Equal Footing campaign logo A partnership of national advocacy organizations, led by North Portland resident and former executive director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, is attempting something that has never been done in America: galvanize a powerful grassroots walking movement.
An excellent volunteer opportunity just came in from our friends to the south: Clackamas County Commissioners need eight volunteers to serve on their Pedestrian/Bikeway Advisory Committee. Here’s the press release with more information: Promote safe bicycling and walking by serving on the Pedestrian/Bikeway Advisory Committee Clackamas County Commissioners are seeking eight volunteers to serve for … Read more
Here’s an interesting advocacy alert from the Washington County Bicycle Transportation Coalition. They’re hoping the Hillsboro Parks Commission will grant them a variance to allow an event ride to pedal through an area park. An excerpt from their action alert is below (read the whole thing here): The Tour de Parks planning committee is asking … Read more
A new Streetfilm (watch it below) taken during the recent Velo-City Global conference in Copenhagen is like a refuge in a storm. Here in Portland (and across the country), we still struggle with resentment over bike lanes, a local media that’s happy to stir it up, people wanting to ban bikes completely because they’re simply … Read more
James Corless in Southwest Portland this morning.(Photo © J. Maus) James Corless, the Director of Transportation For America — a national coalition of 400 organizations pushing for a new transportation program — is in Portland today. Corless is here to meet with local experts, learn about Portland’s innovations, and share an update on their campaign … Read more
“A disproportionate share of… dollars available for transportation projects… are being allocated to… bicycle, pedestrian, and commuter infrastructure while critical freight-related projects go unfunded.” — From a BEST coalition document As I detailed on Wednesday, active transportation advocates are mobilizing to thwart an attempt by freight and business advocates to get a larger piece of … Read more
Freight or bikes? A Metro committee is being pulled both ways.(Photo © J. Maus) Next week, Metro’s 17-member Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT) will vote on a policy direction that will guide them in handing out $20-24 million in federal transportation funds. With scarce transportation dollars at stake these days, freight and active … Read more
The buffered bike lane on SE Holgate is the subject of a public forum tomorrow.(Photos © J. Maus) While many people that love bikes in and around Portland are moving to the constant rhythm of Pedalpalooza, let us not forget that without attention to advocacy, the streets we dance on and ride naked upon wouldn’t … Read more
[Publisher’s note: I’ve got a lot of opinions, but it’s perilous for me to try and weave them into the daily news stories here. So I’m going to try and start writing them up, once a week, in the form of the Friday Opinion column. Here goes…] Seen on Mississippi Ave. over the weekend.(Photo © … Read more
League President Andy Clarke riding in Vancouver in 2005. (Former BTA Executive Director Evan Manvel is on his left).(Photo © J. Maus) Andy Clarke, President of the national non-profit League of American Bicyclists has personally weighed into the fight to save Vancouver’s bike program from impending budget cuts. As currently proposed, Vancouver’s Transportation Improvement Program … Read more
Former Vancouver Mayor Royce Pollard (L) and Andy Clarke from the League of American Bicyclists in June 2006.(Photo © J. Maus) As Vancouver residents and advocates work to save that city’s Bike Program from the budget chopping block, The Columbian newspaper says now’s just not a good time to ask. In an “In our view” … Read more
Gerik Kransky (BTA) and Leah Jackson (Bike Me! Vancouver) at last night’s council meeting.(Photo: Marcus Griffith) Vancouver City Council heard testimony regarding the proposed elimination of Vancouver’s Bike Program from more than twenty bike advocates from both sides of the river during last night’s city council meeting. Although, the full public hearing and final vote … Read more