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6/20: Hello readers and friends. I am having my second (of two) total knee replacement surgeries today so I'll be out of commission for a bit while I recover. Please be patient while I get back to full health. I hope to be back to posting as soon as I can. I look forward to getting back out there. 🙏. - Jonathan Maus, BikePortland Publisher and Editor
Last night, KGW aired a report about Friday’s road rage incident. The headline of the story on their website is “Driver frustrated cyclist wasn’t sharing road”. Reporter Jane Smith presented the incident like this: “Police say he (Eschweiler) got into a confrontation with bicyclist Ben Ramsdell. Investigators say Ramsdell kicked Eschweiler’s vehicle. Eschweiler than struck … Read more
(Photo: Jonathan Maus) The Portland Police Bureau has named Vince Jarmer as the new Commander of the Traffic Division. The change became effective as of August 9th. Jarmer was formerly the Lieutenant of the Traffic Division (under former Commander Bill Sinnott) and was most recently Captain of the Personnel Division. Jarmer takes over the commander … Read more
The Justice Center(Photo: Jonathan Maus) A few minutes ago, at the Justice Center in downtown Portland, Johnny Eschweiler plead not guilty to all charges brought against him in last Friday’s road rage incident. Eschweiler was led into the courtroom in handcuffs and a blue jumpsuit. With disheveled hair and a somewhat confused-looking countenance, he stood … Read more
I just got off the phone with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office, where the case of Johnny Eschweiler (the driver in Friday’s road rage incident) is being processed. Eschweiler will be arraigned later today at the Justice Center in downtown Portland. Here are the official charges that will be brought against him:
Friday’s tragic road rage incident against two bicyclists on SE Clinton Street has left the community with more questions than answers. Following the incident, news outlets immediately reported that one of the cyclists kicked the car, but that detail has still not been confirmed. I spoke with one of the cyclists, Ben Ramsdell from his … Read more
Willy Week’s says it’s a “cry for attention”.(Photo: Jonathan Maus) This week’s edition of the Willamette Week is all real wank-fest. They rant away on all sorts of stuff, including bikes. Here are the bike-related things that made it into their “kvetchfest” issue (emphasis is mine): Double-Tall Bikes They may be channeling absurdist Parisian street … Read more
Ben Ramsdell’s commute to work was cut short yesterday after an altercation with a motorist on SE Clinton Blvd (between SE 11th and 12th) resulted in broken bones and a stay in the hospital. Ramsdell says he doesn’t remember all the details of the incident but that he does not feel his actions warranted the … Read more
[Updated 8/17, 10:23pm] Here’s the word from the Oregonian blog (full story): Portland police say a 46-year-old driver appears to have intentionally used his car to strike two bicyclists who were riding along Southeast Clinton Street this afternoon. The cyclists, whom police haven’t yet identified (see below), were taken to Oregon Health Sciences University with … Read more
Michael Wolfe, a few days beforehis Parisian adventure.(Photo: Jonathan Maus) Local cyclist Michael Wolfe is on his way to Paris to compete in the 16th Paris-Brest-Paris Grande Randonée: a bike race with roots that go back to 1891. Held every four years, the PBP is considered the most prestigious and celebrated randonneuring event in the … Read more
There has been some confusion about whether or not passengers on TriMet MAX trains are required to move for bicycles in the designated bike hook area. Now, in a comment exchange from a post back in April TriMet has clarified that passengers are not required to move in order to make room for bicycles. Here’s … Read more
New Belgium’s Chris Winn at last year’s Tour de Fat.Slide show below(Photo: Jonathan Maus) This Saturday, New Belgium Brewery brings their eccentric brand of bike fun to Waterfront Park. Their Tour de Fat is one of my favorite events of the year, and this time, it should be better than ever (and I’m not just … Read more
(Photo: Jonathan Maus) As promised last week, TriMet has just released the online version of their Bikes on MAX survey. They say it’s, “the most comprehensive study of bikes on light rail transit conducted to date in the U.S.” This survey is not to be confused with the version they’ve been passing out to cyclists … Read more