[The Eastbank Esplanade] KGW reports that Sunset Magazine, which bills itself as “The Magazine of Western Living,” has ranked the “Willamette River Loop” the fifth best bike ride in the (western) U.S. Fifth place wouldn’t be so bad, but we’re behind a trail in Los Angeles, California…ouch! (I can make fun of L.A. because I’m … Read more
[Future site of a bike trail?] This just in from Jessica Roberts (formerly of the BTA, now with Alta Planning): I’m sure you know all too well how dangerous and unpleasant it is to ride a bike on Highway 43 between Lake Oswego and Portland. In fact, the BTA listed this project as one of … Read more
The $4.7 million, three-year project to create three new bicycle and pedestrian bridges along the Springwater Corridor Trail is finally nearing completion. According to Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder‘s September newsletter, a ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for October 19th. Organizers are still working out details, but save the date for this historic event! The graphic … Read more
[Update: According to a PDOT press release, this new signal is operational as of 9:00AM today, 10/10/06] [As of August 30th]Photo: flickrplease The intersection at E. Burnside and 41st streets will soon be much safer for bicyclists and pedestrians. PDOT is installing a new, high-tech crossing signal that is slated for completion by the end … Read more
I just received the final bridge bike traffic counts. Overall, the average daily number of bicyclists that ride across our four main downtown bridges (Steel, Broadway, Burnside, Hawthorne) was up 18% in 2006. PDOT also has non-bridge bike traffic counts from about 20 or so other key locations throughout the city. They haven’t yet organized … Read more
[Graphic from cover of winning proposal to renovate the Sellwood Bridge.] An employee for the civil engineering firm that won the bid to renovate the Sellwood Bridge* is working on the Sellwood Bridge project has forwarded me a graphic from the cover of their winning proposal that shows a generous 14 foot wide path for … Read more
PDOT is close to releasing their 2006 bridge counts and so far the results are very exciting. In 2005, the average daily bicycle traffic over the four main downtown bridges was up over 10,000 for the first time ever and showed a three-fold increase from 1995. This year, preliminary reports show a 20% increase over … Read more
[The Bryant Street bike/ped bridgeover I-5 in North Portland.] Yesterday I met ODOT transportation planner Joyce Felton. Joyce is in charge of the seven community enhancement projects ODOT is funding as part of their I-5 Delta Park Project. One of those projects is the Bryant Street Overpass, a bicycle and pedestrian bridge that crosses I-5 … Read more
[Click here to seethe rest of his display.] We have a lot of highways in Portland. Maybe too many of them. They require huge public subsidies to build and maintain, they break up neighborhoods, they promote sprawl, they encourage more driving and thus more pollution, they are the site of daily fatal crashes, and their … Read more
[The infamous Broadway Blvd.bike lane in front of the Benson Hotel.] The use and installation of bike lanes has long been a debate within bike advocacy circles. On one side, you’ve got some cyclists who feel we should ride defensively on the roadway and that bike lanes offer only a dangerous and false sense of … Read more
[City bike coordinatorRoger Geller.] You’re not officially a bike geek until you’ve spent an evening with the 13 super-volunteers that make up the Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC). The BAC advises City Council and various city bureaus on bike-related matters and holds monthly public meetings “to review projects of interest to cyclists and discuss bike … Read more
I got a surprising phone call yesterday from ODOT regional manager Charles Sciscione. He was responding to my post back on June 15th titled, St. Johns Bridge still unsafe after 75 years. I wrote that post out of frustration that ODOT was celebrating the 75 year anniversary of the bridge by touting the recent renovation … Read more