BikePortland

Jobs of the Week: Go By Bike, Ride Report, Community Cycling Center, NW Pro Gear

Need a new job? Want a better job? Hiring season is in full swing.

We’ve got five excellent new opportunities for you to consider. Learn more about each one via the links below…

For a complete list of available jobs, click here.

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Family Biking: How to carry a stroller on your bike

While I am making changes to our family’s lifestyle to make it more bikeable, I have also found that I can do much of what I was already doing without the car. As I continue to ask myself, “why not bike?” when I reach for the car keys, I often discover that there is a bike-possible solution for my car plans.

One of my biking deterrents was that I didn’t have a stroller once I arrived at my destination. Originally, I just took a baby carrier and I would carry my little guy once we arrived wherever we were going. But at age one, he’s heavy and squirmy and I really needed a place I could put him down without having to chase him every second. This particularly applies to library visits, as I am unable to bend down and pick books off shelves while trying to hold or corral a wiggly toddler. The temptation was to drive to the library so that I could haul a stroller in the minivan trunk. But, like so much else, I soon discovered that carrying the stroller by bike, with the kid(s), is possible.

In my case, the solution was simple: I purchased some Voile straps after seeing them used on other bikes like mine to lash a child’s bike to the mama bike. (Newer Bunch Bikes come with nifty hooks so that you can use these straps to carry backpacks and other cargo from the sides of the box.) Using these straps, I am able to easily secure an umbrella stroller to the front of my bike box. I strap around my canopy rails, but I imagine these useful straps could be rigged to work with different bikes.

Nifty rack attachment for carrying baby strollers.

What if you don’t have a box bike? Don’t give up! A Dutch company has a solution for that too: the Steco Buggy Mee is a carrier for an umbrella stroller that attaches easily to a back rack on a standard bicycle (see how easy it is in this video).

While you can’t order the Buggy Mee directly from the company, I have found a few for sale with other online retailers or resale marketplaces. I would love to see a Portland bike shop become a Steco dealer, so we can get this Buggy Mee stroller caddy stocked in local shops (along with a lot of other cool Steco bike accessories). If you are a local Portland-area shop, and you are able to order the Steco Buggy Mee, please let us know.

Getting even more creative, parents might consider this Taga bike which converts into a stroller.

This is all to say that you can do a lot more by bicycle than you might originally think. When you are tempted to believe that your bike can’t do what you need, step out of the car-centric box and look for a biking solution. You might be surprised by what you can find!

If you have found a creative way to tote your stroller by bicycle, let us know. We’d love to see how you do it.

Job: Director of Diversity and People – Community Cycling Center

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

Director of Diversity and People

Company / Organization

Community Cycling Center

Job Description

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
We love Portland and bikes. So, we put our two loves together over 25 years ago, creating a nonprofit organization on a mission to broaden access to bicycling and its benefits.

Our vision is to help build a vibrant community where people of all backgrounds use bicycles to stay healthy and connected. We believe that all Portlanders—regardless of income or background—should have the opportunity to experience the joy, freedom, and health benefits of bicycling. This is the motivation behind everything we do.

In addition to delivering dynamic programs that benefit underserved communities, we operate a full-service bike shop in NE Portland that is staffed by highly experienced staff from diverse cycling backgrounds. Our programs and shop services combined help riders build their skills and confidence; empower young people to ride to school and adults to ride to work; offer educational opportunities for teens to earn school credit; and support everyone in riding for health and recreation. We also collaborate with numerous community partners to generate pathways to employment and engagement within the growing bicycle movement by training new educators, leaders, advocates, and mechanics.

Our goal is to help create a healthy, sustainable Portland for all community members.

The Community Cycling Center is an equal opportunity employer and strongly values diversity, equity, and inclusion. Individuals with diverse backgrounds, abilities and experiences are encouraged to apply.

JOB SUMMARY
Reporting to the Executive Director (ED), the Director of Diversity and People will help ensure that we are meeting our goals of creating a diverse, inclusive, and welcoming work environment, and some human relations within the organization. The Director of Diversity and People will work in tandem with the staff-level Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team to foster a more inclusive workspace. They will uplift the voices and work experience of our staff with an intersectional focus on employees of color, LGBTQ+, disabled, immigrant, youth, and other marginalized groups within the organization.
This position requires a hands-on approach to getting things done together with the ability to work well independently and collaborate with other members of the Community Cycling Center’s staff. The Director of Diversity and People is one of our Director-Level employees and part of the leadership team. Successful candidates will have experience fostering an inclusive, compassionate, and collaborative culture in a diverse workplace.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (60%)
– Lead and serve as a member of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion team, and provide support to that team as requested.
Work with the DEI team to:
*Develop materials to implement training for supervisors in Community Cycling Center policies, procedures, programs,
budgets, ethics, and how they can cultivate an inclusive and welcoming work environment.
* Help ensure a recruiting strategy that invites diverse candidates to apply for Community Cycling Center jobs.
* Develop goals for representation in our workforce from the communities we serve.
* Audit all HR documents, including job descriptions, through a DEI lens.
– Support the programs team to build a workforce development plan for youth involved in our STEM or internship program. This includes networking with community partners and potential employers.
– Check in with staff regularly to understand how the organization can best support them.
– Identify and develop tools for employee retention, with a focus on supporting our BIPOC, LBGTQ+, disabled, immigrant, youth, or other marginalized staff within the organization.
– Advocate for employee rights and benefits.

Human Relations (40%)
– Administer new employee orientation and ongoing training on HR policies and procedures as needed. Administer exit interviews and review all job descriptions for open positions as needed.
– Ensure that the organizational policies are thorough, up-to-date, shared, and accessible to every employee, and observed.
– Ensure compliance with workers’ compensation, occupational safety and health, and other rules protecting employees, volunteers, and the public.
– Serve as the primary point of contact for employees regarding Grievance related questions and manage our staff evaluation system.
– Meet weekly with the Organizational Leadership Team and manage human relation and mediation issues that may arise.

QUALIFICATIONS & CHARACTERISTICS
REQUIRED
– Bachelor’s degree in human resource related field
– Thorough understanding of HR best-practices, state and federal law, and a desire for continued education in this area
– Sees projects through to completion through a multi-faceted approach including delegation of tasks as a leader as well as hands-on work on the ground alongside staff
– Experience leading multi-cultural teams with a trauma-informed lens and ability to bridge gaps in understanding among team members with diverse backgrounds and experiences
– A deep appreciation for the mission and values of the Community Cycling Center, as well as a thorough understanding of the unique and complex community development and social justice issues facing Portland residents
– Excellent people skills, including experience collaborating in a diverse and dynamic team
– A demonstrable personal and professional commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion
– Criminal background check required for staff who are interacting with children

PREFERRED
– Cross-sector management experience in for-profit, nonprofit, and social venture work environments.
– Degree, coursework, certifications, or other training in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
– Fluency in one or more language(s) spoken in Portland’s marginalized communities, e.g., Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, or others
– Lived and/or work experience in BIPOC or Immigrant communities
– Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe, Salesforce, QuickBooks, and SharePoint

START DATE: ASAP (This is a hybrid position, working mostly remote, candidate must reside in Portland, Oregon)
REPORTS TO: Executive Director
STATUS: Full Time
LOCATION: Portland OR
SALARY: $70,000 – $75,000
BENEFITS: Medical, Dental, Vision, and 401k

How to Apply

Please submit a cover letter and resume by email with “Director of Diversity and People” as the subject line to jobs@communitycyclingcenter.org

A 17 mph cushion for speeding in the Central City

Screenshot from PPBCentralBikeSquad on Instagram.

Just how normalized has the dangerous act of speeding become? The other day a Portland Police officer posted up on the Burnside Bridge to catch speeders and decided they wouldn’t pull anyone over unless they were going 47 mph — that’s 17 mph over the posted speed limit.

I’ve known for many years that police never set out on traffic enforcement missions with a plan to cite people going 1-2 mph over the speed limit. I recall years ago when I joined a PPB officer for a ride-along they agreed (arbitrarily) at a meeting before the shift that they’d allow 9 mph over the limit before they pulled anyone over. But 17 mph? On a busy road in the central city?

And unlike in the days before social media, this is very public knowledge. I learned about this officer on Burnside because they posted a video of themselves on Instagram (below). In case you haven’t heard, a group of Central Precinct officers has quite a large following on their PPBCentralBikeSquad account. It’s a very interesting account that gives us a behind-the-scenes look into life on the streets downtown.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by PPB Central NRT Bike Squad (@ppbcentralbikesquad)

Last week a motorcycle officer posted that he was looking for people going 17 mph or more over the speed limit. Then in the comments, someone asked the officer why they gave such a large cushion.

“I measure the flow of traffic and then add 10,” the officer wrote back. “It’s a 30. Was getting a lot of 35-37, so I decided to stop folks at 47 mph, 10 higher than the flow.”

I reached out to the officer from the video and he shared a bit more about his thinking:

“I can only stop so many cars, so I like to focus on the higher-level violators. Especially in areas like the Burnside Bridge where bikes have to mix with cars trying to go right on NW 3rd Ave. When I do the Morrison Bridge, for example, it’s a 25 mph construction zone. Nearly everyone is doing 10 over and I can’t pull over every person, so I’m looking for people who are at those higher speeds since we both know how much excessive speeds are a factor in crashes, especially fatalities.”

That seems reasonable.

The only other rationale I’ve heard for giving a large cushion before writing citations — beyond prioritizing the worst offenders — is that officers want to make sure the citations hold up in traffic court. That is, if a defendant contests the ticket in court, it’s much more likely a judge will uphold the citation if the person was clearly driving well beyond the posted limit. Portland-based lawyer and bike law expert Charley Gee speculated the officer set a high limit to make any argument about their radar gun being out of calibration less likely to serve as a defense.

Whatever the rationale, the whole thing has just never sat well with me. And this many people are going 47 mph in a 30 mph zone of Burnside in the city? That’s just bonkers. The typical stopping distance for a car user going 47 mph is about 170 feet — that’s the length of nearly two full NBA courts. At 30 mph that distance is about 75 feet and a human has about twice the chance of survival versus someone hit by a driver at 45-50.

To be clear, I don’t blame the PPB for this. They are doing triage in a system overwhelmed with dangerous behaviors. And this officer is just a tiny cog in a vast culture of motonormativity where the things people do inside cars is just ignored as ‘the way things are.’

You might be thinking that automated enforcement cameras might be the answer here. After all, they don’t have to prioritize like a human officer does. But nope, those cameras are regulated by humans, so they are programmed with the same pro-speeding tendencies.

Remember in 2017 when the Oregon Legislature passed a bill allowing cities to use automated cameras to enforce traffic laws — but the law included a provision where people are only cited at 11 mph and over? In that story we heard from Beaverton Police Chief Jim Monger:

“The idea of issuing a citation of someone traveling at a lower speed of 9 or 8 miles per hour… frankly, I feel like you’d be very hard-pressed to find an officer — or even a deputy or a state trooper — that would issue a citation for that minimal amount. Just normally driving through a city it is not uncommon to have your speed creep up a little bit. Technically you’re violating a traffic law; but is it reasonable to issue a citation? So it gets to that reasonableness…. that’s why that particular number was selected.”

So blame it on “reasonableness” I guess. Sorry, but that doesn’t make me feel any better. Right now, the more people that speed, the fewer people get caught. That just isn’t right no matter how you explain it.

‘Bike Bus Bill’ passes another committee, heads to House floor

The “Bike Bus Bill” pedaled forward at the Capitol in Salem this morning, climbing another hill on its way to becoming law. And despite it’s very slim chances for passage due to the ongoing Senate Republican walkout, the groundwork laid on this bill should bode very well for future sessions.

House Bill 3014 would give schools more flexibility in how they spend transportation funds. Schools with an alternative transportation plan approved by the Department of Education would receive a waiver to implement it and be reimbursed out of the state school fund to pay for it. Currently almost all school transportation funds go toward yellow school buses; but not everyone is served by one of those routes and there are many families who need financial support to walk, take public transit, or bike to school.

HB 3014 has been dubbed the “bike bus bill” because it would allow schools to pay people to organize and lead them. Bike buses have skyrocketed in popularity throughout Portland (and beyond) as a safe and fun way for kids to get to school; but unlike school buses, the state does not offer funding for them or other activities like walking school buses or crossing guards.

While the bill has enjoyed strong support from lawmakers and transportation advocates statewide, it has also faced opposition from the Oregon School Employees Association (OSEA), a union that represents 22,000 public school workers — including school bus drivers. They worry the bill will shift attention and resources away from school buses and their members who drive them. At a work session for the bill at a meeting of the House Committee on Revenue this morning, the bill’s chief sponsor, Representative Hoa Nguyen, a former attendance coach at Portland Public Schools, explained how she’s made significant compromises in order to get OSEA on board.

“There was a lot I had to balance on this bill,” Nguyen said. “Making sure we stay with the intent of the bill, and at the same time working with OSEA and getting them to neutral.”

The key changes to the version of the bill that passed today respond directly to OSEA’s concerns.

The bill applies the definition of “active transportation” to students who use human-powered forms of travel and live less than three miles from school. That’s down from five miles away from school in the previous version of the bill, thus reducing the scope of potential active transportation users. Another significant change to the bill is how it defines what type of expenses can be reimbursed as “active transportations costs.”

If passed, schools could be reimbursed for costs associated with a “pedestrian or bicycle group”, a “crossing guard” or, “staff time required for coordinating active transportation options.” The new version of the bill that passed today adds language that prevents schools from using state money to hire parents, contractors, or any, “individual who is not an employee of the school district.”

The latest version of the bill also puts a sunset of two years on any approved alternative transportation plan a school is being reimbursed for.

A compromise with OSEA makes it harder for schools to reimburse families for use of public transit. Earlier versions of the bill provided some protection for school bus drivers by requiring schools to prove that other (non-bus) options were not suitable before approving reimbursements for public transit passes. But the bill that moved forward today went further. In Rep. Nguyen’s words during testimony today, “It puts in guardrails around transit pass reimbursement, seeing that these must be a last resort, used only if districts can demonstrate that they attempt to recruit, hire, train and pay yellow school bus drivers at competitive wages consistent with collective bargaining agreements and were unable to do so.”

And finally, the bill now includes an expanded definition of what should be considered a “suitable and efficient” alternative to school buses for students. This is important because OSEA (or anyone else) could argue that a bike bus or walking school bus isn’t safe and therefore should not be part of a school’s approved alternative transportation plan. The definition now says for something to be considered “suitable and sufficient” it must be “appropriate for a particular student or group of students based on the age of the student; the physical or mental capabilities of the student; the distance the student is to be transported; and the safety of the student to be transported.”

OSEA Government Affairs Specialist Susan Allen testified today that her group is no longer opposed to HB 3014. “It strikes the critical balance between getting students safely to school, yet being very sympathetic and innovative in terms of how we are getting children to school in a way that is both practicable, addresses the liability, and also has very high fiscal responsibility.”

Revenue Committee member Rep. Pam Marsh (D-Jackson County) said she thinks OSEA got too much out of the deal, but she’ll vote for it anyways. Marsh said she’s a strong believer that kids should be able to bike and take public transit to school. “I think that, frankly, the amendment goes farther than I would prefer in advantaging school buses over public transit. I think kids are fine on public transit. That said, I appreciate the bill and will be an enthusiastic supporter of it.”

Next stop for the bill is a vote on the House floor. After that, it’s likely to become one of the many bills that will die this session due to the Republican walkout.

But Rep. Nguyen can rest somewhat easier knowing that she has opened up a new and very important conversation about school transportation. And the work she did to win OSEA’s favor will help the bill maintain its bipartisan support. If or when the legislature becomes functional again, HB 3014 should have very smooth sailing toward passage.

Community pulls for local rider seriously injured in collision

A beloved member of our community was involved in a collision with a truck driver while bicycling over the weekend and has sustained serious injuries.

Sukho Viboolsittiseri was riding in Damascus (a rural city southeast of Portland) on Saturday (5/27) when the incident occurred. According to his wife, Melanie Latthitham, that’s all Sukho remembers at this point. In text messages this morning, Melanie shared with me that they are still waiting to learn more from the police report.

The full extent Sukho’s injuries are unclear to me at this point (I’ll update this post as I learn more), but so far he’s had at least one major procedure. Melanie said an operation on his spinal cord Tuesday night “went well.” Sukho faces another surgery to repair his pelvis sometime today.

A GoFundMe set up by Sukho’s sister on Sunday has raised nearly $25,000 — blowing through the $5,000 goal. “Thank you so much for all the support… He is in good spirits and I believe everyone’s support of him boosted his energy. He will be going into surgery later today and tomorrow,” his sister wrote in an update Tuesday night.

“I cannot express enough how thankful I am for all the friends, family, biking community and well wishers for the kindness that is uplifting his spirits.”

The outpouring of support shows the impact Sukho has had on many people.

To say Sukho loves bicycling and the community around it is a vast understatement. It’s his “second favorite thing in the world,” behind only his family, says his sister. He’s one of the co-founders of BikePOCPNW, the inclusive riding group that won an Alice Award from The Street Trust in 2021. He is also a regular ride leader with Our Mother the Mountain (OMTM) and is known in the local randonneuring scene.

Please keep Sukho and his family in your thoughts during this difficult time. If you want to share financial support or a message, here’s the GoFundMe page again.

We are with you Sukho! Stay strong and know that the community has your back — and whatever you need to get through this.

UPDATE, 5/31: Sukho has shared an update via his brother:

My friends. My family. On Saturday my life changed in an instant. I was doing what I loved most, riding my bike on a lonely country road. The wind in my hair, the sound of birds in my ears and blue sky above me. In an instant my life changed forever when I collided at high-speed with a truck and ended up pinned underneath it. I had to be airlifted to the hospital where several MRIs and x-rays revealed multiple injuries along my spine and spinal cord as well as a fractured pelvis.

I lied immobile flat on my back for three days, waiting for surgery to remove 2 discs on my neck to relieve pressure on my spinal cord which in turn caused me to lose sensation in my left arm. Surgery went well And I hope to return feeling in my arms soon. This Friday, I am scheduled to have surgery to fix my fractured pelvis. So, my life has changed in an instant. I tell you all this to remind you all to never miss the chance to show your friends and your family that you care about them. To hold them close, tell them you love them, to send them a kind message. Life can change in an instant, and nothing is ever for sure. Words cannot express my gratitude for all of you sending your well wishes and healing thoughts. I’m also eternally grateful for your donations on my GoFundMe to help us pay for what’s going to be astronomical medical bills. As the sole breadwinner of this family, it helps to put my mind at ease as I start my healing process. We are forever grateful for your help.

I have a long road ahead of me and I know that you’ll be by my side. Thank you. I love you and please take care of each other.

21st annual Pedalpalooza kicks off Thursday at Alberta Park

A scene from the 2022 Loud n Lit ride. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

We are mere days away from what is quite possibly/very likely the greatest cycling festival in the world. Of course I speak of Pedalpalooza, that uniquely Portland event that will begin this Thursday June 1st and go through the end of August. It’s three glorious months of free bike events and community-building-on-wheels.

Last year’s 20th anniversary of the event was perhaps one of its most magical ever as people embraced the opportunity to be together following two years of the pandemic. This year is sure to continue that trend.

Pedalpalooza traces its beginnings to 2002, when a traveling “Bike Summer” rolled through town. The event was so popular local folks decided to do it again the next year, calling it “Mini Bike Summer” in 2003 and then it took on the Pedalpalooza name in 2004. The events are centered around one of the founding principles of the local bike scene: “free bike fun.” Yes, cycling is inherently affordable, but since the dawn of bike culture in Portland its main instigators have worked to make sure that there are no financial barriers to taking part in the fun, social side of things. All you need is a bike. And if you don’t have one, hop in a pedicab, on a Biketown, or into the bin of a cargo bike.

Browse Some of Our 2022 Pedalpalooza Coverage

The event itself is actually hundreds of events. Pedalpalooza is a calendar of rides submitted by regular folks like you and me (and you can still add rides!). Each year there are a few touchstone events that garner vast crowds — like the Kickoff Ride (6/1), Loud n Lit (6/23) and World Naked Bike Ride (8/12)— but most it’s the smaller rides that pull people in. The sheer variety of interests represented is a reflection of the diverse crowd of people who love cycling in Portland.

There are rides for people who sew, players of Dungeons & Dragons and Clue, Harry Potter fans, square dancers, people who enjoy Asian snacks, kids (of all ages) who like slides, or urban curiosities like those plastic horses tied up around town and Portland’s fossilized freeways, just to name a few.

Map of every taco place in the region by Joshua Force.

Each year there’s at least one new ride that captures our imagination. This year I’m very intrigued by the Reign of Taco Ride (6/6) created by the inimitable Joshua Force. With substantial contributions from Karl Freitag he has dreamed up a one-day plan to have bike riders fan out and order at least one taco from every single taco joint in the region. Another member of the taco crew, Adam Novotny, collected an exhaustive list of every taco joint in the city for the location of each cart and cafe. Then he created an interactive taco map with an ability for participants to log in and track their purchases. What an amazing way to celebrate cycling and tacos!

I also can’t wait for the return of the 14th annual Bike Play, an original play with professional actors who travel to each scene by bike.

It all begins this Thursday at Alberta Park (NE 19th and Ainsworth) with the traditional Kickoff Ride. Show up at 5:30 to mingle and reconnect with all your Pedalpalooza friends. Roll out at 6:30. Hope to see you there!

If you haven’t done Pedalpalooza yet, check out our video from last year to get a taste of what to expect:

Drivers wreak havoc across Portland over holiday weekend

A small sampling of the madness. (Photos: Portland Police Bureau)

Often lost in debates about transportation in Portland is just how terribly selfish, irresponsible and reckless so many car drivers are. While daily debates get bogged down in things like who should pay for road projects or who’s at fault in crashes, the reality is that the most common dangerous behaviors we see in public come from car drivers.

Case(s) in point, the Portland Police Bureau just released a roundup of some of the incidents they responded to over the long weekend (since Thursday evening) and I was shocked — but absolutely not surprised — by how many of them included car-related violence. As you read them below, consider the danger these drivers put innocent people in. Also consider the vast time and resources they suck from city employees who must deal with the misdeeds of these motorized miscreants (emphases mine):

— On Thursday, May 25, 2023, at 4:47p.m, North Precinct officers responded to a call involving a 3 vehicle crash on the St. John’s Bridge. The suspect vehicle, a blue 2006 Kia Rio 4-door sedan, impacted the back of a white 2019 Nissan Kicks SUV, which pushed that vehicle into a gray 2019 Toyota Tacoma pickup. The suspect driver drove off, but his vehicle caught fire due to the damage caused by the crash. He drove over 4 miles with his car burning but was forced to stop at Northwest 29th Avenue and Northwest Yeon Avenue. The first arriving officer saw the suspect trying to walk away. He lost sight of him around a corner, but a search with the help of witnesses led them to locate and arrest the suspect near a business in the 3300 block of Northwest Yeon Avenue. A Traffic Division officer evaluated the suspect for DUII. Andrew Jay Johnson, 22, of Vancouver, Washington, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (alcohol), Reckless Driving, and 2 counts of Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (property damage).

— At 7:30p.m., FIT officers tried to stop a vehicle in the area of Southeast 86th Court and Southeast Ellis Street. The vehicle began driving erratically after seeing police vehicles. The vehicle eluded and occupants ran from the vehicle. One passenger running away dropped a loaded handgun, which was seized as evidence. No immediate arrests were made, but the investigation is ongoing. (23-138155)

— At 9:05p.m., FIT officers saw a vehicle on Southeast 122nd Avenue and East Burnside Street that had eluded police recently. The vehicle exited the lot and began driving quickly through residential neighborhoods. Officers attempted to stop it, but again, the driver eluded police. The driver parked at a dead end in the area of Southeast 117th Avenue and Southeast Yamhill Street and ran on foot. She was surrounded and arrested. Two loaded firearms were recovered from the vehicle. River M Agrelius, 24, was booked into MCDC on charges of Attempt to Elude Police by Vehicle (C Felony), Attempt to Elude Police on foot (A misdemeanor), Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Possession of a Loaded Firearm in Public (city code).

— On Friday, May 26, 2023, at 10:46p.m., an East Precinct officer saw a blue 2005 Toyota Corolla sedan going eastbound on Southeast Stark Street at Southeast 122nd Avenue. The officer developed probable cause to stop the vehicle, but the driver of the Toyota preemptively began eluding the officer. When the officer activated his emergency police lights, the driver refused to stop. Due to policy restrictions, the officer did not pursue and turned off his emergency lights. Officers in the Air Support Unit and on the ground observed the driver of the Toyota driving in an extraordinarily reckless fashion for approximately the next 29 minutes, despite no officers chasing him. The driver was speeding nearly triple the speed limit, ran numerous red lights and stops signs, drove in oncoming travel lanes, forced other vehicles to swerve to avoid crashes, including a near-miss of two motorcyclists that likely would have been fatal. Officers used spike strips to deflate the Toyota’s tires so the rubber was torn off and the vehicle was running on rims. The driver traveled through Portland, Gresham, unincorporated Multnomah County, and various areas of Clackamas County, ultimately turning into a hay field in 11700 block of Southeast 282nd Avenue in Boring, Oregon. The driver then jumped out and tried to hide in the tall grass. Officers and Deputies tracked him and arrested him. Shawn A. Camp, 38, was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Attempt to Elude Police by Vehicle (C Felony), Attempt to Elude Police on foot (A misdemeanor), Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and a felony parole warrant issued by the State of Oregon. PPB is grateful for the invaluable assistance of the Gresham Police Department, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s office, and Oregon State Police.

— At 2:54a.m., Central Precinct officers responded to a report of a wrong way driver on Interstate-5 freeway. The driver was reported to be driving northbound in the southbound lanes. A moment later officers learned that the driver caused a crash with another vehicle at the Southwest Capitol Highway southbound on ramp. Andres C. Qunitero, 21, of Canby, Oregon, was issued a criminal citation for ORS 813.010 Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants-Alcohol and Reckless Driving. The other driver was not seriously hurt.

— At 12:11a.m., East Precinct officers responded to a report that a suspect had menaced employees with a firearm at a fast-food restaurant drive through in the 9100 block of Southeast Powell Boulevard. Officers arrived and challenged the suspect in a 2015 white Audi Q5 SUV with no license plates. The driver reversed out of the parking lot and eluded officers. The employees did not want to pursue charges against the suspect and the vehicle was allowed to flee due to dissipating probable cause. At 3:25a.m. Central Precinct officers responded to a report of the white Audi with no plates stopped at Northeast 12th Avenue and Northeast Flanders Street blocking the intersection. The driver was slumped over, unconscious. Officers could see from the outside that there was a gun in the car. Due to the additional potential danger of the firearm, officers tried to call to him from a distance. He was not very responsive but finally woke up and tried to drive away. Officers were able to deflate a tire with spike strips, but he continued driving away in a reckless manner. With only reasonable suspicion of DUI, the vehicle was allowed to flee because the benefit of capture did not outweigh the risks.

— Moments later, Central Precinct officers spotted the Audi as it pulled into a parking garage in the 1100 block of Northeast Lloyd Boulevard. The driver stopped in a parking spot and seemed to have slumped again. Again, knowing the suspect was armed, tactical and safety plans were made, resources were gathered, and exits were covered with spikes to again attempt custody. The vehicle was loud hailed, and the driver again fled the area at a high rate of speed; not before hitting one of the spike strips. The vehicle was located again, driving at high speed near Northeast Grand Avenue and Northeast Broadway Street. But again, due to policy and public safety concerns, the vehicle was not pursued, and was lost in the blocks. At about 6:43a.m., North Precinct officers responded to the 2100 block of Northeast Wasco Street of a driver moaning and rolling around inside of his vehicle. The front driver tire was completely gone, and the rim was destroyed. Again, the suspect refused to comply with officers, and drove off, hitting pre-deployed spike strips and deflated his remaining three tires. He eluded eastbound Wasco Street without anyone pursuing. The driver then crossed barricaded sidewalks and recklessly drove into a parking lot at Northeast 28th Avenue.

— It was approximately 7:30a.m. and there were many people walking dogs, jogging, and enjoying the morning. The suspect then drove northbound on Northeast 32nd Avenue with no tires left on his vehicle. The suspect then drove over the barricaded sidewalk at Northeast 32nd Avenue and Northeast Schuyler Street, then through a yard where four children were on the front porch. The driver was struggling to gain traction as he was attempting to drive away through the neighborhood, which put the community at more of a risk of death or serious physical injury due to the time of day. When officers challenged him, he got behind the wheel and tried to elude again, officers used their vehicles to box in the suspect vehicle. Officers challenged him from a safe distance in an effort to lessen the risk of injury and use of force. The suspect then jumped out and ran off on foot. Officers caught up with and arrested him at Northeast 32nd Avenue and Northeast Hancock Street. Officers were unable to identify him at the scene, so he was booked under the name Colton Hobbs (which was a false name he provided) on charges of Attempt to Elude Police by Vehicle (3 counts), Attempt to Elude Police on foot, Reckless Driving (3 counts), Reckless Endangering Another Person, and Failure to Carry and Present Driver’s License. At jail, his fingerprints were scanned and he was identified as Dylan Jordan Savage, 29. Savage has outstanding felony warrants out of Tennessee.

— At 11:55p.m., North Precinct officers were dispatched to a report of a crash near North Marine Drive and North Bybee Lakes Road. When they arrived they found a vehicle crashed into a tree. Both male occupants were transported to the hospital with serious injuries, one of which is life threatening. Due to the level of injury, the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division’s Major Crash Team responded to the scene to investigate. Initial investigation revealed that the crash was speed racing related.

— At 2:40 a.m., East Precinct officers were dispatched to the 200 Block of Southeast 160th Avenue on the reports of a shooting. Officers arrived to find a 16-year-old male with a gunshot wound to his leg. They retrieved their Individual First Aid Kits (IFAKs) and applied a tourniquet to the victim’s leg, and he was later treated at a local hospital. The shooting originated from a vehicle that had immediately left the scene. Nobody is in custody. ECST is actively investigating.

— Just after 10:26 p.m. on Monday, May 29th, officers from North Precinct responded to a crash at the intersection of Northeast Columbia Boulevard and Northeast Cully Boulevard involving a motorcycle and a car. The motorcyclist was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The driver of the car stayed at the scene and cooperated with the investigation. Due to the level of injury involved, the Major Crash Team was activated for the third time of the holiday weekend. Based on their preliminary investigation, they determined speed and alcohol influenced the motorcyclist’s driving ability.

I don’t think you have to be “anti-car” to acknowledge that our city would be a much nicer place to live if we created a system where fewer people drove cars and that we should do much more to encourage them to do so humanely.

Clean Energy Fund sets 6,000 bike goal for e-bike rebate program

Three electric cargo bikes at Gateway Discovery Park in east Portland. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The full draft of the Portland Clean Energy Fund Climate Investment Plan (CIP) is now available and it offers more details on what could be Portland’s first rebate program for electric bicycle purchases.

And if all goes according to plan, the PCEF aims to help fund the purchase of at least 6,000 e-bikes over five years.

PCEF is a relatively new source of funding managed by the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability (BPS) that is derived from a 1% tax on large retailers. Revenue from the tax must be spent on projects and programs that reduce carbon emissions and mitigate the impacts of climate change on the most vulnerable communities. Back in March we shared the news that PCEF would allocate $20 million from its $750 million five-year investment plan on an e-bike rebate program.

The significant amount of interest in this program from bike riders has been tempered by the fact that we didn’t really know too much about how the program would shake out. Now we do.

In the new CIP draft, BPS points out that e-bike rebates are a priority for PCEF in part because of the relatively high cost of e-bikes, their potential to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and the fact that, “Women and BIPOC community members have stated through surveys that they feel less vulnerable on e-bikes than on pedal-only bicycles.”

According to the new draft, the rebate will be available to income-qualified households (less than 80% of the area median income) and it can be used only at local bike retailers. In order to qualify as a participating dealer, a shop must have a brick-and-mortar location in Portland and provide both sales and service. Here are some other new details:

Cargo e-bikes and adaptive electric bikes will receive a higher incentive.

People receiving rebates will also be able to use a fixed amount of funds for bike safety equipment, locks, and gear.

The exact rebate amounts will be determined through market research, evaluation of needs, and interaction with other potential programs.

The rebate program will be implemented in parallel with education and outreach by community-based organizations to PCEF priority populations about the e-bike opportunity, including information about safe riding, route-finding, charging, and storage.

An early program evaluation will include recommendations for a pilot program for allocating funds for safe e-bike storage and charging needs for existing multifamily properties.

In addition to the $20 million over five years, PCEF will allocate an additional $600,000 to reach workforce development goals. They hope the funding leads to training and retention of 50 new e-bike mechanics in the community.

As part of their outreach for the initial CIP draft, BPS heard concerns from the public about theft of e-bikes and charging needs for people who live in apartments and/or who ride them to work. They also heard some folks worried about the cost of ongoing e-bike maintenance. They might seek to address those concerns in future drafts. Other ideas that came up were grants for community groups to manage fleets of e-bikes at low-income housing complexes.

BPS is still gathering public feedback on the latest draft. You can attend a virtual listening session this Thursday (6/1), comment via their online survey, or email cleanenergyfund@portlandoregon.gov.

Cycle Oregon’s famous weeklong ride will end after this year

Classic scenes. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

“It’s an emotional time letting the Classic go, but I think it’s the right thing to do.”
– Steve Schulz, Cycle Oregon

The ride that started almost by accident in 1988 and turned into one of the best organized bike rides in America, will take its final bow later this summer. Cycle Oregon announced today that this year will be the final time they set off on a seven-day “Classic” ride.

Changing rider preferences, rising costs, and difficulty finding vendors and volunteers, were all named as reasons to pull the plug. Without their main event on the marquee, Cycle Oregon says they’ll be more able to focus on smaller offerings and programs.

The weeklong Classic was the brainchild of a southern Oregon innkeeper who hoped a group bike ride would boost his business. The inaugural ride from Salem to Brookings was an instant success and became a cherished annual tradition that treated the rural towns riders pedaled through as more than just scenery. Cycle Oregon has forged innumerable ties between urban and rural Oregonians and their fund has raised millions for small towns across the state.

But this massive, traveling cycling city is a bear to put on. During it’s heyday, there would be over 2,000 riders plus 500 or so volunteers, vendors, staff, and supporters along for the ride. The event would stop in a different town each night and leave its mark with live music backed by a professional sound stage, a vast tent city, a full catering operation, beer garden, warm showers in the middle of nowhere, a pop-up retail bike shop, yoga classes, and more. In many instances, the Cycle Oregon basecamp would be much larger than the town it was situated in.

After the 33rd and final Classic rolls out this coming September, the organization that puts it on will continue to focus on its advocacy programs and other — smaller and shorter — rides and events.

“The Classic has just presented some challenges and I think we can better serve our community by doing a myriad of smaller events,” Cycle Oregon Executive Director Steve Schulz shared in an interview on Friday.

Schulz added that while the popularity of the Classic had ebbed even before the pandemic, the lingering impact of Covid on rural communities played a big role on the decision. “A lot of the service providers that used to do this king of work aren’t in business anymore. And those that are, the prices are super expensive and keep escalating, which starts to put it to a point where we’re going to price out people.”

“I don’t want to alienate ridership in order to accommodate the costs I have to pay for showers and sanitation and that kind of stuff.” After taking a two-year hiatus for Covid in 2020 and 2021, Schulz said they were forced to bring about 90% of their service providers (for things like showers, sanitation, medical) in-house just to pull off the event.

Schulz also said that many of the social groups in small communities Cycle Oregon relies on for volunteers either weakened or flared out due to Covid. “The number of people required to do a large, seven-day event is astronomical. We want to impact the communities in a positive way and not put stressors on the communities to help us put on something that’s so big.”

An increasingly severe wildfire season has also added to the complexity and risk of putting on the weeklong event. In 2015 a fire forced Cycle Oregon to reroute mid-event and in 2017 a fire led to the first-ever cancellation of the ride.

Cycle Oregon has also seen a huge swing in interest away from all-paved road riding toward gravel and mixed-surface routes. What began as a handful of people opting for a gravel route option in 2018 (the first time an unpaved route was offered), has turned into a standalone, multi-day Gravel Ride with over 500 people (and several dozen on the waiting list).

You can expect more, smaller events like Gravel in the years to come. And with a portfolio that now includes the Oregon Scenic Bikeway program and a rural version of Safe Routes to School, Cycle Oregon isn’t going anywhere.

“We’re still here, just evolving,” Schulz said. “It’s a heartfelt and emotional time as far as letting the Classic go, but I think it’s the right thing to do. And we’re excited to see what’s next.”

And if you’ve never done the Classic and/or want to make sure you are on the last one, the early registration pricing has been extended to June 13th. Learn more at CycleOregon.com.

Podcast: Go inside TriMet board meeting taken over by protestors

You’ve read the recap. You’ve browsed the photo gallery. You’ve watched the TikTok video. Now, in our latest podcast episode, you can hear a blow-by-blow account of that unruly TriMet board meeting last week.

I captured audio and interviewed protestors as they rallied against the fare hike and then made their presence felt at the meeting. Their chants, yells, and sign-holding was so threatening and frustrating to board members that they took the meeting into a private room — only to have the protestors mass outside and bang on the walls.

In this episode, you’ll hear how it all went down. Thanks for listening!

Full episode transcript here.

Monday Roundup: Slow scooters, trans ban, safety surge, and more

Welcome to the week. Here are the most notable stories our writers and readers have come across in the past seven days…

This week’s Roundup is brought to you by the Pioneer Century ride June 3rd. Choose from three excellent routes full of wide, mountain vistas in Mt Hood Territory as you enjoy a fully-supported event that benefits the Portland Bicycling Club. More info and registration here.

And now, let the Roundup begin…

Finally: Big news in traffic safety as NHTSA has taken a big step toward changing it’s safety ratings so they rate new cars on impacts to people outside the vehicle and not just inside it. (NHTSA)

More e-bike rebates: Boulder is the latest city in America to jump on the e-bike subsidy bandwagon with a new program that offers up to $500 instant money back on the purchase of an e-bike. (Boulder Beat)

Sidewalk scootering: Interesting new study showed that in places where e-scooters were speed-limited, more people would opt to ride them on the sidewalk. Seems like a great argument against speed limiting scooters IMO! (IIHS)

What leadership looks like: Boston’s mayor is behind a “safety surge” aimed to boost traffic safety in neighborhoods via hundreds of new speed bumps and other traffic calming measures citywide. (Streetsblog Mass)

Superguzzlers are key: When it comes to encouraging people to buy electric cars, we’d be smart to take a more strategic approach that targets the folks who currently spend the most on gas. (Grist)

Yay for yielding: Another state has joined the “Idaho Stop” club as Minnesota cyclists can now legally slow-then-go when approaching a stop sign. Yeah for common sense cycling laws! (Bring Me The News)

Paying for it: With eyes on 2025, Oregon insiders should take a close look at the $1.3 billion transportation funding package just passed by the Minnesota legislature — which included a move to index the gas tax to inflation, money for transit safety, an e-bike credit, and more. (Star Tribune)

Trans racers: In a major twist in the ongoing saga about competitive transgender cyclists, British Cycling (that country’s governing body of bike racing) will only allow people whose sex was assigned female at birth to compete in women’s categories. (BBC)

Gap flap: Seattle is stewing over how to deal with a bikeway gap in an eight block section of their new, $750 million waterfront road makeover. (Seattle Times)

Thanks to everyone who shared links this week!