BikePortland

Mia Birk of Alta Bicycle Share says Portland’s system “Will allow us to fulfill the 2030 vision”

Get ready Portland, it’s coming!.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

On Friday afternoon, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) announced that Alta Bicycle Share had won the contract to operate the Portland Bike Share system. Given Alta’s Portland headquarters, their success in nabbing major bike share projects around the country, and Birk’s own close connections with the City of Portland (she used to run the City’s bike program and her other company Alta Planning + Design is a frequent contractor), the decision wasn’t a huge surprise.

But while Birk’s company had a huge head start in the race for this contract, PBOT must have also been aware of the flood of headlines about software problems and delays that have dogged Alta Bicycle Share for the past few months.

To learn more from Alta’s perspective, and to get an update on the issues underlying that publicity, I asked Birk a few questions via email…

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 1986
Brand: Fuji
Model: 450 SE
Color:Teal
Serial:Fk510288
Photo: no
Stolen in Portland, OR 97202
Stolen:2012-10-02
Stolen From: sellwood house 15th ave
Neighborhood: sellwood
Owner: Lori Sumpter
OwnerEmail: deesaucy@gmail.com
Reward: lunch at oconnors
Description: terry style bike …27 1/4 rear wheel 24 1/8 front wheel shimano parts
Police record with: portland police
Police reference#: t12008324
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Accusations, boycott from anti-fascist group puts strain on Citybikes

One of two Citybikes locations on SE Ankeny street.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

A group of anti-fascist activists have announced a public boycott of Citybikes because they accuse its founder and president, Tim Calvert, of holding anti-semitic views and organizing for racist causes. Rose City Antifascists (RCA, also known as Rose City Antifa) have also sent Citybikes employees a list of demands — including firing Calvert — they want enacted prior to lifting the boycott. This increasingly public pressure on the shop has put a major strain on Citybikes employees, causing two of them leave the co-op and causing others significant personal stress.

Adding to the complexity of the situation is that Citybikes is a worker-owned cooperative that holds freedom of expression of its workers in high regard and is not able to simply fire a fellow employee-owner even if they wanted to. One former employee I spoke with (who wishes to remain anonymous), said he wishes Calvert would step down from his role at Citybikes. The former employee — who says he left specifically because of stress caused by these accusations — said that even if Citybikes wanted to force Calvert out, they would be open to legal action (because their own bylaws prevent it) and defending themselves would bankrupt the business.

Year: 2012
Brand: Cannondale
Model: Quick CX4
Color:Green and White
Size:Large
Serial: QM79823
Stolen in Portland, OR 97210
Stolen:2012-10-01
Stolen From: Yeon Avenue near McDonald’s. Two guys on bikes, one on a bmx…I have them on video but can’t make out their faces. Bastards!
Neighborhood: NW Industrial
Owner: Jamie Wilson
OwnerEmail: jhwilson@schn.com
Reward: $250
Description: 90 days old, new condition with front and rear lights, rear rack and saddle bags.
Police record with: In process
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

blue Cannondale Not sure 1988?

Year: 1988?
Brand: Cannondale
Model: Not sure
Color:blue
Size:juvnile (24″ whls)
Photo: http://imageshack.us/a/img259/4803/sbicycle.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97202
Stolen:2012-09-31
Stolen From: Taken from my front porch at the intersection of SE 8th & Rhone
Neighborhood: Brooklyn
Owner: michael downes
OwnerEmail: littlecog@gmail.com
Description: Rare late eighties Cannondale juvenile mtb with 24″ wheels and roller cam brakes. All original equipment except saddle and rear derailleur.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 12-156080
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Sea Foam Bianchi Boardwalk

Brand: Bianchi
Model: Boardwalk
Color:Sea Foam
Size:19
Serial:H5H55493
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2012-10-01
Stolen From: SE 12th and Taylor in a locked apartment building basement. At least one other bike was stolen as well.
Neighborhood: Buckman/Sunnyside
Owner: jen jackson
OwnerEmail: redjenj@gmail.com
Description: Red bike rack with mtn. bike sticker. Black grips with pink stars. Front fender-Planet bike. SRAM derailer(s?) Can’t remember if both were or not.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 12-86463

Black Jamis Beatnik 2012

Year: 2012
Brand: Jamis
Model: Beatnik
Color:Black
Size:57cm
Serial: 0121022775
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2012-09-18
Stolen From: Stolen from my front porch at SE 28th and Main St.
Neighborhood: Sunnyside Neighborhood (between Hawthorne & Belmont)
Owner: Jason Rall
OwnerEmail: jasonrall@hotmail.com
Description: All black Jamis Beatnik commuter bike. Single speed, straight handle bars, hand brakes. Grey Jamis decal on downtube.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 12-155814
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Ice Blue Peugeot Mixte 80’s

Year: 80’s
Brand: Peugeot
Model: Mixte
Color:Ice Blue
Size:I’m 5’4”
Stolen in Portland, OR 97217
Stolen:2012-09-30
Stolen From: Neighborhood sidewalk; Wygant & Cleveland
Neighborhood: Wygant & Cleveland, North Portland
Owner: Daphna Peterson
OwnerEmail: daphnairene@hotmail.com
Reward: $200
Description: Kryptonite bike lock, locked around onto the frame,
red rack over rear wheel
black foam handle bars
black fenders
combo pedals for flats and clip-ons
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 12-156071
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Spinlister’s peer-to-peer bike rental service now open for business

A Portland listing on Spinlister.

It’s been almost one year since we first told you about Spinlister, an online service that let’s you list your bike for rent. Now the service is out of beta mode and has officially launched. And folks in Portland are wasting no time putting it to use.

Here’s more from their website:

“Spinlister is a marketplace that lets you find the best bikes to rent online, whether from individuals or existing bike rental shops.

Just type where you’d like to ride and Spinlister gives you the best bike rental options for that location. We connect you with awesome people and great bikes from around the world.

If you’d like to list your bike, just snap a few pictures and share your sweet chariot with awesome people like you. We help you meet up, exchange the bike, and have a great experience, whether you’re the renter or the lister.”

“Sort of a joke,” and “atrocious” is how we’ve described the design of the bicycle wheel gutters on the stairs of the new Gibbs Street Bridge. Now it appears that the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will do something about it.

Last week I confirmed with PBOT spokesman Dan Anderson that they have decided to move forward with a project to revamp and improve bike access on the stairs. Currently, there’s just a very narrow flat spot at the far edge of the one side of the stairs where bicycle wheels are supposed to roll. As I shared last week, the design is simply not adequate. There are well over 100 stairs and the incline is quite steep. Yes, there’s an elevator but it’s bound to be out of order and/or undergoing repairs now and again and people with bikes need a reliable 24/7/365 option.

Detail of new path. See
full image below.
(Photos: Mult. County)

Last week we shared the news that Multnomah County has built a new bike path on the northwest side of the Sellwood Bridge. The new path will be in place for at least another year, while construction crews continue to work on replacing the old bridge.

Since I haven’t been out there myself to take a closer look, County spokesman Mike Pullen snapped a few photos for us. If you use that part of the bridge on your regular route, the photos below should give you a good idea of what to expect. There have also been some reviews of the new path and other observations shared in the comments of our story last week.

Here’s the entrance to the new path (it looks to be only about 4 1/2 to 5 feet wide)…

Bart Simpson and a shark fin adorn
two SAG vans in Ashland, Oregon.
(Photos by Will Vanlue)

Last month I spent a week volunteering on Cycle Oregon in one of their SAG vans. I get a lot of questions about what exactly a “SAG” is and what we do to support the ride, so I figured I’d share a bit more about my experience.

Even some people who have ridden Cycle Oregon for years, who’ve been lucky enough to avoid mechanical programs and fatigue and so haven’t needed a ride, have asked me how the SAGs work. And while the logistical details are interesting, there’s a whole other reason why I choose to volunteer in a SAG van year after year.

First, a little background on SAG vans and Cycle Oregon.

Teal Fuji 450 SE 1986

Accusations, boycott from anti-fascist group puts strain on Citybikes

Green and White Cannondale Quick CX4 2012

blue Cannondale Not sure 1988?

Sea Foam Bianchi Boardwalk

Black Jamis Beatnik 2012

Ice Blue Peugeot Mixte 80’s

Spinlister’s peer-to-peer bike rental service now open for business

PBOT: “Major improvement” for bikes coming to Gibbs Bridge stairs

Follow-up: More photos of new Sellwood Bridge bike path

Go behind the “SAG” van at Cycle Oregon

Latest Headlines

Five rides to roll in the new year

Video: Good bike infrastructure vs bad drivers

Merry Christmas! Portland’s upgraded automated speed cameras are ticketing drivers once again

Monday Roundup: Golden gravel route, too bad for Rad, Uber is sad, and more

From the Archives

Portland’s invisible machine: Behind the scenes at the World Naked Bike Ride