2025 Archives

Gorge Transit Summit promises peek into future, fun for bus lovers, and cookies

The Gorge Transit Summit is a great chance to plug into transit advocacy, and it comes at a crucial moment for the future of bus services in Oregon.

If you haven’t noticed yet, intercity and rural bus service in Oregon having a moment. Take the Columbia River Gorge as just one example: The Gorge Express service (operated by Columbia Area Transit or CAT), saw a 72% jump in ridership from 2022 to 2024. And the LINK service (operated by Mid-Columbia Economic Development District) that connects Hood River to The Dalles saw an 80% increase from 2022 to 2023.

Buses are so cool across Oregon right now that Oregon Public Broadcasting devoted an entire series to it. And with Oregon’s dedicated transit funding source (known as the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund or STIF) going into its eighth year of investments, while lawmakers in Salem have heard loud and clear that Oregonians want more bus service, the future looks very bright.

But there are clouds on the horizon. Sources in Salem say the STIF — which is funded with a 0.1% payroll tax — is in bad shape. A combination of inflation, the drying up of Covid relief funding, and other factors, means more funding is needed to maintain what’s been built since 2017. As lawmakers polish up a major transportation funding package for release in the coming weeks, transit investments could be at risk.

I’ve digressed a big from what I sat down to write about, which is now is a great time to get involved in transit advocacy and attend the Gorge Transit Summit on Thursday April 10th in Hood River. “Join us for a day exploring transit in the Gorge from the breathtaking speed of growth over the past few years to the ways it is helping to solve some of the biggest issues in our region,” reads the event website. “Hear from our experts panel and from our riders game show. Join in a hands-on workshop to create your own route system. Be there for big reveals and explore the possibilities of how Gorge Transit can look in the future.”

Sounds fun, right? And the keynote speaker is none other than Jarrett Walker, a Portland-based transit guru and author of Human Transit!

So check out the full agenda, grab a shuttle bus out to Hood River, and connect with other folks who will write the next chapter of transit in the Gorge and beyond.

Amtrak takes Cascade line trainsets out of service due to corrosion

Expect a lot more buses on Portland roads and freeways as Amtrak grapples with an unexpected service disruption. The operator of the Amtrak Cascades line between Oregon and Washington announced Wednesday they’ve removed all but one of their trainsets because a routine inspection revealed a high level of corrosion.

The corrosion is related to the age of the Horizon trainsets and has resulted in a total of 70 cars across the country being taken out of service. 26 of those are on the Amtrak Cascades line. “This leaves just one non-Horizon trainset in service on Amtrak Cascades,” reads a statement posted by Amtrak. “This affects nearly all trips on Amtrak Cascades daily service to 18 stations between Vancouver, British Columbia and Eugene, Oregon.”

Buses will be used in the short-term through March 30th for all trips except those served by train numbers 503 and 508 between Seattle and Eugene (providing only one remaining daily roundtrip). Amtrak is working with bus providers for longer-term service but that’s still up in the air.

The aging Horizon trains will need to be replaced and Amtrak says they’ll try to redistribute trains from its nationwide fleet to fill the gap until new trains come online. They’ve already got an order for a new fleet of trains, but those are expected to arrive until 2026. According to the latest update provided by ODOT, four new “Amfleet” cars (two coaches and two dinette cars) are on the way to Seattle and are expected to begin operations on the Cascade line the first week of April.

This is really bad news for Amtrak’s service along the I-5 corridor. And it comes as the Cascades line has shown a strong increase in ridership and amid growing political momentum in Oregon for rail travel. Amtrak set an all-time ridership record last year and launched two new daily trips on the Cascades line, bringing the number of daily roundtrips between Seattle and Portland to seven.

The Oregon Legislature passed a bill in 2024 calling on Metro to study the use of existing heavy rail assets for passenger rail in the Portland metro area. A bill in the legislature this session (SB 753/HB 3233) directs the Oregon Department of Transportation to work with transportation agencies in Washington and British Columbia to develop plans to operate and fun rail transportation. A bill in the Oregon Senate (SB 689) seeks to create a new agency, the Oregon Rail Department, to take over rail operations from ODOT. Other bills seek to expand TriMet’s WES service and create a task force on high speed rail.

But now all hands are on deck to solve this current service crisis. Amtrak says they are meeting with ODOT and WSDOT officials twice a day as they work to restore service and fully understand the cost and operational impacts of this disruption.

ODOT says feds have unfrozen key I-5 project grant

I-5 from above with the Broadway-Weidler couplet in the center and Moda Center on the left. (Photo: ODOT)

Earlier this month I reported that the Oregon Department of Transportation was on the brink of putting shovels in the ground on their I-5 Rose Quarter project, despite a massive hole in their budget made even worse by a new edict from the Trump Administration that had frozen a key $450 million grant.

Now it appears ODOT’s luck has shifted.

At a meeting today, Rose Quarter Project Director Megan Channell said they’ve received word from the Federal Highway Administration that they can move forward with processing grant funds. We still don’t know if the Trump administration will honor the grant and send the rest of the funding to ODOT, but Channell framed the news to Metro councilors as “big news.”

In order to keep construction moving forward, ODOT is highly reliant on a $450 million Reconnecting Communities grant they won from the Biden Administration. But as of early February, ODOT said just $37 million of that total had been obligated, leaving over $400 million up in the air due to the Trump administration’s executive order pausing all discretionary transportation grants. That amount, combined with being already about $1 billion short on the $1.9 billion megaproject, put ODOT in a precarious situation.

This morning, Channell shared an update with Metro Council where a separate allocation of $250 million for the I-5 Rose Quarter project was being discussed. During her presentation, Channell shared the “big news” on the separate $450 million federal grant.

“As of last week we did get notice that because we have a signed grant agreement, and because we have a portion of those funds already obligated, we can continue to proceed in the obligation of the remaining phases of that grant,” Channell said. “So that’s big news to be able to keep moving forward,” she continued.

“And I will say, hours after we got that notice, we put in our obligation request,” Channell added, as she and several councilors broke into happy laughter.

Upon hearing that news, Metro Councilor Duncan Hwang asked Channell, “So there’s less uncertainty, but still uncertainty?” To which she replied, “I’d say there’s substantially less uncertainty, but there still remains some risk.”

Part of that risk comes from the fact that the Reconnecting Communities grant in question is funded to ODOT on a reimbursement basis. That means ODOT will spend state money to get work done, and then ask FHWA for a reimbursement. Given Trump’s unpredictable policymaking and his disdain for Portland and projects like this one that have centered racial justice, there’s no guarantee the grant agreement or the reimbursements will be honored.

Channell made it clear at Thursday’s Metro meeting that if the Reconnecting Communities grant does not come through, ODOT would need to change the scope of the project.

ODOT Director of Finance Travis Brouwer told BikePortland today that last week they learned the Federal Highway Administration has begun processing obligations for projects with signed agreements (ODOT learned this in conversation among federal and state staff, there was no written communication of the new direction). ODOT has received this go-ahead from FHWA because they already signed a grant agreement and have obligated $37 million toward design of the project. “In response, we are working with FHWA to obligate the remaining grant agreement funds for right of way and construction,” Brouwer said.

This Reconnecting Communities grant funding will allow ODOT to build Phase 1 of the project, which is about 30% of the highway cover and the initial phases of the freeway expansion, including new northbound and southbound lanes. The portion of the highway lid they plan to build first is the southern portion (which is considered the most complicated) near the Broadway and Weidler couplet. ODOT hopes to begin construction on Phase 1 in 2027. Phase 1A of the project, which includes stormwater facility upgrades and bridge preservation work, is scheduled to begin this year.

At the same meeting, Metro councilors heard strong support and opposition to the I-5 project. Many backers of the project, including a representative from Albina Vision Trust, spoke about the deep engagement work ODOT has done with the community and the organization’s strong desire to build the entire project (not just the freeway lane expansion).

Metro plans to take an official vote on this latest funding allocation at their meeting on April 1st.

Downtown neighborhood wants fewer driving lanes on SW 3rd

At their meeting Wednesday night, the Downtown Neighborhood Association voted to send a letter to the Portland Bureau of Transportation and Multnomah County that includes a formal request for a lane reallocation (a.k.a. road diet) on SW 3rd between the Morrison and Hawthorne bridges.

Section in red is the current bike lane gap on SW 3rd Ave.

“This eight-block section of 3rd is one of the few remaining streets in all of central Portland to have three, one-way lanes,” reads the letter, which is signed by DNA President LaJune Thorson and DNA Vice President Xavier Stickler.

The current cross-section of 3rd (which is a one-way street southbound) between SW Harvey Milk and Madison is three general travel lanes and two parking lanes. Stickler told BikePortland this morning that, “There’s simply no reason this eight-block stretch needs to be three lanes wide. More to the point, it’s time we close this gap in the network.” The DNA wants a new bike lane and one less driving lane.

The genesis of this request dates back to the “Better 3rd” project undertaken by tactical urbanism group Better Block PDX in 2014. That’s the project that resulted in Ankeny Plaza near Burnside (Voodoo Donuts) and the bike lane on 3rd Ave that PBOT striped in 2015. (Unfortunately, the existing bike lane ends abruptly at SW Harvey Milk and thrusts bike riders back into lanes shared with car users for eight blocks before a bike lane reappears after SW Madison St.) Nearly 10 years later, when a steering committee formed to discuss a plan to reimagine Burnside during the impending closure of the Bridge Bridge, the bike lane gap south of Harvey Milk was identified as a priority. Stickler took the nudge from Better Block and got the DNA to support the idea.

The DNA strongly supports PBOT’s major bikeway project on SW 4th Avenue, but they think now is the time to finish what was started on 3rd. PBOT has framed Broadway as the bikeway couplet, but Stickler and the DNA think a high-quality bikeway on 3rd would, “create a more adjacent and logical couplet with 4th when it opens.”

In their letter, the DNA says PBOT and the County should work together and make these lane changes as part of the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge project. “By implementing lane consistency with that already in place on 3rd Ave. north of Harvey Milk St., the City will improve pedestrian safety, close a notable gap in the Central City’s active transportation network, and facilitate the safe detour of people walking and rolling to the Hawthorne Bridge during the closure of the Burnside Bridge.”

The DNA says the new bikeways on NW/SW Broadway have resulted in safer conditions and they want the same treatment on SW 3rd. Here’s more from their letter:

“We believe the existing road format utilized north of the Morrison Bridge and south of the Hawthorne Bridge–consisting of 2 lanes of parking, 2 vehicle lanes, and a bike lane–strikes the appropriate balance of mode dedication between all users. This reallocation will provide tourists, drivers, people walking, bike riders, and business patrons with an intuitive, safe, and human-scale streetscape.”

I’ve asked PBOT for comment and will update this post when I hear back.

New video shares best view yet of ‘Green Loop’ cycling facility

View looking north from NW Glisan. (Screenshot from video by PLACE)

A video shown at an open house earlier this month for the North Park Blocks Extension project created a stir among those who viewed it. The video shows the most detailed conceptual rendering of a project that I’ve ever seen. Someone told me about it excitedly a day or so ago and project staff with the Portland Parks Bureau (the agency leading the project) have finally made the video public.

To back up a bit, the North Park Blocks Extension Project will expand the Park Blocks north of NW Glisan and eventually connect them to the Broadway Corridor redevelopment. In addition to an exciting new public space, I’ve covered this project because of how it includes a major piece of the Green Loop. In June 2024 I shared a few of the design concepts the Parks Bureau was considering. Now they’ve narrowed it down to one choice and have opened a new public feedback phase to help them flesh out the design.

This new video released today is part of an open house and online survey that is open through March 31st at 5:00 pm. Watch the video and see more stills of the bikeway below the jump.

This meander reinforces that some sections of the Green Loop are not meant for fast bike travel.

The video was created by PLACE, an architecture firm hired by Portland Parks. It offers an awesome view of what’s in store for the North Park Blocks and gives us our best perspective yet on how cycling will work on this section of the Green Loop. This is just one piece of the larger loop that is enshrined in Portland’s all-powerful Comprehensive Plan as a route through the central city that utilizes the Tillikum and Broadway bridges. Progress on the Green Loop is strong right now, according to Friends of Green Loop Executive Director Keith Jones. In addition to the North Park Blocks Extension, a segment of the route adjacent to the new Darcelle Plaza is also in the works. Jones told me today that both PBOT and Prosper Portland have made Green Loop-related hires recently and he expects a Green Loop Concept Plan effort to being next year.

Getting back to the video, note that the ramp you see at the end will take riders through the future Broadway Corridor development and deliver them to the western landing of the Broadway Bridge (hence the elevation gain).

— North Park Blocks Extension Project
— The Green Loop
— Broadway Corridor Redevelopment

Weekend Event Guide: Marine Drive clean-up, Rowena Roubaix, and more

Spring has arrived and there’s a buzz in the air because of all the fun riding to come. Here are a few suggestions if you’re looking for something fun to do.

Friday, March 28th

Community Cycling Center Feedback Ride – 6:00 pm at Vera Katz Statue (SE)
The CCC is updating their strategic plan and they’re taking their feedback-gathering to the streets. Join leaders of this beloved org for a ride and then an open house at their headquarters on NE Alberta and let them know what you want the CCC to be like in the future. More info here.

Saturday, March 29th

Ride to Tesla Takedown – 9:00 am at Floyds Coffeehouse (SE)
Join like-minded bike people in their opposition to Elon Musk with this group ride from Floyds at Ladds Circle to the South Waterfront Tesla showroom. More info here.

Oak Grove to Carver – 9:30 at Stringfield Family Park (Oak Grove)
Get out of town and discover the Trolley Trail and beauty of the Clackamas River and nearby rural riding. This ride is led by Michelle Kirsch of the Portland Bicycling Club. More info here.

Marine Drive Path Clean-up – 10:00 am at Made In Oregon (NE)
Join with others who care about cleanliness to freshen up the Marine Drive path. Look for the SOLVE signs. Cargo bikes encouraged for carrying garbage bags! More info here.

Cherry Blossoms and Twee Ride – 12 noon at Oregon Park (NE)
Spring blossoms and the sweet serenade of Twee music (which the organizer defines as, “late 90’s and early/mid 2000’s indie rock/post-riot grrrl/ indie-brit-pop”) will accompany this ride. More info here.

Sunday, March 30th

Rowena Roubaix – All Day in The Dalles (Gorge)
A classic route that includes the Rowena curves and also serves as the Oregon State Road Race Championship. This is grassroots bike racing at its finest! More info here.

Bike Polo – 12:00 to 5:00 pm at Alberta Park (NE)
Bike Polo is booming in Portland and you should find out why. Everyone is welcome to participate in this fun game that pits riders 3-on-3 on a closed court. It’s a combination of soccer and hockey that will get your blood pumping. 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.

Job: Shop Manager & Lead Mechanic – Bike Works by p:ear

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

Shop Manager & Lead Mechanic

Company / Organization

Bike Works by p:ear

Job Description

bike works by p:ear is a social purpose enterprise bike shop managed by the nonprofit p:ear. In addition to providing high quality bike repair, bike works builds pathways for youth, ages 15-25, through our bike mechanic school and internship program.
We promote the bicycle as a vehicle for social change to leverage possible opportunities for East Portland residents and homeless youth to build resilient and diverse communities.
bike works strives to make bicycling accessible and affordable to everyone. Our full-service bike shop provides an array of services, from minor adjustments and tune-ups to full bike overhauls.

bike works is located at 14127 SE Stark St, Portland, OR 97233

Position: Shop Manager & Lead Mechanic
1 FTE: Tuesday-Saturday. Requires occasional evenings and Sundays
Reports To: p:ear Works Director
Compensation: $57,000 – Benefits include 4 weeks paid vacation, health, dental, 3% Simple IRA match, short-term disability, 8 paid sick days

Position Description
You are a dynamic individual and Lead bicycle mechanic, who will help lead and support our social purpose community bike shop in East Portland. bike works supports Portland’s Eastside communities, providing low cost, low barrier access to bike repair, sales and education of refurbished bicycles and parts. This position will support the p:ear Works Director, oversee the other mechanics, assist with daily shop operations, teach our bike mechanic school and help mentor p:ear youth bike mechanic interns at the shop.

Essential Job Functions
As the Shop Manager and Lead Mechanic, you will provide direction, oversight and leadership to a small, but diverse group of mechanics and youth interns. You will be expected to build and maintain strong relationships with staff and the community. You will help produce a successful, profitable shop that builds and contributes impact and belonging to our community and community partners.

Required Qualifications & Competencies
Committed to personal growth with a high degree of humor + emotional intelligence
Must be a positive and strong role model, have a collaborative, team-oriented work style, and strong strategic and problem-solving skills
Must be committed to non-violence, trauma informed care + compassionate responses
Must have awareness of one’s own identity, an understanding of differences, and an excitement about building relationships cross-culturally
Strong commitment to advancing equity and inclusion and creating and maintaining a diverse environment
Ability to learn & build on the varying cultural & community norms of p:ear youth
Self-initiating, independent and highly motivated
Strong leadership skills and capacity to work in a deadline-oriented, chaotic environment
Commitment to advancing equity and creating and maintaining an inclusive environment that is welcoming for all
Commitment to non-violence and compassionate responses
Bike shop mechanic experience – minimum of 5 years in a professional setting
Excellent customer service and communication skills; bilingual a plus
Able to work independently, problem solve and complete tasks with minimal oversight
Proficiency in Lightspeed POS
Build and sustain relationships with community partners and donors

Essential Duties & Responsibilities
Teach 3 bike mechanic cohorts annually (8 weeks/1 day week per cohort)
Proficiently execute assembly, repairs and maintenance for all types of bicycles, particularly used and older bicycles
Assist in daily shop operations: ordering, inventory, forecasting, bike repair
Exemplifies compassion and understanding around the barriers of homelessness and underrepresented populations in the community – see above
Maintain an organized and efficient work environment
Represent bike works and p:ear and its mission to positively and professionally
identify barriers and recommend solutions to better serve the community
Attend p:ear fundraisers & community building activities
Be a positive role-model and mentor for our bike mechanic interns

Mechanics
Properly assess and determine bike repairs and recommend customer options
Repair and refurbish bicycles to be sold in the shop, as well as to be donated
Track all parts and new & used for each repair or build
Maintain a neat and organized workspace
Maintain a high level of professionalism
Perform quality control checks on bikes repaired and/or built

Shop Operations
Assist Shop Mechanics with a variety of tasks, including maintaining an inventory of new and used parts, placing orders with distributors as needed, maintaining shop tools and restocking as necessary
Assist customers in the shop with purchases and bicycle repairs during sales
Strong proficiency with bicycle tech
Collaborate with Director on an annual budget. Manage budget for the fiscal year
Experience opening new accounts with distributors as needed
Run inventory 2x annually

Community Programming
Safety check all Everybody Bikes! complete bicycle prior to distribution
Build and sustain relationships with the Rosewood Initiative community
Represent p:ear and its mission positively and professionally
Participate in Sunday Parkways, Free Bikes 4 Kids monthly wrenching, as well as the occasional community bike/ride events

Physical Demands
Able to sit or stand and walk throughout the scheduled work shift
Ability to lift and/or move up to 75 lbs

Work Environment
This job operates in an often chaotic, loud environment. This role routinely uses standard (kitchen and) office equipment such as stoves, commercial dishwashers, microwaves, refrigerators, freezers, computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

Travel
Only local travel expected for this position.

AAP/EEO Statement
It is the policy of p:ear to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, genetic information, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. In addition, p:ear will provide reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities.

Other Duties
Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

How to Apply

To apply: Please submit a resume, cover letter and references as PDFs to nathan@bikeworkspdx.org or mailed to contact information below. No phone calls. Successful applicants will be contacted for an initial screening.

p:ear
Attn: Nathan Engkjer
338 NW 6th Ave.
Portland, OR 97209.

Mitchell Point Tunnel is open to the public (but you still can’t bike there)

The Mitchell Point Tunnel is finally open to the public! But unfortunately you still can’t bike all the way there.

You might recall a ribbon-cutting event back in November where the public was allowed to view the $31 million tunnel for the first time in 71 years. However, due to some unexpected delays, the Oregon Department of Transportation wasn’t able to open it permanently until last week. “Since the dedication ceremony in November 2024, the trail segment remained closed while crews waited for warmer weather to complete construction including final stonework, paving and striping,” reads an ODOT statement sent out on Friday. “The Mitchell Point tunnel and an additional 1.5 miles of the Historic Highway State Trail are now open.”

The original tunnel — carved out of basalt and featuring five arch windows where Model T drivers could gaze out onto the Columbia River — was a feat of engineering when it was first built in 1915. It was closed in 1953 when Interstate 84 was built and then destroyed and filled with rock in 1966. ODOT resurrected the tunnels in 2018 as part of their ambitious Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail project that looks to reconnect the famous old highway between Troutdale and The Dalles.

When I heard the news last week, I was excited by the possibility of riding through those carved-rock windows out into river gorge below. Unfortunately, bike access is still prohibited. That’s because there’s still a 0.7-mile gap on the Historic Hwy State Trail between Viento State Park and Mitchell Point. Currently, the only way to “bike” to Mitchell Point Tunnel is to lock your bike to racks at the east end of Viento State Park South Campground and then walk a few miles.

Here’s the deal…

Jerry Zelada’s annotated map of the walking route from Viento to the tunnel. See detailed route on RideWithGPS.

You can bike all the way out there. It’s about 63 miles from Portland to where you’d hit an unpaved section of the Historic Highway State Trail. Or you can drive to a parking lot at Wyeth Campground which is about 6 miles west of Viento. Of course there are other places you can drive in the Gorge if you aren’t willing or able to bike there. You can also take the Columbia Gorge Express Bus to Cascade Locks (they allow bikes) if you don’t want to take your car. That’d put you about 12 miles west of where the paved path ends east of Viento.

Let’s get back to Viento. Regardless of how you get there, the Historic Highway State Trail is paved for only about 1.7 miles east of the Viento State Park South Campground parking lot where they have bike racks. From there, you’d have to hoof it another two miles to get to the tunnel.

I asked friend of the blog and Gorge cycling expert AJ “Jerry” Zelada how he’s done it and he shared a detailed route. Jerry’s route looks amazing. It’s nicely buffered from I-84 traffic, but it’s not something you’d bike on. The route connects to Wygant Trail which takes you right to the western portal of the Mitchell Point Tunnel. Jerry even shares over 50 photos to help inspired and/or guide you on your journey.

As for when we’ll be able to bike all the way to the tunnel for those epic photo ops and life-changing vistas? ODOT Public Information Office Ryan McCrary tells me they’ve already got the money to finish the paving and construction to do it is ready to begin this fall. “When it’s complete, approximately 9.5 miles of the trail will be fully connected to the tunnel and accessible by bike,” McCrary shared.

Can’t wait! For now, have fun planning your multimodal adventure to the tunnel. Let us know how it goes.

— ODOT Mitchell Point Tunnel website.

Guest Article: ‘Better Burnside’ reimagines marquee street during upcoming bridge closure

Old Town business owner and urban advocate Ryan Hashagen at a Better Burnside design workshop on March 11th. (Photos courtesy PSU student volunteers)

This story was written by Brian Bill, a student in Portland State University’s Masters of Urban Planning program.

Quiet excitement filled a room inside the Portland State University Urban Center Building on March 11th as Ryan Hashagen of Better Block PDX (the folks who brought us the Naito Parkway bike lanes) and Victoria Via of Strong Towns PDX took the stage to kick off the initial design workshop of the Bridgeless to Better Burnside Project. Using the upcoming closure of the Burnside Bridge closure as an opportunity to reimagine West Burnside is an exciting enough proposition that it brought together more than 50 enthusiastic design professionals and urbanists to the event.

They wanted to be part of what may be Better Block’s most ambitious project yet.

With the Burnside Bridge set to close for reconstruction from 2027 to 2032 as part of Multnomah County’s Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge project, the Better Burnside project aims to transform W Burnside Street from a dangerous barrier into a signature street at the heart of Portland’s west side. The project will collaborate with community groups to propose streetscape improvements that can be implemented while the bridge is closed and W Burnside is no longer a route for through traffic. The future of W Burnside extends beyond the 5-year bridge closure, and proposals will also focus on balancing community desires with the new bridge’s lane configuration, pedestrian paths, and protected bike lanes.

Across two classrooms, participants took to maps and trace paper to sketch out their ideas for a W Burnside designed for people.

A concept for W Burnside created for a PSU urban planning course last fall.

Among the proposed designs is a shared bike and bus-only lane in each direction near the Park Blocks that would be buffered by bollards from car traffic and include parklets, food carts, more pedestrian-scale lighting and raised crosswalks (see above). On SW 3rd Ave, students have proposed removing a right turn lane in front of Dante’s and turning it into a public parklet, as well as expanding the median and painting a street mural in the intersection.

A final option, which the students termed “Burnside Sunday Parkways,” would include temporary placemaking installations to enhance Portland Sunday Parkways. In this scenario, local businesses and organizations could partner with the city to provide cultural programming, create educational opportunities, and prepare for increased business activity along with the increase in bike and pedestrian traffic.

Scenes from the design workshop earlier this month.

Better Burnside began with a proposal by Xavier Stickler of the Downtown Neighborhood Association, Sean Sweat of the Pearl District Neighborhood Association, and Mary-Rain O’Meara of the Old Town Community Association. This trio of urban advocates came together and applied to local nonprofit Better Block to help realize their vision.

Supporting the project with planning and engagement expertise are PSU Master of Urban and Regional Planning (MURP) students Alex Gill, Brian Bill, Eric Gasper, Jackson Morrison, Michael Azierski, and Michel Rojas. Those students have worked on Bridgeless to Better Burnside over the last year in multiple PSU Better Block Project Pathway Courses. With this workshop, the partnership expanded to include Strong Towns PDX, the local chapter of a national urbanism advocacy group who dedicated their monthly meeting to the project.

As the project’s lead supporter, Ryan Hashagen’s interest in the project stems from his roles as the managing director of Better Block PDX and owner of Icicle Tricycles, a small business based in Old Town. Hashagen sees the bridge project as a perfect opportunity. “Now is the time for our community to leverage the ‘bridgeless’ years into making W Burnside the signature street it should be,” Hashagen said. “When urban places make people feel safe and welcome, small business can not only survive, but thrive.”

Victoria Via, an architect and member of Strong Towns PDX.

The design workshop marked an important milestone in bringing Better Burnside to the public’s attention. Attendees identified improvements to enhance connectivity across inner W Burnside from 2nd Ave to 10th Ave. Suggestions included reducing vehicle lanes to reclaim space for other uses, creating distinct separations between vehicles and pedestrians, and adding pedestrian and wayfinding enhancements to make exploring easier, more comfortable, and more rewarding.

This project is about addressing local challenges like pedestrian safety, transit access, and increasing both day and night-time foot traffic; but it’s also tied to the broader effort to chart a brighter future for Portland’s Central City. Given the scale of Better Burnside, this workshop was just the beginning of the community engagement process. The PSU students will remain involved with this project until June. In the coming months they’ll refine ideas with local stakeholders and preferred alternatives while the neighborhood associations and Better Block PDX will carry the torch until Better Burnside is handed over to the city for the next phases of engagement, design, and implementation.

Keep an eye out for future engagement opportunities from Better Block PDX, PSU, Strong Towns PDX, and— in the future, with the public’s support— from the City of Portland. With the changes brought by the Earthquake Ready Burnside Bridge, W Burnside is entering a pivotal period that will define its purpose and the future of the Central City. Let your voice be heard. If you or someone you know is interested in learning more, contact the project team at better.burnside.psu@gmail.com.

— Learn more at the project website.

New details on how PBOT will spend $200,000 on intersection daylighting

Staff from the Portland Bureau of Transportation have revealed more details about their efforts to prohibit car parking at intersections.

At a meeting of the city’s Pedestrian Advisory Committee on March 18th, PBOT said they plan to implement “vision clearance” (their term for daylighting) standards at 200 intersections over the next two years. When I reported on this last month, all we had was the number of intersections and a timeframe. At the meeting last week, staff added that they have $200,000 to spend on the installations and that they expect to have all of them done this year.

New details revealed at the meeting include:

Of the $200,000 budget, $50,000 comes from the Fixing Our Streets (FOS) program (revenue fro local gas tax). That means locations of those intersections must be spread evenly across the four council districts. FOS has $70.5 million allocated for its 2024-2028 project list. The daylighting projects will come out of the $6 million Safety on Neighborhood Streets spending category, so that means at least one of the cross streets of these 50 locations must be a local street classification.
In a presentation PBOT shared with the Pedestrian Advisory Committee, they showed a few slides that are examples of locations they’re considering: N Mississippi Ave and N Failing St., NE Alberta Street and NE 16th Ave., NE Alberta Street and NE 16th Ave., and SE Belmont and SE 34th.
The remaining $150,000 will come from the city’s General Fund, so there are no location restrictions on 150 of the intersections.
PBOT will focus treatments on pedestrian districts that are also business districts. These are places where a busy street intersects with a local (residential street). Additional priority will be on locations where the side street is already a designated neighborhood greenway/walkway and where there’s an existing marked crosswalk.
Intersections near schools will be a prime target. PBOT is already doing outreach to schools and will do a small educational campaign (lawn signs at corners) to explain why parking is being restricted.
PBOT plans to clear two or four spots at each intersection, with a maximum of one parking spot at each corner. Many installations will remove just one parking spot at two corners (see diagram).
Cost for each intersection is about $700-$800 in materials and labor (PBOT says they might be able to do more than 200 intersections with this first tranche of funding).

The practice of daylighting is a standard and proven road safety measure. When people choose to park their cars (especially larger ones) close to the corner it makes it harder for other road users to see cross traffic. Daylighting is especially popular among folks who aren’t inside cars because the risk of injury (or worse) from a collision is far greater when not wrapped by a metal cage.

Once completed, this work will help PBOT answer critics who say they haven’t moved fast enough on daylighting since making it a pillar of their Vision Zero strategy years ago. In 2020, PBOT was sued by a man who was injured in a collision while biking on SE Ankeny and his lawyers said the city was partly liable because they didn’t prevent drivers from parking all the way up to the corner.

The next step in this process is to identify which locations need daylighting the most. If you have ideas, email them to visionzero@portlandoregon.gov.

Learn more at PBOT’s vision clearance website.

Kidical Mass welcomes spring with ride for all ages

Bike buses may be all the rage, but before they were even a thing, Kidical Mass ruled the streets. This past Saturday, local organizers kept the tradition alive with a short and sweet ride that drew a big crowd.

Kidical Mass is a play on “Critical Mass,” the anti-car protest movement that started in San Francisco in the early 1990s. According to the BikePortland historical archives, the first Kidical Mass happened in Eugene in 2008. Portland copied the idea that same year and held its first ever family group ride on downtown streets. Saturday’s edition wasn’t nearly as bold as taking over streets in the central city with little kids in tow, but it was a good excuse for folks of all ages to ride together.

Ride organizer Joseph Eisenberg has led Kidical Mass for many years now. His 17-year-old son Elijah, who I met on the ride, said he first took part when he was just five years old.

After meeting at Alberta Park and decorating bikes with flowers, the group headed north to the Going St. Neighborhood Greenway and then east to NE 37th which connected them to Fernhill Park. Like all good family rides, the destination included a playground.

Check out the photo gallery and short video below and follow Kidical Mass on Instagram to join the next ride.

St. Johns families can get on the bike bus, thanks to donation event

The covered section of the playground at James John Elementary School in St. Johns would normally be quiet and empty on a rainy day after school. But this past Friday was anything but normal as the playground buzzed with activity and over 45 local families showed up to pick out free bikes.

“It’s a good ol’ bike fest!” said Joe Kurmaskie, an author known as the “Metal Cowboy” for his series of books about family bike adventures who’s now the executive director of Reborn Bikes, a statewide organization that expects to give away 12,000 bikes this year. Kurmaskie and his team, along with Metro, Portland Public Schools, Trauma Nurses Talk Tough, Bike Bus PDX, and others, distributed about 130 free bikes, helmets, lights, and locks at the event.

James John Elementary has an active bike bus that has spurred demand for bikes among the school community. Bike Bus leader and mom Jessica Fletcher has stepped up to meet the need. “I have become the biking lady here at our school,” she said. Fletcher has seen the bike bus grow in popularity, but realized a lot of kids were left out. She did a school survey and found 50% of the students don’t even have a bike and that half the families driving to school wanted to ride instead. “So I just felt like, there can’t be this wonderful thing that everybody’s doing and then so many kids can’t do it because they don’t even have a bicycle.”

Fletcher connected with Kurmaskie and others in the community, and the event fell into place thanks to a lot of planning and volunteers.

One of the folks helping out yesterday was John Brandsberg, a hazardous waste technician at Metro. He works with Kurmaskie to keep bicycles out of the waste transfer station (a.k.a. dump). Since the duo teamed up in the summer of 2023, they’ve rescued 2,200 bikes that would otherwise be sent to landfills. “These bikes used to get recycled, which is a good deal,” Brandsberg shared on Saturday, “But giving them to kids so they can ride bikes is so much better.”

Kids like that are what keeps Kurmaskie going. He estimates that his refurbished-bikes-to-bike-bus pipeline supplies about 30-40% of bikes used in Portland’s growing number of bike buses. “Which is a really cool thing, because it makes it egalitarian. It makes it that everybody gets to do bike bus.”

And school leaders like Fletcher are happy to create the demand. “We had a kid that joined [the bike bus] last week who’s a first-grader and he said, ‘I want to get 100 kids on this bike bus’,” she shared. “So I think this is going to make that possible.”

A young James John Elementary student named Arlo provided living proof of concept. I met her as she got comfortable on a purple Trek Mountain Track. She told me she picked it out because, “I really like the handle brakes and I like how it has a cup holder. Plus, I just love the color and stuff.”

“Sometimes you can just feel what bike is right for you,” Arlo added, as she looked down at her new rig. When I asked what she’s looking forward to once she gets the bike home, Arlo said, “Oh, just riding a lot. I’m thinking of joining the bike bus.”