In response to climate and transportation activists who are wary of expanding I-5, both Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) leadership and politicians who voted ‘aye’ on the project have gestured to a consolation prize. IBRP planners – correctly – point out that the current bridge is unfriendly to people using active transportation, given the small … Read more
In an area of downtown Portland currently heavy with car traffic, planners see the potential for a place comparable to the great European city centers, with pedestrian-focused plazas and plenty of green space. A project designed by four Portland State University students – Emily D’Antonio, Ryan Martyn, Michel Rojas and Aidan Simpson – aims to … Read more
Being stopped in traffic is the most common way most people come into contact with the police, but we don’t all experience those stops equally. In Portland (and throughout the United States), people of color are overrepresented in traffic stops, with Black people experiencing the most drastic effects of this bias. And this is more … Read more
Have you noticed an increase in the amount of drivers using obscured license plates on their cars? We sure have. More and more people are trying to skirt the law — and avoid photo radar cameras — by making it hard to read their plates or removing them completely. For obvious reasons, these are illegal. … Read more
As we’ve learned firsthand recently, trees and plants make for very important additions to a bike route. Not only will a lush canopy help keep you cool riding around on a hot summer day, it’s also just pleasant to be able to look around while riding your bike and see the kind of greenery we … Read more
Construction of a long-awaited skatepark in Portland’s Old Town has officially begun. Well – sort of. The proposed Steel Bridge Skatepark, which will be located in a vacant lot in Old Town bordered by NW Naito Parkway, 1st Avenue, and Everett, has been a part of Portland’s Skate Park Master Plan for years. But despite … Read more
Back in April, before Oregon primary voters decided who would be up for the general gubernatorial election in November, we reported on a concerning comment from from one of the candidates. Former Oregon state senator Betsy Johnson (D-Scappoose) told radio host Lars Larson she didn’t want any transit, bike or pedestrian facilities on a new … Read more
A dip in a cool river on a hot day feels so much more refreshing after a bike ride. Thanks to Portland transportation advocacy groups The Street Trust and Bike Loud PDX, those inclined to bike to the river for The Big Float could arrive in style and show fellow floaters that biking to the … Read more
Cat people across Portland put on their whiskers and cat ears and gathered yesterday evening for the fourth annual Cat Ride, and it was a purr-fect success. (Groan all you want at my cat puns. I can’t resist.) While most of the attendees simply adopted feline energy with a cat-inspired costume, some kitty whisperers managed … Read more
“Projects are more likely to reach their full potential when they reduce the effects of an auto-oriented environment.” Have projects funded with Oregon Metro’s Regional Flexible Funds provided an economic return on investment? In partnership with Metro, Portland State University researchers embarked on a study to find out, and analyzed 12 of these projects funded … Read more
“There is always a new tip you can pick up.” – Armando Luna Portland-based nonprofit The Street Trust wants to make bike commuters out of as many people as possible, and through their clinics, wannabe commuters can get a rundown of what they need to know to start biking in Portland. Yesterday evening, I rode … Read more
It’s impossible to explain the crusade to reform the American transportation system with a quippy slogan. But a successful movement needs a catchy tagline, and some bike and transit activists have settled on “ban cars” as the t-shirt and sticker-worthy phrase to summarize their ideology. To the average car-dependent American, however, the rallying cry comes … Read more