🚨 Please note that BikePortland slows down during this time of year as I have family in town and just need a break! Please don't expect typical volume of news stories and content. I'll be back in regular form after the new year. Thanks. - Jonathan 🙏

The Monday Roundup

Blind Pilot and KBOO Bike Show New Years Party-6

Portland-based Blind Pilot, shown
here playing at KBOO studios, is
hitting the big time.
(Photo © J. Maus)

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

– The US government is crossing bureaucratic boundaries to create policies (and funding) aimed at creating complete streets around transit hubs.

– After a tight race, Mike McGinn, who commutes by bike and wants to tear down a waterfront freeway, has been elected as the next mayor of Seattle.

– Mexico City’s bus system, which includes the recent addition and expansion of a Bus Rapid Transit corridor along the city’s most famous road, has won a Harvard award for its role in reducing the city’s congestion and pollution.

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Newswire: PPB Needs Help Locating Girls Stolen Bike

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Stolen trike similar to this one.

News Release from: Portland Police Bureau
PPB Needs Help In Locating Girls Stolen Bike
Posted: November 16th, 2009 10:08 AM

Portland Police Officers from East Precinct are asking for the public’s help in locating an adult tricycle that was stolen from two 13-year-old autistic girls. The bike was donated to the girls by OHSU personnel as part of a grant that donates to developmentally challenged children. The tricycle is very special to the twin girls and is something the family could not afford to buy on their own.

The all red bike was stolen from the family’s outdoor shed in the area of the 8900 Block of Southeast Stephens Street on November 14th or November 15th. The trike is similar to a Tri-Star brand adult three wheeled bike but the actual brand is unknown at this time. A similar tricycle can be viewed at www.cyclesportsandfitness.com/images/Tristar-red-LG.jpg.

The family is available for interviews. Anyone interested in this story can contact the Portland police PIO for contact information.

Contact Info: PIO Contact Name: Detective Mary Wheat
Email Address: mwheat@portlandpolice.org
Phone Number: 503-823-0010
Pager Number: 503-790-1779

Silver Specialized Sequoia Sport 2003

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Year: 2003
Brand: Specialized
Model: Sequoia Sport
Color:Silver
Size:Small
Serial: P2FC86649
Stolen in Portland, OR
Stolen:2009-11-14
Stolen From: Locked up on sidewalk rack. SW 10th and Morrison Downtown PDX.
Neighborhood: Downtown Portland
Owner: Christy Zell
OwnerEmail: art@cgpdx.com
Description: Small Frame, red graphics, duct tape on right handle bar. Fenders fr and bk. Rack on back. New Continental tires.
Police record with: City of Portland
Police reference#: 09-150232
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Job: Public transportation information consulting data engineer (Trillium Solutions) – FILLED

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Job Title
Public transportation information consulting data engineer
This position has been filled.

Company/Organization
Trillium Solutions

Job Description
Position available soon: Data engineer and customer support position at Trillium Solutions, a small software/multi-modal transportation information consulting firm in Portland, Oregon. Office is on the 7th floor of the Olympic Mills Commerce Center at SE Washington and 2nd Streets.

Position responsibilities:
(training will be provided and support will be available for all these responsibilities)

* Decipher public transportation timetable and maps.
* Use custom proprietary, free, and commercial software to enter and structure schedule, fare, and location information in standardized formats.
* Determine public transportation facility locations with handheld GPS unit (in-field data gathering)
* Estimate hours for current and upcoming jobs as part of the proposal development process
* Troubleshoot Google Maps, Google Transit Feed data, and other software issues
* Provide technical support for Google Maps and web-based schedule management application to clients

* Experience using online maps websites and products (Google Maps, Google Earth, etc.)
* Familiarity or experience with internet standards and technologies (FTP, HTML, XML, KML, etc.)
* Familiarity or experience with relational databases (MS Access, FileMaker, or MySQL is a plus — we’re using MySQL, by the way).
* Experience with standard office software (MS Word, MS Excel, etc.)
* Interest or passion in public transportation and sustainable transportation
* Ability to communicate concisely and clearly in writing
* Personable and professional in phone and email-based communication
* Pays close attention to details
* Enjoys problem-solving

Trillium Solutions:
Trillium Solutions is a young growing company committed to making non-drive alone alternative transportation modes more attractive and easy-to-use through thoughtfully-designed, high-quality information. Currently, the company serves approximately 40 public transportation agencies in the United States by helping them to participate in Google Transit, and online transit trip itinerary planner integrated in Google Maps (www.google.com/transit). More on Trillium Solutions is at www.trilliumtransit.com.

Compensation:
$12.50-$16 per hour depending on experience and skill set. Employees may also have the option of using a company MacBook Pro as their personal computer. Hours will be variable — probably averaging 30/week.

Qualified applicants:
(not all qualifications are required; applicants of various experience levels will be considered)

How to Apply
Contact Aaron Antrim / aaron [at] trilliumtransit.com / 707.633.4464 (or 503.799.0550, local number). After a brief phone/email interview in-person interviews will be scheduled.

Cross Crusade crown will come down to final race

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Cross Crusade #2 - Alpenrose Dairy Portland, OR

Molly Cameron (in foreground) will
battle with Sean Babcock this weekend.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The final race in the 2009 Cross Crusade will happen Sunday at Barton Park in Estacada. For two competitors, Molly Cameron and Sean Babcock, the race will determine who walks away with the coveted title of overall series champion.

Cameron (Portland Bicycle Studio) and Babcock (Team S & M) are separated in the standings of the Men’s A category by just one point. Cameron, who currently sits atop the standings, has won two Crusade races already and has finished top five in two others. Babcock won the second race in the series and is coming off a fourth place finish ahead of Cameron last week.

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while Jamis Citzien 2008

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Year: 2008
Brand: Jamis
Model: Citzien
Color:while
Size:14.5
Stolen in portland, OR
Stolen:2009-11-3
Stolen From: Fred Meyer at Gateway
Neighborhood: Gateway
OwnerEmail: stefanycoca18@yahoo.com
Reward: we’ll talk
Description: White woman’s Jamis Citizen for shorter women, though it is quite a big bike anyway. It has a rack on the back for saddle bags, a shimono racing seat and a set of really nice black carbon wheels. if you see this bike roaming around somewhere, please give me a call at 971-241-7113 any time. if i dont answer, leave a message please. This bike means a lot of me because my dad bought it for me and its been our thing that brings us together. Thanks for the help!!!
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Newswire: Gordon Price Coming to Portland

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On Thursday 11/19, Gordon Price will give a free presentation on the effective integration of transportation in high-density environments with an emphasis on land use. If you’ve seen Price speak before, fear not! He always has a new presentation and a trick or two up his sleeve…

Price is a former City of Vancouver, B.C. Councilor and current Simon Fraser University and University of British Columbia Professor who teaches, researches, and writes extensively on urban development and planning.

To learn more about Price check out his electronic magazine, Price Tags or his daily blog on Vancouver and worldwide urban affairs.

    What: Gordon Price Presentation
    When: Thursday 11/19, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
    Where: Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave, 2nd Floor Auditorium
    Cost: Free and Open to the Public

Questions?
Contact: Scott Cohen
City of Portland Office of Transportation
scott.cohen@pdxtrans.org
(503) 823-5345

Aaron Tarfman returns home after thoughtful sojourn

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We’re glad you’re home Aaron.

Aaron Tarfman, who had been missing since Tuesday has returned to his home in Southeast Portland. He’s safe and sound and was not aware of the extreme amount of concern that his absence caused among many in the community.

Aaron had written a “Farewell letter” on his personal website and judging by its tone and content, many of his close friends feared the worst.

He was spotted by PGE work crews on Faraday Road, a carfree road on the Clackamas River that Aaron has frequented several times on bike trips. The PGE crews called him after realizing who it was. Two separate search parties made up of Aaron’s friend set off this morning en route to Faraday to find him, but at around 11:00 am this morning Aaron walked into his house in the Brooklyn neighborhood to find friends buzzing about.

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White Bianchi Fremont 2007ish

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Year: 2007ish
Brand: Bianchi
Model: Fremont
Color:White
Size:51cm
Stolen in Portland, OR 9217
Stolen:2009-11-11
Stolen From: My front yard at N Fenwick and Lombard.
Neighborhood: NoPo/Kenton
Owner: Gabriel Dunn
OwnerEmail: gabedunn18@hotmail.com
Reward: Depending on condition returned
Description: White powder-coated frame, black carbon forks w/ white bianchi lettering, black bull horns, brown saddle, carbon seat post, black deep v’s with armadillo tires, front brake, soma toe-clips. Set up as fixed-gear.
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Streetcar or cycle tracks: Putting bike funding into perspective

Bicycle Master Plan ride #3

900 miles of bikeways
or 15 miles of streetcar?
(Photo © J. Maus)

Here are some interesting numbers to help put the funding for bicycle infrastructure in Portland — as laid out in the Bicycle Plan for 2030 — into perspective.

According to estimates from PBOT, the full “build-out” of the plan (meaning to complete all 900+ bikeway miles) would cost about $500 million dollars. At the Planning Commission hearing this week, Commissioner Chris Smith put that amount into perspective by comparing it to other transportation infrastructure investments we could make.

For $500 million we could complete our entire bike network or get:

  • 15 miles of streetcar
  • 1 ½ Sellwood Bridges
  • 40% of a MAX line
  • 1/8 of a CRC bridge

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