[At National Night Out in the Piedmont neighborhood, 8/2/05] OK everyone, here’s your chance to let the City of Portland know that volunteer, neighborhood bike patrols would be a new program worthy of their support. First, some background. I recently met with stakeholders from the Mayor’s Office, the Office of Neighborhood Involvement, the county District … Read more
[Taken after our meeting at Northeast Precinct yesterday.] From L to R, Back row: Commander Jim Ferraris (North Precinct, PPB), Havilah Ferschweiler (N Portland Crime Prevention, ONI) , Commander Bret Smith (NE Precinct, PPB), John Canda (Mayor’s Office of Youth Crime Prevention); Front row: Mary Tompkins (NE Portland Crime Prevention, ONI), Stephanie Reynolds (Crime Prevention … Read more
“Last weekend I was riding down NE Skidmore in broad sunlight, they walked out into the street as I passed and punched me…”-Gabriel Amadeus, in a comment on the Portland Mercury blog In the last few days I’ve heard of two more attacks on cyclists. Both of them happened in Northeast Portland. One near the … Read more
[From today’s Oregonian. Read the article.] For the second time in a row, Oregonian columnist Renee Mitchell has devoted her column (which appears on the front page of the Metro section) to the power of the pedal. Last Wednesday she wrote about how the community came together to recover Erin Greeson’s $2,000 stolen bike. Now, … Read more
[John Canda, head of the Mayor’s Office on Youth Crime Prevention] On Wednesday I met with John Canda to hear his perspectives on how bikes might play a larger role in community policing. John is the Mayor’s youth crime prevention czar. Prior to that, he led the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, one of six coalitions … Read more
Since I proposed a neighborhood meeting last week (in response to community reaction to an attack on cyclists in North Portland), I’ve been thinking about the issues, reading comments, seeking advice, and trying to determine the best way forward. Some issues on the table — race, gentrification, youth violence — are vast and complex and … Read more
In light of recent events, I feel (and so do many others) that there is a great need for us to come together and discuss how to make our North Portland neighborhoods safer and more livable for everyone. I realize we cannot solve all the problems, but I know there is vast potential if we … Read more
[Click here for full story.Click here for the director’s cut interview.] Last night on the 11 o’clock news, KATU-TV (Portland’s ABC affiliate) ran a story titled, “Have cyclists become a target?” The KATU story aired as a direct result of the many comments received in response to the post about a pair of cyclists who … Read more
Since I realize some folks don’t always follow all the comments on every post, I thought I’d feature this one just left by Megan, who I assume to be a close friend of Ashley Gorman and Heather Moles, the cyclists who were attacked on their bikes near Legacy Hospital on January 10th. It reveals some … Read more
The recent incident involving a group of teens that attacked two cyclists in North Portland has sparked dialogue about the safety, race, and vulnerability of cyclists. In the over 70 comments listed so far, I was amazed at how many other people reported being attacked while on their bikes, and how the majority of them … Read more
Check out this story I just read from KATU-TV: Photo from KATU broadcast. “Two cyclists said they were attacked by three teenagers near a north Portland bus stop on Wednesday. The women, Ashley Gorman and her co-worker Heather Moles, were riding their bikes home from work when the attack occurred near Legacy Emanuel Hospital.
Comment of the Week: A 45-year bike commuter weighs in