Welcome to the week. We are just three days away from the return of BikeCraft. It’s 3:00 to 8:00 pm on Wednesday, December 17th at Migration Brewing on N Williams Ave. I hope you can make it, and I hope you’ve told all your friends to come too. Our vendors have been working hard to offer lots of wonderful things. See you there!
And now for the weekly roundup of the most notable stories from around the web in the past seven days…
Traffic violence: A man (a noted musician) was walking his dog when he was hit and killed by a woman who has had over 100 previous arrests — 82 court warrants and 40 traffic citations. (CBS News)
Tariff trouble: Ex-Portlander Gabe Tiller figured he’d pay $300-$400 in fees to get his new MTB frame from a European brand. But the fee was over $4,000 and now he’s stuck in UPS/USA tariff policy hell. (Singletracks)
Hit and run organizing: There’s a new nonprofit whose mission is to raise awareness of, and battle the scourge of, hit-and-runs. They also have a fantastic name: Fighting HARD (Hit and Run Driving). I learned about them via Streetsblog. (FightingHard.org)
Price of admission: There’s an interesting conversation about whether or not there should be an admission fee to line the roads to cheer riders on major races like the Tour De France. (NY Times)
Overreach: This is what can happen if you let e-bike narratives and anti-bike discrimination run amok: A bill in New Jersey would require all e-bikes to be licensed and registered. (NJ.com)
Playing politics with roads: A Republican-led effort to defund ODOT took a major step forward when organizers turned in over 200,000 signatures to the Secretary of State. (Oregon Capitol Chronicle)
History lesson: Sit back and enjoy this tale of what cycling was like in and around the Montavilla area over 120 years ago! (Montavilla News)
Tale as old as time: Nearly half of the members of the board that oversees transit in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area don’t even use the service. (Star Tribune)
Carfree research: Surprising results from a nationwide survey presented in published research reveals that way more Americans than you probably thought — nearly one fifth! — are interested in living carfree and an additional 40% are open to the idea (Human Transit)
TriMet Board Member Tyler Frisbee speaking at Wednesday’s Trimet board meeting.
UPDATE, 12:30 on Sunday 12/14: Sorry for such a brief post folks. It was end of a long week and I barely finished this video before I had to quit and get to my son’s basketball game. I posted it in the car on the way to his game! Anyways, Judging from comments a lot of you figured out what it was about.
Quick context: Tyler Frisbee (longtime former policy advisory to U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer, former Deputy Direcrtor of Government Affairs and Policy Development at Metro, now Director of the Institute of Metropolitan Studies at PSU) weighed in on the 82nd Ave Transit Project at the TriMet Board Meeting on 12/10.
Below are her comments (which I’ve edited for brevity):
“We actually have two very different visions of 82nd that are finally clashing with each other in this moment. We literally had someone get up and say, ’82nd is a highway, stop treating it like it’s a neighborhood.’ And then we had people get up and say, ’82nd is my neighborhood. We’ve been asking for it to be a neighborhood street and serve the neighborhood for 30 years.’ That, to me, is the question, right? This is the moment: is 82nd a highway? Or is it a community? Is it a street that serves the community that it’s in?
And it is correct that it was built as a highway over 100 years ago. It is an incredibly different landscape and neighborhood than it was when it was built. And I would argue that the decision has actually already been made. It is no longer a highway. That [decision] was made with the transfer of 82nd to the City of Portland, and it was made when we started this project, right? You don’t run frequent service down a highway. If that is what we intend that road to be, then we shouldn’t be building sidewalks on it. We shouldn’t be building bus improvements on it. But in response to what we heard from the community, they’ve been organizing for that to be a different kind of street.
I understand people’s attachment to the way a road was built over 100 years ago, but I think there has been really clear discussion that that community looks really different now, particularly in the last 30 to 40 years, it has changed dramatically. And there have been a series of decisions that say we need to change the road to reflect the community and the landscape that it’s in now. And to me, the most ambitious transit project on our busiest bus line in the entire region that will only grow, right? That is a part of our city that is only growing, and more people are moving there, and we are seeing more transit need along that space. That is a very clear answer about where that community is going and what that community needs from us in the future. That does not disregard the fact that change is hard, and that does not disregard the fact that there are folks who have built up entire approaches to their business based on the way that street was.
But we are building a project that’s not meeting the next five years of need. We’re building a project that needs to meet the next 20,30, 40,50, years of need.
Big picture, I think that’s where we are. And you know, Michael [Kiser, TriMet Interim Director of Major Projects], I’ve heard you talk about being a community builder and a city builder — that is what this project needs to do. And some extent, actually, the community is built, right? They went ahead and built without the transportation service, without the transit service, and we’re just trying to catch up. [Bless you, baby. Good job (to her baby with her on the dais!)] This is where things get interesting, right? And it is where you can say, ‘You know, yes, I hear you have a concern around the Left turn lanes here. Here are different ways we can mitigate that. Let’s look at some of these options. Is it going to be perfect? No? Is your clientele going to change? Right?’ Each of those stores has an individual proportion in terms of who gets there by bus, who gets there walking, and who gets there by driving. That is going to change after this project, but our goal is that we are bringing enough new ridership there by the bus, and you know, PBOT is working to make it possible by foot, that they are actually seeing more folks visiting.
And that is my sort of second big picture comment. I have heard a lot from folks asking for we want more data on business impact. And my response has been, ‘You know what? When we look at BAT [Business Access & Transit] implementation across the country, much less internationally, it shows almost uniformly an increase in foot traffic and in support for the businesses that rely and depend on that foot traffic, and frankly, even businesses that are that think of themselves as car dependent, actually often see a much more significant increase in their foot traffic and folks coming off the bus that ends up being more than making up for any potential car loss.
What I have had said to me is, ‘Well, we don’t believe that,’ basically, or ‘It’s different here,’ and it is hard for me to then get to the next stage of a conversation, because it’s like, well, what are we going to turn around for you, that you’re going to believe if your answer is always just that data doesn’t meet my needs, that data is not what I want. When we look at the best data we have across the country, real life, BAT implementation and its impact on businesses, to me, it is very heartening. And what it says it’s a story of resiliency. It’s a story of these projects. They change the way that folks get there, but overall they’re bringing more folks to the door of your business.
So I guess I’m using this as a little bit of a soapbox to kind of push back, because I don’t know how to keep having the conversation of just like, ‘I don’t believe that.’ And I think the question that we have that we want to work with folks on is, ‘How can we help make this work so that it’s not about preserving the way that people get to you right now. It is about what does this look like in the future?’ What do your next 10, 20, 30 years as a business look like around 82nd because let me tell you, that community is changing, and you’re going to have folks getting there differently no matter what. And frankly, sometimes just having the same conversation six different times doesn’t actually change the conversation.
And so I would encourage us to think about how we can have the important conversations and the effective conversations with people that understand their needs and try to help find a good path forward. If they don’t want to participate in that, having that conversation six times is not useful, and so I want to find a way to work with all of our folks, with all the community folks who live along there and make sure everyone’s voice is heard, to find a way to meet needs and address needs when we can and acknowledge that this community has changed and is changing, and we need to meet that.”
Since I last checked in, my co-organizer Max and I have been hard at work on BikeCraft: We’ve added great vendors and have confirmed fun details that are sure to make this a memorable event. This post will get you all caught up, so buckle in. But if you read no further, just remember it all goes down this Wednesday, 12/17 from 3:00 to 8:00 pm at Migration Brewing on North Williams Ave.
Before I share more about the vendors, below are some fun details to keep in mind:
You’re encouraged to dress in festive attire (you know, holiday sweaters and such).
Migration is brewing up hot, mulled, non-alcoholic apple cider just for us!
If you’d like to sing or share music or read a holiday poem, just let me know and I’ll give you the mic!
We’re working with mutual aid group, Holding Hearts Bloc to help them build up a “Cycle Closet” for unhoused folks that ride bicycles. We’ll have a bin where you can donate your new or gently used items like: inner tubes, patch kits, lights, saddles, multi-tools, bottle cages, lube, gloves, and so on. Note: If you work at a local bike shop or bike company and want to stoke our bin with a few new items, please contact me (or just show up!).
And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for… Announcing our 2025 BikeCraft vendors:
Nando creates convenient and unique accessories for the everyday cyclist. Check out the Adjustable Can/Coffee Holder with Lid, no more splash! @chronic.carry on Instagram / website
Misia Pitkin / Double Darn
Misia offers an assortment of hand-sewn cycling caps — from lightweight to winter wool. Her other small goods (musettes, fanny packs, simple wallets, and small pouches) make great gifts as well! @double_darn on Instagram / website
Gigi Lascurettes / Gigi’s Handy Work / Helmuffs
Gigi Lascurettes makes handmade helmet earmuffs from up cycled wool or fleece. Keeps your ears covered and cozy. Website
Shawn Granton / Urban Adventure League
Shawn is an author, photographer, illustrator, and urban historian who creates zines, postcards, books, and other works of art inspired by cycling in Portland. Shawn plans to bring: the Stark Street Mileposts zine, a self-guided bike tour of SE’s curious stone markers; along with the Cycle Touring Primer and other publications. @urbanadventureleaguepdx on Instagram / website
Richelle / UpTassels
Richelle upcycles mylar party streamers into joy-inducing handlebar tassels. Grab a pair of UpTassels for yourself or as a sparkly stocking stuffer! @uptassels on Instagram
Joe will offer BikeLoud pennants (hand-screened by Rendered in Southeast Portland) to raise funds for local bike advocacy. Joe will also have blank pennants, blank bandanas stencils and markers for you, or your kids, to make your own! @bikeloudpdx on Instagram / website
Andrew Shaw-Kitch / Bikes for Humanity PDX
Andrew, from the craft department at this local nonprofit that specializes in reconditioning used bikes, grabs cute bike doohickeys out of the wastestream and makes arty little knickknacks out of them. @b4hpdx on Instagram / website
We are lucky to have these three accomplished, local stained glass artists join us. They’ll share unique, bike-inspired pieces from their collection and are making several works just for BikeCraft! Tamara Goldsmith transforms bike parts into adornment for the home, tree and body. She’s turning bicycle cogs and wheels into sun catchers made just BikeCraft! @magichourglass on Instagram / website. Kathie Wise is with Marvelous Mosaics (Instagram / website).
Samples of stained glass pieces that will be for sale at the event.
Eric Ivy / Squid Prints
Eric has made some silly and affordable items for you or your friends: including 12 oz can holders that use bottle cage mounts or cable ties, mini milk crates, earrings, and tree ornaments. He is also selling “I Love Bike Happy Hour” stickers with all all proceeds going to BikePortland.
Iris makes really cool, reflective items like shoelaces, bandannas, pins, and more. I have a pair of their shoelaces and absolutely love them! If you want to add a splash of visibility to your biking wardrobe, stop by this table! @reflectivesociety on Instagram / website
Ryde Safe
This brand is new to Portland, so let’s give them and their cool, reflective and fun safety products a warm, BikeCraft welcome! @ryde.safe on Instagram / website
Shift
Shift board members will be on hand to sell stickers and to answer your questions about the resources they provide our community, and how you can get involved by becoming a Shift board member. @shift2bikes on Instagram / website
I am loving the energy around BikeCraft and just so happy that it’s coming back to its roots. Please help us promote the event by sharing our flyer on social media and/or printing it out and posting it around town. This is grassroots, community endeavor that will only be as cool and special as we all make it. Thanks to everyone helping out. Can’t wait to see everyone on Wednesday!
A TriMet MAX train is on the home page of a Saudi Arabian transportation conference. Inset: A graphic shared by Director Williams on her Linkedin page.
Portland Bureau of Transportation Director Millicent Williams attended a conference in Saudi Arabia from December 7 – 9.
Williams participated in a panel at CoMotion Global ’25, an event held in the city of Riyadh that, “connects the brightest minds, cities, and companies shaping the next chapter of transportation — globally.” Her panel was titled, “Managing Cities in the New Age of Data” (you can watch it here). The front page of the event website features a TriMet MAX train in downtown Portland.
According to an official press release, CoMotion Global is supported by, “key Saudi government partners shaping the Kingdom’s mobility future.”
Traveling to Saudi Arabia as a representative of the City of Portland is likely to give many Portlanders pause. The country’s government has an abysmal human rights record and they use major conferences, along with sports and entertainment events to whitewash their actions.
In 2018, men working for the Saudi government murdered a Washington Post journalist who had been critical of the ruling family. Cracking down on free media is just one black mark against Saudi Arabia. Amnesty International’s list of 10 ways Saudi Arabia violates human rights includes mass executions, discrimination against women, unfair trials, lack of free speech, and a law against public protests.
But the first thing I thought about when I learned Williams was helping Saudi Arabia burnish their international reputation, was the killing of Fallon Smart.
In August of 2016, 20-year old Abdulrahman Noorah drove recklessly down the center lane of Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard at a speed police estimated at 55-60 mph. As he approached SE 43rd Ave, he ran into 15-year-old Fallon Smart. She died in the street. Smart’s death sparked widespread outcry and sadness in our community. I recall crying in the street as I tried to cover a memorial event with Smart’s family.
Two weeks before Noorah would face justice at a court trial, men working for the Saudi government helped him escape the country and he’s never been seen or heard from since. That episode remains a very deep open wound for many in our community, and Williams’ attendance at this event does nothing to help with the healing.
According to PBOT Communications Director Hannah Schafer, “The conference paid for Director Williams’ travel and accommodations, and her travel was reviewed and approved by City Administrator Michael Jordan.”
UPDATE, 12/11 at 7:00 pm: A post on Williams’ personal LinkedIn page that said she was “excited” to attend the conference was deleted following the publication of this article.
Albina Vision Trust Executive Director Winta Yohannes (left) and AVT Government Affairs Director JT Flowers at the OTC meeting today.
The I-5 Rose Quarter project received a stay of execution today thanks to last-minute maneuvering from leaders of Albina Vision Trust, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and three Metro councilors.
As I reported last month, the beleaguered, $2 billion project that aims to expand I-5 between I-84 and the Fremont Bridge and build highway caps and other surface street improvements, faced the possibility of being defunded by the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC). After years of delays due to lawsuits, a skyrocketing price tag, and a political roller coaster ride, the project is at a low point. Desperate to maintain inertia, the Oregon Department of Transportation asked the OTC how to spend the remaining $167 million in the project’s construction coffers. Option 1 would use the money to begin an early phase of construction, Option 2 would use the funds to finish design and make it shovel-ready for full construction later on, and Option 3 would pause funding and re-allocate it to other projects (note that ODOT claims the funds could only be used on other regional highway expansion projects).
ODOT Rose Quarter Program Director Monica Blanchard poked serious holes in Option 3, saying that, in addition to ODOT staff and project advisory committees being against it (big surprise), “Portland’s Black community would see this as walking back on commitments, and cancelling the project would be further eroding their trust in ODOT.”
The three options on the table.
Even facing steep odds, the fact that a defund option was even on the table was a huge development.
No More Freeways (NMF), a nonprofit that’s filed multiple lawsuits against the project, put out a call to action among its members that resulted in over 200 comments in favor of Option 3 filed with the OTC before today’s meeting. NMF sensed an opportunity to strike a mortal blow to the project. But Albina Vision Trust, a nonprofit that supports the project and wants to rebuild a neighborhood on top of the highway caps, also sensed an opportunity — not just to save the funding, but to bend the project even closer to their vision.
And they called in some influential partners to make it happen.
In a letter to the OTC dated December 10th, AVT Executive Director Winta Yohannes — along with Portland Mayor Keith Wilson, Metro President Lynn Peterson, Metro Councilor and Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation Chair Juan Carlos Gonzalez, and Metro Councilor Ashton Simpson — said all three options proposed by ODOT, “fail to adequately balance investment that would concurrently advance I-5 mainline (freeway widening) and highway cover related improvements.”
These influential partners proposed a fourth option, one that wasn’t known to the public until the meeting was already underway. Their Option 4 sought to use the $167 million to move the project forward, but to spend that money on project elements identified, “in collaboration with regional partners,” and “to ensure parity of mainline and highway cover improvements.”
Yohannes, speaking at the OTC meeting today, said, “We need to make sure that what’s [constructed] at each stage maintains the coalition that is ultimately supporting this project… we’re saying, ‘We want to work with you.'” “At a time when this project is facing so many threats,” Yohannes continued. “We think that our power is working together… we believe we can come to a thoughtful phased approach that everybody supports and that ultimately contributes to the overall success of the project.”
“I find your comments very persuasive,” responded Commissioner Lee Beyer (a former state legislator and one of the architects of the 2017 transportation bill that funded the Rose Quarter project). And so too did the other three commissioners present at today’s meeting. They all voted to support Option 4. The plan now is to bring this issue back to the OTC in February or March with a more detailed preliminary construction plan — a plan that is shaped by project partners and not just ODOT staff.
So the I-5 Rose Quarter project lives on, and AVT — the group that has held the keys to the project for years now — found a way to assert even more influence over its future.
In the end, Option 4 is much better than Option 1 (which was a very likely choice going into the meeting). It’s not the defunding some project skeptics wanted, but Option 4 introduces a bit more delay and more accountability about what gets built first from AVT, the City of Portland, and Metro. That should provide some checks on ODOT’s worst impulses and make it more likely that the agency won’t build the wider freeway first and value-engineer the caps out of the project down the line.
What about those 200-plus folks who sent in comments hoping to defund the project? Commissioner Jeff Baker acknowledged them at the end of the meeting.
“There were a lot of impassioned comments that come into us on Option 3, and I would encourage those that have a real strong feeling on Option 3 to do what I did: to learn about this project, go take a walk with Mr. [JT] Flowers… I think an understanding of this project and what it all means, not only the public investment, the private investment from Mr. [Phil] Knight, the [Portland] Trailblazers, and what this project means to the community — it’s very enlightening. And by walking it and seeing it, and hearing from somebody who grew up in the neighborhood, I think it would be really good to at least understand what it’s all about. It may harden their feelings, but I have a feeling that once they really understand and walk through it, it might be very enlightening.”
— See ODOT’s press release about the decision here.
Raymond Lee seated next to Mayor Keith Wilson at a press conference following his confirmation Wednesday. (Photos and video: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
On Wednesday, Raymond Lee became Portland’s first full-time and permanent city administrator. When Mayor Keith Wilson announced his nominee for the role in front of City Council yesterday, he described Lee’s job as, “a role that will oversee day-to-day operations across more than two dozen bureaus and departments, ensuring accountability, alignment, and service to our residents.”
Lee earned unanimous support from council and never faltered or flinched during nearly two hours of questioning from city councilors and the media. During his opening remarks, Lee shared that he comes from a family of public servants. His mother was a city manager and his father spent 30 years in the Dallas Fire Department. After leaving his hometown of Dallas, Lee earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Kansas and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Henderson State University in Arkansas. According to his resume, Lee has also completed leadership and financial certification programs at Cornell, Harvard, and Yale.
Lee faces the daunting task of realizing the (sometimes competing) visions of Mayor Wilson and the 12 councilors. And whether or not he should even have an opinion about specific legislation and policy ideas is still up for debate. During his questioning of Lee, Councilor Eric Zimmerman said, “The city administration has to have a spine. [Council] will come up with good ideas, but we will also come up with some bad ideas. It doesn’t work if the city administration does not have an opinion on our legislation… It requires you to enter the knowledge void and get into the mix with us about what is good and what is bad policy.”
But during a press conference that followed his confirmation, Lee was asked by Willamette Week reporter Sophie Peel about that exchange. “Do you think you should have an opinion?” she asked.
“No,” Lee clarified. “My role is just to provide our professional expertise and call in knowledge.”
Biking and transportation-related issues weren’t discussed during the confirmation hearing (except for Councilor Jamie Dunphy saying to Lee, “Portland is a weird place, and it’s weird in that we have naked bike rides and Voodoo Donuts and things like that.”). However, I was able to ask Lee a question at the press conference.
After inviting him to an interview-by-bike, I asked:
“Can you share your personal experience with mobility and getting around? Do you ever take the bus? Do you mostly drive? Do you walk? Do you have a bike? Do you ride it? And how will those experiences inform the way you look at transportation issues in Portland?”
To which he responded:
“You know, I’ve done it all. I’ve walked to work when I actually lived downtown in Dallas. I’ve driven to work, so I understand how much time residents and people who work in the downtown area may waste time of their life just in traffic as a whole. And I want to make sure we’re getting people to point A to point B in the safest, securest way possible, in the fastest way possible, ensuring that’s happening at a rate that is adding life back to people — instead of taking away time from their loved ones and the work that they enjoy doing every day.
And that’s looking at, how do we address transportation overall? Not just for today, but also for tomorrow, and ensuring that the plans that we have, that we’re partners with other entities and quasi-governmental entities that partner with us in Portland, to ensure that all of our plans are integrated to help move traffic and transportation forward as a whole.
A good portion of my career has been spent in transportation and ensuring it’s done in an efficient, effective and economical manner. And that’s always been a proponent of my philosophy, ensuring that people are being able to get to their destinations in a safe and secure manner.”
You can watch our exchange in the video below:
Lee faces a daunting task. Our city government and Portlanders in general are restless and desperate for an injection of confidence and civic victories. Mayor Wilson cultivated broad council support for Lee and that effort provides Lee with solid footing to begin his work. But there’s likely to be a big adjustment coming from the relatively small city of Greeley to the much larger, and at times almost ungovernable, Portland.
At one point during his confirmation discussion, Lee referred to Dallas, Texas as a progressive city. That led Councilor Sameer Kanal to say, “If you think Dallas is progressive, buckle up.”
Lee appears to be fully strapped-in and seems undeterred by the challenge. “I’m excited about what the future has in store for this great city,” he told councilors. “And I’m excited about the opportunity to be able to partner with the city council and the mayor to shape what the future will be for Portland.”
This article is from Portlander and veteran group ride leader, Tom Howe.
Portland has Peacock Lane and Starkwood, but just to our south, the cities of Gladstone and Milwaukie also offer some incredible holiday displays in December. There are three that really stand out – the entire street of Ridgewood Drive, Schilling Lights on Lark, and Mitchells Land of Misfit Toys & Frosty’s Magical Land.
Last week, after the holiday tree lighting ceremony in downtown Milwaukie, I rode down the Trolley Trail to visit all three of these venues by following a seven-mile loop route starting at the municipal holiday tree in downtown Gladstone. This tree is conveniently located right at the southern end of the Trolley Trail. And the Trolley Trail can be linked with the 17th Avenue Bike Path and the Springwater Corridor for a ride almost entirely on separated bike paths from central Portland all the way to Gladstone.
Starting at the Gladstone holiday tree the route takes you through the adjacent neighborhood over to the sharrowed bike lanes on Webster Road. From there it’s a right hand turn onto Ridgewood Drive where nearly all the houses are decorated. This street is similar to Starkwood in East Portland, consisting of a dead-end street and three cul-de-sacs on the west side. I rode all the way to the end of Ridgewood, then looped through the cul-de-sacs on the way out. It is worth noting that directly across Webster from Ridgewood Drive is Clayton Way where most of the houses are likewise holiday decorated.
Leaving Ridgewood Drive and continuing on Webster Road takes you out of Gladstone and into Milwaukie on the way to Schilling Lights on Lark. The route skirts around Lake Leona and Johnson City, which is nestled right next to the lake. At just 0.07 square miles in size, the residential Johnson City has the highest population density of any city in Oregon.
Turning left on SE Lark Avenue, the route takes you to Schilling Lights on Lark, one of most impressive animated light displays in the entire Portland region. The house and large yard are covered with programmed lights that dance in patterns with scenes from holiday classics like “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” and “Home Alone.” Those scenes are displayed on a giant pixel screen that completely covers the double garage doors. During my visit the song “Let It Go” from the movie “Frozen” was played along with spectacular dancing lights throughout the yard.
Just a couple blocks away is Mitchells Land of Misfit Toys & Frosty’s Magical Land. This is quite the contrast to Schilling, as there are no animated lights, and the illuminated lands have many cutout character displays from the 1960s holiday specials “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” and “Frosty the Snowman.”
I rode the I-205 path to complete the loop back to downtown Gladstone. This is a quick, 1.5-mile ride along the path with no stop signs encountered until reaching the southern end. The route concludes with a few blocks of riding through downtown Gladstone, where the street is adorned with holiday stars.
Since this route uses a portion of the I-205 path, you might wonder why not use that path to get down to the area rather than the Trolley Trail. I prefer the Trolley Trail as it is quiet and there are some holiday decorated houses along the way. But more importantly, it avoids the notorious one-mile gap on the path. This gap routes cyclists onto SE 82nd Drive near where the Sunrise Expressway was completed back in 2016. Now 82nd Drive is not to be confused with 82nd Avenue. Unlike 82nd Avenue, the gap on 82ndDrive is a two-lane road with substandard bike lanes on both sides. The most difficult part is linking up with the orphan section of the I-205 path, as it requires going over the bridge where I-205 connects with Highway 212. If you do this route, ride the sidewalk over the bridge and use the three pedestrian signals when crossing the freeway ramps. Government officials are well aware of the I-205 gap, and plans are in place to eventually refine it with separated bike paths on both sides of SE 82nd Drive.
I really enjoyed visiting these sites in Gladstone and Milwaukie, and hope others can visit them as well during the holiday season, by bike of course!
Raymond Lee and a street in his former city. (Inset photo: City of Greeley)
On Wednesday morning, Portland City Council will vote on Mayor Keith Wilson’s pick for City Administrator: former city manager of Greeley, Colorado, Raymond Lee. Lee, 41, was announced as Wilson’s choice on December 2nd. If confirmed he would become the first (non interim) person to ever hold the position of city administrator in Portland’s history.
The city administrator plays a very important and powerful role in our new form of government. It will be Lee’s job (along with his team of deputy administrators) to execute the mayor’s visions and city council’s legislative actions. Among his powers will be the ability appoint, reassign, discipline, and remove bureau directors. According to Rose City Reform, the city administrator will be the, “mayor’s trusted advisor.” and is likely to function as a bridge between the executive (Mayor’s Office) and legislative (City Council) branches.
What’s he likely to do with that power when it comes to shaping our transportation system? I honestly couldn’t tell you. I don’t know enough yet. But I spent a few hours looking at Greeley and Lee’s past work experience to find out what we might expect when it comes to his mobility-related mindset. Let’s dive in….
Lee’s former town is much smaller than Portland. While he made it clear in just about every video I watched that, “Greeley is one of the fastest growing cities in the state,” it still has a population of about 116,000. That’s one-sixth the size of Portland (pop. 630,000). It’s represented by Democrats in the U.S. Senate, but the county it’s located in (Weld County) voted 61% for Trump and only 39% for Harris in the 2024 presidential election and several residents on Reddit described it as “conservative.” Greeley is on the plains just east of the Rocky Mountains and about an hour drive north of Denver. It’s home to a large meat-packing plant, a mid-sized public university and a community college.
Typical street near downtownA block in the main part of downtown.Typical neighborhood collector.
From a bicycling perspective, there’s not a lot to write about. The League of American Bicyclist gave Greeley a Bronze award for its bicycle friendliness, but from what I can tell the city’s 85 miles of bike lanes are most just standard, painted lanes — often next to high-speed car traffic. To Lee’s credit, Greeley has recently made more noise for transportation reform: They launched a bike share system in October 2024 and by the following spring they’d deployed 250 bikes along with 80 shared electric scooters (about 25% of all bike share use is on the local college campus).
Greeley declared a goal in January of this year to reach zero traffic deaths by 2045 — and kicked off their effort with a $9.9 million federal safe streets grant. The city had 11 total traffic deaths in 2024, and they even hosted a World Day of Remembrance event to raise awareness about it.
Greeley is currently rebuilding a major downtown corridor into a more human-centric environment with public art, roundabouts, less driving space, and wide sidewalks. In the concept drawings I saw however, there was no dedicated space for bicycling.
Lee will have had some experience with free bus service, an idea that pops up in Portland from time-to-time and is getting a life lately because it’s an idea championed by New York City’s mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. Greeley’s transit system has implemented a free transit pilot for two months in the summer through a state program to improve air quality.
Greeley transit system mapGreeley on Google Maps with the “Bicycling” layer turned onGreeley’s heatmap on RideWithGPS shows almost all its bike trips are on trails at the edges of town.
When it comes to Lee’s professional experience, he doesn’t talk about transportation much. In his 12-page resume, Lee shares a long bullet list of accomplishments, yet none of them are transportation-related. The largest transportation project he’s overseen is a $132 million investment into Greeley’s biggest highway — US 34 — which bisects the city. The Mobility Enhancements for Regional Growth & Equity (MERGE) Project will build two interchanges for the freeway in order to reduce crashes and will develop transit hubs where folks can safely connect to transit and other modes.
The highest profile project Lee has been involved in is a major redevelopment project known as Catalyst (or Cascadia), a public-private partnership estimated to cost around $1 billion that would build an arena and related amenities for a local hockey team. According to the Greeley Tribune, a community group that’s skeptical about the project ran a successful petition campaign that will put a repeal of the zoning for the project in front of voters. A public vote is coming in late February.
Here’s more from the Tribune:
Residents who oppose the project have remained doubtful the project will deliver the promised economic boom. More concerns arose once the city issued certificates of participation, one of the primary funding mechanisms for the early stages of the project, which temporarily leased city buildings to secure a loan.
Another group, Greeley Deserves Better, petitioned to put the city council’s approval of the certificates of participation issuance on November’s ballot. After a city-appointed arbiter ruled that such an action was not within the residents’ power, Greeley Demands Better gathered more than 5,000 signatures in an effort to repeal zoning for the project that was approved in September.
Before his tenure in Greeley, Lee served a four-year stint as public works director for the city of Amarillo, Texas.
I’ve reached out to a few transportation advocates in Greeley to see if they have anything to add about Lee, but I’ve yet to hear back. If you know anything about his views on transportation, please share them in the comments. I’ll get to see and hear from Lee in person on Wednesday morning, so stay tuned for more about this man who will play a pivotal role in the future of Portland.
UPDATE, 12/10: After posting this story, I learned that Greeley’s Public Works Director Paul Trombino (their point person for major transportation projects) also resigned shortly after Lee did. I’m trying to learn more. For now, check out the stories about this from local blogger Jack Bogdanski.
UPDATE, 12/10: I asked the City of Greeley Mobility Manager Michelle Johnson to tell me more about Lee’s work/position on transportation. Here’s what Johnson shared:
“During his time here, City Manager Lee supported several projects that helped move Greeley forward on mobility. He backed the work on our Mobility Development plan, which focused on improving safety and connections for people walking, biking, driving and using transit. You can see an overview of that work here: speakupgreeley.com/mobility-development-plan.
We are currently working on year 1 activities based on this plan, which will include route improvements, the introduction of a transit app, and expanding regional transportation with a new line between Loveland and Greeley.
Also under his leadership, we launched our first micromobility pilot, which gave residents more short-trip options and helped us learn how shared scooters and similar tools could fit into our system. Details on that pilot are here: speakupgreeley.com/micromobility-pilot.
Overall, we have worked hard to expand mobility options, trying new (to us) approaches to give people more ways to get around our city.“
Update, 12/10: Jim Riesberg, founder of nonprofit advocacy group Greeley Walks and organizer of events like Week Without Driving and World Day of Remembrance for Traffic Victims, said he thinks Greeley is on a solid trajectory when it comes to transportation reform. “I think Greeley is way ahead of many other cities, particularly of its size and the attention that they’re paying to transportation, mobility, safe streets, improving public transportation and making it easier for people to get around,” Riesberg shared with me in an interview this morning.
During Lee’s tenure as city manager, the Greeley Public Works Department has been busy with traffic calming initiatives, Riesberg says. “A number of what were four-lane streets have now been reduced to two-lane streets by painting medians and things in them.” Riesberg also added that Lee hasn’t attended any meetings or forums he has hosted and he’s never seen Lee at a meeting of the city’s Citizens Transportation Advisory Board.
As for the quality of bike infrastructure? Riesberg said Greeley has 27 miles of bike lanes and the majority of them are of the unprotected, door zone variety.
“The city has increased the number of bike lanes getting into the downtown area,” Riesberg shared, “But we don’t have any good bike parking stations in downtown yet. We’re working on that.”
Riesberg also said he was “shocked” by the resignation of former Public Works Director Paul Trombino, who left his post shortly after Lee resigned. “I had high praise for [Trombineo],” Riesberg shared. “And [his resignation] really shocked me because I thought he was just moving Greeley in a very important direction — and quite rapidly. So I’m not sure what happened there.”
When Riesberg asked city council members about why Trombino resigned, they didn’t tell. “They won’t share anything,” he says. “They just said, ‘I can’t get into that.'”
When people talk about racism and the I-5 Rose Quarter project, they usually talk about how government agencies destroyed hundreds of homes in the vibrant Albina neighborhood where many Black people once lived, in order to build parking lots and a freeway.
But race has simmered under the lid of this project for years as advocacy groups plant their flags and the Oregon Department of Transportation tries to navigate various constituencies.
In 2020, ODOT disbanded an advisory committee that had become skeptical of the project and hand-picked members of a new one to replace it. ODOT said the move was made to “intentionally center Black voices,” but the folks pushed out felt it was done to silence opposition. In 2021 BikePortland published a guest article by climate attorney Ka’sha Bernard, who attended an Oregon Transportation Commission meeting where ODOT brought in Black construction firm owners to, “say how good the minority contracts granted by the State would be for the community, while a bunch of young white kids got up there in tears proclaiming how their climate fates would soon be sealed.” “I thought ODOT would not stoop as low as to pit Black community members against young environmentalists,” Bernard wrote.
I’ve watched committee meetings where Joe Cortright, the White co-founder of No More Freeways (the nonprofit group that has done the most work to stall the project through lawsuits and community organizing) is vehemently criticized by Black committee members. “I take great offense to some of these comments,” Historic Albina Advisory Board member Leslie Goodlow shared at a meeting in March of 2024. “It’s the paternalistic tone. These people think they’re educating us? Hard pass.” “Joe Cortright’s on here talking about ecological stuff,” another HAAB member said after his testimony. “And I’m with some other people who say: ‘Where was he when they was building all this stuff and they took all this money and gentrified our community with all that money?!'”
That dynamic — where many of the project’s most ardent supporters are Black and many of its most ardent detractors are White — remains to this day.
With a pivotal vote about project funding looming at Thursday’s OTC meeting, No More Freeways put out an action alert telling supporters to demand that commissioners vote to defund the project. With $167 million dedicated to the project, the OTC can tell ODOT whether to begin partial construction, delay full construction, or to stop spending entirely.
No More Freeways says ODOT simply cannot afford to keep spending money on the project while the state’s lack of transportation funding is an “existential emergency.” “We simply cannot afford to let the Oregon Transportation Commission continue to throw good money after bad and allocate another $160 million towards this boondoggle when the state has so many other needs,” No More Freeways writes.
Screenshot of No More Freeways Instagram post and JT Flowers comment.
When the group posted their message on Instagram, JT Flowers replied in the comments. Flowers is director of government affairs for Albina Vision Trust, the nonprofit that in many ways controls the future of the project. To be clear, Flowers was writing from his personal account (I’ve reached out to him for comment and have not yet heard back), but his candor and critique of No More Freeways raised eyebrows.
“And gut decades of Black-led work to reconnect Albina via a highway cover and reroot displaced working communities back in the heart of our city? No thanks, NMF,” Flowers wrote. “You folks are starting to veer into a politic defined by green-washed racism rather than justice, equity or true climate consciousness.”
Someone from No More Freeways replied that they are in full support of the highway covers and that there are no current plans to spend any money on them. “Our grassroots opposition has consistently focused on our concern about the doubling of the width of the freeway that adds more car traffic, air pollution and carbon emissions into the neighborhood and makes building caps significantly more expensive and difficult,” No More Freeways wrote.
To which Flowers replied:
“‘Supporting’ the highway covers actually means heeding nearly six years of combined community engagement through which thousands of community members across Oregon (many of them being Black folks whose families, like mine, were displaced by the construction of I-5) collectively pointed towards an imperfect compromise: a partial expansion of the 28th worst bottleneck in the country built alongside an 8 acre highway cover that offers true vertical development opportunity on top of the cap, reconnecting Albina in a generationally transformative way. This is a statewide transportation project, meaning that it only has legs if it can appropriately serve the many competing needs of stakeholders of differing beliefs and ideologies. As someone who is an active champion of transit and an unapologetic defender of a transit-oriented, anti-single-driver-vehicle future in our city, it is still crystal clear to me that this project is not about the expansion of the highway — it’s about the statewide politics that make a restoratively redeveloped future possible for the daughters and sons of Lower Albina. You folks cannot continuously claim to be supportive of the cover while actively undermining the community-driven compromise that made it possible in the first place.”
Based on this comment, Flowers is no longer agnostic about the freeway widening element of the project. He believes it’s better to allow ODOT to move forward adding lanes to I-5 if it means the highway covers — and the Albina Vision — can be realized, rather than risk the entire project.
As if the OTC’s decision Thursday wasn’t difficult enough.
On Sunday I threw on a rain jacket and rolled over to Nomad Cycles at Northeast 59th and Sandy to check out the Cranksgiving Scavenger Hunt. I spent the day exploring Portland by bike to raise money for Portland Street Medicine. Along the way I discovered some new (to me) hidden roadside attractions, met some nice folks, and chatted with event organizer extraordinaire John Carter and Nomad Cycle owner Brad Davis.
Watch the video above or on the BikePortland YouTube channel.
Lines have been clearly drawn in the debate over what type of bus service is right for 82nd Avenue. In three letters sent to TriMet today, influential politicians and high-profile advocacy groups made their positions known. At issue is the agency’s $350 million 82nd Avenue Transit Project, envisioned as a major upgrade for a key East Portland arterial that’s in dire need of a way to move people more safely and efficiently.
As BikePortland has reported, a rupture has formed between two transit options under consideration: one option would keep the central (highest traffic) segment of the street relatively unchanged from its current four-lane cross-section, and the other option would construct semi-dedicated, “Business Access and Transit” (BAT) lanes along the entire 10-mile project corridor between Clackamas County and the Columbia River. The two options are known as “Some BAT” (build semi-dedicated bus lanes only on each end of the corridor) and “More BAT” (build them on the entire corridor) respectively.
In mid-October, TriMet staff shocked many project watchers when they released a recommendation for the “Some BAT” option. Advocates who expected a big bus upgrade felt betrayed, some elected officials were caught off-guard, and even a TriMet board member voiced disagreement with the decision.
TriMet tried to do damage control, saying the recommendation was only meant to start a conversation and delaying the final decision. But it’s clear that TriMet is nervous about two elements of the “More BAT” option: a higher ($8 million) project cost increase they say could jeopardize delivery, and vehement opposition from business owners. At the project’s Policy & Budget Advisory Committee meeting on November 7th, TriMet made it clear that they won’t push for the “More BAT” option unless partner agencies bring more funding and political capital the table.
With an update on the project expected to come at a TriMet Board meeting this Wednesday, groups on both sides of this issue are making their voices heard.
A letter signed by 14 elected officials and sent to TriMet GM Sam DeSue and the agency’s Board of Directors stated that nothing short of the “More BAT” option is acceptable. “We are concerned by the news that TriMet is considering a watered-down proposal… Anything short of full BAT lanes for this corridor significantly hampers the catalytic potential to spur new housing growth, support local businesses, and greater local and regional mobility,” the letter reads. Among its signees are six Portland city councilors, four Metro councilors, and four Oregon legislators.
Another letter in support of BAT lanes was signed by leaders of 32 local nonprofit organizations. The organizations who signed onto the letter go far beyond the typical transportation groups and includes: Native American Youth and Family Center, AARP, Coalition of Communities of Color, The Grotto, African Youth and Community Organization, Vestal Elementary School, ROSE Community Development, South Tabor Neighborhood Association, and JOIN.
Signees.
Throwing cold water on the BAT lane idea is a letter from Portland Metro Chamber signed by the owners of 61 businesses located along the project corridor. They say TriMet should stick with the “Some BAT” option and that if new bus lanes were created along the entire corridor, there would be a, “significant increase in traffic congestion.” They want more studies to ensure businesses would not be harmed and they believe the full BAT lane design is only a marginal upgrade that isn’t worth the extra cost and potential project delays. This business coalition fears that BAT lanes would devastate some businesses. Here’s more from the letter:
“As business owners, we are deeply worried about the loss of safe and effective access to businesses and the potential catastrophic loss to a major mode of transportation to the corridor during critical business hours. We agree that improvements to transit could lead to an increase in customers of some businesses (but not all) who choose to use this mode, but there is no existing analysis that justifies the damage of increased car congestion to existing customers’ transportation choices. Customer surveys conducted by businesses on the street have found that over 90% of current customers arrive by car. Finally, we are concerned that the proposal includes untenable bus stop locations that block driveways, prevent safe and effective access to business destinations, and cause unsafe visual obstructions to vehicles exiting business driveways.”
The Federal Transit Administration will not award the project federal funding if it scores poorly on congestion relief and adverse effects on existing businesses. This is no time to be driven by ideological rigidity given the current economic and political climate.”
These concerns echo those already made by lawyers who represent several of the businesses who signed onto the letter. Two law firms have already written TriMet detailing their objections and have threatened to sue the agency if full BAT lanes are installed.
It’s unclear whether or not TriMet will make a decision about the BAT lanes at Wednesday’s board meeting. The agency has previously said we shouldn’t expect that to happen until early next year.
Are you in high school? Or do you have a high schooler in your life who’s jazzed on cycling or who understands how biking and walking can positively impact someone’s life? If so, I’ve got two interesting volunteer opportunities to consider — including one that’s actually paid!
The Portland Bureau of Transportation is seeking Biketown Youth Ambassadors. Biketown is Portland’s bike share system, a fleet of rentable bikes that has unlocked mobility for thousands of young people citywide. This PBOT program gives teens a chance to learn real-life skills while making a little money in the process.
Biketown Youth Ambassadors schedule and host in-class presentations and test-ride sessions that familiarize other young people about the system. It’s currently open only to students who 16 years or older (as of January 2026) and are enrolled at Roosevelt, McDaniel, or Parkrose high schools. Three students per school will be selected and the application deadline is December 15th. Ambassadors can make up to $320 for 20 hours of work. More information on PBOT’s website.
The Oregon Department of Transportation is also looking for high schoolers to join its Safe Routes to School High School Task Force. Safe Routes to School is a national program that gets more students biking and walking to school by building safer communities. As a task force member, students will build relationships with peers and mentors, design and lead a community project, and build leadership skills that look great on college and job applications. Oregon students enrolled in grades 9-12 are eligible. The deadline to apply is December 11th at 5:00 pm. Learn more on ODOT’s website.
It’s great to see these agencies partnering with young people. I hope some BikePortland families will get involved!
