Key Crossing vote comes tomorrow
A key vote will be made tomorrow by the Columbia River Crossing Task Force. The 39-member panel will vote on how to move forward into the next phase of the project.
Advocacy
Portland picked to host world carfree conference
[A scene from Portland’s Car Free Days last September.] The city of Portland has been chosen to host the 2008 Towards Carfree Cities conference. The conference is a project of the World Carfree Network and it aims to “bring together people who are promoting practical alternatives to car dependence.” Portland will be the first U.S. … Read more
Metro passes Columbia Crossing resolution
Opponents of the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) Task Force’s plan to build a gargantuan, $2-6 billion new highway bridge claimed an important victory last night. Metro Councilors heard a steady stream of public testimony in support of two resolutions to study other alternatives that were put forth by Metro Councilors Rex Burkholder and Robert Liberty.
New Portland velodrome takes major step toward reality
[A new bill proposed by Oregon Sen. Jason Atkinson could bring a new velodrome to Portland. The Alpenrose Velodrome (shown above) is in need of expensive repairs and is not a year-round facility.]
"Vulnerable roadway user" proposal moves forward
The last, and most innovative of the BTA’s three legislative proposals is just one minor step from being an official bill. Their “vulnerable users” proposal will be turned into the House Judiciary Committee in Salem today. Here’s the official wording of the bill summary:
How a letter can lead to better biking
[Jessica Roberts is a letter-writing superstar.] Until the whole world shares our bike-friendly fantasies, it’s up to us to show people the way. This advocacy can take many forms, including the good, old-fashioned, well-mannered letter. Jessica Roberts is a pro at writing such letters. She’s had many of them published in newspapers and probably hundreds … Read more
Satisfy your Shift curiousity tonight
Shift is a grassroots, all-volunteer group that promotes bike fun in Portland. If you ride a bike in this fair city, you’ve probably heard of them or taken part in one of their events (whether your realized it or not). Shift is behind Breakfast on the Bridges, PedalPalooza, bike moves, and much more. They’re infectious … Read more
Let's shift the dialogue on the Columbia Crossing project
The Columbia River Crossing project is moving into a crucial phase, and it’s headed in the wrong direction. A few weeks ago, I expressed concern about this project. Since then I’ve learned more and heard from many experts who share my concerns. It’s now clear to me that we need to do something to stop … Read more
North Portland greenway trail moves toward vision
[Potential trail would go near University of Portland.]Photo: Scott Mizee/npGreenway Last night in North Portland the community got an update on npGreenway’s vision for a new riverfront trail that will someday link the St. John’s Bridge to the Eastbank Esplanade. A group of of about 25 citizens, trail advocates, and neighborhood leaders came together to … Read more
Proposed law would reduce speeds on narrow roads
[Without a new law, this is what some people must resort to.]
Changing stop sign laws could hurt more than help
[Stop sign with in NE Portland.]Photo: zervas/Flickr This is the second of two posts offering different perspectives on whether or not we should work to change existing stop sign laws. In the first post in this series the author claimed that allowing bicycles to treat some stop signs as yields is a much safer and … Read more
Why we should change stop sign laws
[Stop sign on N. Williams Ave.]Photo: haljon/Flickr A recent interview I published about an effort to change the laws around how bicycles treat stop signs touched of an engaging and lengthy debate (92 comments so far). In reaction, this is the first of two posts I will publish to present different perspectives on the proposed … Read more