Wanted: Your stories

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Hi everyone. I’m leaving this Friday for a family road trip down to southern California (with stops in the Redwoods, Marin, Oakland, and more). As usual around the holidays, I won’t be posting as many stories as you’re used to. I’ll still be working and minding the ship while I’m on the road; but I’d love to share some of your stories here on the Front Page to supplement the drop-off in volume.

Earlier this year I was impressed by some of the reader stories I was able to publish. To make it easier, I even put together a handy submission form.

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St. Johns Truck Strategy open house is tomorrow (12/12)

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

There’s a big open house for PBOT’s St. Johns Truck Strategy project tomorrow (12/12). I have not followed this one closely, but I have heard enough to know that it will be important for people that live nearby N Columbia/N Fessenden area to show up and make their voices heard. The goal is to figure out how best to ferry large trucks through a residential neighborhood. A lot of walking and biking safety issues have been discussed as part of this project.

Here’s some background from PBOT:

The purpose of this project is to improve the safety and livability of N Fessenden St and N St Louis Ave consistent with the St Johns Truck Strategy. The two primary focus areas of the project is to identify street improvements at the intersection of N Portland Rd and Columbia Blvd and along N Fessenden/St Louis Ave between Columbia Way and N Lombard St that discourage non-local truck trips and improve overall safety and livability along the N Fessenden/St Louis Ave corridor. The project will also be looking at additional pedestrian crossing safety improvements on N Lombard west of St Louis Ave.

Map of project area…

And the “issues to address” according to PBOT:

  • N St Louis/Fessenden corridor: truck volumes, traffic calming, pedestrian/bicycle safety, and access to transit service
  • N Lombard, west of St Louis Ave: freight mobility, pedestrian/ bicycle safety, traffic safety at N St John St

You can get some good background on the issues around this project from Rebecca Koffman in The Oregonian.

412 kids receive free bikes at annual Holiday Bike Drive

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Holiday Bike Drive 2012

Taking the new rig for a spin.
(Photo: Greg Lee)

The Community Cycling Center’s annual Holiday Bike Drive took place on Sunday. The event is a cherished tradition here in Portland as it brings together the community in a way that no other event does. Beyond simply giving out free bikes, the CCC carefully chooses recipients based on those in need. All the families that take part are referred to the event by a partnering social service program and the kids are given a full complement of accessories and skills education to go along with their bike.

According to CCC Communications Manager Melinda Musser, 412 children received bikes on Saturday and — underscoring the CCC’s success in broadening the reach of bicycling in our community — there were 18 languages represented.

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City, Alta Bicycle Share release new estimates for bike share budget

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Bike share ride with Oregon team-1

Getting real about the costs.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

At its meeting tomorrow, Portland City Council is set to authorize the contract with Alta Bicycle Share for our forthcoming bike share system. In advance of that vote, the City has released new cost estimate numbers for the project.

Thanks to new numbers from Alta, we now have much more detailed estimates for both the launch and ongoing operational costs. According to Alta, it will cost $4,599,823 to launch the system (that’s up from initial estimates of about $3.8 – $4 million). Those launch costs break down into $2,589,323 for 75 stations, $827,250 for 750 bicycles* and $1,183,250 to manage the launch.

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cream frame/light blue fenders Linus Custom made for TOMS roadsters 2010

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Year: 2010
Brand: Linus
Model: Custom made for TOMS roadsters
Color:cream frame/light blue fenders
Size:Mens and Womens
Stolen in Portland, OR 92711
Stolen:2012-12-11
Stolen From: NE Dekum St and NE Durham. Right outside of Breakside Brewing
Neighborhood: NE Portlad
Owner: Matt Molletta
OwnerEmail: mattro70(replace with at sign)gmail.com
Reward: yes
Description: 2 bikes stolen. Mens and Womens Custom Linus for TOMS bikes. Bikes are custom, made for TOMS employees only. You can’t buy them online or in stores. Women’s bike says “Linus for TOMS” on frame. Both are cream colored frame with light blue fenders. Both are 3-speed.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 12-107838
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

City reports double digit bike to school rates for first time ever

Trillium Charter School bike train-14-12

10.3 percent of parents in a recent
City survey said their kids bike to school.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The City of Portland has just compiled the numbers from their fall 2012 Safe Routes to School parent survey. The results show an encouraging upward trend of biking and walking rates. In fact, 10.3 percent of the fall 2012 survey respondents said they biked to school. That’s a 36 percent increase from fall 2011 and it’s the highest bike mode share recorded they’ve ever recorded.

When taken together, the walking and biking mode share is 42.7 percent — an increase of 38 percent since 2006.

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Red Raleigh MXR Mini 16″ 2012

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Year: 2012
Brand: Raleigh
Model: MXR Mini 16″
Color:Red
Size:16
Serial: EY110701526
Photo: http://www.raleighusa.com/wp-content/uploads/post-images/RB_2011_MXR-Mini_Red_LG.jpg
Stolen in PORTLAND, OR 97212
Stolen:2012-12-10
Stolen From: Lock was cut from the bike rack in front of Grant Park Baptist Church (2728 NE 34th Ave, Portland, OR 97212)
Neighborhood: Grant Park
Owner: Milo Peterson
OwnerEmail: rarahill(at sign)gmail.com
Reward: $75
Description: As pictured above, except no training wheels. And including a new kickstand.
Police record with: Portland PD
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Riding along with Justin Gast from Kenton to Hillsboro

Ride Along with Justin Gast-1

Justin Gast, illuminated by his bike light,
in front of his home in Kenton.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Welcome to the latest installment in our Ride Along series. I have an exciting announcement: MetroMile is now the presenting sponsor of this column. Thanks guys! Now onto your regularly scheduled programming…

Last week I joined 36-year-old Justin Gast for his 25 mile (one-way) commute into work. Justin lives in Kenton (near Posies Cafe on N. Denver) and he rides to the Washington County Public Services building in downtown Hillsboro where he works in the solid waste recycling division. This was my first Ride Along that went into Washington County and it was also multi-modal. Sit back and join Justin and I on his pre-dawn commute…

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Black Kona Ute 2011

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Year: 2011
Brand: Kona
Model: Ute
Color:Black
Size:18″
Serial: F111OK2137
Photo: http://25.media.tumblr.com/466d0af5f0039157189f7c2b2015eb85/tumblr_meu3euFJu01ryxnjao1_500.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2012-12-10
Stolen From: Laurelhurst Elementary School (840 NE 41st Ave 97232).
Neighborhood: Laurelhurst Neighborhood
Owner: Sarah Carrato
OwnerEmail: sarahjcarrato(AT)gmail.com
Description: Bike is 18″ 2011 Kona Ute. Has baby seat attachment for Yepp on the flight deck on the back. Brown pleather saddle bags. Has an iphone holder, cup holder, blinky lights on both wheels, light on the front. Stolen between 11 am and 12 pm 12/10/12 from Laurelhurst School (840 NE 41st). They cut my cable lock.
Police record with: Portland PD.
Police reference#: 12107524
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Graphite Specialized Sirrus 2012

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Year: 2012
Brand: Specialized
Model: Sirrus
Color:Graphite
Size:M
Serial:wsbc602209333h
Stolen in Portland, OR 97201
Stolen:2012-12-07
Stolen From: From behind Sylvan Zoohouse
Neighborhood: Sylvan
Owner: Phil Stressman
OwnerEmail: pstress@gmail.com
Reward: $75
Description: Silver fenders, black rear rack
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 12-106411
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

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From the Archives

With six kids and no car, this mom does it all by bike