BikePortland

A conversation with City Council candidate Jesse Cornett

Jesse Cornett.
(Photo © J. Maus)

When Jesse Cornett threw his hat into the ring in the race for Commissioner Dan Saltzman’s seat on the Portland City Council, I immediately heard from my sources at Portland State University (where Cornett worked before leaving to run his campaign). They were ecstatic that someone with such a bike-sensitive ear and track record in government (he was PSU’s lobbyist in Salem) was making a run to be one of Portland’s five leaders.

I met Cornett for the first time at the BTA’s annual New Year’s Day ride and I’ve been looking forward to a more formal sit-down interview ever since. I got that opportunity yesterday. Cornett and I discussed a number of issues — including how to pay for new bike infrastructure, the Columbia River Crossing project, bikes as an economic development tool, and more. Read a transcript from our conversation below:

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

The main bike racks at the Rose Garden.
(Photos © J. Maus)

The Portland Business Journal reports that the Rose Garden Arena (home of the Portland Trail Blazers) has been awarded a “Gold” level LEED certification. Among the reasons is the large percentage of attendees get there by something else besides a car.

Here’s the blurb about their transportation green-ness:

More than 30 percent of Rose Garden attendees use public or alternative transportation, such as bicycle commuting. The team subsidizes transit passes for staff and uses bikes and electric vehicles for on-site operations.

Former PBOT spokesperson Mary Volm
is running for Portland City Council.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Earlier this month I dropped by a meet and greet for City Council Candidate Mary Volm. I expected to have a quick chat and introduce myself, but as luck would have it, I was able to sit down with her for a one-on-one conversation.

For about 30-40 minutes, Ms. Volm and I discussed a number of issues including her 20-year career as a City employee (most them as spokesperson for the Bureau of Transportation), how Portland can raise new revenue for transportation (she’d like to derive some revenue from “bicyclists”), her feelings about Mayor Adams (she supported the first recall effort), the Columbia River Crossing project, and more.

News Release from: Portland Police Bureau
HIT AND RUN SUSPECT ARRESTED
Posted: January 26th, 2010 12:00 PM

On January 25th, 2010 at approximatley 8:40 P.M. Portland Police Officers arrested Patrick Wayne Livingston, a 44 year old male. Livingston was wanted in association with the hit and run of two high school students.

On January 22nd, 2010 at approximately 12:00 P.M., Livingston and a passenger were driving in the area of SE 52nd avenue and SE Woodward street. Livingston approached the intersection at and drove around several vehicles which had stopped to let two students cross. Livingston struck both students. One student sustain multiple broken bones and required hospitalization. The second student had minor injuries.

Livingston is being arraigned today, on charges of Hit and Run and Assault in the Second Degree. A photograph will be sent to all media.

geen/gray schwar custom 2009

Year: 2009
Brand: schwar
Model: custom
Color:geen/gray
Size:55×55
Stolen in portland, OR 97217
Stolen:2010-01-26
Stolen From: peace lutheran churchrosa parks and n. newcastle north portland
Neighborhood: arbor lodge
Owner: mathew schwar
OwnerEmail: mathewschwar@yahoo.com
Description: fillet brazed, extended head tube, s bend seat and chain stays, one armed cable hanger, lugged fork crown, double eyelet dropouts. chris king headset, ttt stainless stem, nitto "jitensha" handlebar, paul brake levers and cantilever brakes. front wheel: philwood low flange track hub to a mavic cxp 33 crows foot lacing.
rear wheel: white industries eno hub to a black velocity rim dura ace track cranks. mks track pedals, blue mks double straps, silver metal fenders
Police record with: officer nichols
Police reference#: 10007268
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Cornett looks to bridge bike traffic for final signature push

Cornett could ride his way
to 1,000 signatures.
(Photo © J. Maus)

City Council candidate Jesse Cornett is reportedly closing in on the 1,000 signatures and $5 donations he needs to qualify for public campaign financing.

According to the Portland Mercury, Cornett is just a few hundred signatures away from the goal, putting him ahead of Jason Renaud, Mary Volm, and others. Candidates have until Friday to turn in all their signatures.

A volunteer for Cornett’s campaign, citizen activism Chris Smith (who knows a thing or two about trying to win a seat on the Council), announced today that he’ll accompany Cornett onto the Hawthorne Bridge to try and curry favor (and signatures) from the non-motorized constituency.

Trails and how they (don’t) cross big
roads is likely to be one of many
topics we’ll discuss.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Our Get Together in Tigard this Wednesday (1/27) is shaping up quite nicely. We’ve got a slew of interesting folks joining us and there will be no shortage of important issues, projects, and big ideas to learn about and discuss.

As per usual with these events, the idea is for citizens, bureaucrats (and I mean that in the best way possible) and politicians to mix and mingle and learn from each other. On that note, here are a few of the confirmed attendees so far.

Notice that little sticker?
It just might help people be
a bit more vigilant when turning.
(Photo: VigilantVelo.com)

It’s always nice to hear from old bike industry acquaintances, especially when they’ve crossed over into the non-profit advocacy world. One such name from my past is Raymond Galang, co-founder of (legendary website) MTBR.com and Roadbikereview.com. Raymond dropped me a line last week to share his new endeavor — VigilantVelo.com.

Raymond had built a nice web and graphic design consultant business, but says that in recent years he’s “been saddened and horrified by the number of cyclists getting hit on the road by automobiles” (including “numerous” close calls himself). “I started to become paranoid and always felt that the next car behind me could be my fate. It’s no way to ride I thought to myself.”

“We are not opposed to expanding the wildlife area, but feel strongly Pioneer Orchard trail should remain open.”
— Tom Archer, director of advocacy for the Northwest Trail Alliance

The Portland Parks and Recreation Bureau will hold a public open house tonight to unveil a new trail plan for Powell Butte Nature Park. Off-road cycling advocates are concerned that one of the proposed concepts on the table expands the wildlife area and closes a popular riding trail.

Headlines like this don’t exactly
encourage folks to walk more.
(Screen shot from KGW-TV)

A spike in traffic collisions over the weekend highlights the urgent need for traffic safety improvements across the Portland area.

On Friday, two Franklin High School students were hit while walking in a crosswalk near their school. According to the Police Bureau, the boys were attempting to cross SE 52nd Avenue at Woodward, when someone driving a car sped around already stopped cars, struck them, and then drove off. Their injuries were not life-threatening.

Here’s the news that caught our eye this week:
– Another voice has joined the chorus pointing out that the federal government can create more jobs by building public transit rather than freeways.

– The 2010 Winter Olympics will be in Vancouver, BC, and the big question on the minds of many is how to handle transportation, with private cars seen as one of the least desirable parts of the mix.

– Here in green, dense Portland, the numbers show that most households still own and use a private car. What’s going on? A blogger tries to wrap his head around that in light of Portlanders’ fairly low transit use and walking rate, and eventually points his finger at the city’s massive amount of subsidized street parking.

Year: 1998
Brand: Specialized
Model: Rockhopper
Color:Silver
Size:23″
Serial: PV741617
Photo: http://www.BikePedia.com/Images/image.aspx?filename=Rockhopper%20A%203019.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97211
Stolen:2010-01-23
Stolen From: SE 8th Avenue and SE Morrison St.
Owner: Jim Wagstaff
OwnerEmail: jim@shout-design.com
Description: Small dent in frame. Sticker of eye and globe beneath stem. Hutch’s Bicycle’s sticker on seat tube.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

A conversation with City Council candidate Jesse Cornett

Rose Garden goes LEED Gold: 30% get there by bike or public transit

A conversation with City Council candidate Mary Volm

Newswire: Hit and Run Suspect Arrested

geen/gray schwar custom 2009

Cornett looks to bridge bike traffic for final signature push

Update on Tigard Get Together (it’s Wednesday!)

A new bike safety effort that just might stick

Powell Butte open house tonight: Weigh in on future of trails

Spate of collisions highlight urgency of safety improvements

The Monday Roundup

Silver Specialized Rockhopper 1998

Latest Headlines

Your guide to finding the ‘Wildwood’ crows by bike

My journey to that ‘Hard Rock glow’

Off-Road Cycling Master Plan: A decade later, what has changed?

A rad Plaid Century

From the Archives

The 10 busiest bicycling spots in Portland