Grant helps NW Trail Alliance buy trail building machine

Thanks to a $75,000 grant, the Portland-based Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA) will purchase a new machine that will enable them to build more trails more easily. The grant is from the federal government’s Recreational Trails Program (which is funded through the gas tax) and it was administered by the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department.

Allow me to introduce you to the $75,000*, Oregon-made, Single Track ST240…

The ST240 built by the aptly named company, Single Track (which is based in North Plains).
(Photo © J. Maus)

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‘Bronze’ award marks bike-friendly momentum in Gresham

Gresham has installed over 100
wayfinding signs.

The City of Gresham (our neighbor about 13 miles east of downtown Portland) has officially made it onto the bike-friendly map. On Wednesday, the League of American Bicyclists awarded Gresham a Bronze level Bicycle Friendly Community designation.

Kevin Belanger, who works in Gresham’s Transportation Planning department, says they’re proud of the distinction and that “We’ll be using it to push ourselves even further.”

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City’s first pump track in East Portland? Maybe

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A pump track.
(Photo: IMBA)

The City of Portland Parks & Recreation bureau is seeking comments on a proposed new pump track — which would be the first such facility in the city. The location under consideration is Mill Park, a tiny 5-acre park in southeast Portland (SE 122nd and Mill). The pump track is being proposed by the Northwest Trail Alliance, a local non-profit that has been working with Parks to identify a suitable location for a bike skills park or pump track for over a year.

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First look at City’s final plans for Broadway/Williams

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Existing conditions at Broadway/Williams

N Broadway and Williams, one of Portland’s most dangerous intersections to ride a bike through, is finally going to be addressed. No, this isn’t just another drill. This is actually going to happen. Bureau of Transportation spokesperson Dan Anderson confirmed today that the project — which includes lane re-striping and a bike-only traffic signal — should be completed by the end of October.

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Purple TREK 2000

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Year: 2000
Brand: TREK
Color:Purple
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2010-09-15
Stolen From: Belmont and SE 10th Ave. Bike was chained with a U-lock to pole. Came back and U-lock had been picked and bike taken.
Owner: Melissa Laurie
OwnerEmail: ml2489@gmail.com
Reward: 75
Description: Purple Trek mountain bike. Slightly beat up looking with a sticker on the middle bar, seat held together with blue duct tape, fancy shock absorbers, and possibly a cable lock still coiled around the middle bar.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Light rail project funding gap could impact bike parking, access

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The Rhine Pedestrian Bridge over
the Brooklyn Yards might not
get renovated after all.

TriMet’s $1.5 billion Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project is facing a $200 million budget gap and cuts currently being considered could impact bike parking and bike access. The gap is due to an unexpected announcement by the Federal Transit Administration in July that they’d only fund 50% of the project instead of a 60% share that all previous light rail projects have gotten.

At last night’s Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting, PBOT project manager Art Pearce said they’re just now starting to identify pieces of the project that can be cut. While TriMet executives look for additional funding, Pearce and other project partners from around the region are going through the project with a fine-toothed comb to find areas that can be cut back or deferred completely.

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Truck operater cited in this morning’s crash (and other thoughts from the victim’s husband)

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As we continue to discuss the right hook crash that happened at NE Couch and Grand this morning, I thought I’d share a comment just left by the victim’s husband. He includes new details (which I’ve put in bold) as well as a piece of his mind about safe driving habits.

“As the victim’s husband, I can assure everyone she’s shaken up and in pain, but will hopefully be fine, with only three broken bones in her foot and a few nice lacerations.

Her brand new KHS will need extensive repairs. And one of her socks, a very nice and beloved sock, was also ruined. Miraculously, her shoe was pulled off her foot before the blood started gushing.

The driver was cited for a bike lane violation and the police, in my opinion, did a pretty fair job of handling the case. One was even so kind as to transport the broken bike to the hospital for me, so I could attend to my injured wife.

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Local bike crafts find a home at new Bikeasaurus store

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Bikeasaurus store-22

Open for business.
-Slideshow below/Gallery–
(Photos © J. Maus)

In a small space in a corner of what used to be the headquarters of the Police Bureau’s Traffic Division, Portlander Becky Morton has opened Bikeasaurus (1337 SE MLK Jr. Blvd). The new store, which has only been open a few weeks, sells locally made, bike-themed arts, crafts and accessories. Think of it as our BikeCraft event, but in a retail store that’s open year-round. I stopped by the store today to learn more about Becky and her new endeavor.

Becky, 29, lives in Northeast Portland and grew up in West Linn. After studying art at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington, she moved back to Portland. For the past five years prior to opening Bikeasaurus, she had been working with a non-profit as an afterschool art teacher in Portland public schools. “I knew it wasn’t a career,” she told me today, so when an opportunity to open a store popped up she jumped at the chance.

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Weekend Event Guide

Bollywood!

There’s a lot going on this weekend and we’ve got another great guide to help you make the most of it.  From Bollywood to baked goods, there’s bound to be something for everyone.

Thursday, September 16th

8:00pm: Bollywood Bike-in
It may not technically be a weekend event, but this Bollywood-themed bike-in movie night at the Q center is just too cool to skip over, and the weather should be great for an outdoor flick. Organized by local  favorite, DJ Anjali, this month’s film is the 1980 classic ‘Qurbani‘.

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Latest Headlines

This week at Bike Happy Hour: Bike Lane Uprising Founder Christina Whitehouse

Get ready: Portland’s citywide e-bike rebate program launches April 6th

Guest Opinion: On Dolores Huerta Street

Monday Roundup: Transit cut impacts, Mamdani Ws, AVs and more

From the Archives

With six kids and no car, this mom does it all by bike