People on Bikes: The Couch curve

See them up close below.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

It’s been way too long since the last installment of our People on Bikes column, so before this sunny and warm weather leaves us for good, I figured it was time for another one.

This morning I rolled out to NE Couch (say “cooch”), where it makes that sweeping bend just before the Burnside Bridge. I sat in the grass across from the bike lane for about 25 minutes, snapping up as many people on bikes as I could. I saw a mix of bodies and bikes; but not the quite the diversity I’ve seen at other locations (like Waterfront Park). While it’s a semi-popular bike traffic, going west on NE Couch and entering downtown via the Burnside Bridge isn’t exactly a place where the “interested but concern” feel comfortable. We know the problems at Couch and Grand; and then there’s the Burnside Bridge freeway and how it unceremoniously dumps you into downtown (don’t get me started).

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ODOT, State Police go extra mile for safety on Cycle Oregon

[BikePortland contributor Will Vanlue is on the Cycle Oregon ride this week. This is his latest dispatch.]

Plenty of cones help keep
things safe as Cycle Oregon riders
roll down Highway 97.
(Photos by Will Vanlue)

Cycle Oregon’s mission of helping the economies of Oregon’s rural communities keeps the route, for the most part, on quiet back roads with little motor vehicle traffic. However, there are occasions when there is only one road leading between communities giving people no other choice than to share the road with a large volume of motor vehicles.

There was one such situation this year when the route turned on to Highway 97, a major north-south corridor between Oregon and California, which regularly has traffic traveling in excess of 65 MPH.

Normally it’s a harrowing stretch to ride on a bicycle but for a few hours during the ride the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon State Police were able to turn it into a safe, pleasant, and -by some estimations- fun place for people to travel on bicycles.

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‘Sanctuary Century’ bike ride will raise money for animals

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Love animals? Like to bike? Then tomorrow’s Sanctuary Century should be in your plans. It’s a 100 mile bike ride around the Portland area that will raise money for organizations that provide safe harbors for chimps, farm animals, and more. Check the details below…

The Sanctuary Century is a 100 mile (century) bike ride fundraiser in Portland, Oregon to benefit Out To Pasture Farm Sanctuary, Hope Animal Sanctuary, and Chimpanzee Sanctuary Northwest.

2012 marks our 4th year for this event and this year’s ride is scheduled for Saturday, September 15.

Please join us on the ride or make a donation and help us reach (or even better, exceed) our goal of $20,000.

Please like our Facebook page to stay updated on ride info.

If you have questions about the ride, please contact ericphelps@gmail.com.

How one intersection in South Waterfront is working (for everyone)

Bikes are just one small part of the
picture in South Waterfront.
(Video still – Watch video below)

Our friend (and BTA Alice Award winner, Bike Train superstar and bike shop entrepreneur) Kiel Johnson is a close observer of how people are getting around in the South Waterfront area near the tram and OHSU.

Kiel runs the Go By Bike bike shop and valet service and he’s seen first-hand how the cycle-track on SW Moody, the aerial tram, the streetcar, and the new Gibbs Street Bridge have changed the area. He recently made a film highlighting the intersection where all these things come together. It’s an amazing look at what can happen when a city invests (a lot)* into giving people choices. It’s a multi-modal dreamworld. It reminds me of those YouTube videos of intersections in the early 1900s where it looks crazy and busy; but somehow, it works.

Watch it below…

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med Gary Fisher Superfly 100 2010

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2010
Brand: Gary Fisher
Model: Superfly 100
Color:med
Size:white/black/red
Serial:213PS04110 and 213ss04110
Stolen in Forest Grove, OR 97106
Stolen:2012-09-14
Stolen From: top of my car while i was at practice.. pulled from a locked thule rack 🙁 forest grove stoller center (athletic center)
Neighborhood: Forest Grove , OR
Owner: Wynne Lobel
OwnerEmail: wynnelobel@yahoo.com
Reward: yes
Description: Gary Fisher Superfly 100 carbon fiber full suspension 29er.. all stock parts .. new shorter stem on it..

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/542/wynnesgaryfishersuperfl.jpg/

Police record with: Forest Grove police
Police reference#: 12251883
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Gray Trek 7.5 FX 2012

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2012
Brand: Trek
Model: 7.5 FX
Color:Gray
Size:20
Serial:WTU159C0617G
Photo: http://www.google.com/imgres?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Hw2&sa=X&tbo=d&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&biw=1478&bih=929&tbm=isch&prmd=imvns&tbnid=M6qieOGssP7BgM:&imgrefurl=http://martinsj2.wordpress.com/2010/08/10
Stolen in Portland, OR 97209
Stolen:2012-09-05
Stolen From: Basement of apartment building. It was locked around a pole, lock vanished as well.
Neighborhood: downtown
Owner: Jessica Crettaz Goudy
OwnerEmail: jesstaz@hotmail.com
Reward: no
Description: Fenders, rack, kick stand and lights added. Phone: 503 830 7595
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 12-155634
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Red SPECIALIZED Rockhopper Mountain Bike 2006

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2006
Brand: SPECIALIZED
Model: Rockhopper Mountain Bike
Color:Red
Size:17″
Serial: P6D C30487
Stolen in Portland, OR 97203
Stolen:2012-09-13
Stolen From: The university of Portland campus
Owner: Sara Bindl
OwnerEmail: Bindl16@up.edu
Description: Bright red with white letters across the frame “SPECIALIZED.” Few scratches
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

blue Cannondale Synapse

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Brand: Cannondale
Model: Synapse
Color:blue
Stolen in Portland, OR 97218
Stolen:2012-09-12
Stolen From: SE Alder and 6th. It was locked up on the NW corner
Owner: Alexia Muhlsteff
OwnerEmail: alexia.muhlsteff@gmail.com
Description: It is light blue with orange handle bar tape. The handlebar tape is falling off the left side and is being held on by white gaffers tape
Police record with: Portland
Police reference#: 12-155594
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

ODOT scrambles with federal expansion of National Highway System

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

“We’ll make the best of it and hope we can find good ways to make this work so it doesn’t present a burden or pose unnecessary impacts on communities.”
— Travis Brouwer, ODOT Federal Affairs

Officials at the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) say they are “scrambling” to comply with a provision in the new federal transportation bill (known as MAP-21) that will add 600 miles of roads in Oregon to the National Highway System (NHS). This expansion of the NHS goes into effect October 1st of this year and includes roads currently managed by both ODOT and cities.

The implications for Portland (and other cities) could be significant, because it would mean several of our local streets — including ones that are crucial for bicycling — would suddenly be required to conform with design standards laid out by the Federal Highway Administration, instead of the more flexible local and state standards used today.

Among the streets that are impacted by the new law are NW Broadway from SE Grand to Burnside, Sandy Blvd from Burnside to NE Columbia Blvd., W Burnside from I-405 to the E. Burnside/Couch couplet (to 14th), SE Calle Cesar Chavez (39th) from NE Sandy to SE Powell, and others. The map below is a screenshot from an online map created by ODOT to help explain the impacts of the changes (the layer I have showing is new NHS roads not managed by the state):

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Meet Jeff Owen, TriMet’s new Active Transportation Planner

Annual BAC facility tour-26

Jeff Owen is the new bike guy at TriMet.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

There’s a new planning position within TriMet that deals solely with bicycling and walking and Jeff Owen is the man they’ve chosen for the job. This is great news.

Jeff comes to the position with top qualifications and loads of experience. Prior to starting at TriMet back in July (he replaces former bike guy Colin Maher who left in November), Jeff was the Bicycle and Pedestrian Coordinator for the City of Wilsonville/SMART Transit. Jeff joined us for the Bicycle Advisory Committee ride on Tuesday night and it reminded me that I’ve been wanting to share a bit more about him and the work he’s doing at TriMet.

I sent Jeff a few questions to answer via email and I’ve published his responses below…

What is your title and what are your general responsibilities at TriMet?

My title is Active Transportation Planner. The short description is to have a key role in the planning, development and implementation of active transportation projects, as well as strengthening partnerships with other jurisdictions, community-based organizations such as BTA and WPC, and the private sector to ensure growing investment in Active Transportation and access to transit.

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blue/gray Jamis Coda Comp 2006

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2006
Brand: Jamis
Model: Coda Comp
Color:blue/gray
Size:60cm
Photo: /home/sbr/public_html/temp/2012/16086.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97202
Stolen:2012-09-12
Stolen From: SE 9th and Marion
Neighborhood: Sellwood
Owner: Paul Steckler
OwnerEmail: steck@stecksoft.com
Reward: maybe
Description: Planet Bike blinky, Cateye Mity 8 speedometer, REI seatbag, maybe chaintool inside
Police record with: Portland Police Dept
Police reference#: T12007683
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

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From the Archives

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