Dabby, (a veteran Portland messenger and regular commenter) just sent me an interesting bit of news. The Washington Area Bicyclists Association, an advocacy group in DC, has worked with the Washington DC Department of Transportation to amend their law to explicitly allow fixed gear bicycles to be used without separate hand brakes.
[Movie still from 1954 GMpropaganda film. (Click to watch)] America’s pervasive car culture is a major barrier to making bicycles a respected mode of transportation. Many of the decision makers, planners, and traffic engineers in cities throughout the country were brought up to think that driving everywhere in a private car was an essential part … Read more
I recently stumbled upon Steven Reed Johnson’s excellent history of Portland’s bicycle “movement”. In that paper, he details the formation of the Portland’s first official group of bicycle activists: “In November 1971, the City of Portland created the first citizen committee to examine bicycle programs in the city, the Bicycle Path Task Force (led by … Read more
The issue of enforcement against bicycles is contributing to an increasingly acrimonious relationship between the Police Bureau and some members of the bike community. In addition to the well-publicized and unresolved fixed-gear bicycle issue, allegations of selective enforcement are still being made, especially by downtown messengers who feel they’re being unfairly targeted for both fixed-gears … Read more
[Get Lit display at the 2005 BikeCraft.] The Community Cycling Center (CCC) plans to take over the popular Get Lit program, run by citizen activist Jeff Bernards since 2003. The plan is “still in the works” according to the CCC’s Alison Hill, who also says, “We’re excited about the opportunity to continue Get Lit. It’s … Read more
The Community Cycling Center has just announced their annual Bicyclist Safety Mini-Grant Program. These grants (up to $5,000) are available for projects that, “promote the safety of bicyclists in Oregon.” Last year, these grants helped fund the Share the Road Mural, a Shift helmet giveaway, and the popular Get Lit program. The grants are available … Read more
[Ron Buel of Riverfront for People wants tobury the East Bank freeway.] About a month ago I had lunch with Ron Buel of Riverfront for People. He had an idea to share with the bike community and wanted to get some feedback. I quickly found out that this wasn’t just any old idea… Buel is … Read more
ODOT needs to hear from cyclists about how they should spend a big pot of money set aside for “Transportation Enhancements”. This money must go to projects, “that strengthen the cultural, aesthetic, or environmental value of our transportation system.”
“Oregon needs a new law making it illegal to cause serious bodily injury or death to a bicyclist due to ordinary negligence.”-Lawyer Ray Thomas Lawyer Ray Thomas is working to add language to existing driver negligence laws to make it easier to charge motorists with serious crimes when they cause major injury or death to … Read more
PDOT’s Transportation Options division is working on a new safety campaign tentatively called “See and Be Seen.” The program will encourage cyclists to use lights and increase their visibility as well as reminding motorists to take extra care around cyclists. They’re still working on final pieces of the program but I’ve gotten word that a … Read more
[A helping hand makesall the difference.] Two months ago, Southeast Uplift started a Bike Buddy Pilot Project and they’ve just released a recap of how it went. The goal of the project was to connect newbies (New Riders) with mentors (Bike Buddies). According to SEUL, the program succeeded, “Most New Riders expressed an increased level … Read more
Metro has narrowed their list of transportation projects down to a “first-cut list” and is now seeking public comment to decide which ones get funded. There are several opportunities for public comment and your chance to weigh in ends on December 1st.