Take a second to imagine this: A paved trail that connects Cathedral Park (under the St. Johns Bridge) with the Eastbank Esplanade! Monday night, 30 people put that image into motion by attending the first public meeting of the Friends of North Portland Willamette Greenway Trail. The “Friends of the Greenway” told us about their … Read more
(**For anyone sick of jabbering about the Hawthorne Bridge, stop reading right now and wait for my next post. It will be fun, I promise!). I feel like I’ve opened a can worms. My posts about the the new bike/ped markings on the Hawthorne Bridge have gotten many comments and I received an email from … Read more
[Update: more photos of the markings] In the past 24 hours I have heard from several reliable sources that the new Hawthorne Bridge markings were done with little to no input from cyclists. One bike advocacy insider went so far as to say: “I am incredibly disappointed in the County (again, I might add) for … Read more
[Update: more photos of the markings] Multnomah County work crews restriped the bike/ped path on the popular Hawthorne Bridge this morning. The new markings were done in an effort to “reduce conflicts between pedestrians and bicyclists” according to the official press release (PDF). Here’s more from the release:
Maria Rubia from the Mayor Potter’s office has requested a white paper from local bike advocate and lawyer Mark Ginsberg and Commissioner Sam Adams’ staffer Roland Chlapowski. The report is meant to detail “currently outstanding issues” with Critical Mass. The report should be completed in the next few weeks.
I know I’ve been harsh on ODOT in the past, but now I applaud them. A few weeks ago I posted something about a couple riding a tandem that had slipped on wet paint laid down by ODOT road crews. The paint had just been applied and no signs or cones were placed to warn … Read more
PDOT and Portland Streetcar, Inc. are embarking on a major project in the South Waterfront district. This new area will be like another Pearl District; complete with a streetcar line, tons of retail shops, and high-density, super expensive condos. Sounds great right?
Last night I heard a presentation by Matt Garrett, Region Manager for ODOT. He came to the PSU Traffic and Transportation class to give an overview of how ODOT fits into the transportation picture. As someone who is concerned about bike safety, and the livability of our cities, it was very unsettling to listen to … Read more
City leaders and key bike advocates are headed to Amsterdam next week. The trip was Sam Adams’ idea and the goal will be to learn how Amsterdam’s government officials and planners have been so successful at creating thriving urban cities that encourage people to get out of their cars. Jessica Roberts of the BTA hopes … Read more
At a press conference this morning the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) will announce their much-anticipated “top 40 essential projects programs, and policies.” This “Blueprint for Better Biking” was determined from a survey of over 900 Portland cyclists back in spring of 2004. From that survey, the BTA says 4 main areas of concern emerged: Cycling … Read more
How are local advocacy groups, the City of Portland, and the bike community working to make our streets safer? Here’s an update on some of the latest efforts: The BTA Besides their usual diligence of writing letters to the editor and op-eds, the BTA has assembled a Crash Response and Safety Team. This team consists … Read more
Jessica Roberts of the BTA was recently featured in an OPB radio interview about the Three Bridges Project. The Three Bridges Project will help cyclists navigate the Springwater Corridor trail from the Willamette east through Sellwood and beyond via new bridges at Johnson Creek, Hwy 99, and over the Union Pacific RR. The image below … Read more