TIGER grants: Streetcars win big (again) and no nirvana for bikes

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Grrr…

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has announced winners of the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grants. The only project to be awarded in Oregon was $23.2 million for “Portland’s Innovation Quadrant – SW Moody St. & Streetcar Reconstruction” (total project cost is $66.5 million).

Many in the local bike scene were dreaming about a $98 million package Metro applied for that would have connected and built trails on the West Side and would have created America’s first world-class neighborhood bikeway system in North and Northeast Portland.

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Blue Novara Bonanza 2005

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Year: 2005
Brand: Novara
Model: Bonanza
Color:Blue
Size:16″ ?
Stolen in Portland, OR 97209
Stolen:2010-02-17
Stolen From: 24 hour fitness in the Pearl District.
Neighborhood: Pearl District
Owner: Alan Yanda
OwnerEmail: ayanda@aii.edu
Description: Blue Novara Bonanza mountain bike with slick schwalbe tires, REI plastic fenders front and back, disc breaks, cat eye front and rear lights.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Red Schwinn Islander Cruiser 2004

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Year: 2004
Brand: Schwinn
Model: Islander Cruiser
Color:Red
Stolen in Portland, OR 97215
Stolen:2010-02-16
Stolen From: 50th and Hawthorne
Neighborhood: Mt. Tabor
Owner: Robert Roy
OwnerEmail: robroy78@gmail.com
Description: The cruiser was an “islander,” mostly red and white with silver fenders and a big metal basket on the front.
Police record with: Portland Police Bureau
Police reference#: 10-13399
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

burgundy Premium 4 Carat 2009

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Year: 2009
Brand: Premium
Model: 4 Carat
Color:burgundy
Size:20″
Serial: PRW9N0384
Photo: http://www.vitalbmx.com/product/guide/Complete-BMX-Bikes,6/Premium/Four-Carat,1433
Stolen in West Linn, OR 97068
Stolen:2010-02-12
Stolen From: Willamette Primary School in West Linn
Neighborhood: Willamette (historic part of West Linn)
Owner: Lacey Prueitt
OwnerEmail: laceyprueitt@msn.com
Reward: $200
Description: It is a bmx bike without pegs.
Police record with: Huntsman
Police reference#: 10-268
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

The lion sleeps: No (official) “Ronde” ride this year – UPDATED

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Tour of Flanders, Portland-Style - De Ronde-7

An estimated 600 riders turned
out for “De Ronde” last year.
(Photos © J. Maus)

The De Ronde van Oeste Portlandia — a ride through Portland’s hills inspired by the classic Tour of Flanders — will not be held this year.

With the ride’s April date approaching, I’ve been getting a steady stream of emails about it. Thanks to the ride’s popularity (spurred in part by great coverage on Oregon Public Broadcasting last year) people are already making plans to ride it. But there will not be a fourth annual De Ronde…at least it won’t be publicly announced.

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Worst Day Ride now second largest in the state

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Rain? What rain?
(Photo: Good Sport Promotion/Flickr)

The Worst Day of the Year Ride is now the second largest ride in Oregon. This past Sunday organizers say that 3,500 people showed up, putting it behind only Bridge Pedal’s 20,000 or so participants in terms of size.

This was the ninth annual Worst Day Ride, so named because the weather almanac deems the date as being statistically likely to be cold, wet, and rainy. Funny thing is, weather on the ride has a history of being quite pleasant. On Sunday, the sun returned yet again, but riders still pedaled through plenty of rain.

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Businesses get into the art of bike racks

More and more local businesses are eschewing the utilitarian and mundane City-issue bike racks and opting instead for a more artistic version. There are a lot of reasons this might be happening: Perhaps it’s a way stand out in the crowd (now that bike parking is no longer a novelty); or maybe it’s a way to do some clever branding.

Whatever the reason. I like it.

Who says vehicle parking has to be all function and no form? Here are a few examples I’ve seen around town recently:

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Poll: Where should PBOT hold the September Sunday Parkways?

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Sunday Parkways Southeast-59

Which part of the city should get the
September Sunday Parkways? Vote below.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Transportation Options Division within the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) recently announced the routes and dates of four of the five Sunday Parkways events planned for this summer.

The September edition of the event remains the “Mystery Sunday Parkways.” PBOT has announced a date, but they’ve remained tight-lipped about further details.

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Tonight: Transportation Safety Summit

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PDOT Transportation Safety Summit

At the 2007 summit, we helped
PBOT with the safety chapter
of the 2030 Bike Plan.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Tonight from 6:30-8:30pm at the White Stag Building (70 NW Couch St) is the 4th Annual Transportation Safety Summit. Hosted by Mayor Sam Adams, this event will be an excellent opportunity to learn and to share your insights and concerns with the leaders of PBOT, ODOT, the Portland Police Bureau, and others.

The Summit comes at a time of a lot of news and momentum around traffic safety (back in January I wondered out loud whether 2010 would be the Year of Transportation Safety in Portland).

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The Monday Roundup

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– China is forging ahead in building high speed rails for sleek, fast trains, while the Obama administration warns of the US falling behind.

– What if every time there was a crash involving a car and someone on foot or on a bike, the person behind the wheel of the 2,000 pound machine were held automatically liable? Some countries already work that way.

– A glimpse into the complex world of where highway subsidies come from and why they are becoming increasingly unaffordable.

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