In light of recent events, I feel (and so do many others) that there is a great need for us to come together and discuss how to make our North Portland neighborhoods safer and more livable for everyone. I realize we cannot solve all the problems, but I know there is vast potential if we … Read more
[Click here for full story.Click here for the director’s cut interview.] Last night on the 11 o’clock news, KATU-TV (Portland’s ABC affiliate) ran a story titled, “Have cyclists become a target?” The KATU story aired as a direct result of the many comments received in response to the post about a pair of cyclists who … Read more
[Bike patrol officers stopped by a Mocktails event in September 2006.] Do you think Portland would be a better place if we had more cops patrolling our neighborhoods on bikes rather than in cars and on motorcycles? I do. I strongly believe that more bike patrols would be a great way to deal with our … Read more
Via the BTA Blog and an ad on Jack Bog’s blog comes news that BTA Executive Director Evan Manvel will the guest on Outlook Portland this Sunday morning (1/21) at 6:30AM. Show host Nick Fish will talk with Evan about the BTA’s legislative work and cycling in Oregon. The show is on Broadcast Channel 32, … Read more
The recent incident involving a group of teens that attacked two cyclists in North Portland has sparked dialogue about the safety, race, and vulnerability of cyclists. In the over 70 comments listed so far, I was amazed at how many other people reported being attacked while on their bikes, and how the majority of them … Read more
[Survey boundary map.] PDOT’s Transportation Options Division has just released an interesting comparison of survey results based on their SmartTrips program. SmartTrips — formerly known as the “Hub” project — is the name given to their annual marketing program that promotes biking, walking, and public transit in a selected geographic area. In 2006 the target … Read more
[Scott Bricker hustles in the hallways between meetings.] After posting my first Salem report, BTA bike lobbyist Scott Bricker and I set off for two more meetings. The first was with Representative Jeff Barker, a Democrat who represents Beaverton and Aloha. This meeting (as usual) would only last about 15 minutes and with three full … Read more
[BTA’s Scott Brickerinside the Capitol.] It’s been a busy morning. After negotiating Portland’s icy streets, BTA Policy Director Scott Bricker and I made our way down to Salem. For Scott, it was just another day at work, but for me it was an opportunity to learn more about how a bike lobbyist works the system … Read more
The punch that started it all. It’s been one year since the news broke of Randy Albright’s lawsuit against TriMet. The story sparked a heated local dialogue, garnered national media attention and had a major impact on this site and the Portland bike community. At the time, it was by far the biggest story I … Read more
[Commissioner Adams led the meeting.] Last Thursday at the Kenton Firehouse in North Portland, I attended one of Commissioner Sam’s Budget Town Hall meetings to discuss the finances and issues around transportation (PDOT), environmental services (BES), and community art (RACC). This was one of seven similar meetings being held throughout Portland’s various neighborhood districts. Sam … Read more
PDOT has just sent me results from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. According to the numbers, Portland’s bike commute mode split has grown 96% from 2000 to 2005, nearly doubling from 1.79% to 3.51% (mode split is just a wonky way to refer to the % of usage of various transportation modes). Check … Read more
There seems to be a lot of interest in the community about the bike-related legislation going on in Salem this year. I’ve been doing my best to stay in touch with all of it and I will write about developments as they come in. Here’s what I know so far. BTA Policy Director Scott Bricker … Read more