🚨 Please note: BikePortland is currently on hiatus and only publishing guest articles. Learn more here. Thank you. - Jonathan 🙏

Red Nishiki Sebring ?

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: ?
Brand: Nishiki
Model: Sebring
Color:Red
Size:24 in?
Serial: G0483 3577627
Stolen in Portland, OR 97232
Stolen:2009-12-17
Stolen From: It was stolen from inside my apartment building, which is only a 4 plex. On the top floor. You need a key in order to get into the building and up the stairs. The building is the red stucco building on NE 24th & Hoyy, off of Sandy Blvd.
Neighborhood: NE/Laurelhurst/Kerns
Owner: Leah Bonaduce
OwnerEmail: leahbonaduce@hotmail.com
Description: It had the straight handle bars, not the touring kind. It was in really good condition. Went missing from inside my apartment building sometime wednesday night or early thursday. There was a lock holder for a kryptonite lock under the seat area.
Police record with: 09113094
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

From the publisher’s desk: BikePortland needs you

It’s not often that I use this space to share what’s going on behind-the-scenes at BikePortland. But with another year gone by and as we head into our fifth anniversary, I figured it was time to check in.

2009 has brought more changes to BikePortland than any year in our history — both for me personally and on the business side of things.

The site itself, which for years was the work of myself alone, is now a team effort. In case you haven’t noticed, it’s not just a blog anymore (I should put that on a t-shirt!). We’ve added features and refined existing ones, we do more (and better) events than ever before, and — thanks to the help of Elly Blue — we’ve assembled an excellent crew of interns and contributors.

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What’s next for the Springwater Trail? Filling in the gaps

Three Bridges opening celebration

The Springwater Corridor Trail is
a major commute thoroughfare
and recreational facility.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Springwater Corridor Trail is the closest thing Portland has to a bicycle superhighway.

When the trail is complete, you will be able to walk, run, skate, or ride your bike from the Steel Bridge all the way out beyond Gresham without ever sharing the road with a motorized vehicle. For now, only two major gaps remain, both in inner Portland, where you must exit the trail and wind through city streets.

The southern gap routes you through quiet, residential streets in Sellwood from SE Umatilla close to the river to SE 19th. The northern gap, from the current trailhead at SE Ivon to the beginning of the Eastbank Esplanade at OMSI, is by far the worst of the two, crossing through a major construction zone and the entrance to a gravel depot, creating a safety hazard and a signage and enforcement conundrum.

So what is the current status of these gaps?

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green Trek 520 2002

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2002
Brand: Trek
Model: 520
Color:green
Size:19″
Serial: www0219998
Stolen in Kelso, WA 98626
Stolen:2009-12-18
Stolen From: Cowlitz County Historical Museum
405 Allen Street
Kelso WA 98626
Neighborhood: downtown Kelso, one mile west of I-5
Owner: David Freece
OwnerEmail: freece@kalama.com
Description: Speedplay Frog pedals, Jandd rear rack (fairly worn), black fenders, Terry liberator saddle, mounting bracket for Topeak handlebar bag (no bag, Bontrager front wheel, Mavic rear.
Police record with: Kelso Police
Police reference#: 09-12892
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

black Gary Fisher commuter bike 2007

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2007
Brand: Gary Fisher
Model: commuter bike
Color:black
Size:large 6′ 1″ male
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2009-12-18
Stolen From: SE 22nd and SE Ankeny, locked to stop sign.
Neighborhood: Buckman
Owner: Jeremy Gates
OwnerEmail: jeremygates@hotmail.com
Reward: home-made cookies and good karma
Description: Large, black Gary Fisher in great condition. Had a rack on the back and no other accessories. Large frame for 6′ 1″ male.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Silver Trek Pilot 5.2 2005

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2005
Brand: Trek
Model: Pilot 5.2
Color:Silver
Size:52cm
Serial: WL3239874
Stolen in Portland, OR 97230
Stolen:2009-12-14
Stolen From: Western States Chiropractic College
Owner: Brad Whetstone
OwnerEmail: bradleyalanw@aol.com
Description: Silver, ultegra, white seat, yellow front tire, fenders, bontrager race lite wheels.
Police reference#: T09000563
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Newswire: Sellwood neighborhood, City officials celebrate new bike boulevard opening this Saturday

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Sellwood neighborhood, City officials celebrate new bike boulevard opening this Saturday

(Portland, Ore.) – Mayor Sam Adams and the Portland Bureau of Transportation will participate in a ribbon cutting with neighbors at a celebration for the city’s newest bicycle boulevard on SE Spokane Street in Sellwood this Saturday.

“Projects like this bicycle boulevard will help Portland meet our Climate Action Plan goals and provide residents of Portland with more options for biking and walking to local businesses, schools and our community centers.”

Bicycle boulevards are designated routes for cyclists near major streets that provide direct connections to where people work, shop, recreate and live. They are installed on residential streets with low traffic numbers and accommodate cyclists by discouraging drivers from using the street as a cut-through and from speeding. The SE Spokane project covers the first of 15 new miles of bike boulevards identified by Mayor Sam Adams in his First 100 Days agenda.

Construction began November 16 on a nine-block stretch of SE Spokane, from SE 19th Sixth avenues. “Weather really played a role in the schedule, but our crews have been working hard to make sure this boulevard is finished,” said Kyle Chisek, PBOT project manager. “Maintenance crews just have a few pieces left to install and then they’ll be out of the neighborhood.”

The Mayor and PBOT will be joined by the Sellwood Moreland Improvement League, including President Paul Notti, Portland Parks & Recreation staff from the community center and local businesses owners and residents. Neighbors and SMILE worked with PBOT for two years to get the project built.

“This area will be more appealing and accessible, which will help promote the vitality of local businesses. The bike boulevard will bring even more Portlanders to the local shops, service providers and restaurants in the Sellwood area,” Adams said.

The project includes improved pedestrian crossings, stormwater management, traffic calming, reconfigured stop signs and bicycle parking. The city will be using American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus money to add more pavement markings and signs once the weather gets warm to help cyclists find their way.

More information about the project can be found at www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?&c=50516.

More information about the Dec. 19 event can be found at sellwood.org/2009/11/26/spokane-street-bike-ride-celebration-event-dec-12-2009-12pm

Judge: Woman hit in unpainted bike lane is not protected by law

A Portland judge has ruled that when
bike lane striping vanishes, like in the
intersection of SE 10th and Hawthorne, so
does a rider’s legal protection.

When Portlander Rob Daray witnessed a right-hook collision on his commute home last summer he thought it was obvious who was at fault. So did the police officer who cited the operator of the motor vehicle for “failure to yield to a bicycle.” Even the woman driving the car admitted she made an abrupt right turn without checking her blind spots.

But when the case came up in traffic court, the judge came to a different conclusion and now Mr. Daray and others familiar with this are worried that people who ride bicycles are vulnerable — not just on the street, but in the legal system as well.

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It’s true: Portland bike counts show first decline in five years

“What we want to do is put the bike counts into the context of… Were all trips down? We’re thinking that’s the story.”
— Roger Geller, PBOT bike coordinator

When Willamette Week reporter Beth Slovic broke the story about PBOT’s 2009 bike count numbers yesterday, we were shocked. Our surprise was two-fold: First, although we’d heard speculation that the counts would be down compared to 2008, it was still surprising to learn it had actually happened; and second, we had asked PBOT repeatedly for for the results of the counts (which have historically been released in November) but were told that no numbers would be released until January.

Slovic was called out by Joseph Rose of The Oregonian yesterday because a PBOT staffer told him the report didn’t exist. Today, Slovic produced a PDF of that preliminary report in order to prove she was not making it up. Much of that report includes information from 2008 (PBOT was using it as a template), but we’ve confirmed that the 2009 numbers presented are accurate.

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