This is all some House and Senate Republicans see when they hear “transportation system.” (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Republican party leaders in the Oregon Legislature have released a transportation bill that would severely limit and/or eliminate spending on rail, transit, and bicycling infrastructure and direct more revenue to the State Highway Fund. In some cases, their bill, filed as LC 4934 and expected to get its first reading on Monday, would take revenue sources currently dedicated to rail, transit, bicycle and walking-specific projects and redirect them to the State Highway Fund.
The bill would also repeal ORS 366.514, also known as the Oregon Bicycle Bill, a landmark piece of legislation passed by a Republican in 1971 that requires the transportation department to dedicate at least 1% of major road project budgets to bicycling and walking infrastructure.
The legislation is championed by House Republican Leader Christine Drazan, Senate Republican Leader Daniel Bonham and Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment Vice-Chair Shelly Boshart Davis. The 83-page bill is the formal follow-up to a framework released last month and it comes just days before the official, bipartisan transportation bill is expected to be released.
Saying their effort will “rebuild trust in ODOT” and “cut non-essential programs,” these Republicans want their bill to draw a stark contrast to the bevy of new fees and taxes that will be in the main bill that will seek to raise well over $2 billion in new revenue for a projects and programs.
Drazan, Bonham, and Davis took a fine-toothed comb through existing transportation funding policy and sought to redirect every funding source they could find to the State Highway Fund. Monies that currently flow to transit service, bike paths and rail projects, would be instead go toward highways. Oregon’s custom license plates (ike the ‘Share the Road’ plate) currently share a portion of proceeds with the nonprofits Cycle Oregon and The Street Trust. Republicans would take that away and give it to the State Highway Fund.
Their bill also seeks to raid the bike path funding created by revenue from the $15 bicycle excise tax and give that to the highway fund as well. Nothing is safe from their attempt to encourage more of the most expensive, least efficient form of transportation under the guise of fiscal responsibility.
In a statement released Thursday, Republicans boast that their bill would redirect $134 million from “non-essential functions” that include: climate mitigation efforts, off-street biking and walking paths, ODOT’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, passenger rail service investments, EV subsidies, and more.
Their proposal would also eliminate ODOT’s Emerging Small Business Program, that, “serves to help Oregon’s small business community overcome barriers to participation in the state’s multi-billion dollar public contracting process,” and redirect its funding to — yes, you guessed it — the state highway fund!
Once they’ve added all this funding to the State Highway Fund, the Republican plan is to create a new Office of Major Projects to oversee any highway project with a budget over $99 million. This office would be overseen by an advisory committee made up of lawmakers and nine other people appointed by the governor from the typical players that make up the existing highway industrial complex. The advisory committee would exclude people who represent bicycling, walking, transit, or rail interests.
It’s very unlikely that any of these provisions will make it into the final transportation bill, but at least these Republicans have put their cards on the table and it’s clear to all Oregonians where they stand.
A work session on the main transportation bill will take place at the Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment on Monday morning at 10:00 am.
Capitol Building. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
The stage has been set and now it’s time for the drama to begin.
We’ve seen the concepts and frameworks of transportation funding legislation and now all signs point to lawmakers in Salem finally revealing their long-awaited bill: A reliable source says House Bill 2025 (which I’ve been refreshing for days now!) will come out on Monday and will be followed by several public hearings.
When it comes out Monday, that will leave just 21 days until the official end of session and just 12 days from June 18th, when legislators have signaled their intent to adjourn.
We’ve heard rumors that the bill is imminent for weeks now. Why do I trust what I’m hearing now? A major sign came when Oregon Trucking Association President and CEO Jana Jarvis said confidently at a meeting of the Portland Freight Advisory Committee Thursday morning that the bill would drop Monday. Jarvis is perhaps the most influential, well-connected, and active transportation lobbyist in the state of Oregon. She not only leads the OTA, she’s chair of the City of Portland’s Freight Advisory Committee (PFAC).
While Jarvis seemed sure a bill would come out Monday, she was cool on its prospects of actually passing. “My optimistic forecast is it’s 50-50 right now, and that’s optimistic,” she said when the topic came up at the PFAC meeting. Jarvis then said, “I know the negotiations blew up this week, so I just don’t know where we’re going to go from here.”
Jarvis’ comments poke holes in theories about the delay in the bill’s arrival. Some have said Democratic party leaders (who enjoy a slim super-majority) are taking their time to get everyone on board, and that once it’s out it should easily move through committee votes and onto the Senate and House floors. If the negotiations are still “blowing up” this late in the game, that suggests we are in for a bumpy week.
Here are a few thoughts on the upcoming debates and what I see as major sticking points for the bill:
Portland’s $11 million
I’ve reported how the City of Portland budget process thus far has been relatively kind to the Portland Bureau of Transportation. Facing doomsday scenarios, Mayor Keith Wilson showed strong support for PBOT by saving them from deep cuts and layoffs, while City Council has done much of the same. But PBOT’s balanced budget is relying on an $11 million injection from the State Highway Trust Fund. If a bill is not passed with the requisite gas tax increase, PBOT will be $11 million short on their budget starting July 1st — less than one month from today.
That $11 million is supposed to buoy PBOT’s General Transportation Revenue (GTR), a crucial discretionary funding source. While it might not seem like a lot of money, $11 million is about 8% of the bureau’s total GTR.
“This is a big deal,” said PBOT Resources Manager Mark Lear at the PFAC meeting. And PBOT Director Millicent Williams added that, “If that [funding] does not happen, there would be cuts that we would still need to identify, be they personnel and or programmatic cuts.” Williams said if this state funding doesn’t come through, PBOT will lay off 40 to 50 people and cut some programs.
Who pays and how much
I am not privy to the negotiations around the bill, but I have a strong hunch one of the major disagreements is how to spread around the necessary tax increases among various types of vehicles and road users. Jarvis hinted at the tense conversations Thursday as she made a point she always makes at every meeting I see her at: That truck and heavy vehicle operators pay too much relative to other road users. Her organization, OTA, actually sued ODOT over this issue last year. At issue is something known as the Highway Cost Allocation Study, which I reported on shortly after that lawsuit was filed.
With ODOT claiming poverty and needing to increase fees and taxes everywhere, this issue looms over the debates. I thought it was interesting that Jarvis brought it up yesterday right after she mentioned that negotiations over the bill “blew up.”
“I think it’s been well understood now that commercial vehicles in Oregon pay substantially more than anybody. We have been the most expensive state in the nation for a very, very long time…,” Jarvis said. “So trying to address all of that in the context of this package has been difficult. If we were overpaying and ODOT was flush with money, it would be a much easier conversation to have. So it’s not my fault that things blew up this week.”
Right, left, center
As is typical of all major political initiatives these days, leaders have to find a balance between the right, left, and center. While that’s always difficult, at least with Oregon’s transportation debate, we know where each side stands. So far we’ve had conceptual plans and frameworks released from all three sides. A group of Republicans wants no new taxes and prefers a DOGE-like approach; a group of Democrats want to substantially increases taxes and fees to fully fund transit, bicycling, safety, and maintenance needs statewide; and Democratic party leaders (working with a few Republicans) are trying to walk a line in the middle with a mix of meager revenue increases and highway mega-project set-asides.
Of these three approaches, the Democratic push for the SMART Framework seems to have the most political potential. It doesn’t have Republican support (and it doesn’t need it to pass), it has notable sponsors from both chambers — several of whom are veterans of transportation policy are likely to be able to whip votes from colleagues if necessary.
An elephant named IBR
When it comes to the largest transportation project in the entire state of Oregon, Lawmakers in Salem are putting their heads in the sand. The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program (IBRP) didn’t even merit a mention in the framework released by Democratic party leaders. As detailed by eagle-eyed advocate and economist Joe Cortright in a post on City Observatory this week, IBRP staff seem to be stalling a forthcoming revised cost estimate that will reflect a massive cost overrun.
What will lawmakers do when this is brought up during negotiations of the bill next week? Why would Oregonians fight for a transportation spending package that doesn’t even include such a massive, high-profile project? What will Washington lawmakers think when they see no commitment from our side of the river? With so little time for hiccups, party leaders are probably hoping no one notices the IBRP is left unfunded in their plans.
Tick, tock. Tick, tock.
Time is the final sticking point worth keeping in mind. In basketball coaching, I tell my players to “Be quick, but don’t hurry.” That means they need to play with urgency, but not so fast they lose control and get sloppy.” Legislators will need to do the same thing starting next week. If they drop the ball, it will be a very costly turnover.
If you want to get engaged as an advocate around this crucial piece of legislation, be sure to follow Move Oregon Forward and The Street Trust, as well as stay tuned right here for more news and coverage.
UPDATE, 5:20 pm: House Rep. and Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment Co-Chair Susan McLain just published a newsletter that contains more information on HB 2025. Check it out online. I’ll have more on Monday. Below is an infographic in her newsletter:
Grab a date for the Bike Prom on Saturday night. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
It’s heating up out there. Whether you like to eat, drink, dance, part, learn or just goof around — this weekend offers a host of options to satisfy your appetite for free bike fun.
Below are my selections for the best rides this weekend…
Saturday, June 7th
Ride to Grand Floral Parade – 9:15 am at Ladds Circle Park (SE) Join a self-described parade lover and get ready to soak up Portland’s traditional annual procession of roses, Rosarians and other cool floats and fun. More info here.
Tropical Fruit Ride – 10:30 am at Brentwood City Park (SE) Bring $5 and pool funds together with other riders to purchase a bounty of colorful, juicy fruits and then play fruit-themed games at a park. Route ends at a spot that serves chè, a Vietnamese iced dessert drink. More info here.
Architecture Tour: Gems of the Eastside – 12:00 noon at Sewallcrest Park (SE) A 12-mile route with 8-10 stops where you’ll learn fun, historical, and quirky facts about notable buildings along the way. Check the ride Insta for a little taste. More info here.
Rise Up and Ride!: 2:00 pm at Salmon Street Springs (SW) Join fellow revolutionaries on a ride to Laurelhurst Park for the big “Gays Eating The Rich in the Park” event. More info here.
Dead Baby Bike Prom: 9:00 pm at Colonel Summers Park (SE) Traditional prom ride hosted by the friendly Dead Babies. Find a date or bring a date, dress to kill, and be ready to party like you did (or didn’t) in high school. More info here.
Sunday, June 8th
West Hills Climbathon – 10:00 am at QFC in Bethany Get ready to feel the burn as you ascend into the west hills and tackle some of Portland’s signature climbs including McNamee, Newberry and more. Expect 35 mile route with over 4,000 feet of climbing. More info here.
High-Five Ride – 10:00 am at Waterfront Park near Oregon Maritime Museum (SW) Spread joy to all passersby with this friendly and fun ritual. Practice your high-five-while-cycling skills in the park before you leave. A very short and sweet ride if you are pressed for time. More info here.
Summer Soft Serve Ride – 12:00 pm at Salmon Street Springs (SW) After high-fiving, roll back across the river and get ready to cool down with some sweet frozen soft serve. Ride leaders have scoped out a spot with excellent soft serve that you’ll ride to. More info here.
Pupusa Ride – 2:00 pm at Ladd’s Addition (SE) Cycle to score Salvadorian treats at Bichos and Salvi PDX. More info here.
Singles Bike Ride – 5:00 pm at Peninsula Park (N) Put down your phone and meet someone IRL. “Have low expectations” say ride organizers, who’ve planned a chill route that will end at the beautiful and romantic Skidmore Bluffs. More info here.
Cargopalooza – 6:00 pm at Mt. Hood Brewing (SE) Cargo bike lovers unite! And by “cargo bikes” they mean any type of bike, because “all bikes are cargo bikes.” Seriously though, this ride is led by a legit cargo bike fiend and the plan is to socialize, show off your rig, and learn how others set up their bikes for maximum hauling capacity. More info here.
— Did I miss your event? Please let me know by filling out our contact form, or just email me at maus.jonathan@gmail.com.
Imagine you’re riding your bike on a path like the Springwater Corridor and a police officer flags you down and asks to borrow your bike for a chase. That’s what happened to two people on Sunday morning on the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail in Vancouver, Washington.
According to body cam footage posted to social media by the Vancouver Police Department Wednesday, officers spotted someone they say had several outstanding warrants. In the video, you first see an officer approach the suspect. The suspect was initially on a bike, but immediately threw it down in favor of running away.
The officer then gave chase on foot. When he saw someone on a bike coming toward him, the officer demanded to use his bike. At first he asked, “Can I use your bike?,” which was quickly followed by “Let me use your bike.” The bike rider obliged, saying, “Be careful,” as he relinquished his beloved bike to the officer. It took a few seconds for the officer to figure out how to operate the bike, but once he did, the video shows him reaching a top speed of 18 mph.
The suspect ultimately tired out, gave up, and was arrested.
“When it comes to catching bad guys, sometimes you’ve gotta improvise,” VPD posted on social media. “With eyes still on this suspect (who had several warrants) and no time to waste, Officers Rich and Copley made quick tactical decisions to commandeer bicycles (thanks to two helpful citizens).”
The body cam shows that the e-bike was likely a Lectric XP 3.0. It has a motor that puts out 1000W of power (the legal maximum for e-bikes is 750W), a throttle, and a maximum speed of 28 mph. Ironically, those specs make the bike illegal for use on paved paths like the Burnt Bridge Creek Trail. I guess the officer was more interested in catching a suspect than ticketing someone who looked to be riding their e-bike safely.
Would you give up your bike if a cop demanded it for use in a chase?This story made me wonder about the law and whether you’d be required to comply with their request. It looks like the law varies from state to state, but in general, the answer is no. Police usually cannot force you to give up your vehicle for use in a chase. I think there are exceptions in the case of imminent danger or public harm, but if someone knows for sure, I’d love to hear more in the comments.
Rep. Mark Gamba speaking on the Capitol steps in Salem this morning. (Photo: Sen. Khanh Pham’s Office)
Where is the state transportation package?
With just three full weeks left in the legislative session, panic is setting in among advocacy groups and lawmakers alike as Democratic party leaders continue to negotiate behind closed doors on a long-awaited transportation funding package.
Instead of sitting on their hands, a notable group of Democrats — including Portland Senator Khanh Pham and Joint Committee on Transportation Co-Chair Chris Gorsek — attended a press conference on the Capitol steps in Salem this morning to unveil their vision for the package. It includes $665 million more than the $1.9 billion investment framework released by party leaders back in April.
This new proposal is from a group of Democrats that are decidedly more progressive than party leaders when it comes to transportation policy. Their vision, which they call the SMART (Safe, Modern, Affordable & Accountable, Reliable Transportation) Framework is based on a memo sent back in April to members of the Joint Committee on Transportation by House Representative Mark Gamba, a Democrat who represents Milwaukie.
Gamba and Pham are members of the Joint Committee on Transportation Reinvestment, a new version of the Joint Committee on Transportation (JCT) formed to oversee the new bill. They are both freeway expansion skeptics and have been solid voices for major transportation reform for years. Joining them in support of the SMART Framework are: Senators Gorsek, Floyd Prozanski, Lisa Reynolds, Courtney Neron Misslin, Jeff Golden, and Kathleen Taylor; and Representatives Rob Nosse, Thuy Tran, Willy Chotzen, Travis Nelson, Farrah Chaichi, Sarah Finger McDonald, Tom Andersen, and Lisa Fragala.
Their SMART Framework looks to raise about $2.5 billion and marks a very strong contrast to the austere proposal shared by a conservative wing of Republicans in early May. Pham, Gamba, and the proposal’s other supporters say the time is now for Oregon to increase funding for transit and ensure robust services statewide — while also making streets safer around schools, investing in ODOT’s urban highways that continue to plague cities with their unsafe designs, and invest more in bikeways, rail, and electric vehicle rebates for bikes and cars.
Joining lawmakers at this morning’s event were representatives from AARP, a school board, a transit worker’s union, and a transit agency.
Democrats enjoy a slim supermajority in Salem, but are reportedly working with a select group of Republicans to hammer out a bill. When they released an update on their package late last month, some transportation and environmental advocacy groups panned the plan’s provisions — which include a cap-and-trade scheme that would fund freeway expansions — as “cap and pave.”
Compared to the Joint Committee’s framework released in April, the SMART Framework includes: a higher gas tax increase; a 2% sales tax on new car purchases and 1% on used cars, instead of a 1% user fee (with sales taxes not being tied to the Highway Trust Fund, thus allowing lawmakers more flexibility in how the revenue could be spent); and a larger increase to the payroll tax that funds transit which would result in no cuts in service. Another difference from the JCT’s framework is something I hinted at back in April: a different approach to the bike tax. Democratic party leaders want to increase Oregon’s existing bike tax from $15 to $24.50; the SMART Framework would instead establish a new, Bicycle Privilege Tax of 0.8%. This progressive approach would replace the regressive, flat-fee structure of the current tax.
These revenue sources would allow the SMART Framework to raise $39 million more per biennium for off-highway bike and walking paths than the JCT’s initial framework, fund Gamba’s $6 million e-bike rebate plan, and more.
The provisions in SMART respond to the type of investments advocacy groups have called for in order to focus more of ODOT’s spending on safe streets, maintenance, and non-driving modes; instead of the traditional focus on freeway and highway megaprojects.
“The SMART Framework is accountable to the Oregonians who have spoken up by preventing cuts to transit service, fully funding our Safe Routes program to get kids to school safely, and by providing the resources necessary for cities and counties across the state to fix their local streets,” said Sen. Pham in a statement.
And Rep. Gamba added that now is not a time for transportation austerity. “We have underfunded our transportation system for decades now, and that continuing to do that will result in bridge closures and highway deaths,” he said. “Kicking the can further down the road will make it even that much more painful to recover. We have an opportunity to do the responsible thing and make our streets safer in the process.”
Whether or not Democratic party leaders heed this advice is hard to tell. But once they do release a bill, they won’t have much time to haggle over it and there are bound to be compromises to get something passed before the end of session on June 29th.
Download the SMART Framework one-pager for more details:
We’re back on SE Ankeny! (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
It’s our first Bike Happy Hour of Bike Summer, and it’s going to be a fun one!
Along with the usual great food, drinks, and merriment, we’ll have a special musical guest and I’ll sit down with a local lawyer to talk about a few pressing issues regarding electric bikes.
First up, we’ll be joined by Jangano, a youth marimba band that specializes in the music of Zimbabwe and South Africa. The band consists of eight local middle and high schoolers. They’ll set up on the redwood stage in the public plaza right next to Gorges Beer Co. Please come between 4:30 and 5:30 to see them play! For a taste of what to expect, see this recent performance on YouTube.
And then after announcements and open mic around 5:30 or so, I’ll chat with Chris Thomas, a bike law expert from Portland-based Thomas, Coon, Newton & Frost. Thomas’ firm wrote the book on Oregon e-bike laws and he’ll share what type of cases he’s seen and what you should know if you ride an e-bike. I’ll open it up for Q & A as time permits, so bring your bike law questions!
Hope you can join us. The weather should be spectacular. See you on Wednesday (6/4) in the Rainbow Road plaza outside Gorges Beer Co from 3:00 to 6:00 pm (at least).
[Video and photos (see gallery below) by Jonathan Maus/BikePortland]
We talk a lot about safety when it comes to making cycling more attractive than driving. But convenience is probably a larger factor. That’s why so many Portlanders are intrigued by the possibility of updating Sandy Boulevard with bicycle facilities. After riding Sandy Boulevard this past Saturday, Portland City Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney just might be among them.
Pedaling a vintage cyclocross bike made for her mother in the 1970s, Pirtle-Guiney showed up at Wilshire Park with a few dozen other folks for a ride organized by BikeLoud PDX. “I figured if I wanted to really understand the questions that are going to come up around biking on Sandy over the next two to three years, I ought to join this ride and see it for myself,” the council president said in her introduction to the group. “I think it’s really important for me to see what it looks like.”
BikeLoud has led a relatively quiet, behind the scenes campaign for bike facilities on Sandy since at least 2019. That’s when they pushed the City of Portland to upgrade Sandy’s official street classification in the Transportation System Plan from “City Bikeway” to “Major City Bikeway.” That means whenever a city agency does a project on Sandy, they must hold cycling in the highest regard and make sure plans encourage people to do it. The rub is, Sandy is a “Major” street for every mode (pedestrians, transit, freight, cars, and emergency response vehicles), so whatever the future holds, it will favor whoever gets organized and does their homework.
Councilor Pirtle-Guiney at Wilshire Park before the ride.BikeLoud’s Kiel Johnson (seated) and Joe Perez.Joe Perez addressing the crowd at Wilshire Park.Councilor Pirtle-Guiney (right).Councilor Pirtle-Guiney.
At Wilshire Park Saturday morning, the crowd of bicycle riders included folks of all ages. There was a babe in arms, retired folks, and everything in between. One by one, people introduced themselves and shared how much they enjoy cycling in Portland and how much better it would be if they could ride on Sandy without feeling.
One woman I met said she’d love to explore the shops along Sandy and that, “You’d learn [the street] better if you were on a bike, going slower.” Jade and Xavier, a young couple who I talked to after the ride, said they’d never bike it outside of a large group. “But if there were bike lanes, we definitely would.” They live in Kerns and love visiting the Hollywood District. “It would be great to just bike up Sandy, but we have to do this weird, roundabout way.” They were blown away at how easily they could get to the Hollywood Theater from their house via Sandy Blvd.
One of the ride organizers, Joe Perez with BikeLoud PDX said, “Portland is a really beautiful place to ride a bike. I moved here to ride a bike. I love living here, and I’m staying here. I’m fighting for more bike lanes, so this is why we’re riding on Sandy today.”
The City of Portland also sees a different future for Sandy. With major recent residential development, the road is growing into its “Main Street Civic Corridor” label in the city’s Comprehensive Plan. In 2020, the Portland Bureau of Transportation applied for a state grant that would have paid for a Sandy Boulevard Civic Corridor Plan. That plan (which I never heard about, so I assume it didn’t get funded), would have taken a close look at dedicated rapid transit on Sandy as well as the, “potential for bicycle facilities along the corridor.”
What makes Sandy such a jewel in the future bicycle network is its diagonal path. Another BikeLoud PDX leader at Saturday’s ride, Kiel Johnson, said it’s important because it offers unparalleled convenience and access between the central city and neighborhood destinations. Johnson, who lives in the Cully neighborhood said, “Right now, if I want to go downtown, I have to go down N Going and then take Vancouver-Williams. Sandy literally saves me 15 minutes.”
Johnson points to a 2016 Metro evaluation that found Sandy had a “high level of demand for bicycle trips and the potential to increase bicycle travel if improved.” And in 2024, a group of Portland State University Masters of Urban Planning students published a report that recommended bike lanes.
(Source: PBOT)
Adding to the inertia to take a serious look at a bikeway on Sandy is a spreadsheet shared at a 2022 meeting of the PBOT Bicycle Advisory Committee. The document lists all the projects on PBOT’s five-year paving list and the opportunity for upgrading bicycle facilities when the restriping is completed. A project slated to begin in 2026 that will repave Sandy between 14th to 27th is accompanied by a note that reads:
Volumes [of car traffic] are lower in this section of Sandy Blvd. Opportunity to add enhanced bike lanes through travel lane reallocation, but need to consider safety as well as impacts to transit and other modes. Needs extensive planning and project development. Consider extending west to 12th/Couch and east to 28th Ave to connect to rest of bike network.
And Council President Pirtle-Guiney must have gotten the memo. And/or she is sufficiently intrigued by BikeLoud’s vision that she devoted her Saturday morning to learning more about it.
As we waited at the signal on NE 12th, I asked Pirtle-Guiney how she felt riding on Sandy. “It was less scary than I thought,” she remarked. Would she consider doing it on her own, without the safety of a group, if there was a protected bike lane on it? The savvy politician didn’t directly answer (as if knowing a “yes” would be construed as her supporting a bike lane). “I still want to learn more,” she said. “I’m very open to what the future of Sandy is.”
At the end spot, I asked the councilor if anything changed in her mind after the ride. “That outside lane feels a lot wider than I expected it to,” she said, her mind perhaps already mulling future debates about potential cross-sections. “I think it would be interesting to try it without a group and just see how it feels,” she continued.
“If you ever want to ride to City Hall together one morning, just let me know,” I replied.
NE 13th between Hoyt and Glisan in May 2024. Patio structure belongs to River Pig Saloon. (Photo: Google Streetview)
Portland’s street plaza program continues to see uneven progress. On the same day we saw exciting progress on the new carfree plaza coming to Southeast 37th and Hawthorne, the Portland Bureau of Transportation announced they will pull the plug on their plaza on Northwest 13th Avenue.
In a rare public statement where PBOT’s frustration seeped through the text, the agency shared yesterday they will reluctantly give up the existing carfree plaza on three of the four blocks of NW 13th between NW Everett and Irving. “Due to three businesses’ lack of compliance with design guidance and numerous site challenges, PBOT has determined that these spaces have not succeeded as Public Street Plazas,” the city wrote, citing, “Ongoing problems and community complaints with operations, over privatization of the right-of-way, and low public satisfaction were,” as reasons for the decision.
Those four blocks were turned into a public plaza with outdoor dining and a driving ban in the summer of 2020, as PBOT grappled with the spread of Covid-19 and restaurants jumped at the chance to expand seating into the open air. Now PBOT will restore two-way driving access between NW Flanders and Irving, and focus on making the block between Everett and Flanders into a fully pedestrianized space.
The scene on NW 13th between Glisan and Hoyt in 2017 — and soon-to-be in 2025. (Photo: Rethink Streets)
This loss of carfree space downtown is a major blow to Portlanders who dream of a city that caters to people and not their cars. NW 13th — home to the monthly First Thursday street festival — has long been eyed for its possible as a pedestrian-only corridor. In 2017, the Pearl District Neighborhood Association and Portland State University teamed up with Rethink Streets to publish an action plan for NW 13th that aimed to, “Refocus the street around the pedestrian, placing all other modes as secondary to the experience and comfort of those walking on the street.”
Ironically, PBOT themselves wanted to maintain this multi-block plaza, saying in their statement they have “regrets” about its removal. But it appears PBOT couldn’t find a policy or political path to save it.
PBOT says the seating and patio structures installed by River Pig, Papi Chulo’s and The Star, do not comply with the city’s plaza requirements. The structures were too large and walled-off to the public, instead of being open and welcoming to all. PBOT says they gave the businesses ample notice to dismantle or change the structures, but even after four deadline extensions to make it happen, the businesses took no action. “The unwillingness of these businesses to do anything to change their installations to address community concerns forced us to take steps towards enforcement,” PBOT Public Information Officer Dylan Rivera shared with BikePortland today.
With no compliance from business owners PBOT plans to fine the businesses $500 per day until the structures are removed. They will then re-open the three blocks to parking and driving for the first time since 2020.
The Star/Papi Chulo’s patio between NW Hoyt and Irving. (Photo: May 2024 Google Streetview)River Pig Saloon patio. (Photo: May 2024 Google Streetview)River Pig’s patio in 2021. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)River Pig Saloon patio in 2021. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)River Pig Saloon patio in 2020. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)Mediterranean Exploration Company patio in 2021. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)River Pig Saloon patio in 2021. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
PBOT appears to have made every effort to make this plaza work. “PBOT did not take the decision to remove the NW 13th car-free blocks lightly; in fact we have been trying to avoid this situation for the past year and a half,” Rivera said.
The city has spent about two years meeting with the Pearl District Neighborhood Association (PDNA) and business owners to address issues of access, cleanliness, and safety. Despite these efforts however, the city cited a public survey they administered last year where they heard “dissatisfaction” from over 400 respondents including, “strong opposition to large private outdoor dining structures dominating public plaza space, concerns about late night noise, negative behaviors, and, at times, violence, in the plaza, as well as issues with illegal parking, blocking of emergency lanes, and lack of visibility for pedestrians.”
And sadly, while PBOT said an overwhelming majority of survey respondents liked the idea of a public street plaza, they didn’t like the implementation on 13th. In their statement yesterday, PBOT included a litany of public comments that expressed opposition and concerns about the structures. Most people said the dining structures were simply too large, and instead of contributing to a public plaza, they felt more like expansions of the restaurants onto a public street.
“Outdoor dining should not be so big and closed off from plazas. Should be open and flexible like European styles as in Paris or Barcelona,” one person wrote. “The structures as they exist are imposing and make me feel unwanted as a pedestrian. It’s like I’m walking into their business area, not like they are spilling out into a public’s space.” (This tension between private businesses using public right-of-way has been a sticking point since one of Portland’s first permanent plazas was built on SW Ankeny in 2011.)
There was also strong pushback from some adjacent, non-restaurant business owners as well.
A February 2024 story in The NW Examiner reported on a tension between restaurants, who welcomed using public right-of-way for their private business; and non-dining businesses, who felt the plazas encouraged unwelcome public behavior and the lack of parking and driving access turned away customers. The president of the Irving Street Lofts homeowner’s association told the Examiner that he supports the plaza, but not its, “late-night patrons who congregate in the vicinity until and after the last bar closes at 2:00 am,” who he said are, “driven by a dining experience or alcohol and playing music and partying.” And Debbie Thomas, who owns Debbie Thomas Real Estate on NW 13th, said she was never told about the plaza and never asked for it.
Issues about the plaza appear in meeting minutes of the PDNA as far back as August 2023, when a PBOT plaza program staffer attended a meeting to share an update on “improvements to NW 13th Ave.” A March 2024 meeting referenced “several meetings relating to nuisance issues affecting Irving Street Lofts and the overall impacts of closures and restaurant encroachments on the street.” “Discussions will continue on how to best accommodate pedestrian and vehicular traffic on 13th,” the meeting minutes read. Then in November 2024, the PDNA was warned that the structures would be coming down and that a stakeholder process would begin to “reimagine the future of 13th.”
PBOT has long maintained that carfree street plazas exist only with support from adjacent business owners. In this case, it appears the nearby businesses either failed to believe in the potential of a carfree plaza, were frustrated that PBOT hadn’t figured out how to make it work better, and/or just felt like auto parking and better driving access is more important to their bottom line. Without business support, and with so many complaints from street users and neighbors, PBOT came to this unfortunate decision.
PBOT currently manages 16 street plazas and 575 permitted outdoor dining installations citywide. Just one month ago, PBOT faced the possibility of shuttering their entire street plaza program due to a lack of funding, but Mayor Keith Wilson’s proposed budget kept it alive.
As this situation on NW 13th illustrates, funding isn’t the only constraint when it comes to building world-class carfree spaces in Portland. Like other major shifts in the status quo, it will take that magical mix of political leadership, public support and neighborhood-level organizing that seems to have escaped us in the Pearl District — putting the long-envisioned dream of a 13th Ave promenade further out of reach.
Sunday’s Bike Summer Kickoff Ride was memorable no matter what draws you to Portland’s bike scene. The event, which began with a pre-party just above a full-blooming rose garden at Peninsula Park in north Portland, had it all — and then some.
People gathered two hours before the 3:00 pm rollout time for a festival of cycling and community that has become an important part of the annual Bike Summer tradition. Folks were selling all types of interesting things, promoting their rides, or just soaking in the moment. There were vegan ice cream treats being sold from a tricycle, “awkward mimosas” for anyone daring enough to tilt their head back and try them, free bike repair, Bike Summer merchandise to buy, and more.
Just as I was talking to folks and getting my lay of the land, I heard Mexican music in the distance. At first I assumed it was for someone’s quinceanera or wedding (common thing to photograph at the rose garden on a beautiful weekend), then as dozens of dancers and musicians stomped through the cycling crowd, I realized it must be the work of the ride organizers: Cycle Homies.
The dancers wore costumes that featured devil-like features and long, winding horns. They stomped and pulsed to rhythms provided by powerful brass and percussion players. The group was Banda Herencia de Oaxaca from the Mixteca region, and one of the leaders of Cycle Homies, Esteban, said they were dancing a traditional “dance of the devil” while accompanied by chilena music. Esteban said the performance was a “cultural expression celebrated through a blend of catholicism and indigenous traditions.”
Everyone seemed to love the music and dancing and there was a long ovation when they finished. Suffice it to say, Cycle Homies took full advantage of the stage they were given as leaders of this big ride. And that was by design.
“The bike culture in Portland is beautiful,” Esteban shared in a short interview with BikePortland, “but I feel like there’s not a whole lot of representation as far as people of color leading rides or organizing rides. That was kind of my whole intention and goal when we first started this thing. I just wanted to see more people of color on bikes.”
For Lillian, a Bike Summer veteran who attended her first one in 2006 and has never missed it since, she’s drawn to the odd and quirky rides. Dressed in an old-timey, lavender outfit that included a hat woven with lace and flowers, puffy shoulders, and a corset-drawn dress, she described herself as the “merch wench” — otherwise known as someone who volunteered to sell Bike Summer merchandise.
“It’s the most magical time of the year,” Lillian shared, as she described her intention to dress up in pasta for the Pasta Ride. “I’m very excited about it.”
I bumped into Aaron and noticed “Bike – A – Sketch” scrawled on the front of his bike. At his Bike-A-Sketch ride on June 30th, Aaron said people will get together, but, “Instead of drawing a bicycle, they will bicycle a drawing.” Using a GPS tracker, riders will set out on different routes and draw lines, “On the canvas that is the city.” This type of creative interpretation of “bike ride” is what makes Bike Summer so interesting and fun.
The next person I bumped into was Geoff. He’s traveled all over the world as a photojournalist who covers society and culture. “This has got to be one of the most authentic gatherings of people,” Geoff exclaimed. “And it seems to be getting better and better every year. I just love it — people of all ages, shapes and sizes. I mean, Jonathan, it doesn’t get any better than this!”
Then it was time to ride.
We filled at least a half-dozen full city blocks thick with cyclists. Several thousand people pedaled together from Peninsula Park to Colonel Summers Park in southeast Portland. As riders stretched as far as my eyes could see, and that sweet, familiar cacophony of music, bike bells, and proclamations of “Happy Bike Summer!” rang through the air — there was no mistaking summer is finally here and it’s time to ride bikes together.
— Bike Summer was first held in Portland in 2002. The following year it was called Mini Bike Summer, before changing its name to Pedalpalooza from 2005 to 2023. Organizers are now transitioning the name back to Bike Summer.Find a ride and browse the full Bike Summer calendar here. Don’t miss the full photo gallery.
Welcome to what will be a great week. I just have a feeling. Hope you enjoyed the nice weekend. Before I share videos of Council President Pirtle-Guiney riding on Sandy Blvd and the Bike Summer Kickoff Ride, let’s eat our vegetables and get caught up with the news from last week.
Here are the most notable stories that came across my desk in the past seven days…
Build it and they will come: We must push beyond paint-only bikeways if we want to increase cycling, says a major new research paper that used 6 years of longitudinal data in 28 US cities that found: “Protected bicycle lane mileage installed was significantly associated with bicycle commuter increases 52.5% stronger than standard bicycle lane mileage and 281.2% stronger than shared-lane marking mileage.” (Nature)
No more excuses: Every politician who supports projects that will increase VMT must be asked how they square that decision with the fact that global temperature rises in the next five years are likely to lead to crop failures and wide swaths of our planet baking in extreme heat. (Financial Times)
Carfree living, but do it in the Italian Alps: An Italian couple shocked their friends and family when they moved to a home in a rural, mountainous neighborhood and decided to forego a car and use two cargo bikes as their vehicles. (The Guardian)
Vehicular assault and social unraveling: As much as the topic pains me to think about, I’m glad that a major media outlet is treating it as more than just a one-off phenomenon and giving what they call the rise in “vehicle ramming” incidents the serious thought it deserves. (Washington Post)
E-bike power debate: Interesting new paper from a German e-bike industry association that is pushing to define e-bikes in a way that prevents them from becoming e-motorcycles, and how some folks feel that limitation could stifle key parts of the sector. (Bike Radar)
Why DOTs are broke: This must-read on the Highway Trust Fund should be required reading for every single elected official who thinks drivers already pay there fair share. (T4 America)
Way-no: Robo-taxi company Waymo is surging across the country and they’re very likely to make a bid for Portland. If they do, they’ll face a lot of scrutiny and skepticism from advocates and politicians — starting with this here media outlet! These things feel like just the latest tech-bro “fix” that’s riddled with downsides, the largest one being an increase in VMT. Bring it on, Waymo! (Wall Street Journal)
Less regulation: In a case watched closely by freeway fighters and other transportation reformers, the Supreme Court ruled to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA, in an attempt to make infrastructure megaprojects easier to get over the finish line. (NPR)
Sensible cars: Contrary to popular opinion, I am not anti-car. I’m against car overuse and abuse. Take these wonderfully small and affordable “mibot” e-cars from Japan, which would probably not be terrible to share the road with. (EVXL)
What an amazing way to launch Bike Summer 2025! Thousands met up at Peninsula Park in north Portland for the 23rd annual event that includes three months of free, fun bike rides.
I’ll have a recap video and more thoughts Monday, but here’s the photo gallery. Sorry couldn’t snap everyone! Y’all looked amazing out there. Big thanks to Pedalpalooza organizers and Cycle Homies and all the volunteers who made this day so memorable!
No surprise my 2012 story on a carfree mom with 6 kids spurred a lot of conversation. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Had a few things on my mind about comments so figured it was time to check in.
It’s been different without the great Lisa Caballero around. Not only did she do some great writing and reporting for BikePortland, she also spent a lot of time reading, moderating, and writing comments. She would also encourage folks to make “Comment of the Week” nominations and then she’d choose one and write it up on Monday mornings. Lisa understood that to me, it’s not about the quantity of comments we get, but the quality.
Without Lisa’s help, all that comment work has fallen to me. I’m alone these days when it comes to editorial work. I’ve actually scaled back in general and am transitioning to more of an intentional “just a guy with blog” type of outlet. But that’s a topic for a different day.
Back to the comment section. I still read each one that comes in and they all get held back until I manually approve them. But I don’t take as much time to consider each one like Lisa did. And I’m sorry but I haven’t been able to do a Comment of the Week on Mondays. I still want to add that to my weekly rhythm however, so please keep nominating (by replying with “comment of the week” or “cotw”).
Generally, folks have been well-behaved and we have very few mean, troll-ish folks (and when they do pop up, I just delete them and move on). That’s a testament to our community and moderation work over the years. That being said, I always appreciate folks giving me a heads up about comments they feel are inappropriate. Remember, being solo means I have no proofreader, no editor, no second set of eyes to run things by! Just like those of you who point out typos and other mistakes, BikePortland a community endeavor and I value — and need — your help on stuff like this.
This week in particular was very busy in the comment section. So far we’ve had about 450 comments total since Monday. One reader saw how that guest article by Missy LeDoux racked up nearly 300 comments and wondered what our all-time high comment record was. I took a look and it was fun to see the list.
Below are the top 10 most commented articles in BikePortland history (since April 2005) along with their date of publication and total comment count:
Quite the gamut of topics, huh? I love how it reflects the broad array of things I’ve published here. We’ve got tragedies, a fun profile of a carfree mom (that went viral before that really existed), some old-fashioned activism, the emergence of the homelessness crisis in Portland, some police stuff — and I’m so glad one of Michael Andersen’s housing stories made the cut!
I could tell a story about each one. All the emotions and wild bits of detail that surround them. What’s cool is if you go back and browse those comment sections, you can feel some of that emotion without even hearing it from me. That’s the magic of a good comment section! It’s a capsule of our community’s emotions, stories and insights. I cherish all 574,408 of them.
If you don’t typically comment for some reason, I’d love to know why. If there’s anything I can do to encourage you, please let me know. And if you do comment frequently, please remember it’s a privilege, not a right. Treat other commenters as if you were talking to them in person, give the benefit of the doubt and keep an open mind.
Every comment is a contribution to this community, which is something I feel is more important than ever as some of the conversations have splintered off into social media. I like those comment sections too, but it just doesn’t feel like home.
Thanks for being part of BikePortland. I appreciate your comments.
