New bike lanes on Dearborn; just in time for holiday shopping.(Photo: Green Lane Project) Like New York before them, Chicago has just taken a major step forward in becoming a city where biking is given equal respect to driving. Advocates are buzzing today as the Chicago Department of Transportation has striped a new, two-way bikeway … Read more
Fall colors on Madison between 3rd and 4th. Hey everyone, I’ve been wanting to get a bit more informal here on the Front Page. There are many things that cross my mind (and my desk) each week that I don’t post about; but that I want to share. And since Twitter is only 140 characters … Read more
Hales told BikePortland he wants, “More bike projects, more sidewalks, more connections for things that aren’t automobiles.”(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Mayor-elect Charlie Hales needs to publicly refute a story by KATU-TV that grossly misrepresents his views on transportation policy. Hales has been aware of the misrepresentation for at least two days now, and yet he … Read more
Riding on SW Broadway in downtown Portland.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) A new study by researchers at the University of British Columbia and published in the American Journal of Public Health shows that physcially separated, bicycle-specific infrastructure can lead to much lower risk of injury for people riding bicycles. Here’s more on the study from Atlantic … Read more
The scene at Flint/Broadway last week.(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland) Once again, two of the city’s most infamous stop sign locations are being targeted by the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). This morning, and two other days this week, multiple motorcycle cops have stationed themselves at the intersections of N. Flint and Broadway and SE Ladd Ave … Read more
Once again we find ourselves in the midst of the big debate: Should bike riders be required to have a license? This time it comes up following a decision by the City of Portland to partially close N. Wheeler Ave. The closure prevents all vehicles (not just cars and trucks) from turning right from Broadway … Read more
Bicycling on the paths in Waterfront Park is how many Portlanders get from point A to point B. But they’re also popular with tourists, people strolling during the lunch hour, jogging, and so on.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) The issue of new apartments being built in close-in neighborhoods without (or with very little) auto parking has been making headlines in Portland recently. I’m glad to see this story getting the attention it deserves. Portland has a parking problem and the first step to fixing it is awareness that it … Read more
We could do this if we wanted too.(Image: JC Choblet) Oh Paris, first you helped me fall in love with bike sharing thanks to your revolutionary Velib system. Now you’ve captured my heart once again by giving your iconic riverfront back to the people. I can only hope it sparks as many copycats as Velib … Read more
A reader just made me aware of a recent editorial in the Portland Business Journal that deserves wider attention. Given the fact that there remain some powerful business interests who feel that Portland’s inevitable march toward better bike access on our roads is at odds with their bottom lines, the PBJ editorial board stood up … Read more
It happens.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) One of the biggest urban bicycling planning conundrums facing Portland (and other cities?) right now is how to decrease the prevalence of right-hook collisions. The majority of our bikeways here in Portland are to the immediate right of right-turning motor vehicle traffic at intersections. That scenario brings with it some … Read more
PBOT’s new campaign.(Photo: Alberta Main Street/FB) An interesting development in the main-street vs side-streets debate was brought to my attention by a reader this morning. As part of a marketing campaign around their marquee bike boulevard, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has placed several signs on NE Alberta Street to encourage folks to ride … Read more
Comment of the Week: We need more public restrooms downtown