🚨 Please note: BikePortland is currently on hiatus and only publishing guest articles. Learn more here. Thank you. - Jonathan 🙏
Whose cars? Our cars! An economy putting the pinch on pocketbooks, rising gas prices, foreign oil imported from terrorist havens, a bankrupt federal infrastructure budget — all of these factors (and others) are creating a perfect political storm that could lead to a significant change in U.S. energy policy. With about 2/3 of our country’s … Read more
Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about.(Photos © J. Maus) PBOT has once again decided to create a loop of streets in East Portland carfree for five hours this Sunday. This crazy scheme to force people out of their cars and into the streets to meet their neighbors and enjoy their community is called “Sunday Parkways”. … Read more
Where the bike lane ends. Remember the disappearing bike lane case? I’m happy to report that it reached a positive conclusion — at least in the civil case of Carmen Piekarski. First, let’s go back to December 2009… Piekarski was riding her bike eastbound on SE Hawthorne approaching SE 10th Ave. While in the intersection, … Read more
Bryant Bridge over I-5.(Photo © J. Maus) The Bryant Street Bridge over I-5 in North Portland will close for two days next week. The closure is good news; it means a project that we first reported on in August 2006 is finally moving forward. The Piedmont Neighborhood has been working on this project since 2007. … Read more
No love from Clackamas residents.(Photo © J. Maus) In case you haven’t heard, Clackamas County voters soundly rejected (63-37 percent) a $5 annual vehicle registration fee that would have raised $22 million to help pay for the ailing Sellwood Bridge over the Willamette River. The fee was passed by the Clackamas County Board of Commissioners … Read more
PBOT says ‘Bikes in Roadway’ signs aren’t the right approach for Sandy.(Photo © J. Maus) Remember our story last week about NE Sandy Blvd? We shared the experience of riding on that large arterial street through the eyes of Esther Harlow. Despite a lack of comfortable bike access, many people like Harlow prefer riding on … Read more
Syrup for cycling.(Photos © J. Maus) This morning I swung by Pioneer Courthouse Square to partake in a grand Portland tradition — the Bike to Work Breakfast. The crowd wasn’t too big this year (I think as biking becomes more normal, events like this lose their appeal to some); but that just meant more hot … Read more
Last night, The Oregonian’s commuting reporter and columnist Joseph Rose published an article about Portland Mayor Sam Adams’ budget decisions. The article, Portland Mayor Sam Adams boosts funding for bike projects, but now there’s less for paving streets, attempts to make the point that Adams’ decision to allocate a larger percentage of discretionary revenue to … Read more
A better bikeway in this section is back under consideration.(Photo © J. Maus) A report released last night (PDF here) on the April 16th open house for the North Williams Traffic Safety Operations Project shows that, after hearing overwhelming support from the community, PBOT and their project team will further consider reducing Williams to one … Read more
For many singletrack lovers in Portland, the lack of local riding opportunities is a constant bummer. (That’s why we saw so much community support for more singletrack in Forest Park.) For really good trails, you’ve got to hop in a car and drive a minimum of about 45 minutes — or you can use the … Read more
Ramp outside River City Bicycles.(Photo: Dave Guettler) About a week ago, River City Bicycles built a concrete quarter-pipe in their parking lot outside their store on SE Martin Luther King Blvd just north of the Morrison Bridge. Shop owner Dave Guettler installed the ramp so employees and customers could practice tricks and have a bit … Read more
Federal funds could be used for better bikeways in East Portland.(Photos © J. Maus) The City of Portland and counties throughout the region are busy putting their project wish lists together to apply for about $22.5 million in federal grants. The money is distributed by Metro and is part of a $70 million pot known … Read more