North Portland tiki bar goes for Easter Island themed bike parking
Bike parking at The Alibi on N. Interstate. The racks were designed and fabricated by Matt Cartwright of Cartwright Design.(Photos © J. Maus)
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PBOT announces three month closure of SW Broadway
Beginning tomorrow (9/13), SW Broadway Drive just south of downtown Portland will be closed to all traffic for three months. The closure is for an unscheduled retaining wall project that will be conducted by the Bureau of Transportation. PBOT says the work is necessary to prevent a future landslide and/or roadway failure. SW Broadway is … Read more
Test rides lead to thefts of two bikes at local shops
Hey! Don’t get any wise ideas(Photo © J. Maus) Once again bike theft seems to be on the uptick in the Portland region. In August we had a record 109 stolen bike listings and we’re on pace for a big increase in September (52 listed already). This morning I learned of two thefts over the … Read more
What keeps ‘Portlandia’ star from riding? Streetcar tracks
“I got caught in there [rail tracks]. And it put the fear of death in me. And that was the last time.”— Portlandia star Fred Armisen on why he doesn’t plan to ride a bike when he moves to the Pearl District Often when I’ve brought up issues related to sub-par bicycling conditions that I … Read more
City working on educational video about bicycling near streetcar tracks
Existing streetcar track education effort.(Photo © J. Maus) The City of Portland is working with Portland Streetcar and streetcar project contractor Shiels Obletz Johnsen on a new educational video about how to ride a bicycle around streetcar tracks. City spokesperson Dan Anderson said the idea to do a video was spurred by a “desire to … Read more
The Monday Roundup
Here are the interesting stories that caught my eye this past week… — New York Times columnist Frank Bruni devoted a column to praise NYC Transportation Commissioner Jeannette Sadik-Khan. The piece has a lot of very vital lessons for Portland’s transportation and political leaders and it is quite relevant to our local situation. “So if … Read more
City says Portland students walk/bike more than twice national average
PBOT’s Safe Routes program is working.(Photo © J. Maus) Here’s some good news to start off the weekend… The Portland Bureau of Transportation announced today that more than 40 percent of students in their Safe Routes to School program walk or bike to school — which is more than twice the national average. According to … Read more
‘Vehicle’s only!’ stencil: Sign of a power shift on our roads?
Stencil seen in Mt. Tabor neighborhood.(Photo: Adam R.) Reader Adam R. sent me an interesting photo a few days ago. It’s a DIY stencil that’s apparently one of many painted on streets throughout Southeast Portland. It reads, “Vehicle’s Only!” and it’s written in all caps. Grammatical slip-ups aside (bikes are vehicles too and of course … Read more
Washington County installs first-ever buffered bike lanes
County traffic cam image of new buffered bike lanes. Roads in Washington County are getting more bike-friendly. As I write, County crews are putting the finishing touches on three miles of buffered bike lanes on SW Tualatin Sherwood Road from SW Teton to Baler (map). The seven-foot wide lanes give people on bikes a two-foot … Read more
At Eichler Park in Beaverton, a BMX/pump track is reborn (Photos)
Eric Carter rides in the newly rebuilt Eichler Bike Park.(All photos © Tim Zimmerman) The non-profit Northwest Trail Alliance has wrapped up work on their major renovation to the bike park in Eichler Park near downtown Beaverton (13710 SW Farmington Road). The new design features three different “jump lines” suitable for all skill levels as … Read more
Weekend Event Guide
Splash Dance Saturday!(Photo © J. Maus) Even though fall is threatening on the calendar, I hope you haven’t given up your summer riding state of mind. With temps set to soar this weekend, it should be great riding weather. Check out a sampling of the fun events happening this weekend… Friday, September 9th Midnight Mystery … Read more
Chris King’s “Angry Bee” ringtone benefits local trail group
Local bike part maker Chris King Precision Components has developed a ringtone for iPhones and is giving 100% of the sale proceeds to the Northwest Trail Alliance, a non-profit off-road trail advocacy organization. Hubs made by Chris King are known for their unique RingDrive engagement system that consists of 72 tiny, stainless steel teeth that … Read more