BikePortland

Job: Executive Director – Salmonberry Trail Foundation

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

Executive Director

Company / Organization

Salmonberry Trail Foundation

Job Description

SALMONBERRY TRAIL FOUNDATION
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR position description
August 3, 2022

The mission of the Salmonberry Trail Foundation 501(c)3 is to build a world-class recreational trail that enriches the Oregon outdoor experience for all. When completed, the Salmonberry Trail will provide safe transportation, contribute to community health and wellness, encourage forest education and recreation, and facilitate cultural and historic preservation and interpretation.
The Executive Director in collaboration with the Board of Directors and strategic partners will:
• Build a financially viable and sustainable organization.
• Marshall the resources to fund and build an 87-mile non-motorized, multi-use trail along the old Port of Tillamook Railroad rail corridor from the valley to the coast.
• Support local economies through new economic opportunities along the corridor.
• Improve and increase access to public lands for a wide range of users and communities.
• Maintain and improve the sensitive river and coastal environments, while preserving the Trail’s right-of-way.
• Preserve, interpret and share the Salmonberry Trail’s cultural, natural, and historic significance.
The Executive Director is responsible for implementing the overall strategic direction, leadership, staffing, and administration. The position requires spirited leadership, a passion for the mission, and building deeply collaborative relationships. Other key duties include fundraising, marketing, and community outreach. The position reports to the Board of Directors.

Strategic Priorities:
Maintain excellent board relations. Forge an effective partnership with board members on Mission, Strategy, Evaluation and Budget. Be proactive, consistent, professional, timely and accurate when communicating with all board members.
Build trail. Lead a team that will raise funds and enlist support for building sections of trail in Washington and Tillamook counties. Partner with county, regional and state project managers on the land use planning process, providing input for technical reports, and the sharing of information. Proactively communicate with agency and community partners.
Grow a community of supporters. Build support for the Trail. Work closely with the Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency “STIA”, Tillamook and Washington County commissioners, Port of Tillamook managers, Department of Forestry, Parks and Recreation, ODOT, Metro, elected Senators and Representatives, and others. Spearhead volunteer events and grow the volunteer base. Show gratitude by thanking donors and volunteers. Celebrate and communicate successes. Represent the Foundation at public forums, foster good relations with communities and homeowners adjacent to trail. Guide web and marketing communication specialists to keep the story of Salmonberry Trail alive.
Secure funding from diversified sources to support organizational growth and build trail. Create and implement a fundraising strategy that includes individuals, businesses, foundations, and public sources to support organization growth and provide matching funds for infrastructure proposals. Create and manage a development team and fundraising operations. Accurately manage data in CRM system.
Develop organizational capacity to support growth. In-line with an approved budget, increase organizational capacity to deliver on current commitments and build toward future. Manage organizational operations including hiring, training, retention of competent, qualified staff. Step-up to and address performance situations as needed with a fair and professional performance review process. Evenly apply the policies and procedures in the Employee Handbook.

Professional qualifications:
• A history of transparent and high integrity leadership.
• Five or more years senior nonprofit management experience.
• Experience and skill working with a Board of Directors.
• High level strategic thinking and planning.
• Comfortable in an entrepreneurial environment.
• Ability to effectively communicate the organization’s mission to various audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to oversee and collaborate with staff.
• A history of successfully generating new revenue streams and improving financial results.
• Active fundraising experience. Excellent donor relations skills and understanding of private and public funding communities.
• Demonstrated success in establishing relationships with individuals and organizations.
• Solid organizational abilities, including planning, delegating, program development and task management.
• Strong financial management skills, including budget preparation, analysis, decision making and reporting.
• A bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Strong work ethic.
• Bilingual a plus.

Compensation & Benefits
• Base salary $90k-$110k, DOE.
• Health and other benefits.
• Remote work & Flexible schedule.
• Work/Life balance encouraged.

How to Apply

Send us a message at jobs@salmonberrytrail.org to get started. We look forward to hearing from you.

Why public transit is part of our family life

Disclaimer: Before I share our family transit adventures let me acknowledge my privilege: taking public transit is a choice for us. We have enough money to fund our old minivan and a typical driving life (or at least we did, before gas and food prices took a jump.) Many people don’t have a choice. They schlepp kids and groceries via transit (or on foot) because they can’t afford a car and gas, or a disability makes them unable to drive, or they’re immigrants without papers or licenses. For plenty of folks, public transit use is a necessity born from a lack of privilege. Riding the bus with young children isn’t a sacrificial chosen “adventure” it’s just a regular chore, like washing dishes or changing diapers. I want to acknowledge these public-transit families first, because in an absolutely unglorified way, they are out there riding transit every day, while I am merely making some first attempts on occasion.

That being said, I’m going to share about these privileged transit rides because I think mass transit use is better for society — but shifting car-driving Americans from their personal vehicles to public buses and railways will require a significant change in the habits of those who can make this drive-or-ride choice.

If we’re going to reduce cars on the road (and make walking and biking better for everyone), it’s people like me that need to make the change. We could drive, but will we choose to ride?

“It can be hard to hold on to the ideal of making a better world when baby’s diaper just exploded, the toddler spilled a full cup of juice, mommy is out of coffee – and we’re late!”

So, why make that choice?

If you’re reading this, you can probably already make a long list of reasons, so I’ll just say that choosing to use public transit can be one of those little daily acts to make society a better place; a drop in the bucket, like turning out the lights, taking shorter showers, or recycling instead of sending trash to the landfill. It’s a small impact if only one person does it, but on a grand scale — if we can convince way more people to do it — the impact for the greater good would be significant.

That’s a nice ideal, but it can be a hard sell for a parent of little ones. The family needs to go someplace today, and their transportation choice will have an immediate impact on mama’s sanity and schedule. It’s one thing to take the bus as a solo work commuter, but quite another to wrangle multiple children, stroller, diaper bag, and sippy cups in time to make the train. It can be hard to hold on to the ideal of making a better world when baby’s diaper just exploded, the toddler spilled a full cup of juice, mommy is out of coffee – and we’re late!

Despite the challenges, using mass transit is good for us, not only in a hoped-for-ideal, but also for our own family life directly.

One of the biggest benefits is that I’m preparing my children to be independent transit users, which will give them the means to get themselves to their own activities. While they are little, this feels a lot like having the toddlers “help” with household chores: it’s not immediately helpful, but building such habits in our children will pay off in the near future. It will be life-changing for our kids to be able to get themselves to their own activities! As I have written before, I don’t want to spend every afternoon for the next decade driving kids all over town to their activities (nor could I, with five children and one driver). I want them to be able to get around on their own (and free myself from taxi duties — a win-win!).

Still, in our current phase of family life (with five kids ages 8 through infant), using public transit is hard. It feels like a sacrifice. It takes longer and is significantly less flexible than driving our personal vehicle. The normal trials of transit use, like missing an hourly bus with cranky toddlers in tow, feels like a disaster. Yet therein lies one of the more important benefits of our family’s public transit journey: we are living out our values in a way that is sometimes hard and requires us to give up our personal convenience and privilege. Isn’t this one of the more important lessons we want to teach our children?

Every time we use transit instead of driving, we are teaching our children and ourselves how to make choices based on what we value, rather than what is most easy, comfortable, or commonplace. We can choose the public good over personal convenience. When using transit really feels like a sacrifice, I hold on to this: doing what is hard, but right, is one of the most important lessons I will teach my children. If riding the bus can help me to teach that lesson, then I can try to think of the sacrifices involved as little gifts to all of us.

With that in mind, we are setting a small goal to begin exploring our community via bus and light rail. We have plans to replace a weekly car trip with a MAX ride. I’m nervous about committing to this, but our modest biking goals really changed our family’s transportation lifestyle for the better. Over the past year, we’ve replaced most of our short car trips with bike rides. We are happier and healthier. We’re more connected to our local community, and we’re closer as a family. I’m hopeful that our modest public transit goals will help us grow even more, and I’m eager to see where those bus and rail lines take us.

Has your family made the shift from cars to transit? I’d love to hear about it. Leave a note in the comments or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you. Happy (carfree) travels.

Job: Shipping Specialist – Velotech, Inc.

Job Title

Shipping Specialist

Company / Organization

Velotech, Inc.

Job Description

Velotech, Inc. is a locally owned business that has operated in Portland since 2002. Velotech is the parent company of BikeTiresDirect, Western Bikeworks, and Trisports.

This position is responsible for picking, packing and shipping customer orders. Qualified Shipping Specialists also execute product put-away, clean their work area, execute physical counts, and available for general physical and/or minor administrative labor.

Starting rate is $17.25 per hour.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO:
Pick incoming web orders and warehouse pick up orders
Pack and ship orders according to supervisor’s guidelines
Maintain accurate inventory through regular cycle counting
Assist receiving department with put away of new items
Maintain a clean and organized workspace
Assist with any projects, or assist in other departments as instructed by supervisor
Perform all duties in a safe manner and report all safety concerns immediately to supervisor

MINIMUM JOB REQUIREMENTS:
Wear closed toe shoes at all times in warehouse
Be able to lift 25 lbs above your head without assistance
Stand for long periods of time
Be able to lift 50 lbs without assistance

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, & ABILITIES:
Excellent communication and organizational skills
Solid knowledge of cycling products
Ability to work in a high volume, fast-paced environment
Ability to work independently or with others to manage multiple task with minimal supervision.

BENEFITS
Generous Employee Discounts
Flexible Schedules
Medical/Dental/Vision for all full & regular part-time employees
Paid Time Off – up to 15 days your first year
Quarterly ‘Get Outside’ days

PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee frequently is required to use hands or finger, handle, or feel objects, tools or controls.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk, reach with hands and arms, stoop, kneel, crouch and sit for extended periods of time.

The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, and the ability to adjust focus.
The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

This description is intended to provide only the basic guidelines for meeting job requirements. Responsibilities, knowledge, skills, ability and working conditions may change as needs evolve.

Velotech is an Equal Opportunity employer.

How to Apply

If interested, please click on the link to apply:
https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/web.php/jobs/ViewJobDetails?job=4367&clientkey=F102FCECFB43ED66CAD0C8276CB962A9

The Street Trust seeks applicants for new ‘Hub’ coworking space

If you’re tired of working via Zoom from your living room, The Street Trust (TST) may have the perfect solution for you. The Portland transportation advocacy nonprofit just announced it’s launching a new project: a coworking space in the Lloyd Center – dubbed the “HUB” – where like-minded organizations can work alongside each other.

According to TST, this will be a place where people who work for organizations can “come together to collaborate, conduct research, host clinics or workshops, use digital planning tools, brainstorm over coffee, or hunker down in a private office to put the finishing touches on that grant application due at 5 pm.”

The organizations that will be prioritized for a spot at the HUB will “share TST’s priorities of improving transportation safety, accessibility, racial equity, and climate justice in the Portland Metro Region and beyond.” Membership fees will be on a sliding scale based on the organization’s budget.

The fact that TST has chosen the Lloyd Center to house this space is just another example of transportation advocates and Portland planners working to resuscitate a district that has gone dormant in recent years. Even though this area is overrun by parking garages, there’s a confluence of transit options located here and with the new Blumenauer Bridge providing a much-needed link from to and from the district and the rest of Portland’s inner east side. It looks like TST is joining the cohort of Lloyd Center boosters with this project!

This sounds like a very cool way for transportation advocacy organizations to form partnerships and collaborate. There’s not really any light work in this field, but many hands working together will hopefully make it easier. And who doesn’t want the chance to take their lunch break at the Lloyd Center’s ice skating rink?

The official application will open in September, but interested parties can fill out an intake form and sign up for updates here.

First Look: NE Couch bus/bike only ‘Rose Lane’ (Video)

The red paint is still fresh on NE Couch where the Portland Bureau of Transportation has installed their latest ‘Rose Lane’. It’s all part of their ongoing effort to speed up bus service and re-allocate road space away from drivers and toward bike and bus riders.

PBOT’s Rose Lane project began in 2019 and the Couch project is one of 20 routes in PBOT’s vision. The new lane, which allows car users to enter only to turn right, goes from 12th to 6th and connects to an existing bike lane that delivers riders onto the Burnside Bridge. It also provides a great connection to NE 7th Avenue just a few blocks south from the new Blumenauer Bridge.

Unlike other Rose Lanes, PBOT’s red carpet on Couch has been rolled out for bike riders too. Bicycling is explicitly allowed in this red lane. If that sounds scary to you, keep in mind that this section of Couch is downhill (and one-way), so it’s relatively easy for bike riders to maintain the same speed as bus operators. I rode it today at a relaxed pace and it felt totally safe.

And yes, I saw several people driving right over the ‘Bus Bike Only’ markings (photos below). It’s frustrating to see people do this despite very obvious signs and markings simply to save a few seconds and create unsafe roads for others, but compliance is (hopefully!) likely to improve once folks have time to adjust to the new configuration. The only way this is likely to fully stop is if PBOT installs automated enforcement cameras. (Until we get better behaved drivers, the only consolation is that if you are involved in an incident with someone driving where they’re not supposed to, the law would be on your side in a legal case.)

But let’s not dwell on this aspect of the project. The new lane is very exciting!

In addition to more space for busing and bicycling, it helps create an even stronger connection to the new Blumenauer Bridge. Just hop on 12th, roll down to 7th, hang a right and a few pedal strokes later you’re in the Lloyd. And you’ll get their even easier thanks to signal timing by PBOT that gives a “green wave” from 12th all the way down.

PBOT says people who use the 12, 19 or 20 bus lines will notice a nice time savings and more reliable service from these changes. Prior to Covid, the city’s analysis showed that the bus lines in this corridor suffered from 251 hours of delay each day. With the changes, riders will save up to 13 hours a year in travel time.

Prior to the changes, Couch was four lanes wide — two travel lanes and two parking lanes. The new cross section has one less through travel lane. Judging from what I saw out there on Tuesday, the decrease in driving space is upsetting a lot of people. While I was observing traffic, the queue was backed up much further than usual. PBOT and Commissioner Hardesty are going to get an earful from some drivers. But bus operators and bike riders? They are likely to give her an earful of praise as the new open lane is less stressful and much more efficient.

One last thing: Some folks have asked what it’s like sharing a lane with bus operators. It felt fine to me. Since it’s downhill and most TriMet drivers are chill and professional, there’s not much of a speed differential. While I was filming there was a bus behind me and it was no big deal.

And did I mention this makes a perfect connection to the new Blumenauer Bridge? Don’t miss our video and check out a few more photos below…

Have you ridden this yet? What are your impressions so far?

Anti-car gates block entry to Peninsula Crossing Trail path

The gates at entrances to the path at Willamette Blvd (left) and Lombard. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The white gate on the left above is placed where the red circle is.

The Portland Parks and Recreation bureau has finally had enough with people driving cars onto the Peninsula Crossing Trail in north Portland. This path is a key part of the 40-Mile Loop and an important north-south route that offers a carfree option for walkers and rollers between North Willamette Blvd and North Columbia Blvd, a distance of just over one mile.

Unfortunately, many people have erased this from their list of preferred routes because they feel it has become unsafe due to the cars some camp residents use and park on it illegally. For over two years now other neighborhood residents have voiced concerns through official channels. In May 2020, four neighborhood associations (Bridgeton, Arbor Lodge, Overlook and University Park) sent a joint statement to City Hall that stated, “We request that the City of Portland clear campsites located in parks, waterways and public paths.”

In the last year, the problem of cars on this path has become larger. When I biked on it in July 2021 I saw two people pull right off of N Lombard onto the path and numerous cars and trucks parked at campsites (see photos below). With narrow path openings and poor visibility, there has been alarming potential for a collision between an unsuspecting path user and a car driver. Now that potential has been all but erased.

Cars parked illegally next to the path. Photos taken July 17th, 2021.

Heavy-duty gates now block the entrances to the path. Parks has cleared a few feet and added pavement to the edges so path users can get around the gates, but the path looks much less welcoming now. The entrances are also much narrower than before and people pulling trailers, riding trikes or other large cargo bikes might not be able to maneuver around them (see update below for details). Parks faced a similar conundrum on the Columbia Slough Path back in January when they installed large concrete barriers to prevent driving, but made it nearly impossible to bike around (those barriers are now gone).

That might be welcome tradeoff, based on reactions from some neighbors in a KATU a story about this last week:

“The city’s Street Services Coordination Center tells KATU that keeping vehicles off the trail is the first step in the push to clean up and clear the camp, where neighbors have complained about cars speeding through and doing damage for years… ‘It’s been a nightmare for us here,’ said Corah. ‘They roar up and down the road, all hours of the day and night. Right now, it’s quiet because of the jersey barriers that are going in, and the gates.’
Corah’s wife was so happy to see the boulders, blocks, and gates, she hugged the workers installing them.”

One factor that has upped the urgency of this issue is the announcement earlier this year of a Safe Rest Village that will be located adjacent to the path. Commissioner Dan Ryan, who oversees the Joint Office of Homeless Services, is under a lot of pressure to restore a sense of safety to the path as that village site gets constructed.

I’ve asked Parks for a comment and more details about the gates and will update this story if/when I hear back.

UPDATE: 12:01 pm, 8/10: I’ve gotten more details from Parks:

There are a total of six gates installed ; they are at the entrances to the sections running from N Princeton to N Lombard, N Lombard to Fessenden, N Fessenden to Columbia Blvd. (gates at each entrance, total of 6)
There are 75 boulders, 30 “superblocks” (cast concrete blocks with chains that can be locked together, or stacked, but are hard to move), along with six gates to prevent car entry. All the barriers of any sort that are installed still allow for entry by people on bikes, with mobility devices, and/or on foot.
Regarding the cycling community comments on the gate bypasses, we identified this condition and facilitated repairs which made the bypasses meet the project specification of 48” width. This work was completed by 10 am on Tuesday morning (yesterday, 8/9/22). This project has been completed at the direction of elected officials and as such, we refer you to Commissioner Rubio’s office for any information on the rationale for this project.”

Closer Look: Alternating one-way for drivers on NE Hancock (Video)

I sometimes think the reason some of the haters we often hear from seem to be growing louder these days is because the Portland Bureau of Transportation is actually doing some relatively radical things. Our streets, they are a changin’! Huge concrete planters in the middle of the lanes, carfree plazas everywhere, 15 mph and “shared street” zones, carfree bridges — it’s not as much as we need to do, but it’s a lot. And if you’re afraid of change, wedded to the driving-centric status quo, or just a hater, I can see how it would be unsettling.

A good example of this is what PBOT is doing on Northeast Hancock through the Hollywood District. We touched on these changes back in June, but it’s worth taking a closer look.

These changes on Hancock are part of a larger project where PBOT wants to update and improve the Tillamook Neighborhood Greenway. Since the city has elected to avoid the traffic snarls of Tillamook at 33rd near Grant High School and re-route the greenway one block south to Hancock, they owe it to us to make Hancock feel safe and welcoming to bicycle riders. And so far they’ve done a pretty good job at that.

Check out the photos below of the new alternating one-ways between Cesar Chavez and 41st…

For these two blocks PBOT has re-striped the roadway to create an alternating one-way for car drivers. Bicycle riders can go both ways and the facility for cycling changes from an unprotected buffered bike lane in the contraflow direction, to a shared-lane when/if drivers are present. They’ve reinforced signage and striping with two concrete barrels to prevent drivers from entering the bike lanes. There’s also a lane for car parking on both sides.

I was there for about a half-hour on a recent weekday afternoon and it seemed to work pretty well. While one driver cluelessly entered the block in the wrong (now illegal) direction, overall it was pretty chill. A steady flow of bike riders came through and the markings felt intuitive and predictable. This treatment has become more comment from PBOT in recent years and is being used a lot in northwest (Johnson and Flanders come to mind). Should it be used more?

Check out the photos and video for a closer look. And please chime in with your impressions if you’ve biked or driven here.

Pedalpalooza ride explores what’s ‘in motion’ for north Portland

Riders stopped to take a closer look at diverters on North Willamette Blvd. (Photos: Taylor Griggs/BikePortland)

For many people who live outside of north Portland, the idea of getting up to the peninsula can seem daunting. Despite many destinations (the stunning St. John’s Bridge and Cathedral Park are particular standouts), this area may as well be a different city altogether for those who don’t want to make the trek.

Distance is one factor, but the inadequate state of active transportation infrastructure also plays a role. The Portland Bureau of Transportation hopes to change that with its North Portland in Motion (NPIM) plan to improve biking, walking and public transit facilities in this section of the city.

On Saturday, PBOT Planner (and north Portland resident) Mike Serritella led a group of about a dozen people around the Kenton, Arbor Lodge and Overlook neighborhoods. This was the first of three NPIM Pedalpalooza rides, with another one venturing further northwest this Thursday.

PBOT launched the NPIM project in 2021, making it the most recent section of the city to be selected for the ‘In Motion’ planning treatment. The approach is to analyze the existing network, get as much feedback as possible, then develop a project list for near-term implementation.

Last December, PBOT asked north Portland residents or frequent visitors to participate in an open house survey to help identify the scope of NPIM projects. The results of that open house will be available to the public this month, and PBOT will then seek more public input for the next phase of the project.

Kenton, Arbor Lodge and Overlook will be a key part of NPIM. The neighborhoods house art galleries, cute coffee shops and beautiful parks that are destinations in their own right. And they’re also a gateway to the peninsula.

We began the ride on Denver Avenue (Kenton’s main street) then headed south to Arbor Lodge and Overlook, stopping several times throughout the ride to check out notable sites. One of these places was the carfree stretch of N Delaware Ave between Arbor Lodge Park and Chief Joseph Elementary School (right), which has been turned into a little plaza with covered bike parking. Serritella said PBOT wants to make further changes to this plaza so it’s accessible to all and a nicer place for people to hang out.

“This is an example of how PBOT can help enhance both the parks and school experiences,” Serritella said.

We also took a look at some concrete planter diverters on Willamette Blvd between Jessup and Ainsworth streets. Installed in 2019, these diverters slow drivers down, reduce cut-through traffic, and beautify the neighborhood with their vivid paint and plantings.

Serritella was enthusiastic about the Willamette Blvd Active Transportation Corridor plan to add three new miles of protected bikeways to Willamette, creating a complete bike connection from MLK Jr. Blvd all the way to St. John’s. PBOT has received more than $4 million in Metro funding for this $6.1 million project. While it’s not technically under the NPIM umbrella and isn’t scheduled for completion until 2026, PBOT says they’ll for ways to get it done sooner than that.

“Willamette will unlock the whole peninsula,” Serritella said.

I was pleasantly surprised by the buffered bike lanes on N Denver in Kenton, which I felt were quite pleasant to ride on compared to some painted bike lanes in other parts of the city. For folks who don’t like the unprotected feel of these lanes (which PBOT wanted to make parking-protected but changed the design due to concerns from nearby residents) PBOT plans to turn nearby N Delaware Ave into a greenway as part of NPIM, in order to provide another option for a north-south connection in the area.

Dreaming of new greenways and other bike network upgrades is why these “In Motion” plans are so exciting — they give us a relatively blank canvas to create an ideal active transportation vision. Unfortunately, the projects rarely come with funding attached.

Another barrier to getting work done through NPIM in particular is the Oregon Department of Transportation’s jurisdiction over Lombard Street, a major east-west arterial that bisects the peninsula.

ODOT has recently added unprotected bike lanes to a key stretch of Lombard (stay tuned for coverage!) and made other changes to slow down drivers, but the jurisdictional inconsistency will continue to play a role in the future of NPIM and other changes the City of Portland wants to make in this area.

If you want to learn more or play a role in that future, join Serritella on more NPIM rides this Thursday and Saturday. And stay tuned for more coverage.

Committee members needed for ODOT Safe Routes to School advisory group

From ODOT:

Dear Safe Routes to School advocates,
Are you passionate about the ability to walk and roll safely in Oregon – and helping our children do the same? The Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee has identified expertise and experience that is missing in the current committee and is looking to add 3-4 new members! Ideal candidates will enhance the committee by bringing a younger perspective (ages 16 – 24), experience as a person with a disability and/or with different cultural or ethnic approaches, and/or perspective as someone in the health field.
Timeline and process: The application will be open August 1 through September 15. Staff will follow up with applicants in September. A sub-committee of the Safe Routes to School Advisory committee will recommend 3-4 new members to ODOT’s director in October. New members will begin their term in January of 2023.
Access the online application in English and in Spanish here.
Charge of the Safe Routes to School Advisory Committee (SRAC): The SRAC recommends which grants to fund for ODOT’s Safe Routes to School Construction and Education programs. The SRAC is advisory to Oregon Department of Transportation, the Oregon Transportation Commission, and consultants with the Oregon Transportation Safety Committee. The SRAC’s charge is outlined in Oregon Administrative Rule (OAR) 737-025.
Requirements: A new SRAC member will be able to attend and fully participate in six 3-hour meetings annually (generally every other month) starting in January 2023.
What you should know: The SRAC is a dynamic group of partners that engage in lively debates with open minds and respect. The committee works together to determine the priorities for the SRTS program, provide feedback to staff for program implementation, and make important recommendations for grant funding.
The committee is excited to introduce this new transparent way to recruit for members. They encourage you to share this opportunity in your communities and organizations. Committee members are looking forward to adding new perspectives to our work and expertise. If you have any issues/questions/comments, please contact LeeAnne Fergason, ODOT SRTS program manager, at leeanne.fergason@odot.oregon.gov.
Thank you for your support of Safe Routes to School!

Job: Production/Shop Assistant – Black Magic Paint

Job Title

Production/Shop Assistant

Company / Organization

Black Magic Paint

Job Description

Black Magic (located at 414 NE 80th Ave) has been a premier custom bicycle painter in Portland, OR since 2015. We specialize in custom finishes and building custom bicycles for clients around the world looking for a one of a kind bike, both new and vintage.

Black Magic is currently expanding and we are seeking someone to join our team as a Production/Shop Assistant!

Our Ideal Candidate:

-Positive, friendly and professional
-Well organized, with the ability to manage time and prioritize workflow
-Strong attention to detail
-Adaptable and teachable
-Excellent written and verbal communication skills
-Reliable
-Willing/able to follow all OSHA safety requirements and wear Personal Protective Equipment when needed

Some of the Major Job Responsibilities Include:
-Intake and prep of all bikes, frames and components
-Cleaning frames and parts, media blasting and paint stripping
-Sanding, buffing and polishing frames and components
-General maintenance and clean up
-Occasional off-site errands

Preferred Skills:
-General knowledge of bicycles and components. Knowledge and experience with high end components like Sram eTap, Shimano Di2, hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless systems, and BMP product lines preferred
-Auto body experience or technical training
-Computer knowledge and skills
-Buffing/polishing experience.
-Sanding experience
-Media blasting experience
-Shipping/receiving and warehouse experience
-Drivers license
-Desire to learn and perform
-Self motivated, good communication, asks questions when they are not 100% sure
-Familiarity with Illustrator (for making paint masks)

Physical Requirements:
-Able to lift 25 lbs above your head without assistance
-Stand for long periods of time
-Able to lift 50 lbs without assistance
-Wear closed toe shoes at all times
-Wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when needed – (Provided)

Schedule:
Full time, 40hrs/wk, Monday-Friday, year round
Competitive wages for qualified candidates

Benefits: (after a 90 day probationary period)
Paid time off
Sick time off
Health Insurance
Employee Purchase

Our approach to diversity is simple. It’s about embracing everyone, regardless of an employee’s culture, ethnicity, race, gender identity, beliefs, age, sexual orientation and/or disability status. We want all of our employees to feel valued, appreciated and free to be who they are at work. We are doing what we can to build an inclusive world for all.

If you are interested in in working with us, please send us a cover letter and a resume to the email address listed.

How to Apply

If you are interested in in working with us, please send us a cover letter, resume and references to jobs@blackmagicpaint.com

Racers brave technical course at OBRA Criterium Championships (Video)

It’s not a real race unless there’s a cool flyer.

Signs of a resurgence in Oregon bike racing are easy to spot these days — a far cry from recent years when the Covid pandemic nearly wiped it out. We got a taste of the action when the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association hosted the 2022 Criterium Championships on the University of Portland campus in north Portland on Saturday.

According to OBRA (the state’s sanctioning body for competitive cycling), 2022 race participation numbers are back to 2019 levels and memberships are up 20% from last year. And as we reported last week, the City of Portland is helping boost the momentum by spearheading a big block party on August 20th focused around the Portland Criterium race.

A criterium, or “crit” is an exciting discipline because — unlike a road race or time trial — it’s easy to get close to the action. In a crit, racers usually compete for a set amount of time (about 45-60 minutes depending on the category) and then officials will add a certain number of laps at the end. The courses are usually under one-mile long. And while the winner is the person who crosses the line first at the end, there’s a game-within-the-game where some laps (called “primes”) offer prizes and bragging rights. It’s all about conserving energy without getting “dropped” at the end.

To crown their champions, OBRA set up a short, tight and technical course that favored strategy and experience over brute strength. There was a sharp hairpin that required riders to brake hard and there were very limited places to make a move or to catch a breakaway.

In the video, I chatted with local race organizer Clint Culpepper to get some insights on the course. He predicted the big winners on the day would be veterans. He was right! There was a bad crash on the final lap of the last big race of the day.

In the Men’s Open 1/2/3 race, 22-year-old Keelan Ontiveros overcooked one of the final turns and crashed hard while in first place. That gave 40-year-old racing vet Jeremy Russell the opportunity he needed to take the big win.

Check out the video for a taste of the racing action and brief interviews with Russell as well as the first and second place finishers of the Women Category 1/2 race, Brenna Wrye-Simpson and Jenna Lingwood.

Thanks to OBRA and Off to the Races Promotions for putting on a great race.

Full photo gallery below:

If this looks like fun to you — to race or watch (or both) — make plans to be at the Portland Criterium on August 20th. See you there!

Comment of the Week: On (the lack of) bikeway maintenance

“It’s to the point where weeds are growing in a mix of gravel, sand, composted leaves, and glass.”

Jonathan’s post, Hallelujah! PBOT will address bikeway maintenance at upcoming meeting, came with a warning that it “contains a lot of my opinions.” A glance through the comments section shows the warning was unnecessary, readers wholeheartedly agree with his opinions about the sorry state of many Portland bikeways.

The post was prompted by an agenda item in Tuesday night’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting suggesting a new effort by the Portland Bureau of Transportation and leaders from their Maintenance Operations section to improve bike lane clean up protocols.

If you had 37 seconds in an elevator to pitch the bike lane problem to the new Maintenance leaders, Keith’s comment, with its even tone and succinctness, would be a good model.

Here’s what Keith wrote:

Your term “modal disrespect” perfectly describes the problem. The silos within the larger PBOT silo exacerbate the problem. For example, the city has invested in wands/bollards along SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Hwy bike lanes, but then hasn’t swept the “protected” portions for at least a year. It’s to the point where weeds are growing in a mix of gravel, sand, composted leaves, and glass. SW Terwilliger has predictable seasonal problems with overgrown vegetation, but instead of proactively addressing this (as the city does with restriping streets), users have to complain to get anything done.
I was fortunate to visit Amsterdam this spring, and maintenance there is totally different. The Dutch (as well as Danes) [are compulsive] regarding bike lane and sidewalk maintenance. Not a leaf, weed, or glass shard in sight. It really sends a clear message about what transportation modes the government really supports. PBOT not only needs to proclaim support – it must demonstrate it.

Thank you Keith. You can read Keith’s comment, and the full comment thread under the original post.

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Racers brave technical course at OBRA Criterium Championships (Video)

Comment of the Week: On (the lack of) bikeway maintenance

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