BikePortland

Juggling work, life, and three kids — by bike

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Joe Hagedorn, with sons Cole
and Carter.
(Photos © J. Maus)

[Publisher’s note: This family biking profile comes to you from our newest writer, Alaya Wyndham-Price. Stay tuned for a bike-friendly business profile and other stories from Ms. Wyndham-Price.]

“We bike whenever we can,” Hau Hagedorn said. I sat with her and her husband Joe discussing their family’s commitment to bike commuting over tea this week. Hau and Joe are both professionals with jobs in downtown Portland, and are also parents of three young boys; Carter, age six, Cole, age four, and Hendrik, just 9 months.

This is the story of how they became a biking family.

The couple began easing into bike commuting about two and a half years ago, after Hau decided to participate in the Low-Car Diet by giving up the keys to the family car for two weeks while Joe was on a business trip. At the time, it meant balancing the schedule of her two older sons, her job, and doing regular errands by bike.

It’s already there, so
why can’t bikes use it?
(Photo © J. Maus)

As Portland and many other cities ponder big plans for bikeways in the coming years, one question that comes up a lot is how to pay for new infrastructure. When I’m asked that question, I say we don’t need to spend all our money on new bikeways because we’ve got all the infrastructure we need. What we need is the political will to re-allocate our existing road and highway network to accomodate bicycle traffic.

As we’ve experienced with the North Portland Greenway and the Sullivan’s Gulch trail projects, the development of off-street bikeways takes many years and millions of dollars to complete (one piece of the Sullivan’s Gulch from the Esplanade to NE 21st is estimated to cost $7.7 million).

Here’s the news that caught our eye this week:

– The EPA has ruled that “greenhouse gases threaten the health and welfare of the American people.” Electricity generation and vehicle emissions are listed as the two leading causes.

– Cities for Cycling, an initiative that will change the way road design regulations work, celebrated its official launch in Washington, DC last week.

– After a bike lane was removed by the city from a Brooklyn neighborhood after residents made a stink, unknown parties went in at night and repainted the lane. A protest ride along the corridor last weekend was attended by 15 “mourners” on bikes and a huge line of police vehicles.

A reader passed along a press release from Rivermark Credit Union. They’ve just renovated their location at SE 25th and Hawthorne in Portland with lots of eco-conscious amentities. Among them was a nod to “members on foot or bike”. Here’s a snip from the press release (emphasis mine):

The new building will incorporate green building practices, such as a partial green roof that will save energy and reduce storm water runoff. The branch will also have an exterior living wall that in time will be covered with vegetation. Members on foot or bike will enjoy a walk-up teller station and covered bike parking.

Great to see another local company that respects and encourages a bicycling clientele.

Job: Marketing Director (Bike Friday)

Job Title
Marketing Director

Company/Organization
Bike Friday

Job Description
Director of Bike Friday Marketing
~Location: Eugene, Oregon

Bike Friday is looking for a special marketing person who can maintain great relations with our wonderfully enthusiastic customers while finding new ones to join the community. We have a world wide brand community that most companies only dream about and it takes a special understanding, sensibility and set of skills to help it continue to grow.
You need to not only understand the special and unique Bike Friday world wide community but you also need to love marketing in the ways that a community like ours thrives from.
Bike Friday is a small company with a lot of passion and enthusiasm for the mission:
“To build a better tomorrow by offering individual solutions for transportation, personal oil independence and health.”

Position Summary:
Reports to: General Manager
Responsible for the strategic development and execution of all consumer and trade marketing activities for the company, including online and off line advertising, public relations, account marketing and grassroots marketing.

Responsibilities:
Refine brand messaging and core consumer profiles (10%)
* Work with the management team to refine the definition of the core consumer psychographics and demographics
* Communicate the brand positioning effectively internally, and externally to partners such as public relations and advertising agencies
Drive successful execution of key brand marketing objectives (40%)
* Develop and execute high-impact, cost-effective online and offline marketing strategies; manage resources effectively
* Support retail dealers with product education and point of sale marketing materials to drive sell-through
* Develop and execute grassroots marketing strategies to build awareness and direct sales.
* Effectively deploy innovative promotional campaigns to drive traffic and sales
*Forecast and manage overall marketing budget for high ROI
Manage Marketing and Sales aspects of bikefriday.com (40%)
* Make the site an effective product education tool for prospective customers and other stakeholders, including retailers
* Streamline the path to purchase, to increase direct sales of bicycles and accessories
* Develop online marketing strategies such as SEO, affiliates, keywords and buzz monitoring to drive traffic to bikefriday.com
* Manage the flow of fresh content onto the website as well as ongoing site enhancements

BENEFITS INCLUDE: profit sharing, 401K, health insurance with vision, covered bike parking, shower facilities, discount on bike parts, paid holidays, shop privileges & family friendly. Wages are based upon merit, not seniority, so come earn as much as you want. And, you get to build yourself a personal bike on the company’s dime. Bike Friday loves diversity & encourages all interested, qualifying parties to inquire.

How to Apply
Download our Employment Application at www.bikefriday.com/employment, and return it to us via fax, mail, email to
Bike Friday
3364 W. 11th Avenue
Eugene, OR 97402
Fax:541-687-0403
jobs at bikefriday dot com

BTA will ask members for input on new leader

Yesterday we shared some names of folks who might be a good fit for the top job at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA). Now, the organization has announced two meetings where they’ll ask members what qualities and attributes they want in their next executive director.

Former ED Scott Bricker was let go in November and a national search has begun for his replacement. To kick off that search, the BTA will ask members to provide input on this major decision.

Here’s a snip from an email sent out a few minutes ago to BTA members:

There are always lots of
smiles at the Holiday Bike Drive.
(Photos © J. Maus)

This weekend is the Community Cycling Center’s annual Holiday Bike Drive. This year the theme is “It takes a community” and it will be the most diverse group of participants the CCC has ever served.

According to the CCC’s Director of Community and Programs Alison Hill Graves, they targeted outreach for the event at the same organizations they have met through their Understanding Barriers to Bicycling project. Those organizations include New Columbia, the Immigrant and Refugee Community Organization, Self Enhancement, Inc., and others.

ODOT Region 1 Director
Jason Tell.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Portland metro area’s regional director of the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is leading a charge to raise the profile of transportation safety for all modes.

ODOT Region 1 Director Jason Tell put forth a successful amendment yesterday (download PDF) at a meeting of Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation that will fundamentally change how the influential Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) looks at safety. The RTP, a $20 billion package of projects, was supported by JPACT yesterday and is expected to be officially adopted by Metro later this month.

Tell’s amendment changes the safety performance measure in transportation project evaluation, adds biking and walking traffic into safety risk calculations (only motor vehicle traffic used to be considered), and directs ODOT, Metro, and other agencies to create a “Regional Safety Working Group.”

Intersection 911 has released its third “Bikes Riding With Bikes” PSA video, this one instructing people to pass each other on the left, using the Steel Bridge and N Williams as examples.

The first video in this series focused on helping out other riders in distress, and the second also dealt with safe passing issues.

Bike business group, BTA, look to drum up corporate support for Bicycle Plan

The fledgling Bicycle Business League (BBL) and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) have joined forces to garner support from local businesses for the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030.

The BBL has drafted a letter of support for the plan and the group hopes to get 100 businesses to sign on to it before the plan comes before Portland City Council on January 20th. The BTA, which helped facilitate the formation of the BBL since its first meeting back in May, says the public and business leaders are aligned in their support of biking and walking.

Year: 2005
Brand: Raliegh
Model: Cadent 2.0
Serial: u59k2553
Stolen in Portland, OR
Stolen:2009-12-3
Stolen From: 6th and SW pine
Neighborhood: Downtown
Owner: Danny DeBates
OwnerEmail: daniel.debates@pcc.edu
Description: Black and Silver with front touring bars and a bell light duct taped on them also a back blackburn rack
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Check out the bike packages in Mercury’s charity auction

The Merc’s Mirk on a bike.
(Photo: Portland Mercury)

For the second year in a row, the Portland Mercury’s annual Holiday Auction (and its saucy photo spread) entices would-be donors with several bike-filled gift packages. If you want to help a great local non-profit (Outside In) and show your true biking spirit, get over to their site and bid on one of them.

This year there are three bike-alicious packages to choose from:

Bike With The Mayor – Includes a ride and lunch with me and Mayor Sam Adams with a Patagonia messenger bag thrown in for good measure.

Juggling work, life, and three kids — by bike

Should highways be the new bikeways?

The Monday Roundup

Portland credit union keeps biking members in mind

Job: Marketing Director (Bike Friday)

BTA will ask members for input on new leader

Holiday Bike Drive will reach out to diverse communities

In Portland region, transportation safety gets larger seat at the table

“Always pass on the left,” urges new PSA

Bike business group, BTA, look to drum up corporate support for Bicycle Plan

Raliegh Cadent 2.0 2005

Check out the bike packages in Mercury’s charity auction

Latest Headlines

A fatal collision in an East Portland bike lane with no cyclist involved

ODOT will install warning signs on Highway 43 in response to fatal bicycle collision

TriMet lays out new hurdles for 82nd Avenue bus lanes

From the Archives

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