New crossing at MLK and Going: How does it work for you?

Policymakers Ride-10

People cross N. Going Street at MLK.
(Photo © J. Maus)

A local TV news outlet is questioning the safety benefit of a crossing treatment recently completed as part of the N. Going bike boulevard project.

I got an email from Scott Burton at KGW TV (Portland’s NBC affiliate) on Friday that they were doing a story about the crossing on their 11 o’clock news. Burton said they’ve received several complaints that since the change, the crossing has become more dangerous. He also said they witnessed a few close calls (bike/car) and that a person walking across was “severely injured” after being hit by a car last week.

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Bid on bike items in Street Roots fundraiser auction

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Street Roots is a great local non-profit newspaper that employs people that live on the street (or are otherwise without a home of their own). They have a new column by the Portland Police Bureau’s bicycle community liaison Robert Pickett and they’ve covered many biking issues in the past. Editor Israel Bayer got in touch recently about their annual online auction. This year they’ve got lots of great bike-related items to bid on….

And there’s more! Get over there and bid on some great stuff and support a vital local independent news source.

Studded tire season is here: Where’s the effort to ban them?

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Just say no.
(Graphic: BanStuddedTires.com)

Today is November 1st, the first official day of studded tire season in Oregon. Back in March we shared why people who ride bikes should care that studded tires do $50-60 million in road damage each year and we also shared that one man was committed to putting a stop to it.

Portland citizen activist Jeff Bernards and a group of volunteers want to ban studded tires in Oregon through a ballot initiative that would be filed in 2012. I checked in with Bernards today to see how things are going.

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Bike touring activism on the Oregon Coast

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Portlander Matt Picio (founder of Cycle Wild, an awesome non-profit that leads carfree camping trips) sent along a photo this morning of a recent bike tour he led out on the Oregon Coast. The photo captures a great example of bike activism in action…

Postcard activism.
(Photo: Matt Picio/Flickr)

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Grey Bridgestone 1985

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 1985
Brand: Bridgestone
Color:Grey
Size:52cm
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2010-10-31
Stolen From: stolen from 1512 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Neighborhood: Ladd’s/apartment complex
Owner: Julia Cupp
OwnerEmail: JuliaRuthCupp@gmail.com
Description: 1985 Bridgestone 15 speed. Grey roadbike
Police record with: Portland PD
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Brown Masi CX Speciale 2009

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2009
Brand: Masi
Model: CX Speciale
Color:Brown
Size:58 cm
Serial:C80911040
Photo: http://urbanvelo.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/08f_speccx_brn.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97203
Stolen:2010-10-31
Stolen From: 7714 N Portsmouth Ave
Neighborhood: Portsmouth/University of Portland
Owner: Adrian Gorman
OwnerEmail: fisk.wins@gmail.com
Description: Brown frame. Cork style taped handlebars. Rear rack, unknown make. Sigma bicycle computer. Front tire: Continental. Rear tire: Schwalbe. Registered with University of Portland’s Public Safety Bicycle Registry with number 1734.

Stock version of this bike:
http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?Year=2009&Brand=Masi&Model=Speciale+CX&Type=bike
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 10-155248
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

black Trek 7.1 FX 2009

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2009
Brand: Trek
Model: 7.1 FX
Color:black
Size:17.5″
Serial: SWTU177C0E
Photo: http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bicyclelinksav.com/images/library/large/Trek_71fx_09_m.jpg&imgrefurl=http://bicyclelinksav.com/product/trek-7.1-fx-59655-1.htm&usg=__MS-NPPnV7XDjbUk0uqJSfKgCZlE=&h=214&w=360&sz=19&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=N1jgnDTZ1S43MM:&tbnh=129&tbnw=217&prev=/images%3Fq%3D2009%2Btrek%2B7.1%2Bfx%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D643%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=133&vpy=103&dur=2415&hovh=171&hovw=288&tx=178&ty=74&ei=5lzMTI_ULob0tgOegpmpDA&oei=5lzMTI_ULob0tgOegpmpDA&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=15&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:0
Stolen in Portland, OR 97215
Stolen:2010-10-29
Stolen From: SE 60th and Yamhill outside of Mt. Tabor apartments
Neighborhood: Mt Tabor
Owner: Karen DeBonis
OwnerEmail: karen.m.debonis@gmail.com
Reward: Good Karma
Description: Black Trek 7.1FX, 700c, Pink Oury grips

The bike seems to have been broken/damaged during the theft. It is missing a brake noodle (presumably from the rear brake).
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 10-90150
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Despite sketchy crossing, kids still walk to school in Bethany

With no crosswalk or light, students rely
on a police officer to cross Springville
Road in Bethany.
(Photos: Kellie Rice)

This past Walk and Bike to School day was a smashing success. Throughout Portland’s inner neighborhoods, schools reported overflowing bike racks, crowded crosswalks, and record turnouts.

That’s all fine and good, but our experience of walking and biking to school in Portland isn’t shared by everyone in the region. In newly developed suburbs of Washington County that lack a grid street network and a people-first engineering philosophy — walking and biking to school can be a much greater challenge.

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Seattle hospital pledges $2 million for active transportation projects

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Seattle news site Publicola reports that Seattle Children’s Hospital has stepped up with a $2 million investment for biking and walking infrastructure. Here’s a blurb from the Publicola story:

“Children’s plans to spend around $4 million over the next 20 years improving Northeast Seattle’s walkability, bikeability, and drivability as part of the hospital’s expansion and its Comprehensive Transportation Plan. The hospital will invest $2 million on bike and pedestrian improvements around the Ravenna and Sand Point neighborhoods, $1.4 million on general capital investments “in line with Seattle’s priorities,” and $500,000 on intelligent transportation systems (essentially “smart” signals that improve traffic flow and predict congestion).”

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TriMet to hold bike safety event in Pioneer Square

TriMet announced today that they’ll hold an event in Pioneer Courthouse Square next week to promote safety around transit. The “Be Safe and Be Seen” event will feature a fashion show of reflective clothing and a contest for the most well-lit bicycle.

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Latest Headlines

Transportation bill passes committee (again), now heads to floor vote

Oregon Court of Appeals rules against City of Portland in parking setbacks case

Weekend Event Guide: Loud n Lit, bike swap, Sunday Parkways and more

Dems fish for votes with changes to transportation bill in final hours of session

From the Archives

How a young urbanist turned a slip lane into Portland’s newest plaza