The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) has written an op-ed in response to last Friday’s Portland Tribune headline story on bike safety. The headline that ran on the front page was, “Walk, ride at your peril”. The BTA thinks this alarmist headline “irresponsible journalism” because both walking and riding remain relatively very safe activities. They go … Read more
The Willy Week gets major street cred for choosing a reckless motorist their “Rogue of the Week”. Turns out one of their own reporters, Angela Valdez, was seriously injured by a motorist last week on NE 15th and NE Prescott. The driver turned right directly in front of her and still thought it wasn’t his … Read more
Ryan Hume at the Willamette Week did a great job with his story on the St. Johns Bridge and cyclists in this week’s Willy Week. I met with Ryan and exchanged several emails about the story and I can honestly say he is a solid reporter. But I can’t resist commenting on his line that … Read more
Last night a cyclist was struck and killed near Delta Park in North Portland . The vehicle did not stop and is currently at large. The cyclist’s identity has not been released. As you may know, this is not the first cyclist killed by a car this summer. There is an unfortunate yet undeniable trend … Read more
…all four of them. Well, I heard ODOT has just finished painting the lanes on the St. Johns Bridge. I was out that way recently and decided to take a closer look. It doesn’t look good for recreational cyclists. There is little to no shoulder and the sidewalk isn’t exactly roomy (not to mention it’s … Read more
There has been a lot of talk this summer about the amount of cyclists killed on Portland’s roadways. In my opinion no amount of infrastructure, bike lanes, signs, or clever engineering can truly make cyclists safe on the streets. Let’s be honest, we’re 100% vulnerable to cars whenever we’re out there. That being said, I … Read more
[I received this information from an inside source in the Oregon bike advocacy scene, I will post a link to the full press release when it is available online.] This just in from the office of Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore): ‘Conserve By Bike’ Provision Included in Energy Bill $6.2 Million Pilot Program Designed to Spur … Read more
Last night a fun-loving group of Portland cyclists rode across the St. Johns Bridge sans clothing to make a statement about how vulnerable cyclists will be if ODOT (Oreg. Dept. of Transp.) goes throught with their non-bike-friendly bridge remodel plans. Here’s a report of the ride: The ride went off to rousing success. 14 free-spirited … Read more
A while back I posted something about how ODOT (Ore. Dept. of Transportation) had decided not to make cycling safe on the St. Johns Bridge. ODOT has caved into special interest groups and ignored the research on traffic congestion on the bridge. The result is a remodel plan that makes crossing the bridge dangerous for … Read more
In an effort to retain access for mountain bikes in the backcountry, the Oregon Mountain Bike Alliance (ORMBA) and the International Mountain Bike Association (IMBA) have teamed up on an innovative plan that suggests new ways to look at “wilderness” designations in Mt. Hood National Forest. At issue here is how the Feds define “wilderness”. … Read more
This just in: This Saturday (June 18th) there will be a Community Workshop about planning for Division Street. The workshop will be at Richmond Elementary School (2276 SE 41st) in the cafeteria. It will be from 9 am to Noon. This workshop will give the community an opportunity to weigh in on proposed zoning changes, … Read more
I’m happy to report that after meeting with the BTA‘s Jessica Roberts yesterday, I am now a full-fledged member! I even put the cool little yellow sticker right here on my laptop. It was great to tour the office and put faces to the names floating around my inbox. The BTA is really doing some … Read more