This is a draft design concept created by Matt Cardinal for a permanent memorial to honor Brett Jarolimek at N. Interstate and Greeley Ave. The image is taken from a photograph by Bob Libby of Creative Dog Photography.

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(Photo © J. Maus)

The Oregonian is reporting that the family of Brett Jarolimek has filed a $1.5 million lawsuit against the driver of the garbage truck in the fatal collision back in October.

According to reporter Joseph Rose, the family is, “claiming 40-year-old Bryan Lowes of Oregon City was negligent and should have never been behind the wheel.”

Rose also reports that the suit claims Lowes failed to yield the bike lane to Jarolimek and that his truck had a broken mirror that was attached with only a bungee cord (a fact that came out of the DA’s investigation).
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Daniel McGinnis, BTA Board member
and president of Bike Gallery.
(Photos © J. Maus)

At the Brett Jarolimek Memorial Fund benefit last night, Bike Gallery President Daniel McGinnis implored the hundreds of people who showed up to “roll up your sleeves”, and reminded us that our recent Platinum accolade is, “a platform and nothing else.”

McGinnis issued an invitation, and a challenge to all of us to help build something positive out of tragedy. He stressed that the fund was not only in need of financial contributions, but another important type of contribution — our ideas.[Read more…]

The bike is back, with a letter from the thief.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Yesterday’s case of the mysterious disappearance of Brett Jarolimek’s ghost bike at N. Interstate and Greeley has come to an unexpected close.
Just a few hours after my story, I got an email and a phone call from local TV news crews who had sent reporters out to investigate. They were surprised to find the ghost bike back in its place. But the interesting thing is that, wedged into the rear wheel of the bike is a note from the thief that reads:[Read more…]

*Read this story for the update.*
_____

Only flowers and mementos remain.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The ghost bike for Brett Jarolimek has gone missing, and the disappearance is most likely the work of pranksters or thieves who want to sell it for scrap.

The memorial, which was chained to a traffic pole on N. Interstate Ave. just north of Greeley, was not only a tragic reminder of Brett’s life and the community’s loss, but it served as a remembrance of Brett for his friends and the many commuters who pass by this location daily.[Read more…]

Amid the dizzying array of bike bling and pure craftsmanship here at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show, sometimes it’s the little things you remember at the end of the day.

Here are a few snapshots I’ve been collecting in my head…[Read more…]

The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) has made its decision on whether or not to issue traffic citations in the October fatalities of Tracey Sparling and Brett Jarolimek.

Rinker Cement Company truck driver Timothy Wiles has been issued a citation for violation of ORS 811.050, “Failure to yield to rider on bicycle lane,” in the October 11th crash that took the life of Tracey Sparling.[Read more…]

Deputy DA Chuck Sparks speaking
with a reporter at the
Courthouse this morning.
(Photo © Jonathan Maus)

This morning, Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Chuck Sparks (in photo) released his report on the case of Brett Jarolimek, who died on October 22 after colliding with a garbage truck on Interstate and Greeley.

After an in-depth investigation that included several trips to the scene, video footage from the top of the hill, and multiple interviews with the truck’s passenger and with witnesses who saw the entire collision take place, Sparks’ has determined that the garbage truck driver, Bryan Lowes, did not, “show conduct rising to the level of criminal negligence”.
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An image of Brett Jarolimek may soon replace the silhouette on the left
and become part of the official logo for the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association.

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As part of a proactive effort to increase bike safety around their Interstate facility, The City of Portland’s Water Bureau will issue a mandate to employees next week that prohibits all their vehicles from using N Wheeler Avenue.

Wheeler used to provide convenient access to the Water Bureau’s main Interstate facility, but this move comes in light of a growing concern for bike safety and potential collisions with bicycles at the notoriously dangerous intersection of at Wheeler, Broadway, and Flint Avenues (in graphic below).
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