🚨 Please note that BikePortland slows down during this time of year as I have family in town and just need a break! Please don't expect typical volume of news stories and content. I'll be back in regular form after the new year. Thanks. - Jonathan 🙏

ODOT urged to consider road diet on Barbur Blvd

ODOT map. The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) plans to spend $5 million to rehabilitate and repave the Vermont and Newbury bridges on SW Barbur Blvd just south of downtown Portland. Southwest neighborhood activists, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the Portland Bureau of Transportation and others see the project as a golden opportunity to improve bike … Read more


BTA 2013 legislative push: More funding, lower speeds, more enforcement

BTA Advocacy Director Gerik Kransky at Velo Cult last night.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) The Bicycle Transportation Alliance has embarked on their 2013 legislative campaign. Last night they revealed that the three bills they plan to lobby for center around funding, speed limits, and enforcement. The bills are substantial and they mark a full-force return to … Read more


Thieves steal tandem from Vancouver couple that can’t drive – UPDATED

White Peugeot tandem stolen in Vancouver.(Photo: Kimberlee Turner) Several readers have shared a bike theft story from just over the river that deserves wider attention. According to The Columbian, a young married couple that live in Vancouver have had their tandem stolen. The reason I’m putting this on the Front Page is because the couple, … Read more


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National data shows bike fatalities up 8.7 percent in 2011

New analysis of traffic collision data released today by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) shows a decrease in overall fatalities from 2010 to 2011. However, in the “pedalcyclist” category (the strange word the feds use to describe people that are biking) there was an 8.7 percent increase. The new … Read more


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Grassroots campaign blossoms for major bikeway on SE Foster

On FosterUnited.org Citizen activist, transportation planner, and southeast Portland resident Nick Falbo has upped the ante in the grassroots effort to add a high-quality bikeway to SE Foster Road. As we reported last month, the City of Portland and residents are currently working on an update to the Foster Road Streetscape Plan and a new … Read more


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Pay-per-mile auto insurance company launches in Portland

This little device plugs into you car’s diagnostic port and then records mileage and other trip data.(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland) MetroMile, which launched in Oregon today, is the first company in the nation to offer pay-per-mile auto insurance. The company is targeting its services at the growing number of Americans — particularly those under 40 … Read more


Parks’ proposal puts North Portland Greenway ‘Trail’ on surface streets – UPDATED

Portland Parks & Rec says they’ll move forward with using this portion of N Interstate for the Willamette Greenway Trail. (Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland) The dream for the North Portland Greenway trail project has always been to extend the Eastbank Esplanade to St. Johns along the river. It was envisioned as a path that would … Read more


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Green Lane Project director in town next week for panel discussion

Roskowski at the NACTO Designing Cities conference last month.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Martha Roskowski, the director of the Green Lane Project will be in Portland next week and she’ll moderate a discussion with local transportation officials about bikeway design. The event is set for Tuesday night (12/4) from 6:30 to 8:00 pm and it’s being … Read more


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Bike-based contractor denied service at metal recycler for not being in a motor vehicle

Chris Sanderson of Builder By Bike.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Chris Sanderson is a Portland-based licensed general contractor. Like many people in his line of work, he does a far amount of demolition and hauling for his clients. But unlike other contractors, Sanderson’s company vehicle is a bicycle, not a truck. Sanderson owns Builder By Bike … Read more


Jay Graves retires, sells Bike Gallery chain

Jay Graves, the former — yes former — owner and president of Bike Gallery, as seen yesterday.(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland) Jay Graves announced his retirement as owner and operator of the six-store Bike Gallery chain this morning. Graves has passed on management duties to longtime Bike Gallery employee Kelly Aicher. Aicher now has an ownership … Read more