Portland city councilors Mitch Green and Loretta Smith have found common cause on a notoriously tricky transportation funding issue: sidewalks.
As you might have already read in the Willamette Week, the two councilors who represent districts one (east Portland) and four (southwest Portland) respectively want to get their constituents out of the mud and onto sidewalks. They’re looking at a variety of funding sources, including Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) grants, federal grants and bonds.
According to Councilor Green’s Chief of Staff Maria Sipin, the two councilors began working together earlier this month following the release of the city administrator’s draft budget recommendations, which included steep cuts for the transportation bureau. Given how difficult it is to fill sidewalk gaps, and how popular they are with voters, Sipin said in a phone call today that, “an appetite had been growing around sidewalks” among city councilors, “especially for district one and district four.”
While details about funding sources are still being worked out, Sipin said Councilor Green is focused on restructuring the city’s debt and using Portland’s bonding authority. “We’re trying to figure out how we can get sidewalks without using PCEF funds specifically,” Sipin said. The use of PCEF funds is a hot topic in City Hall right now, with different camps forming around whether or not the climate change-focused, voter-approved tax on big businesses is an appropriate way to fill the city’s budget holes. It’s notable that the fund already awarded $20.6 million for sidewalks in east Portland last year.
Why sidewalks? Sipin said Councilor Green and Councilor Smith share a deep interest in government accountability and transparency and in finding resources to invest in the things their constituents care about. “And in the Venn diagram of their world, that thing is sidewalks.”
Sipin continued:
“For the good of the people, we’re really trying to figure out, how do we build something as essential and popular as sidewalks? What kind of vision do we have to do that? What tools do we have, especially with the federal government, and lots of funding opportunities that we have relied on over the years at the state as well? What can the city do independently? Do we have the resources? And I think that’s where the bonds idea really emerged from.”
Councilor Green, an economist by training, feels like the City of Portland has been too conservative with its use of bonds in the past and he sees potential in that avenue of funding.
As to which sidewalks would be prioritized? Sipin, a former planner at the Oregon Department of Transportation, said her office would lean on existing city plans and recent public processes that have already identified which sidewalks should be built. “I know there are lists. So there are places to start.”
A program funding total of $100 million has been set as a starting point for conversations. We can expect a draft resolution to be on the agenda of this Monday’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee meeting (of which both Smith and Green are members of).
In related news, The Oregonian reported today that Portland Mayor Keith Wilson has already begun exploring a street utility fee as a major new source of revenue for transportation.
Velotech, Inc. is a locally owned business that has operated in Portland since 2002. Velotech is the parent company of BikeTiresDirect, Western Bikeworks, and Trisports.
We are always hiring! We have flexible schedules that accommodate multiple needs. We are currently looking for full time, and part time staff. We love to promote from within, so if you are looking to get your foot in the door, this could be a great entry point.
This position is responsible for picking, packing and shipping customer orders. Qualified Shipping Specialists also execute product put-away, clean their work area, execute physical counts, and available for general physical and/or minor administrative labor.
Starting rate is $17.75 per hour.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO: Pick incoming web orders and warehouse pick up orders. Pack and ship orders according to supervisor’s guidelines. Maintain accurate inventory through regular cycle counting. Assist receiving department with put away of new items. Maintain a clean and organized workspace. Assist with any projects, or assist in other departments as instructed by supervisor. Perform all duties in a safe manner and report all safety concerns immediately to supervisor.
MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS: Wear closed toe shoes at all times in warehouse. Be able to lift 25 lb above your head without assistance. Stand for long periods of time. Be able to lift 50 lb without assistance.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES: Excellent communication and organizational skills. Solid knowledge of cycling products. Ability to work in a high volume, fast-paced environment. Ability to work independently or with others to manage multiple task with minimal supervision.
BENEFITS: Generous Employee Discounts Flexible Schedules Medical/Dental/Vision for all full & regular part-time employees Paid Time Off – up to 15 days your first year Quarterly ‘Get Outside’ days
PHYSICAL/MENTAL 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. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch and sit for extended periods of time.
The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
This description is intended to provide only the basic guidelines for meeting job requirements. Responsibilities, knowledge, skills, ability and working conditions may change as needs evolve.
Velotech is an Equal Opportunity employer.
How to Apply
If interested, please click on the link below to apply (or copy and paste into a browser). You can also find us on biketiresdirect.com careers page. Job link here
Washington County Bicycle Transportation Coalition (dba WashCo Bikes)
Job Description
Now Hiring: Summer Bike Camp Instructors!
Love biking? Enjoy working with kids? Spend your summer outdoors, leading young riders on fun, adventure-filled days at Saddle Up Summer Bike Camp!
About the Camp
Saddle Up blends traditional summer camp activities—arts, sports, swimming, and more—with the excitement of biking. Campers ride to parks, pools, and local programs while learning bike safety, group riding skills, and independence on two wheels. This is not a racing or off-road camp—just fun, community-based rides on streets and trails.
Job Details
Position: Bike Camp Instructor (Seasonal)
Schedule: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Locations & Dates:
June 23-27 – Forest Grove
July 7-11 – Forest Grove
July 14-18 – Hillsboro
July 21-25 – Tigard
July 28-Aug 1 – TBA
Aug 4-8 – Beaverton
Aug 11-15 – Hillsboro
Aug 18-22 – Hillsboro
Who We’re Looking For
✅ Confident, experienced cyclists comfortable riding in a group
✅ Energetic, outgoing individuals who enjoy working with kids
✅ Responsible leaders who can balance fun, safety, and education
What You’ll Do
Lead campers on daily bike rides to local destinations
Teach bike safety, group riding skills, and cycling confidence
Facilitate fun activities at parks, pools, and community centers
Ensure a positive, inclusive, and safe experience for all campers
Why Join Us?
Competitive Pay – Compensation based on experience
Training Provided – Includes Smart Cycling certification and pre-camp prep
Flexible Summer Work – Commit to two or more full camp weeks
Equipment Available – We can provide a bike and gear if needed
Join us for a summer of adventure, fresh air, and two-wheeled fun! Apply today!
Looking south at the ancient landslide with the Historic Columbia River Highway on the left. (Photo: ODOT)
(Source: ODOT)
Soil instability has closed a portion of the Historic Columbia River Highway (Hwy 30) that’s popular for cycling on. During last week’s rainstorms, the Oregon Department of Transportation issued a notice that a section of the highway that sits on a well-known landslide had shifted. The location is just east of the Larch Mountain Road turnoff and before you begin the descent down to Vista House.
The road has been closed since last Wednesday (March 12th) evening due to “roadway settling”. According to ODOT this part of the highway sits in an ancient landslide and has been prone to cracking over the past decade. Below is a fun bit of history for those who know the spot (it’s pretty unforgettable given the views and general beauty of the surroundings):
The original design for the highway at this location was a viaduct, or a bridge over land, though the structure could not accommodate the continuous movement of the landslide, and the viaduct was removed in the 1960s when ODOT built the current alignment. In 1983, and then again in 2007, ODOT constructed a retaining wall to support the Historic Highway. Continued ground movement, sometimes up to 12 inches in a year has required annual re-paving and reassessment.
View of closed section from the top.
What’s not so fun is that, “This month, geotechnical engineers noted that the settling has accelerated, and additional structural issues downslope have caused safety concerns,” ODOT said in a statement. As a result the road is closed between the Larch Mountain Road split and Vista House. That means a key connection to rides in the Gorge is no longer available. Car drivers can use I-84 as a detour option, but that’s not really feasible for bike riders due to safety concerns.
And no, unlike we’ve seen Multnomah County do with similar closures, this is a full closure and bicycle riders are not allowed to skirt through. According to ODOT spokesperson Ryan McCrary, who I contacted today for an update, a geotechnical team has been onsite surveying the area to figure out what it will take to make needed repairs. Currently there is no timetable for reopening.
“We hope to be able to reopen once the survey is complete,” McCrary said. “A more comprehensive repair effort will get underway when the weather improves, likely late spring early summer.” McCrary added that any future closures will continue to apply to all users, so don’t even think about rolling past the barricades. Stay tuned for updates once it’s reopened.
Aerial view of intersection where Roger Lee was killed on March 9th. Inset: Robert Lee (Photo courtesy Trail Blazers Booster Club)
When 86-year-old Portlander Roger Lee was hit and killed by a motorcycle rider while trying to walk across Southeast Powell Blvd just after 9:00 pm on March 9th, his death was a tragedy. And for neighbors who knew Lee and have pushed for safety improvements in this area for many years, it struck a very raw nerve.
Members of the South Tabor Neighborhood Association (STNA) say Lee’s death didn’t have to happen and that festering dangers on SE Powell (Oregon Highway 26) made it much more likely. “State and local agencies know this stretch of Powell is unsafe—they’ve known for years,” said Juan Cummings, chair of the STNA, in a statement. “Our tax dollars were allocated for pedestrian safety here, yet people keep dying—and no one is treating it like the emergency it is.”
Cummings points to $2 million in state transportation funds TriMet was awarded in 2016 for enhanced pedestrian crossings on Powell and Division. Yet work on the “Powell-Division Safety and Access to Transit Project” is only now scheduled to start this spring, six years after the initial target completion date.
Portland Police say Lee was crossing Powell at SE 67th when he was struck and killed. The STNA says Lee was on his way home from a Portland Trail Blazers game and had just gotten off the TriMet Line 9 bus. As Lee stepped off the bus and went to cross SE 67th, security footage shows a motorcycle rider accelerating just second before the collision.
“This dangerous, un-signalized crossing sits at the heart of a busy community hub, with a grocery store, restaurants, and a dispensary drawing foot traffic,” reads a statement by the neighborhood. “With bus stops on both sides and a parking lot to the south, pedestrians are forced to cross Powell, a five-lane highway, with no marked crosswalks or safety measures.”
The STNA has teamed up with the Foster-Powell Neighborhood Association to demand “immediate action” from TriMet, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and the Portland Bureau of Transportation. They want some type of intervention on the street that will slow traffic and protect people crossing Powell between SE 52nd and 82nd, “before another life is lost.”
BikePortland covered this project in 2022 with a story that highlighted fears from neighbors who raised similar alarms to Cummings and others. Excuses for the delays reported back then were that all 11 planned crossing upgrades had to get approval before any of them could begin construction. The project includes the crossing at SE 79th, where advocates have raised concerns about the design approved by ODOT.
People who live along Powell say they are frustrated and disappointed by the delays. They say local families with students at nearby schools are forced to navigate a highway just to get to class.
At the STNA meeting on March 20th, advocates will outline next steps to garner attention for their concerns. Foster-Powell NA will discuss the issue at their April 14th meeting. There are also plans to attend the TriMet board meeting on March 26th; but one resident has already done that to no avail.
“We’ve gone to TriMet’s board three times already—after multiple deaths—only to be met with delays,” said John Carr, STNA vice chair. “At the very least, the already-funded project needs to be fast-tracked. But that’s just the start. There’s no reason this stretch of Powell should still be a death trap.”
Officers from a few of the agencies involved in the enforcement collaboration. That’s PBOT Public Information Officer Dylan Rivera in white on the right.
Law enforcement agencies in our region teamed up for a special mission over the weekend. They called it the Metro Area Traffic Enforcement Collaboration (MATEC) and for the four nights between Friday and Monday (which was St. Patrick’s Day), they pulled over 1,213 people.
The partnership includes the Portland Police Bureau, Washington County PD, Oregon State Police, and about two dozen agencies altogether (including the Portland Bureau of Transportation). Across the region they wrote 730 citations, issued 925 warnings, and arrested 85 people. 58 of those were driving while impaired by drugs and/or alcohol. According to a PPB statement, most of the tickets were given for speeding violations (416 citations) and the second most common infraction was “lane misuse” (289 citations).
Officers fanned out from Lake Oswego to Gresham looking for people running afoul of their “SOLID enforcement priorities” which PPB defines as, “Speed, Occupant Safety, Lane Usage, Impaired Driving, and Distracted Driving.”
At a news conference hosted by PPB on Friday prior to the enforcement action, Officer Chase Fullington, a member of PPB’s Major Crash Team that responds to fatal and serious collisions, laid out the human toll of all this dangerous driving:
“The hardest part for me is the very end of the call-out it’s after the scene’s been imaged it’s after the evidence that’s been collected after the vehicles have been towed and after the person that died in the crash has been taken by the medical examiner it’s when I have to go to the residence where the person lived and tell their loved ones that they’re not coming home and the sad thing about it is that these crashes are entirely preventable.”
This effort underscores just how many people drive illegally and increase the danger for everyone else on the road at any given moment in neighborhoods across the region, but it’s also a reminder that at least police agencies are trying to do something about it. Beyond these special missions however, it validates my belief that we need different enforcement approaches that don’t rely on armed officers. This is very resource-intensive, risky for everyone involved, and highly inefficient given the scope of the problem. In the future I hope to see more automated cameras, traffic enforcement by non-sworn city staff, changes to the built environment, and a bigger effort to address the underlying social problems that contribute to our dangerous driving culture.
Recent BHH crowd. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Pat yourselves on the back, friends: Bike Happy Hour has survived yet another cold and dark winter! Yes we are past the darkest days and eager for summer to get here. It’s been a while since I shared anything about BHH here on the front page, so figured it was time to check in.
First: This week we’ll have (at least) two special guests: Folks from the Revolutionary Bicycle Club will join us to share what they’ve been up to, and Matt Zajack will bring one of his Traffic Monitor devices for show-and-tell.
Revolutionary Bicycle Club is pretty new on the scene, but the folks behind it (I’m not exactly sure who they are yet actually, but I have some suspicions) have organized a fair share of rides. They’ve been involved with recent rides and protests such as the Boycott Chevron ride, Tesla Takedown, and so on. They had a table at a recent mutual aid fair in northeast Portland where they handed out “This Machine Kills Fascists” bike stickers. On Sunday they’ll lead a Palestinian solidarity ride in partnership with Gaza Sunbirds. Come out and meet the folks behind this group and learn about how to get involved.
And get ready to see the future of traffic counting when you get your hands on Matt Zajack’s cool device. As I shared earlier today, his Traffic Monitor is an interesting blend of technologies and hardware that he thinks will democratize data beyond governments and put considerable power into the hands of everyday folks.
I hope you can come out tomorrow!
As per usual, I’ll be at Migration Brewing on North Williams Avenue from 3:00 to 6:00 pm. There’s an alleyway in the back and plenty of room for your bike outside the patio if you don’t want to lock up on Williams. Free snacks will come out at 4:00 and the mic opens at 5:00. Note that tomorrow we might have to move inside and/or skedaddle a bit early due to another group coming into the space. We’ll play it by ear.
Thanks for supporting Bike Happy Hour as we approach our two-year anniversary in early April!
The back patio beckons when it’s dry!Carlos, Eva and Bryant.
The Traffic Monitor and LED display perched above Matt Zajack’s garage on NE 26th Avenue. (Photos and video: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
If you ride on NE 26th Avenue and Wasco, you might have noticed a small square box with a camera lens peering out onto the street. The box is attached to a garage and accompanied by a small LED display that shows the number of bikes, pedestrians, and cars that have gone by. This isn’t just a trivial weekend project by a garage tinkerer, it’s the result of years of development by a data expert who thinks his creation can revolutionize urban planning and kickstart a new era of people-powered advocacy for healthier cities.
The device is the work of Matt Zajack, a Sullivan’s Gulch resident and data analytics consultant who’s about to launch his new product into the world. Zajack’s Traffic Monitor is an, “open source roadway object detection and radar speed monitoring,” device made from simple and widely available components. It uses a wide-angle camera, a very small (Raspberry Pi) computer, and machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) code to watch for objects in the street and then tallies what it sees in a database and presents the information in an easy-to-read display. Add a few sensors — for things like air quality, temperature, and doppler radar to measure speed — and you’ve got a trove of useful data in a small package that can be deployed almost anywhere.
“I am talking about capturing the picture of the roadway biome. Trying to get people to think about: How healthy is your street environment? Does it encourage, promote, support human movement? How can it adapt to changing conditions and environments?”
– Matt Zajack, Traffic Monitor
I first met Zajack and learned about this project in January 2024 when he signed up for a 15-minute slot in my weekly office hours. I was so intrigued, I encouraged him to bring the device to Bike Happy Hour. The night he showed up, I recall many people being amazed by it and a curious crowd that had gathered around him. Since then, Zajack has continued to develop the product and now that it’s nearly ready for prime-time, I rolled over to his garage on Monday for a closer look.
As a 3-D printer whirred in the background, I learned more about Zajack and his vision for the Traffic Monitor.
“A couple of years ago, I realized there are a lot of organizations, like Bike Loud PDX and others, who were looking to measure the impact of the programs they were doing, and also argue against a lot of the the sparse data that was out there that was only really provided by municipalities,” Zajack shared. “A lot of the only solutions for traffic monitoring cameras are from private companies doing implementations that cost tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars that can really only be used by municipalities and very large companies.” That’s when Zajack, who wants to use “AI for good” (according to his consulting website), realized, “We can do these things for a lot cheaper.”
Matt Zajack
These “things” include a number of valuable use cases. Consider a neighborhood association that’s worried about cut through traffic or speeding on a street. They see traffic calming as a remedy, but need to make their case to the Portland Bureau of Transportation and/or their city councilors. The most important part of that case is often data: Can the neighbors prove people are speeding? Can they prove there are more cars on the street then PBOT guidelines call for? If you’ve ever tried to get that data using City of Portland’s existing sources, you know how frustrating that can be. If they have traffic counts at all, they’ll only be cars and they might not be in the precise location you need or they might be many years old. Want bike counts? You’d have to convince PBOT to set out a pneumatic hose counter. Want pedestrian counts? Forget about it.
Zajack says his primary selling point is that data from a Traffic Monitor will be much more robust than anything currently available, it will provide recent data, and it you can move it to any location you want (thanks to 3-D printed cases with tripod mounts).
A Traffic Monitor that includes an air quality sensor, doppler radar (for measuring vehicle speed), and two cameras costs about $400 to build. Once installed and set up, the device can detect just about anything that happens on a street — not just the number of cars or bikes. Zajack says the benefit of his device is that it gets a “holistic picture of the roadway.” “What I have here is a wide angle lens that look sat both sides of the sidewalk and the roadway. So we’re counting pedestrians, bikes, cars, I also added in dogs just for fun, anything that goes on on a roadway.”
Zajack elaborated on this idea of getting a holistic picture of what’s happening on the road: “I am talking about capturing the picture of the roadway biome. Trying to get people to think about: How healthy is your street environment? Does it encourage, promote, support human movement? What is the mix of users? How do people get around? How can it adapt to changing conditions and environments? The roadway is used by more than just, you know, 5,000 pound steel cages moving through it.”
And if all this monitoring makes you queasy from a privacy perspective, Zajack’s unit does all the processing locally. That is, nothing is sent to a cloud or a third-party server. All images used are deleted a few seconds after being taken and owners of the Traffic Monitor will be the only ones with the information. Of course, there’s no way of enforcing this type of privacy protection, but Zajack says his device is no different in that respect to any other type of widely available security camera.
Screenshot of data captured by Zajack’s unit.
“We can crowdsource this. We don’t have to send this to a large, private corporate cloud. We can do this the processing locally. We don’t have to have all of the decisions being made from a central location,” Zajack continued. He sees his role not just as developer and consultant, but as a teacher of how technology can empower a community in an ethical and transparent way, instead of being forced onto them by entities beyond their control.
The next step would be having the City of Portland either accepting the data from individual citizens, or deploying the devices themselves. He’s also worked with nonprofit group Portlanders for Clean Air, who bought one of his first units to measure diesel engine particulate matter from large trucks.
As chair of his neighborhood association and active member of Bike Loud PDX, this product is also personal for Zajack, who purchased his home in 2020 because it was on the corner of a neighborhood greenway route. He thinks planning decisions are often unfair to people who don’t drive because walkers, bikers, scooterers, joggers, and so on are invisible when it comes to data and traffic counts.
By the time I had met Zajack around noon on wet and cold Monday, the LED display he built for the Traffic Monitor attached to his garage read: “Bike: 78; Ped: 144; Car: 242.”
“When someone from the city is like, ‘Oh, we’re not going to tackle that problem because there aren’t enough people walking. There aren’t enough people biking.’ I’m like, that can’t be true! I spend a lot of my day on a greenway, and there’s a lot of lot of human activity here that isn’t centered around cars that’s not impacting the decisions that we’re making. And it’s a real shame. So I kind of want to change that equation.”
Zajack’s ideal vision is widespread deployment of the devices and individual Portlanders working together to crowdsource data to hasten planning decisions on their streets. Using cheap technology to fight larger, systemic power structures, is something that animates Zajack. “There’s a reason I have it open source, low cost, and low barrier to entry — so anyone can build them,” he says. “I want everyone to see the power of what we can do with a very low price point, with the tech that’s available today to anyone.”
“I want to democratize the power of AI, to get it into the hands of the people.”
The shop was a fixture on NW Thurman Road at the base of Forest Park. (Photo: Fat Tire Farm)
Portlanders are reacting with shock and sadness at the news that Fat Tire Farm, a local bike shop that opened its doors 40 years ago, has decided to call it quits. The shop made the announcement to their customers via email Saturday and comments are pouring into a post on their Instagram account yesterday.
“After 40 (!!!) years in business, we’ve decided it’s time to call it a wrap, and end on a high note. And let’s be honest, this guy needs a break!!” reads the announcement, referring to store owner Park Chambers. “It’s been an amazing run, and we’re going out holding our heads high. Thanks for being a part of our community here at the Fat Tire Farm! We’ll see you out on the trail!”
Chambers, 55, bought Fat Tire Farm from its former owners in 1997. He opened Hood River Bicycles in 2014, and has since changed the name to Fat Tire Farm Hood River. I haven’t heard if the Hood River location is also closing, however its website and Instagram make no mention of the closure or “retirement sale.” Chambers opened 21st Avenue Bicycles in 2007 and then closed that business in 2018. He also owns suspension service business Traction Works, which used to be a separate store but is now housed in Fat Tire Farm’s Portland location. It’s unclear if he plans to move that business to Hood River or shut it down as well. (I’ve reached out to Chambers and will update this post if/when I hear back.)
Inside Fat Tire Farm during an event in May 2023. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Fat Tire Farm is a beloved shop and community space that has invested heavily to support trail work and other community causes over the years. Beyond its longevity and community support, Fat Tire Farm’s reputation rests on its high quality service and selection. The shop has always been closely tied to off-road cycling due to its laser focus on selling mountain bikes (no drop bars to be found!) and its location on NW Thurman Road, just a short climb from Forest Park.
Fans of the shop are flooding an Instagram post about the closure with memories and well wishes. “I love this shop with all my heart. You guys have opened the door of the mountain bike industry to me and with my first shop job,” wrote one fan. “I really appreciate all the time you’ve shared with me on the trails, just a really special group of humans! I will miss coming in to talk trail plans, look at beautiful bikes and shoot the shit,” shared another.
There’s a big sale planned to clear out remaining inventory. Beginning tomorrow (3/18), get 20% off all 2025 bikes, 30-50% off accessories and up to 50% off previous model year bikes.
This news comes just a few weeks after West End Bikes announced their closure. The loss of Fat Tire Farm means the only year-round bike shop in all of downtown Portland is the Trek Bicycle Portland Slabtown location.
UPDATE, 3/17 at 5:30 pm: Shop owner Park Chambers says he’s looking for a buyer. So if you know someone who wants into an established bike business, get in touch! “The cycling community has been amazing to me and the staff over the years, and I’m going to miss so much about it,” Chambers shared with BikePortland today, “I’m hoping to pass the business on to someone who appreciates the community as much as I do; the outpouring of support has been incredible.”
Parking-protected bike lane in Geneva, Switzerland. (Photos: RMD/BikePortland)
— By former BikePortland Assistant Editor, Lisa Caballero
I’m in Geneva, Switzerland, on vacation with my husband, but I can’t stop thinking about Portland. That’s because every time I see a nice bike or pedestrian facility, which is constantly, my mind races back to our own efforts to make Portland safer, greener and more livable.
Geneva is a wealthy city, with enviable pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure, and it has already successful transitioned away from car dependence. So it’s exciting to be here, and to be reminded that Portland gets a lot of things right.
On the other hand, I can’t help but bemoan all our plastic wands and paint.
The design elements aren’t so different between the two cities — the protected bike lanes, lane narrowing and road diets — it’s just that Geneva uses permanent materials and makes bolder changes. No half-measures or timidity here. So I’m writing this post as encouragement — you’re on the right track Portland, go for it! But also as a gentle kick in the butt.
Join me if you will, for a photo tour of some first-rate infrastructure. I’m also throwing in a little history too, because Geneva wasn’t always like this. How it went from being a city overrun by cars to where it is today shows that the transition is possible, not easy or cheap, but possible.
Bike lanes
Notice the raised pedestrian crosswalk on the cross street.The unprotected bike lanes are pretty nice too!
I can’t pass one of these parking-protected facilities without thinking about the Broadway bike lane debacle. Geneva has parking-protected bike lanes all over, other cities do too. So Portland isn’t doing anything unusual or experimental by installing them — parking-protected bike lanes have become standard fare.
And look at how unapologetic Geneva is about reclaiming a whole lane from cars. The width of those cycle tracks in the first photo is generous. Nothing about them reads as temporary or added-on, they are an integral part of the street.
As you can see in the map above, the Geneva area has built a network of cycle tracks (shown as solid pink and orange lines). I don’t know when it dates from, but in 2018 a national initiative passed which required cantons (states) to plan and build connected bike networks, and the Swiss government to build “quality” bike facilities on 500 km of federal roads.
Closing streets
This street is closed to cars every Wednesday and Saturday for the market.This is one of many streets which Geneva has closed to cars.This plaza is open to cars, but their speed limit is 12 mph.
Councilor Mitch Green lit up the BikePortland comments a few weeks ago with talk about closing streets. There are many ways to do that, and Geneva uses most of them. Once you become attuned, you can find repurposed streets and parking lots all over the city.
Europe wasn’t always like Europe: some history
I can hear it from all the way across the ocean: “But Portland isn’t ___.” Fill in the blank [Paris, Milan, Geneva].
I understand that. But what many folks might not realize is that, not so long ago, those European cities were overrun by automobiles. (Remember Art Buchwald? He was mostly before my time too, but he had a joke: “Why are there so many churches in Paris? So you can pray before crossing the street.”)
Corny jokes aside, I took my first trips to Europe with my husband in the 1990s, from Manhattan, and I can tell you that car traffic at that time felt more threatening in Paris and Geneva than in New York City. And things weren’t that great in pre-Bloomberg NYC either.
Geneva tore out its tram network in the 50s and 60s. In the 70s, in the name of urban renewal, it razed entire neighborhoods. It also widened streets to accommodate cars. Europe surely had its own version of Robert Moses.
The rue de Carouge
Jagged setbacks on the rue de Carouge.
For me, the rue de Carouge represents an inflection point, a specific location where the pursuit of modernity finally came to a halt. You can see it in the photo above.
Notice the inconsistency in building setbacks? The street was slated for widening; in anticipation, the city required bigger setbacks for new buildings (the old buildings were to be torn down).
But the widening never happened. And all that’s left to mark the beginning of what has turned out to be a significant urban design course correction is this jagged line of façades. (There should be a commemorative plaque or something.)
The other cool thing about the rue de Carouge is that it carries the only original tram line that Geneva didn’t tear out. The last one standing. Apparently too many people used it to stop the service.
That’s all about to change, though, because Geneva has already broken ground on its big new plans for the street: it’s soon to be the heart of a car-free zone. Here are the current and future street cross sections:
The rue de Carouge is one of the main retail districts through Geneva, comparable to Hawthorne, Division or NW 23rd. Can you imagine if Portland closed a half-mile of those streets to cars?
Why Geneva can get tough on cars
After its last tram deinstallation in 1969, Geneva, at great expense, began building a new tram network in the 1980s. It expanded its trolley-bus network also.
Having a good public transportation system has let the city put policies in place to discourage car use:
Geneva doesn’t seem to have any free parking.
The city heavily taxes car ownership with a formula based on vehicle emissions and weight, and with no income accommodation. (A friend of ours who owns an old car pays over $1,000 a year in city tax.)
Additionally, residents pay around $200 for a blue zone residential parking permit.
The city has removed a shocking number parking spaces.
Tear down those signals!
As a result, there is a noticeable drop in the number of moving cars through the city. Like in Manhattan, residents who own cars mainly use them for getting out of town on the weekend, not for commuting or errands — so there are many perma-parked cars, and it is difficult to find a parking space.
With so much less car traffic, Geneva has taken the bold step of removing traffic signals at some intersections. It looks chaotic — and maybe it is — but crossing at one of these decommissioned intersections feels pretty comfortable.
I like the intersections where they have removed the signal and replaced it with a painted circle to indicate a round-about. Drivers appear to respect the paint.
Traffic fatalities
I’m not going to look for historical data to try to establish a correlation between reduced number of cars and traffic deaths, but the Geneva area presently has few traffic fatalities. I can’t find statistics for just the city (which has less than a third of the population of Portland anyway) but the Canton of Geneva has about the same population as Portland, so I’ll use the state numbers.
In 2023, the canton saw 13 traffic deaths, nine of them on two wheels: four cyclists, three scooterists; two motorcyclists; one car driver, one passenger, and two pedestrians.
In 2024, it was one cyclist, three motorcyclists, three scooterists, two people in cars, and four pedestrians. Of the pedestrians, two were hit by trams.
Geneva characterizes these numbers as “stable, but high.”
Here’s Portland in 2024 according to BikePortland’s Fatality Tracker: 67 deaths in total, nine motorcyclists, five cyclists, twenty-six pedestrians and twenty-four people in cars.
I’ll let you chew on those numbers yourselves, I‘ve got to wrap this post up. I wouldn’t have been able to write it without my husband, who is from Geneva and knows the city like the back of his hand. I’ve relied on his memory in a couple of places, and fact-checked him where I could. To him, and the friends and family who shared their transportation experiences with me, thank you.
Welcome to the week. Here are the most notable news items our community has come across in the past seven days…
Who-ser pays?: This very relevant article as Oregon lawmakers (and the USDOT for that matter) ratchet up campaigns to reform transportation funding, lays out the myth that drivers (or any users) pay for the roads they use. (Union of Concerned Scientists)
No VMT, just let me be: A bill moving through the Arizona legislature would result in a ballot measure that would give voters the ability to prohibit government from tracking miles traveled as part of transportation funding or policy programs. (Arizona Free News)
Trump funding backgrounder: Education is one of the most powerful tools we have to counter the Trump dictatorship and their assault on transportation funding programs. Read this update from a major national advocacy group to learn more. (T4 America)
Ford’s follies: A court has denied an injunction request brought by cycling advocates in Toronto and now Doug Ford’s government can begin removing bike lanes this week. (CBC)
The Tesla tide: Anti-Elon Musk protests at Tesla dealerships have scratched a major itch among many Americans, but what if this is just the beginning of a larger, anti-automobile backlash? (Streetsblog USA)
Bad drivers and bipartisanship: Good news from Minnesota where lawmakers and Governor Tim Walz (remember him?) are coming together across the aisle on several bills that seek to reduce dangerous driving. (MPR News)
Bike parking politics: Advocates in New York are worried that a floundering and embattled mayoral administration is ignoring a promise to build out an extensive network of bike parking facilities. The article mentions the “bike hangar” I covered last week. (Streetsblog NYC)
How we treat aviation safety: The reader who shared this story said I should read it while replacing “aircraft” and “aviation” with “car” and “driving.” Imagine if we responded to car crashes like this! (NPR)
Racing while pregnant: A professional gravel racer shares her experience and thoughts about competing while carrying a baby and says she’s not being reckless while “racing for two”. (Cycling Weekly)
Sam Balto and his new bike hangar. (Photos and video: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
I’ve seen a lot of backyard bike sheds over the years. And even a few folks who’ve installed steel bike staples in their yard. But the small metal shed in the driveway of Sam Balto’s house in northeast Portland is something different. Balto recently installed a “Bikehangar” from a London-based company called Cyclehoop and invited me over to take a look. It’s the first one of its kind being used in Portland.
“We don’t have a garage and we like to ride our bikes a lot, and having to move them in and out constantly really becomes a deterrent to riding,” Balto said, as he unlocked and opened the wide steel door, revealing several bikes inside. “So being able to have secure bike parking in front is really nice and convenient.”
Balto has the Cargo Bikehangar, one of three models offered by Cyclehoop. He said it cost $5,000 to get bought, shipped, and installed (cost can be as much as $7,000 depending on model and other variables). It’s an interesting solution that could expand beyond the use of a single family if the city embraces the concept.
While Cyclehoop started in the United Kingdom, they spun off a separate entity in the United States in 2022. Cyclehoop US has a warehouse and fabrication shop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Cyclehoop US CEO Andy Lambert says they’ve worked on installations with the City of Minneapolis, and the Minnesota Twins and Vikings (pro baseball and football teams).
“The response has been really positive from public and private sector customers, including residential homeowners,” Lambert shared with BikePortland today.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has hundreds of “bike corrals” in parking spots adjacent to businesses citywide. But they don’t have something similar for neighborhood streets. It makes sense in some ways, because business customers usually fit under the definition of short-term parking, which is two hours or less according to PBOT guidelines. And bike corrals in commercial districts have a much higher demand than most Portland neighborhoods. Even so, Balto sees a future where these hangars are shared by several neighbors.
“I was in London a couple years ago and saw them all around the city,” he said. The City of London has contracted with a third-party vendor to manage thousands of Bikehangars. People on a block get access via a secure code on a smartphone app and pay a small fee for the service. In areas with apartments and multi-family dwellings, the hangars have been especially popular, Balto says.
Getting these hangars off private property boundaries and into the street, where PBOT already allows people to park private automobiles, is the next step. Right now that would be illegal without a permit.
Security will also be a big concern if these are to be taken seriously in Portland. Traumatized by years of rampant and brazen bike theft, many folks will be wary of leaving bikes on streets or in front yards in a metal shed. But Lambert says his company does third-party testing and receives the highest ratings. “The testing company uses all of the same power tools that bike thieves commonly use, including angle-grinders, reciprocating saws, crowbars, and anything else you can think of.”
Lambert added that Cyclehoop has 6,000 bike hangers serving 20,000 users in the U.K., and since 2012, bike theft has occurred in less than 1% of all use cases. “We’ve also had hangars on the streets of San Francisco since last June with no problems,” he said. The company recommends locking bikes inside the hangar and is testing a lock that would attach to the racks inside the hangar. They also offer a lock ring anchored to the ground (as seen in video above).
Balto isn’t worried about theft. His day job is to promote and advocate for bike buses and he sees the Bikehangar as a powerful way to get more kids and families riding.
“We want to make it easy for people to bike and store their bikes and lock them up when they go to friends houses, and our current system doesn’t offer that,” he said. “I’ve had students who we’ve been able to give them a bike, but their parents say, ‘we can’t accept it because there’s no room in their apartment complex.’ One of the biggest barriers to communities being able to do bike busses is secure bike parking, and so this is a super easy, affordable way — with some municipal support — to be able to remove barriers to make it easier for children and families to choose biking and instead of driving their kids to school.”
Balto thinks the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) could be a perfect source for funding bike hangars citywide. He wants to do a pilot project this summer where a network of hangars are purchased and installed in a neighborhood and then ridership numbers are tracked. Balto is confident more people will ride with convenient, weatherproof access to their bikes.
