a spokesperson at the Portland Parks Bureau, who connected me with PGE Community Engagement Manager Alex Cousins. Cousins said PGE crews are scheduled to replace four transmission poles along the Springwater between September 8th-12th. Since they are high voltage lines, the path will be closed in two sections on those days from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm. Here are the exact details of the closures, according to Cousins:
Going east to west, the first closure will be from SE Stanley to SE 55th. That detour utilizes SE Firwood St. The second closure will be from SE 55th to SE Johnson Creek Blvd. That detour utilizes SE Rainbow Lane, SE Brookside Drive and a short segment of SE Johnson Creek Blvd. There are bike lanes and crosswalks on that segment of Johnson Creek.
As for why PGE customer service reps didn’t know anything about this? The contractor put up the signs before the reps were notified. It happens sometimes!
If this is your commute route or if you ride here and you experience the detour, please keep me posted on how it goes. And thanks to reader Shyla O. the heads up and the photo.
NOTE, 8/28 at 8:05 am: This post was initially published with incomplete information from PGE that described one, longer closure. Sorry for any confusion.
Fresh pavement marking on the NE Going Neighborhood Greenway near 26th. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
What’s better than rolling to school with the kiddos on a low-stress neighborhood greenway emblazoned with sharrows, 20 mph speed limit signs, speed bumps, safer crossings, and hardly any stop signs? Doing it on a route that has cool, new “Bike Bus” pavement markings and caution signs.
In the latest sign of how the rise of bike buses in Portland have influenced city policy, the Portland Bureau of Transportation debuted new signage and markings on several routes. It’s all part of a $650,000 plan (funded in part by a Metro grant) to make bike buses even better, and it’s happening just as thousands of parents, ride leaders, and students across the city head back to school on two wheels.
The pilot project will aim to educate communities about bike bus routes around nine schools: Alameda Elementary School, Abernethy Elementary School, Creston Elementary School, Glencoe Elementary School, James John Elementary School, Maplewood Elementary School, Vernon K-8 School, Vestal Elementary School and Woodstock Elementary School. In addition to the pavement markings and bright yellow “Bike Bus” signs (see below), PBOT will also install lawn signs in residential yards along routes, support school staff with positive messaging, and evaluate the project by counting traffic and conducting school surveys.
This is just one of many ways PBOT is working to make the school trip by bike better than ever. Last year they completed 55 projects near schools (including new crosswalks, sidewalks, paths, lowering speed limits, and so on) and they’ve got more planned this year.
As Portland heads back into the school season, police issued a statement yesterday saying they would have, “a visible presence in and around school zones,” the first few weeks of the year to make sure folks drive 20 mph or below. Even Mayor Keith Wilson has weighed in on the importance of being safe on the road as kids head back to class. “As is the Portland way, thousands will be walking, biking and rolling to get there, just like I did with my kids,” Wilson said in a statement yesterday. “It’s up to all of us to watch out for our students and keep them safe.”
PBOT and city leaders plan to join a bike bus in southwest Portland this Friday to help keep the momentum going.
Screenshot of Joint Interim Committee on Transportation Funding meeting on Monday.
Oregon lawmakers got their first taste of what folks think about the latest attempt to pass a transportation funding package when they hosted a public hearing at the capitol Monday afternoon. Known as Legislative Concept (LC) 2, the package would raise about $6 billion over the next 10 years through a myriad of taxes. That amount represents a striking compromise and pales in comparison to where lawmakers began their journey in early June when the package was valued at nearly $15 billion.
Left on the cutting room floor was funding for popular programs like Safe Routes to School, Oregon Community Paths, the Great Streets program, and funding for jurisdictional transfers or state-owned orphan highways to local road agencies. That’s partly why a coalition of environmental justice, active transportation and land use advocacy groups who are typically very supportive of more transportation spending came out as neutral on the proposal. They don’t like the amount of fee increases for electric car owners and how it doesn’t include dedicated funding for popular safe street, walking and bicycling programs. Indi Namkoong, an advocate with Northeast Portland-based nonprofit Verde, said LC 2 would, “provide temporary life support” for Oregon’s transportation system and acknowledged it would fund much-needed transit services and keep Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) jobs in tact. “However, we can’t get around the fact that LC 2 leaves many of our communities’ most pressing needs unaddressed,” Namkoong continued. “Now more than ever, affordable options like transit, walking and biking are a lifeline for us, ensuring we aren’t forced to take on yet another massive new cost in the form of car ownership, which outstrips the payroll tax for most Oregonians many times over.”
Testimony at the hearing was a mixed bag of criticism, support, and opposition.
The sharpest opposition was mostly from people who don’t want to pay more taxes. Some of they also oppose the bill because they feel like ODOT should live within their means, they don’t think biking and public transit are an core function of the state, and that ODOT should not get rewarded for years of mega-project cost overruns and lack of fiscal responsibility.
“Oregon doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending and misallocation problem,” said interior designer and social media influencer Angela Todd of PDX Real. Todd, whose platform reaches thousands of Oregonians a day and is part of a growing conservative, anti-tax, anti-government media ecosystem, accused lawmakers of taking part in a “special interest loop” where state funding is funneled to projects that benefit public unions, “and other groups pouring money into campaigns for bigger government while government turns around and enriches them at the expense of Oregonians.” “That cycle is draining taxpayers,” Todd added. “It’s ruining our state.”
Todd’s concerns are echoed by nearly all Republican lawmakers, who worked together on a very coordinated “No new taxes” campaign in the week leading up to the hearing. Three Republicans who sit on the Joint Interim Committee on Transportation Funding (where Monday’s hearing was hosted) — Representative Shelly Boshart Davis, Senator Daniel Bonham, and Rep. Christine Drazan — used time prior to public testimony to push different approaches to fixing ODOT’s funding problems that they say wouldn’t require new taxes. Boshart Davis asked ODOT staff about transferring funds from capital projects to operations and maintenance (which can be done, but would require a change to state law), Bonham said project labor agreements with unions aren’t worth it and that expenditures like the Climate Protection Program, “creates a slush fund for environmental nonprofits”, and Drazan asked ODOT staff about cutting vacant positions.
While none of those concerns were new to Democrats, who are prepared to pass the package on a party-line vote if necessary, one Republican has emerged as a strong vote in favor of the proposal. Rep. Cyrus Javadi, who represents Oregon’s north coast region, published a subtle yet stinging takedown of his own party’s tactic on his Substack yesterday. Titled, “The roads don’t care about your talking point,” Javadi’s post rebutted Republican talking points and told his constituents that raising taxes is, “the only adult option on the table.”
“Being conservative isn’t about pretending math doesn’t exist,” Javadi wrote, as he invoked conservative icon Ronald Reagan. “It’s about responsibility. It’s about stewardship. It’s about making sure we hand the next generation… a safe road to drive on. Ronald Reagan raised the federal gas tax in 1982. Why? Because he believed in a use tax. You drive, you pay. That’s not socialism. That’s fairness. That’s accountability.”
That stance is music to the ears for Democrats and Governor Tina Kotek. So was the powerful testimony of several ODOT employees who showed up to the hearing in a personal capacity to plead for funding that would save their jobs. ODOT drone pilot and content producer Julie Murray told committee members she has flourished in her role covering emergencies and documenting road conditions. “The agency developed me, molded me into a perfect fit, and the layoff will throw all that away… We are investments worth keeping,” Murray said.
Democratic party leaders and Governor Kotek are likely feeling a bit better about getting this proposal through after Monday’s hearing. They have the backing of mayors from major cities, county commissioners from all over the state, the Oregon Trucking Association, driving advocacy group AAA, and many important stakeholders.
That said, ODOT critics from the left and right have made major gains in the past three months in pounding home grievances about ODOT’s terrible record of fiscal irresponsibility and general lack of accountability. That, combined with a well-organized statewide coalition of safe streets, transit, and active transportation supporters who are eager to boost funding for their needs, should make for many more transportation conversations when the full legislature returns in 2026.
But before that, there is still work to be done in Salem. The special session is slated to begin this Friday and committee members have promised they’ll take more public testimony at future hearings.
Author and advocate Anna Zivarts at an event in North Portland Saturday. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Anna Zivarts is the voice of non-drivers. Through her advocacy with Disability Rights Washington and recently released book, When Driving is Not an Option, she has helped define and organize the 35% of all Americans who do not drive. She took the train to Portland on Saturday to speak and connect with a few dozen of them at an event that aimed to build interest in the upcoming Week Without Driving, a national campaign now in its fifth year that raises awareness about those who live without cars — and why better public transit is vital to their quality of life.
Zivarts, whose visual impairment prevents her from driving a car, shared her story along with several dozen others who stepped up to the mic at a gymnasium inside Charles Jordan Community Center in North Portland. Collecting those stories and getting them heard by policymakers and elected officials is Zivarts’ stock-in-trade. Beyond sharing stories, Saturday’s event was about networking and building community. Attendees were encouraged to socialize and a free lunch helped seal the deal.
While hearing stories about transit struggles was validating for many in the crowd, the folks they were meant for weren’t in attendance. Board members and local elected officials had promised to attend, and their presence got top billing on event flyers, but only one showed up (TriMet Board Member JT Flowers) and he got word right before the event began that his wife went into labor, so he left to be with her. The absence of decision makers underscored the importance of the work Zivarts and Portland groups like Bus Riders Unite, Sunrise PDX, Verde, The Street Trust, and many others are doing to give transit riders a stronger voice on important issues like bus service plans and perennial budget cuts.
Osman AbdelrahmanKaren WellsSky McRude
Osman Abdelrahman moved to Portland one year ago. As a blind man, he wanted to live in a place with good public transportation. “So I looked up online and found a good address,” Abdelrahman shared with the crowd. “Theoretically the commute time should have been 36 minutes [on the bus]; but when I got there, I realized the hard way that there is an inaccessible road between me and the nearest bus station, so I couldn’t use that one in order to get to work.” Instead of the 36 minutes he planned for, one dangerous road turned Abdelrahman’s commute time into one hour.
Northeast Portland resident Karen Wells used her opportunity to speak to sing the praises of her favorite bus line and encourage others to help her save it. “I’m a loyal fan of the 17,” she said, “And TriMet has been threatening to pull the section of it I use for the last three years.” Wells urged everyone in the audience to join her in texting and emailing TriMet to tell them to keep it running.
Sky McLeod, who’s also blind, grew up in Los Angeles where she said, “There’s no public transit whatsoever. I mean, barely.” She appreciates TriMet in Portland, but also wanted us to know their system has a long ways to go before it’s efficient and a viable option to the efficiency of driving. “I tried to meet up with a bunch of blind friends, and we all lived either in North Portland or Southeast — and so we could either meet downtown, or half of us would be able to hang out and the other half couldn’t,” McLeod shared. If the groups of friends took the bus it would take over an hour. The same trip by car is just 10 minutes.
For Zivarts, these stories are all too common. She personally experienced the power of great public transit when she moved away from rural Washington and lived in New York City for a few years. “I had this huge freedom because there was a subway and it ran 24 hours a day. I didn’t have to think about being able to go somewhere,” she recalled.
Through events like the one Saturday and the upcoming Week Without Driving — which runs from September 29th to October 5th and will have over 500 hosting organizations in all 50 states this year — Zivarts is turning up the volume of voices too often left out of transit policy and funding conversations.
If Zivarts’ latest campaign is successful, transit riders like the ones who showed up Saturday, won’t have to speak and hope they are heard — they’ll be right at the table with an equal voice. That’s because Zivarts passed a law in Washington last year that gives transit agencies permission to appoint transit riders onto their boards as voting members, instead of those spots being filled by elected officials who often have zero experience using transit. “They don’t understand transit,” Zivarts shared with me in an interview Saturday. “They want to cut taxes and defund transit, and that’s not great for folks who rely on transit. So we want to the voices of people who are using those systems in the room.”
In the Portland region, TriMet’s board members are still appointed by the governor. And on a statewide level, lawmakers are headed back to Salem this week to try and pass a payroll tax increase that will help stabilize public transit budgets across Oregon.
“I hope the elected leaders and transit board members who aren’t here in the audience today, can listen and hear your stories,” Zivarts shared with the crowd. “Because I think it does start with those stories and by sharing sharing your experiences of trying to get around your community without having access to a car.”
“Non drivers exist,” Zivarts continued. “And it’s way more people than you recognize because it tends to be folks who are low-income and disabled and live in really rural areas, or who are seniors, or youth and children — and we just don’t think of those people as having the same valid mobility needs as you know somebody else who has a car and the income to pay for that. We just need to remember that if transit service is cut, the impact that’s going to have on people who really don’t have other options.”
Here are the most notable stories of the past seven days…
Thoughts on e-bike speeds: “If a conservative is a liberal who’s been mugged, what do you call a cyclist who’s been hit by an e-bike rider? I’ve been mulling the question since I was struck broadside by an e-Citi Bike rider in Brooklyn Bridge Park earlier this summer.” (Streetsblog NYC)
Gamifying safe driving: A popular app used by drivers in South Korea is being lauded for making roads safer because of how it gives drivers a safety score each time they make a trip, essentially creating a competition to see how can drive the best. (Korea Herald)
Managing Parkinson’s: The story of a couple who once enjoyed major cycling adventures together, then had to adjust when one of them was diagnosed with Parkinson’s yet decided to keep pedaling through it. (Rails to Trails Conservancy)
Cycling for Israel: Several professional cyclists are sharing publicly that they are relieved to no longer race for the Israel Premier Tech team because they didn’t like having “Israel” emblazoned on their jerseys and being associated with that country’s war against the Palestinians. (Bike Radar)
Car free, but mobility rich: The Brits have discovered Culdesac, the master-planned Arizona community that was built as a carless utopia. (BBC)
Take cycling seriously, take bike regulations seriously: “The Dutch police have rolled out a new mobile device on which e-bikes can be mounted by the roadside. Once on the device, the capacity of the e-bikes can be tested to determine if they comply with Dutch law.” (Sticky Bottle)
Slow cycling: “For decades, urban cycling in North America has been shaped by high-performance gear, aggressive riding styles, and male-dominated narratives. But as more cities invest in protected infrastructure and car-free zones, a broader, more inclusive cycling culture is emerging.” (Momentum Mag)
DIY urbanism: Brilliant work by Strong Towns volunteers in San Diego, where folks are painting curbs red to help with the city’s official effort to enforce California’s intersection daylighting law. (NBC San Diego)
Some of the folks featured in the episode. L to R, top to bottom: Brad Davis, Brad Wilson, Gary Fisher (center), Mark Dinucci, Oscar McBain, Megan Dean, Natalie Peet, Mike Smith, Wendy Downs, Dave Levy, Dylan Wiggins. Not pictured: Brian Tucker, David Bonilla, Jeremy Gomez, John the Johnster, Megan Lofton, Brenda Martin. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
In this episode I share 16 short interviews with folks I bumped into at the MADE Bike Show on Friday, August 22nd. The show runs through this weekend, so you should totally go check it out if you’re hearing this any time before August 25th!
Packed halls on opening day! (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
You guys. The MADE Bike Show is really neat and fun. You should totally go!
I did not know what to expect when I rolled down to South Waterfront this morning for opening day of the event (yes I missed the first two years due to scheduling conflicts). It had been a few years since I covered a bike show, my knee is really bugging me, I knew it was going to be really hot, I hadn’t found my inspiration, and wasn’t sure how I’d approach the day. But after a few minutes of getting my bearings and soaking up the excellent vibes, I was having a great time! It felt just like old times.
The exhibitors at MADE and the folks who show up to see them are really top-notch. There’s just so much creativity and innovation under the roof of the old Zidell Yards shipbuilding warehouse, that anyone remotely interested in cycling would enjoy walking and gawking around the place.
I bumped into all sorts of interesting people, learned about some really cool bikes and accessories, and reveled in the fact that this third annual event is bigger and better then ever — and it’s happening right here in our city!
I recorded a bunch of fun conversations with builders, makers and regular folks just roaming the exhibition halls, and will make it into a podcast as soon as I can. Stay tuned to hear my chats with: Dylan Wiggins of Right Hook Finishes, Megan Dean of Moon Dust Apparel, Wendy Downs of Inside Line Equipment, bike fan Brenda Martin, Brad Davis of Nomad Cycles, Gary Fisher of MTB history fame, Mike Smith of No. 22 Bicycle Co., Portland pioneer framebuilder Mark DiNucci, UC Davis Bike Shop GM Oscar McBain, Brad Wilson of Wilde Bikes, Brian Tucker of Yellow Bird Thread Works, bikepack racer Natalie Peet, and more!
I don’t have time to finish it right now, so I’ll leave you my photo gallery for now.
If you are around Saturday and Sunday, try to make time to attend MADE. Beyond all the expensive bikes, theres a ton of cool swag, free stickers, and really fantastic (and affordable!) accessories you can bring home. They also have food carts and lots of beer, so make a day of it! Remember to use the “BPMADE” discount code for 25% off a ticket.
The Hopworks-fiets!!Brad Davis, Nomad CyclesBrian Tucker, Yellow Bird Threadworks.Bikepacking racer Natalie Peet, repping Slow Southern Steel bikes.Inside Line Equipment Designer Wendy Downs.Megan Dean, MoonDust socks and apparel.Amazing 1979 Charlie Cunningham protoype.Dave Levy, Ti Cycles (he’s looking for someone to buy his company!).Brad Wilson, Wilde BikesPortland legends Tommy Tuite and Jeremy Gomez.MADE Bike Show creator and founder, Billy Sinkford.Dylan Wiggins, Right Hook Finishes.Dylan’s personal bike.Jrdn with the vintage Sprockettes tee.Tony Pereira, Breadwinner Cycles owner.1980s Portland framebuilder Mark DiNucci and former Portlander Joseph Ahearne.No. 22 Bicycle Company co-founder Mike Smith.Gary Fisher, the man, the myth.
Governor Tina Kotek (seated in middle) is dreaming of another scene like this before Labor Day. (Photo: GovTinaKotek/Instagram)
Oregon Governor Tina Kotek and her allies in the legislature hope the third time’s a charm when it comes to their efforts to pass a major transportation funding package. The opposition hopes it’s the third strike.
After failing to pass two earlier versions of a bill — despite having control of the governor’s mansion, the House, the Senate and a Democratic supermajority — Kotek will try again in a special session slated to begin one week from today on August 29th. To set the table for next week’s debates, lawmakers have scheduled a public hearing on the current version of the bill that will take place on Monday at 3:00 pm.
To ensure the emergency session isn’t a third strike, Kotek has stripped the proposal down yet again in an effort to make centrist Democrats comfortable and maybe even pull a Republican or two into the “yes” column in order achieve the “bipartisan bill” label. According to Oregon Public Broadcasting, the draft proposal (currently known as Legislative Concept (LC) 2 because it doesn’t have an official bill number yet) would raise about $5.7 billion over the next decade — about one-third the amount of the first version of House Bill 2025 that passed out of committee in late June. After that initial version failed to receive a vote in either chamber, Democratic leaders offered up a version with lower tax increases, only to see that one die as well. (A last-gasp effort was so bad it barely warrants a mention.)
This time around, Kotek and her allies believe they’ve got a bill that can get over the finish line. In a summary of the bill provided by the Governor’s office this week we learned that the bill relies on four key tax increases:
a six-cent increase to the gas tax (which is currently 40-cents per gallon),
an increase to vehicle title and registration fees, which would go up by $42 and $139 respectively,
a $30 fee for EV drivers (which the Governor’s office says is the average cost to Oregon drivers who pay the 6-cent gas tax increase),
and a doubling of the payroll tax (from 0.1% to 0.2%) that funds public transit.
In addition to these new taxes and fees, the bill would also make several key administrative and policy changes.
LC 2 simplifies the weight-mile tax paid by truck operators and modernizes how the diesel tax is paid. It also mandates an update to the state’s methodology for how it taxes light and heavy vehicles to make sure the process (known as the Highway Cost Allocation Study, which I delved into last year) is revenue neutral and balanced. (This was done in part due to lobbying from freight truck operators who sued the Oregon Department of Transportation in 2024 because they say the existing tax formula charged them too much.) The bill will also require existing electric vehicle owners to enroll in a Road User Charge program starting in July 2027. New EV owners would need to sign up by January 2028, and hybrid-plug-in owners by July 2028. The ODOT accountability measures included in HB 2025 are carried over into the new bill.
As BikePortland readers recall, I made a big deal about the kerfuffle over tolling in the previous bills and how Republicans successfully pushed a false narrative that HB 2025 would lead to tolling in Oregon. That was not the case, but Governor Kotek wants to make sure those critiques don’t bubble up again this time around. LC 2 contains a provision that repeals the current state law (ORS 383.150) that allows Oregon to toll specific interstates. That law was passed in the previous transportation bill in 2017 when lawmakers set up a program to levy tolls on Portland-area freeways in order to pay for specific megaprojects. Kotek has since ordered a pause on that program due to concerns over voter pushback and the cost to implement it. According to the Governor’s office, this repeal does not impact the state’s ability to toll roads in the future.
The bill would repeal an existing law that mandated tolling on I-5, but Kotek says the state could still implement tolls in the future.
Despite all these changes, Kotek and Democrats in Salem will still have to overcome a lot of opposition — and some of it will come from within the newly formed committee tasked with discussing the bill. The two co-vice chairs of the Joint Interim Committee on Transportation Funding are two Republican leaders who are vehemently opposed to any new taxes to pay for transportation. Senator Daniel Bonham (a regular on a podcast called Oregon DOGE) and Representative Christine Drazan (rumored to be running for governor) have staked their political careers on bringing a Trumpian austerity and anti-government sentiment to Oregon. Instead of new revenue sources, they think ODOT should use emergency reserves to maintain staffing levels. They also want to eliminate ODOT offices and programs they feel are not the “core mission” of the agency — like those that deal with climate change, civil rights, public transit, bicycling and walking, and so on. During the previous session, Drazan spearheaded a failed transportation bill that sought to repeal Oregon’s Bicycle Bill.
Democrats are saying they’ve counted votes carefully this time around and won’t need Republican support to pass their bill. Hopefully they learned a lesson from the regular session when party leaders wasted precious time trying to compromise with Republicans, only to be left without any bipartisan support.
Interestingly, the Republicans’ stance that the state doesn’t deserve more funding has some overlap with popular progressive ODOT critic, Joe Cortright. Cortright, a co-founder of No More Freeways and notable economist with decades of experience on transportation budgets both inside and outside government, is garnering headlines for his stance that ODOT “has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.” In a new interview with Willamette Week, Cortright says ODOT is misleading the public about their finances and that their budget could be made whole if they’d simply stop over-spending on several megaprojects.
In their defense, ODOT maintains that their funding crisis is very real. The agency says their capital construction budget is funded through federal grants and legislatively dedicated monies that are separate from funding for maintenance and operations, and that they’re legally unable to move money around as freely as they’d prefer.
Meanwhile, active transportation and safety advocates are disappointed that Governor Kotek’s latest bill has zeroed-out funding for programs like Great Streets (which hasten jurisdictional transfers by investing in the state’s orphan highways like SE Powell and SW Hall boulevards), Safe Routes to School, electric bike rebates, and Oregon Community Paths. Previous versions of the bill would have funding those programs to the tune of about $1 billion.
Mayor Keith Wilson and PBOT Director Millicent Williams at a Sunday Parkways event downtown this morning. (Photo: PBOT)
Are you a frog, chameleon, turtle, manatee, sloth, slug or snail? It all depends on which route you choose for the first-ever Sunday Parkways Bike Bus.
As I reported back in May, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is pulling out all the stops for their upcoming event downtown on September 14th. Since the focus is downtown revitalization and the event coincides with a Travel Portland “staycation” promotional campaign, PBOT is going the extra mile by offering seven guided group rides from Portland neighborhoods to the downtown parkways loop.
“We want all Portlanders to learn how to confidently bike from their homes to downtown any day of the year,” PBOT said in a statement. They launched the campaign with Mayor Keith Wilson and other city leaders at an event downtown this morning. The event also included special guest Mike Bennett. Bennett is a Portland artist famous for his traffic calming critters and he teamed up with PBOT to create seven new characters for the bike bus routes.
PBOT will offer guided rides both to and from Sunday Parkways. This is a perfect opportunity to do your first ride into downtown in a safe environment! Here are the seven bike bus stops:
North Portland: The Frog Route will depart at Arbor Lodge Park
Northeast Portland: The Snail Route will start at Khunamokwst Park
East Portland: The Slug Route will depart at Columbia Inclusive Regional Services
Southeast Portland: The Sloth Route will depart East Portland Community Center
Sellwood Ride: The Manatee Route will depart from Sellwood Park & Miller
Southwest Portland: The Turtle Route will depart Rieke Elementary/Ida B Wells Parking Lot, Vermont Entrance
Northwest Portland: The Chameleon Route will depart Wallace Park at NW Pettygrove and 26th
Let’s pack downtown and show everyone that Portland is the greatest cycling city in the world!
This weekend is all about the big, third annual MADE Bike Show. Yes there are other things going on, but everything is revolving around the magnetic pull of the show down at Zidell Yards. Check out this week’s guide for the biggest calendar of MADE related events you’ll find anywhere — and a few other things worth checking out.
MADE Bike Show
This Friday, Saturday and Sunday down at the Zidell Yards in south Waterfront is the biggest bike show in America. And we’re talking not just an ordinary bike show, but one that brings together “the handmade community” of amazing builders who are at the top of their craft. Beyond bikes, this show is about creative and interesting people who believe in custom fabrication and who dream up wonderful things to share. This year’s event will also feature expanded beer gardens, test rides, fun activations, plenty of swag, rides, and more. Check MADE.bike for tickets and info (use code “BPMADE” (all caps) for 25% off a ticket).
Thursday, August 21st
*MADE* Wilde Bicycles Reveal Party – 8:00 to 10:00 pm at The Athletic (N) Hang at the Athletic retail store, see their latest sock artist drop and get to know the folks and bikes of Wilde Bicycles before anyone else. DJ and drinks too. More info here.
*MADE* No. 22 Bikes Preview Party – 7:00 to 10:00 pm at Cyclepath NW (NW) Meet the co-founders of No. 22 Bikes and see their MADE creations before they hit the show floor. More info here.
Friday, August 22nd
*MADE* Smith Seeker Ride – 5:00 pm at Camp Seeker (Smith Booth at MADE) Grab a ride guide guide, meet cool people, and head out into the evening after hanging out at Smith’s booth at talking about the latest glasses and helmets. More info here.
*MADE* Culture Shift Social – 7:00 pm at The Athletic (N) Join the folks behind Swift Industries and Significant Other Bikes for excellent hangs and free tattoos from legendary Portland artist Jake Tong (limited styles, first come first served). More info here.
Saturday, August 23rd
*MADE* Swift Social Ride – 8:00 am at Coava Coffee (SE) Roll out from the coffee shop at 9:00 am and ride to the MADE show — but only after you’ve slung down some amazing coffee, grabbed breakfast from Tamale Boy, and won a prize in the raffle. More info here.
*MADE* Coffee Outside – 10:00 am at Willamette Park (SW) Join fellow coffee making fans in the park and then do a short ride along the river to MADE. More info here.
Week Without Driving Community Event – 11:00 am at Charles Jordan Community Center (N) Get inspired for the coming Week Without Driving challenge at this event that will feature guest speakers (including event founder and author Anna Zivarts) and a chance to speak directly to TriMet and C-Tran board members. More info here.
*MADE* Peace Portland, AKA The Ramen Ride – 3:30 pm at MADE in Zidell Yards (S) Simworks is hosting this ride that will pay homage to ramen and onigiri. They’ll meet at the show and ride to Laurelhurst Park to make fresh noodles and other yummy snacks. More info here.
*MADE* Velo Orange After Party – 6:00 to 10:00 pm at Company Wine Bar (SE) Come and unwind with builders and their fans while enjoying great food and drinks and listening to music. More info here.
La F.A.R.T. 6 – 8:00 pm at Ladd’s Circle (SE) It’s the sixth annual Ladd’s Fastest Alley Race Time Trial (LaFART). Test your mettle in the streets and alleys of Ladds Addition where you’ll have to finish tasks at five checkpoints along the way. “There will be blood,” says the organizer. More info here.
Sunday, August 24th
Good Governance Ride – 11:45 am at Clinton Street Plaza (SE) Hosted by PBOT Bike Coordinator Roger Geller, this ride will be led by city staffers to showcase the city’s 25-year effort to restore the Johnson Creek floodplain — including a new bike path that connects the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood to the Springwater. More info here.
Our Father the Firelane Velo Jazz Bike Race – 1:00 pm at the Bench in Forest Park (Leif Erikson and Saltzman Rd, NW) A silly gravel relay race. Meet at 12:15 in Cyclepath NW parking lot to ride to the bench. Big prize raffle for all participants. Stay for the after party back at the shop at 4:00 pm. More info here.
*MADE* Path Less Pedaled & Velo Orange Hang Out – 1:00 pm at Velo Orange Booth at MADE Path Less Pedaled founders Russ and Laura are back in Portland (they live in Spain now) for MADE and they want to say “hi”! 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.
From the first day I stumbled upon Delta Carts on Instagram (before they were even open!) I knew I wanted to bike over there and check it out. I finally did that the other day and you can come along with me in my latest video.
Why was I excited for Delta Carts? Yes I like good food carts and I like biking to them, but there was something more. I know that the Delta Park Shopping Center has a bad reputation for safety because of all the people who live outside in that area, and it only got worse when Shari’s Cafe at the entrance of the shopping center closed about one year ago. So having a quality cart pod could really boost that area by giving it more people outside of cars and a vibrant, community-oriented feel. I also knew, as a Piedmont neighborhood resident (near Peninsula Park), that the route to the carts would be really cool.
After rolling over there a few days ago, my hunches turned out to be right. The pod is great and I enjoyed getting there on my bike almost as much as I enjoyed the food.
As you can see in the video, there are seven solid food carts already and more on the way. I met the owner of one of them, Ta Bueno Né’!’s Yonny Huitzal, whose optimism for the future of the cart pod and personal dedicated to his family’s dream business (he runs it with his son and daughter) is so infectious I was able to eat one of his burritos even though I wasn’t super hungry (he insisted!). Coming from a cart pod on NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd that was in a parking lot, Yonny loves the open space at Delta, as well as the fresh green grass, the shady tables, and the clean restrooms. I loved the bike parking — quality staple racks located right up front and finished in BikePortland orange.
How about getting there by bike? You’ll see how slow-and-steady improvements to Portland’s bike network work together to deliver a route that is pretty darn good (especially if you take the greenway alternate instead of N Interstate Avenue as I explain in the video). I got there using the neighborhood greenway right outside my door (N Michigan Ave), then a carfree bridge over I-5, then a bike lane to two bike paths, which led me to a protected bike lane that delivered me almost right to the entrance to Delta Carts.
Keep in mind there are several other ways you could get there. Another option would be N Vancouver Rd to the Columbia Slough Path, then onto N Whitaker Rd. And in the video I share a route from N Buffalo near Fred Meyer that lets you avoid N Interstate Ave and keeps you on the N Concord/Fenwick neighborhood all the way to Mayfly Plaza in Kenton. If you’re coming from St. Johns, you can cross Columbia Blvd at Portsmouth, then connect to Whitaker via the path by the Wastewater Plan and the Columbia Slough path. Try different things to figure out what works for you.
But enough reading! Go watch the video and check it all out for yourself. Then when you’re done, plan a trip to Delta Carts with a friend or three and tell Yonny you want to try one of his panuchos (a handmade friend tortilla).
