It is with a touch of envy that I read Shawne Martinez’s account of an epic carfree multimodal adventure to Seattle with his kid. How exciting! And yet for me – a mother of five – how impossible! As Shawne recounts, part of his trip was dependent on getting a bus with an empty bike … Read more
TriMet has spent six years and about $175 million to establish a new kind of bus service on Southeast Division between downtown and Gresham. Now it’s finally time to see what this thing can do. The Division corridor has been the poster child for our region’s struggles with climate killing car dependency, traffic deaths and … Read more
Believe it or not we are now less than one month away from the debut of TriMet’s long-awaited new “Frequent Express” (FX) bus service along Southeast Division Avenue. TriMet says the new $175 million line — which they promise will go from downtown Portland to Gresham 20% faster than today — is set to open … Read more
Disclaimer: Before I share our family transit adventures let me acknowledge my privilege: taking public transit is a choice for us. We have enough money to fund our old minivan and a typical driving life (or at least we did, before gas and food prices took a jump.) Many people don’t have a choice. They … Read more
The red paint is still fresh on NE Couch where the Portland Bureau of Transportation has installed their latest ‘Rose Lane’. It’s all part of their ongoing effort to speed up bus service and re-allocate road space away from drivers and toward bike and bus riders. PBOT’s Rose Lane project began in 2019 and the … Read more
A new addition to downtown Portland’s emerging slate of bike and transit infrastructure opened late last month when the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and TriMet debuted the first phase of their SW Alder Street Rose Lane Project. This project is part of the larger Central City in Motion plan to improve active transportation infrastructure … Read more
If all goes according to plan, the Hillsdale neighborhood will have a Rose Lane by the fall. In a presentation to the City of Portland Pedestrian Advisory Committee on Tuesday, Portland Bureau of Transportation Senior Transportation Planner Nick Falbo shared that the planned “bus and turn” (BAT) lane will be the only Rose Lane in … Read more
The alarm clock on my phone buzzed and made chirping sounds as I rubbed my eyes. It was 5:00 am and we had an Amtrak train to catch at Portland’s Union Station. My panniers and backpack were loaded the night before with all of our gear for the four day trip. I just needed to … Read more
Amid a historic driving shortage and massive service cuts by TriMet, Multnomah County is stepping further into the transit business with the launch this week of a new shuttle aimed at a key job center in northeast Portland. According to a statement by the County on Tuesday, their free ACCESS shuttle will help people connect … Read more
(Note: This project isn’t 100% complete. Please see update from PBOT at end of post.) The Portland Bureau of Transportation celebrated the opening of their latest Rose Lane on SW Alder on Wednesday. The Rose Lane initiative was launched in 2019 under former PBOT Commissioner Chloe Eudaly and its development has remained a priority under … Read more
You may even find yourself looking forward to your next freight train barricade so you can experiment with your newfound knowledge. It’s a tale as old as time for people who bike in Portland: you’re hurriedly biking across the central eastside or the rail-dominated Brooklyn neighborhood when an obstructing freight train dooms any hope you … Read more
A trip to Multnomah Falls on a beautiful summer day can lose its luster after spending an hour circling the parking lot to find an open space. But there’s another way to enjoy everything the gorgeous Columbia River Gorge has to offer – and with no parking required. Thanks to Hood River bike advocate Megan … Read more