“There’s no way we could have put in the facilities we’ve put in in the last 20 years without the bike tax.”— A Colorado Springs city planner as told to the Gazette newspaper In light of the bike excise tax idea that is being mulled about here in Oregon, I thought I’d share a story … Read more
Riding naked is a “well-establishedtradition”.(Photo © J. Maus) The Oregonian reports that a Multnomah County Judge has thrown out indecent exposure charges in a naked biking case because he feels that it’s a, “‘well-established tradition’ in Portland and understood as a form of ‘symbolic protest.’” Here’s a snip from the Oregonian’s story: Judge Jerome LaBarre … Read more
Let’s help the county pick a better bridge.(Photo © J. Maus) Multnomah County has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Sellwood Bridge Project. Included in the DEIS are details of the five bridge design configurations that are being considered. Now, the County needs your feedback to help them decide what type of … Read more
Liz Dickey will return this year with her fantastic bike-inspired clocks.(Photo © J. Maus) BikeCraft IV is just around the corner! Wednesday, December 10th, at Roots Organic Brewing (on SE 7th, just south of Hawthorne). The event is in Roots’ great new space next door to the regular bar, and will go from 5:30 until … Read more
*[UPDATE: I have edited this story to clarify that the bike tax is not, at this time, a part of Governor Kulongoski’s Jobs and Transportation Act.] The BTA’s Karl Rohde (in red) says he supports the concept of a bike tax.(Photo J. Maus) Both Metro and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) are supportive of an … Read more
This woman stays dry and visible with a poncho.(Photos © J. Maus) Monsoon season is upon us in Portland. When you jump on your bike these days, you never know what awaits you; wind, rain, leaf-strewn (and slippery) bike lanes, or all of the above (no ice yet, but that’s coming too). This time of … Read more
A very cool new sign.(Photos: Adam Reiser) Custom Bicycles of Portland — the new Guru Bicycles concept store we profiled a few weeks ago — had their first official day of business on Saturday. The store offers a unique, Dell Computer-like approach to bike retail. Only one brand is offered and customers can choose any … Read more
Doug McCollum A pioneering traffic design and engineering specialist who rode his bike to work every day and helped forge PDOT’s bike-friendly disposition, passed away on October 30th after a long bout with brain cancer. Portland native Doug McCollum graduated from Portland State University in 1985, was hired by the Water Bureau one year later … Read more
“There’s a new Con-way fleet on the road.”— copy from a new ad by freight logistics company Con-way Con-way is a $4.7 billion freight transportation and logisitics company based in Northwest Portland. I’ve long admired their large, secured, and covered “bike cage” parking area and I’ve previously covered their above-and-beyond participation in the BTA’s Bike … Read more
A ‘cross racer dressed up like a swamp monster riding through a huge wall of bubbly foam: It must be SSCXWC.Slideshow below — Gallery here(Photos © J. Maus)
Governor Ted Kulongoski held a hearing in front of lawmakers this morning in Salem to announce his Jobs and Transportation Act of 2009. In an effort to raise money to pay for transportation infrastructure improvements and create jobs, Kulongoski proposed a 2-cent increase to the gas tax and a host of motor vehicle-related fees. The … Read more
Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder and his partner Lydia Rich have established a scholarship to promote bike/ped research.(Photo © J. Maus) BTA co-founder and Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder and his partner Lydia Rich (a public school teacher in North Portland) have made a commitment to Portland State University’s growing reputation as a hub for livable cities … Read more