“We call for better access to city parks and recreation areas for off-road riding.”–From a statement issued today by a new coalition of mountain bike advocates Hoping to join the Platinum party and no longer wanting to play second fiddle to its on-street cousin, mountain biking in Portland is poised for progress. Today, a coalition … Read more
PUMP volunteers show that you’ve got to work before you can ride — so why not make it a party!(Photo: PUMP) Here’s a list of bike-related events and rides happening around Portland this weekend (May 3-4). I hope to make this a regular feature and publish it every Thursday morning so you can help plan … Read more
A staggeringly awesome raffle and silent auction. Free beer. Free food. Lots of great people. Support of a fund to improve bike safety in Portland. Do you have any reason not to go to the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund Benefit? Tonight, Bike Gallery (where Brett used to work) will host the event at their downtown … Read more
Bikes parked in front of the Smith Memorial Student Union on the campus of PSU.(Photo © J. Maus) May is shaping up to be quite a month for bike events in Portland. The City of Portland has already begun their festivities, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) will kick off their first-ever Walk and Bike Challenge … Read more
The stretch of SE Clinton where the collision occurred.(Photos © J. Maus) Back in August, I reported on a disturbing road-rage case where Johnny Eschweiler intentionally ran down Ben Ramsdell while he rode his bike on Clinton Street in Southeast Portland (Eschweiler also ended up colliding with a second person on a bike, Timothy Mastne). … Read more
Metro Council President David Bragdon — seen here at the Platinum press conference on Tuesday — has big plans for trails in our region.(Photos © J. Maus) Metro — an elected regional government that manages everything from parks and trails to solid waste and the Oregon Zoo — has launched a new effort to improve … Read more
Rob Widmer finished ahead of his brother Kurt — who drove the silver Acura in the background.(Photos © J. Maus) May is National Bike Month and this morning the City of Portland’s Transportation Options Division kicked off their festivities with a bike/car commute challenge. The event pitted Rob and Kurt Widmer (founders of Portland-based Widmer … Read more
In this photo taken in March,Blumenauer gets ready to ride in front of the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington DC.(Photo © J. Maus) In some ways Portland’s Platinum designation is more important for America than it is for our city. What the award does is to provide inspiration and an example to cities around … Read more
[Update: Download the presentation given by Commissioner Adams today at City Council (6MB, PDF)…or watch it on YouTube.] Adams making his case to City Council.(Bad phone photo) City Council is poised to hear an ordinance this morning that will authorize PDOT to “enter into a contract with Max J. Kuney Construction, owner of the old … Read more
Download article here (115 kb PDF)Copyright 2008 by John Schubert and reprinted with permission from Adventure Cyclist magazine In the April issue of Adventure Cyclist magazine, technical editor John Schubert writes that “poorly designed” bike lanes were to blame for the recent deaths of Tracey Sparling and Brett Jarolimek. In, Portland’s Agony: Two cyclists died … Read more
The mix of attendees at today’s press conference illustrated one of the main reasons Portland has catapulted above all other American cities on its way to achieving Platinum. We have stitched together a diverse coalition of activists, agencies, companies, advocates and organizations — all working together to move biking forward.
This photo was taken at Bridge Pedal in August of 2005. The “Sam” is City Commissioner Sam Adams, who has made achieving Platinum a priority.(Photos © J. Maus) Portland has gone Platinum. The League of American Bicyclists will officially announce later today that Portland has become the first major city in America to be designated … Read more