🚨 Please note: BikePortland is currently on hiatus and only publishing guest articles. Learn more here. Thank you. - Jonathan 🙏
For the next two weekends, the attention of cyclocross fans across America will be on Oregon.
This weekend is the Stanley Portland Cup, the fourth and final stop of the United States Gran Prix of Cyclocross. Next weekend, the action moves to Bend when the USA Cycling 2010 National Cyclocross Championships roll into town.
As we reported on Tuesday, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) is using the upcoming legislative session as a rebuilding year. Coming off a rough session in 2009 and accepting the reality of Oregon’s economic situation, instead of pushing for major new laws or funding bills, the BTA will focus on two minor tweaks to laws already in the books. Yesterday on their blog, the BTA clarified the changes they hope to make to the Vulnerable Roadway Users (VRU) law and the law that allows any Oregon resident to initiate violation proceedings against another party.
To improve the VRU law — which ups the consequences for vehicle operators who kill or seriously injure “vulnerable users of the roadway” — the BTA will look to do two things. The first, is to add driving with a suspended or revoked license as one of the violations (careless driving is the sole trigger now) that would trigger the law. The second is to clarify how police officers write up the citations when they suspect the VRU law should come into play. Here’s how the BTA explains it:
This weekend is plump with great rides and events, including a few regular favorites and several long-awaited treats that only come once a year. Choose your own adventure and ride safely!
6:00pm-9:00pm: First Friday Art by Bike
This free monthly art gallery tour of inner Southeast and Northeast Portland hosted by Pedal Bike Tours offers visits to a handful of great locations in the Central Eastside Arts District’s First Friday art openings, and they’ll even let you borrow a bike, lights, and a helmet if you need one during the tour. Ride meets and ends downtown at 133 SW 2nd Ave at 6:00pm.
Neat event coming up for e-bike fans this Sunday from 1-4 at PSU Engineering Building atrium (1930 SW 4th). Here’s the blurb, followed by event flyer:
Local builders of electric vehicles will be displaying their creations to showcase the present state of electric vehicle engineering and technology and to allow local electric vehicle builders to meet. Open to the public, especially those interested in “green” transportation and recent developments in electric bicycle engineering and small electric vehicles.
Event is sponsored by the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science and the Endless Sphere web forum.
Brand: Trek Mountain Bike
Color:Black
Stolen in Portland, OR 97218
Stolen:2010-11-29
Owner: Kevin Poe
OwnerEmail: kevin@newheightstherapy.com
Description: Found Near Alberta and 60th stashed in bushes
A man was struck by a large motor vehicle while he rode his bike on Lombard Street in Northeast Portland yesterday. The crash left him with very serious injuries and the person operating the motor vehicle fled the scene. Portland Police later apprehended the suspect.
I want to share a few things regarding comments here on BikePortland.
Regular readers know that my efforts to foster quality, productive, and respectful comments has been (and will continue to be) a work in progress. I place an extremely high value on comments, giving them equal weight and consideration as the words I publish in stories. What this means is that I willingly spend a lot of time reading them, responding to them and editing and/or deleting them when necessary.
Today’s question comes from reader Chris M. Chris wonders if there’s such a thing as a front bike light that’s just too bright..
“I’ve been blinded on my morning commute a few times too many. This afternoon while riding north from Sellwood on the Springwater, I was blinded by a dual strobe light on a bike coming towards me.
It seems that some folks have lights that can literally be seen from a mile away and become blinding within a block when I’m riding against them. It’s difficult for me to see the road in front of me and it can’t be that different for our friends in cars. How bright is too bright for a front light?
I doubt there’s a standard, but does anyone else think that there is such a thing as too bright?”
Brand: Cannondale
Color:White
Stolen in Portland, OR 97202
Stolen:2010-11-27
Stolen From: My front Porch. At 17th and Knapp
Owner: Michael DePaul
OwnerEmail: mdepaul@lclark.edu
Description: It’s a white cannondale. It has two different tires. one is black and new, the other has green stripes and is older. there are half clips on the pedals.
It has blue handlebar tape
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike
On December 8th, a committee of the Oregon State Legislature will hold a public hearing on a new legislative concept* that would make significant changes in the fees and legal procedures enacted when you receive a traffic citation (or any other type of citation).
Legislative Concept 364 (LC 364, PDF here) has been in the works for over a year in the Joint Interim Committee on State Justice System Revenues. LC 364 would make changes to the fine structures used by courts and police officers, it would eliminate the guilty plea option from traffic citations, it would significantly increase maximum fine amounts, and more.