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“Right on red implies auto users should be moving even more rapidly through our streets.”
One reason I love the BikePortland comment section is because it is so educational. Case in point: I learned a new acronym last week: RTOR, or ROR.
It stands for Right Turn on Red (or Right on Red), which was the subject of one of last week’s Monday Roundup articles. The article was about the Washington D.C. Council considering a ban on right turns on a red signal as part of a transportation package aimed at making city streets safer.
Oregon also allows right-on-red, and BikePortland readers and commenters have an opinion about that.
It is not hard to describe the symptoms of the problem— drivers rolling through red lights, heads turned left looking for on-coming car traffic, and crashing into people to their right who are in the bike lane or crosswalk. But Mathew caught the essence of the problem — which is really car-centrism.
Here’s what he wrote:
Right-on-red was and is a terrible idea in relation to transportation safety in a city setting. It encourages unsafe driving habits and favors the supremacy of auto users on our shared roadways.
Right-on-red not only prioritizes auto users — already essentially the fastest and most efficient mode of transportation in a metropolitan, urban setting — but implies that they should be moving even more rapidly through our streets. Right-on-red validates impatience.
It also endorses the idea that the only other road users automobile drivers should really be looking out for are other auto users. Anyone walking, riding, or rolling will have experienced incidents at intersections where an auto user, emboldened by right-on-red, executes a rapid rolling stop, or worse blows right through a red light or stop sign. It’s tedious in its frequency.
I would hope that the Bicycle Advisory Committee would demand that the city implement a right-on-red ban such as D.C’s.
Thank you Matthew! You can read Matthew’s comment and the other informative comments in the thread under the original post (don’t forget to look for the ROR!).
Here are the most notable stories our writers and readers came across in the past seven days…
Process or progress?*:An op-ed from Streetsblog Mass is very relevant to Portland and it touched off a firestorm when its author criticized the approach of northern European cities because they don’t engage enough with marginalized communities. (*Yes, I realize it’s not either/or.)
Freeway fight pioneers: OPB has a must-read piece on transportation activism that chronicles the wonderful work of former Earl Blumenauer police staffer Meeky Blizzard (hi Meeky!) and her work in the 1990s to fight freeway expansion in Washington County.
Car culture consequence: A woman who sped through a Los Angeles intersection and killed five people in a fiery crash had 13 prior wrecks on her record and is now charged with murder.
Get your money: Two veteran safe streets advocates (Melissa Balmer and Leah Shahum) shares insights on Streetsblog about how to tap into a new $1 billion federal grant program that can fund vision zero and complete streets projects.
Broader laws are better: The International Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) researched cellphone laws and found that states with laws that cover a broader range of behaviors had fewer rear-end crashes.
I did Bridge Pedal again this morning for the first time in 12 years. And it was dreamy.
I used to do this massive event every year, but I got tired of the bottlenecks and the chaos. Or maybe I just became jaded. But I’ve felt a renewed sense of wonder and excitement about Portland’s cycling culture lately, and I just felt an urge to be out there again.
Bridge Pedal is like Sunday Parkways with guts. What makes it great is the thing Parkways is missing — an unadulterated cycling takeover of major roads and interstate freeways. I’m just as disappointed as many of you about the lack of progress we’ve made in getting more people to drive less, and the lack of big wins we’ve had fighting the freeway industrial complex. But my cynicism was no match for riding on these thoroughfares in relative silence, high above the Portland skyline and Willamette River on a perfect sunny morning alongside thousands of other people doing the same.
Today we rode on the bicycle highways we deserve! Routes that would slash hours off our weekly travel times and put cycling on a level playing field with driving. Since I last did this ride in 2010, suggesting such a radical shift seems much less bold given the crises we face if we maintain the status quo.
I ran into an activist who I’ve known for years on the ride, Ted Buehler. I was doing video interviews by bike (stay tuned!) and Ted talked about how Bridge Pedal embodies much of what he, I, and many other activists going back decades have always dreamed of. A city criss-crossed with bicycle highways full of a diverse slice of humanity — and without the loud toxic din of cars everywhere — wasn’t just what we dreamed about, it was what some of us actually thought would have happened by now. Whether we were naive, too idealistic, and/or bad at activism didn’t really matter for a few hours this morning. We had what we wanted. And it was wonderful!
A Portland that more closely reflects Bridge Pedal everyday is still my dream. And today’s ride has stoked my longing to achieve it.
Enjoy the rest of the gallery below, and stay tuned for a video of on-the-bike interviews!
As e-bike purchase incentive programs grow, having data to justify their impact could be key.
“I think we have an opportunity to harness what’s happening with e-bikes and make it much more impactful.”
– William Henderson, Ride App
Ride App, a smartphone application started in Portland that automatically tracks bike rides, has relaunched after going dark for three years. And while every bike user is welcome to use it, Ride App’s relaunch was precipitated by the national electric bike boom that took place during the pandemic. The new version of the app will encourage more electric bike usage and use the data it collects to promote e-bike incentive programs.
Portland-based tech entrepreneur and bike advocate William Henderson started Ride App to complement his company Ride Report, a platform that aims to help cities with shared micro mobility programs. In 2019, he decided – with a heavy heart – to take the app down and focus on other aspects of Ride Report. But Henderson took a look at the e-bike adoption happening nationwide and saw a new need for this kind of ride tracking app.
“I think we have an opportunity to really harness what’s happening with people naturally buying the e-bikes and make it much more impactful,” Henderson told me on a recent phone call.
William Henderson, Ride Report CEO (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
According to the Ride App team, much of the new interface is the same. The main difference is that users are asked to report whether they’re riding an electric or regular bicycle when they set up their account, which is included in the data the app collects and reports to cities and other governments.
E-bike incentives are popping up throughout the country and Henderson thinks app data can serve to boost the efficacy of these programs. The Ride Report team first relaunched the new app in Denver, where a new e-bike rebate program is encouraging an unprecedented number of people to buy electric bikes.
“As people inevitably start to scrutinize these programs, somebody somewhere is going to be angry or worried about what’s going to happen. Cities need to be able to have data that proves that this is impactful,” he said.
The fact that this app tracks rides automatically is crucial for gathering data. People won’t always go out of their way to begin a trip on an app if it doesn’t do it for them, and then the app will just get lost in their smartphone’s proverbial junk drawer. This means people aren’t tracking every ride they take, which limits what analysts can glean from the app.
“We know that the trips that are going to be most interesting to bike planners are the kinds of sort of short errands and commutes, not epic 80 mile rides,” Henderson said. “I think that’s one of the things that makes the app unique. We know these e-bike trips are pretty short – a lot of them are not recreational. You have to have that automatic ride tracking technology.”
Another reason the Ride App team is excited about the relaunch is because they think it can provide another incentive for people to ride their bikes – which will hopefully result in a positive cycle of more e-bike ridership encouraging more e-bike rebates (and so on).
“Folks have already taken advantage of the financial incentive to get them over the fence. What are those folks doing now that they have this bike in their garage or their apartment?” said Nelle Pierson, a bike share and nonprofit advocacy veteran who now heads marketing at Ride Report. “We want to be there facilitating that transition to using that e-bike for the majority of their trips.”
These in-app incentives include trophies and rewards for riding certain places or in rough weather. This might seem small, but to someone who isn’t naturally inclined to hop on a bike to get somewhere, something like this could be the push they need to get on their bike that day.
“It’s just built to be fun. It’s not built to be competitive in a way where you’re trying to be the fastest or anything like that,” Henderson said. “I think everybody can have something that they can be proud of and feel really good about.”
We recently looked into a new Portland State University study that explored the importance of using different types of data to count how many people are biking in an area so agencies can use that information to make policy decisions. This relaunched app is yet another type of data collection service to add to the mix.
The Ride App team says the easiest way to download the relaunched app is by going to their website on your phone. It’s still early days, so they’re seeking feedback from all bike users about how to make it better, either via Twitter or the feedback feature in the app.
“Hopefully, folks will find that the app is just the same old app that they used and loved, whether they’re riding an e-bike or not,” Henderson said.
The two installations of this rare treatment show the city’s willingness to innovate — and to trust everyone will play nice.
Photos and video by Jonathan Maus
What are city planners to do when they want to give cycling more priority on a street but don’t want to take the space needed for high quality, dedicated bike lanes?
The easiest solution is to do nothing, or maybe just add a sign or two that says “Bike Route”. The next easiest thing is to just plop down some sharrows, those “shared lane markings” that are widely loathed and really only work well as wayfinding devices (which is thankfully, how the Portland Bureau of Transportation most often uses them). But in a city like Portland we expect more. That’s where advisory bike lanes come in.
They’re sort of like traditional bike lanes; but drivers are allowed to encroach into them if no one is present. They’re an efficient way to use right-of-way and they do something Americans need more practice at: making judgments and sharing the road instead of always feeling entitled to a specific place on the road.
Passed as a top priority treatment in the 2009 Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030, PBOT is just now starting to get serious about them. Until recently there were only two examples — on SE Caruthers and NW Marshall — but neither of those are a textbook implementation. Caruthers is a dead-end with very little traffic and NW Marshall is an anomaly where PBOT striped a smooth bike lane on an old street that still has bumpy cobblestones.
As we first reported back in May, two new examples have emerged that are Portland’s best-ever attempts at true advisory bike lanes. They are located on NE 43rd north of Sandy and on NE 53rd over I-84.
As you can see in the video and photos (below), the design is relatively straightforward. These are bike lanes, but they have skip-striping to make it clear people can drive in them. The other key element is that there is no centerline (both of these streets carry two-way traffic). The idea is that bike riders will use these like traditional bike lanes and drivers are supposed to drive in the middle of the street when a bike lane is being used. If two drivers come toward each other and no bike rider is present, they can pass by each other while driving in the advisory bike lanes. If one bike rider is present, the drivers can shift to one side to pass. If two bike riders are present, the drivers will have to slow down and wait to pass each other.
Below is PBOT’s user-guide graphic followed by specific thoughts on the two new installations:
NE 43rd between Sandy and Tillamook
This is a very busy block, so kudos to PBOT for trying this treatment here! There’s a Whole Foods on one corner and very high parking turnover on both sides. When I observed a few days ago, everything seemed to work fine. Drivers drove in the middle when bike riders were present, and then took the full street width otherwise. Bike riders used the lanes as if they were standard lanes — and a potential added benefit of the broken paint stripe is that it encourages bikers to get further from the door zone. To further establish this block as a cycling space, PBOT has striped a traditional bike lane and added a bike symbol at the start of each block. They’ve also added intersection treatments (a sharrow/mixing zone and a bike box) to help riders transition beyond this one block.
NE 53rd between Hoyt and Irving (over I-84)
This is a key link in the bike network as a low-traffic and direct way to get across the freeway. In my observations, the advisory bike lanes worked well here too. I didn’t see any red flags in the half-hour or so that I watched. PBOT has strengthened the treatment by placing a concrete diverter and “15 MPH Shared Street” signage at the north side to further calm traffic and to make it clear this is a neighborhood greenway. The vibe on 53rd is much more relaxed and low-volume than 43rd. In some ways that creates less stress, but since the street is more wide open, drivers might behave worse more often (which is why the aforementioned diverter is so key).
Watch the video above or over on our (growing!) YouTube channel and check out the photos for a closer look. If you’ve ridden these spots, we’d love to know what you think.
Choose your fighter. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
The bill isn’t a complete loss for bike advocates, and there’s an expectation they’ll have another swing at the ball before the end of this year.
The much-ballyhooed, $369 billion Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that’s on its way to President Biden’s desk as I write this, is an unprecedented win on the front of the climate change battle. But there’s a big group of folks who are feeling like losers: People who understand the transformative power of electric bikes and the role they could play in curing Americans’ addiction to cars and fossil fuels.
Despite intense lobbying from national bike advocacy groups, the electric vehicle provisions in the IRA apply to only one type of electric vehicles — cars. Once again, bicycles were left at the side of the road.
So what happened? Why couldn’t Oregon senators and representatives bring home the bacon on this one — especially with Oregon’s bike-loving House Representative Earl Blumenauer and the Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden on our side? Advocates got an answer to that question from a political insider at a meeting at the E-Bikes for All Working Group Thursday.
E-Bikes for All is an informal group of advocates from across Oregon who’ve been meeting since 2019. Each month they come together via Zoom to plot strategies aimed at pushing e-bikes into the political mainstream. E-bike purchase incentives — either at the state and/or federal level — are their top priority. At their meeting this week an Oregon-based congressional aide (who I’ve chosen to keep anonymous at their request) stopped in to explain what happened.
“There was not the same level of advocacy among senators for the bike provisions as there was for the electric vehicle credit. The squeakiest wheel gets the grease. “
– Congressional aide
As political aides are known to do, the aide first played to the crowd by pointing out that the IRA isn’t a complete loss for e-bikes. Current federal law provides a tax credit that applies only to four-wheeled vehicles and states those vehicles must be operated only on streets, roads and highways. Portland’s Earl Blumenauer authored a small but potentially significant that will change the language surrounding that credit.
“Rep. Blumenauer authored a small tweak,” the congressional aide pointed out, “so that there’s a provision now that makes the credit available for two and three wheeled vehicles that operate on streets, roads or highways.” It’s a small provision, but it leaves the door open for the private sector to build charging stations with e-bikes and even e-scooters in mind — and still get the 30% tax credit.
The language starts on page 407 of the 730 page bill (PDF). It effectively expands the definition of “motor vehicle” to anything that has two or three wheels and is “propelled by electricity”. (Sorry electric unicycle riders!)
Another potential boon for bike lovers tucked into the bill (but not related to electricity) is the “Neighborhood Access and Equity Grant Program” laid out on page 704. It’s a $1.9 billion (with a “b”) grant program to be administered by the FHWA for projects that , “improve walkability, safety, and affordable transportation access.” Specifically, the grants can be used to, “build or improve complete streets, multi-use trails, regional greenways, or active transportation networks and spines; or to provide affordable access to essential destinations, public spaces, or transportation links and hubs.”
Any time federal law includes the words “complete streets” “multi-use trails” and “active transportation networks” it’s a very good thing.
Those little wins are nice, but many folks at the E Bikes For All meeting wanted to know why bikes were left out of the biggest prize of all — purchase incentives. People who want to buy an EV car can get a tax credit worth up to $7,500. But there is zilch for bikes in the bill.
Turns out the language in the bill that included Blumenauer’s E-BIKE Act and tax benefits for bicycle commuters, were both dropped during last-minute negotiations aimed at getting West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin’s vote. The congressional staffer at the meeting said when Sen. Manchin demanded to cut the size of the bill down from its initial $550 billion, cuts had to be made. “As Mr. Manchin started to look at where the spending was, and started to look at what he supported and what he didn’t support, unfortunately, the E-BIKE Act and the bicycle commuter benefits, both fell off and fell onto the cutting room floor.”
And then, choosing his words carefully to not hurt the feelings of the crestfallen e-bike advocates, the aide added, “There was not the same level of advocacy among senators for the bike provisions as there was for the electric vehicle credit. And often the squeakiest wheel gets the grease. I think that there were just more senators that were pushing for electric vehicles than there were electric bikes.”
But all is not lost and there’s still hope for a federal e-bike purchase incentive to be passed (“I don’t think we’re back to square one, it’s more like square two or three” is how the aide put it). All eyes are on an upcoming tax bill that Capitol Hill lawmakers are already laying the groundwork for. It’s likely to be passed before the end of this year and the aide said, “I think represents our our best chance moving forward.”
About to embark. (Photo: Shawne Martinez/@rescuewe)
In the year that I’ve been living and biking in Portland, my understanding of what a person can do with a bike has grown exponentially. I’ve taken my bike on big grocery runs, changed my perspective on how to accomplish scenic day trips and I never, ever want for a car. I know now bikes are the perfect tool to carry around a gaggle of kids or a couple of dogs, and that you can stay cool biking on a blazing hot day if you plan your route around tree canopy coverage.
But there was still one thing I wasn’t totally sure about. Can a person really move by bike? I knew other people had done it, but come on, me?With only a back rack and two panniers to my name? As you can see, I was brainwashed by the Portlandia depiction of two senseless bike movers ruining some woman’s precious belongings. In fact, moving by bike is easy and fun. And now that I’ve successfully done it, it seems like the only sensible way to handle the notoriously dreaded task of schlepping everything you own from one place to another – at least it certainly is when you have an skilled and willing crew of cargo bike owners to help you.
My transformation from a bike move skeptic to a full-throated advocate happened quickly. Last week, I signed a lease for a new house in Piedmont, a neighborhood in north Portland pretty far from the place in southeast’s Richmond neighborhood where I lived before. After telling people about my move, I immediately received offers from people who wanted to help haul my stuff on their bike trailers. (I think this kind of reaction has never happened to anyone moving in a U-Haul.)
So, okay! I was moving by bike. This meant I’d have to get organized: no more relying mostly on overflowing tote bags or loosely tossing my stuff on the passenger seat. I was pretty confident about my smaller stuff, but since I had no idea how many people would show up, I accepted the potential fate of leaving behind my big area rug or table.
I chuckle now to think of my ignorance.
When the time came to hit the road, I had so many helpers at my disposal that we ran out of stuff to carry. People tried to haggle with my housemate who’s staying put, practically begging him to hand over more furniture for us to add to the load. (Understandably, he didn’t want us to do that.)
Our motley crew consisted of almost 20 people and a diverse range of hauling devices, including several lengthy trailers, a couple dog carriers and a pedicab (operated by newly-certified pedicab operator Kiel Johnson, who not only carried all my books but also saved the day by picking up the pizza at the end.) Our youngest team member was Shawn Martinez’s six-year-old daughter, who had the special task of carrying the essential Portland cyclist-authored How to Move By Bike book in her backpack. I felt a little guilty that my panniers were bearing the tiniest load, but nobody gave me a hard time about it. All in all, I can honestly say it was the least stressful move I’ve ever experienced.
It’s no big deal to see a huge box moving truck taking up space on neighborhood streets, so why should a caravan of people hauling stuff on bikes make people bat an eyelash?
The bike ride itself was easy. Turns out, a group of cyclists carrying this much stuff is pretty visible to people driving cars, and except for a couple minor trailer mishaps, it was a breeze. I was very pleased we had the chance to anoint the new Blumenauer Bridge with what I believe to be its first bike move experience. Once we got to my new place, I was sure this would be the best housewarming party I’d ever have.
One thing I was slightly surprised by was the lack of attention we received from passersby, most of whom didn’t seem particularly impressed. But actually, I think this might be a good thing. While I do believe everyone who participates in bike moves should be given kudos and plenty of pizza and beer or LaCroix, it should also be said that moving by bike isn’t that hard. It’s no big deal to see a huge box moving truck taking up space on neighborhood streets, so why should a caravan of people hauling stuff on bikes make people bat an eyelash? I was also shocked to find out the majority of the participants were bike moving newbies – that should be even more of a testament to how feasible this is for just about anyone.
So, why move by bike? It’s not because I think the fossil fuel emissions I would generate from one U-Haul trip would be so egregious I’d have to spend the rest of my life feeling ashamed, and it’s only slightly for the novelty and to prove a point. Honestly, it’s because it’s fun, and I think if more people knew how fun it was, they might start to rethink their relationship to cars and to the people around them.
Thank you to everyone who participated in my first bike move! I hope I won’t move houses again for a while, but I will absolutely be there to help whoever needs it next – and I guarantee there will be others excitedly behind me.
After months of speculation and back-and-forth at City Hall, the Portland Bureau of Transportation just announced they will stripe a bike lane on SW Main between 3rd and 4th avenues. This is the block where the Thompson Elk Fountain and statue had lived before it was removed following damage it sustained during protests. There was urgency to create a bike lane here because the current bike facility ends at 3rd, which would leave a short but significant gap from the projected bikeway couplet PBOT is building on 4th and on Broadway.
With limited road space and the presence of the Elk Statue, some people thought we’d have to choose between a beloved icon and much-needed bike lanes. Thankfully, City Hall has figured this out. Here’s an excerpt from PBOT’s statement:
“Interim striping on SW Main Street will extend bicycle facilities from SW Third Avenue to Broadway, closing another gap in Portland’s bike network, and improving access to Portland State University, Portland City Hall, and the South Park Blocks. The work on SW Main Street will support the return of the Thompson Elk Fountain and related streetscape improvements currently under exploration by the Portland Parks Foundation.”
To further improve Broadway, PBOT also announced today that the block of SW Main adjacent to the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall will be permanently carfree and turned into a public plaza. This block had been routinely off-limits to cars at specific times and days, but this would be a full-time driving prohibition in order to, “create an outdoor public space for events and programming,” related to the cultural district.
Also of note is that PBOT says drivers will no longer be able to turn right from SW Main onto 4th. And between 4th and 6th, PBOT will reduce the number of driving lanes from two to one in order to make space for a bus and bike lane. Check graphics below for details:
(Source: PBOT)
It’s more good news about Portland’s transportation system! With the opening of Better Naito, the Blumenauer Bridge, and other many other projects, PBOT continues to change Portlanders’ relationships to our streets for the better. The new plaza on SW Main also helps fulfill a promise of PBOT Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty to add more carfree streets downtown.
TriMet, Portland’s regional transit agency, has plans for how to spend funds from the Statewide Transportation Improvement Fund (STIF) in the fiscal years 2024-2025. Now the agency wants your input on how they should use it.
This funding amounts to about $183 million over two years and makes up just one portion of TriMet’s funding sources. The agency’s 2023 budget is almost $2 billion total, made up of federal grants, operating revenue and tax revenue. But unlike some of those other funding sources, TriMet is required to share their two-year spending plan for these statewide funds and allow for public comment on the proposal.
$44.2 million for transit service expansion, like “new bus lines, more Frequent Service lines, route changes, earlier/later trips and weekend service.”
$29.6 million to provide reduced fare for people who earn low incomes, which will support the new summer pass program for high school students who qualify, a free month pass for new and re-enrolling program participants and an increase in free passes for low-income seniors, people with disabilities and veterans.
$56.7 million for electric bus expansion to support TriMet’s goal of operating a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2040. The plan of fiscal year 2024-2025 calls for “funding for electric buses, more charging infrastructure and project development work for the new Columbia Operating Facility, including a hydrogen fueling station for future fuel cell electric buses.”
$16.3 million for regional coordination, which will allow the agency to “maintain and expand transit and last mile shuttle services throughout the metro region” and upgrade their online trip planner so people can plan trips between TriMet and other transit agencies, like C-TRAN in Vancouver.
$4 million for TriMet’s partnership with Ride Connection, a nonprofit provider of transportation services for seniors and people with disabilities, which will allow TriMet to purchase new vehicles and expand paratransit service.
$9 million for developing Rose Lanes, which allow for bus and streetcar priority on car-congested streets.
$3.6 million for bus stop amenities, including “more bus shelters, digital information displays, and ADA improvements at bus stops.”
$12.8 million for security improvements, including more security cameras and continuing the Safety Response Team program.
$6 million for calls for “maintaining and expanding funding to further support operations, and long-term asset maintenance and upgrades” for Portland Streetcar.
$0.4 million for compliance requirements to “ensure that all recipients of the funds in the metro area spend their funds according to the rules of the program.”
Even if funded, some of these programs may be limited by other issues TriMet is facing right now. Most notably, the ongoing bus driver shortage has forced the agency to slash bus service, and it’s hard to imagine the they’ll be able to expand new bus lines if they can’t find people to operate the ones that already exist. The budget proposal acknowledges this, but doesn’t say how TriMet intends to solve this problem.
Check out the full spending proposal here, and be sure to fill out the included survey to tell TriMet which programs are most important to you.
A ride recap from our adventurous contributor Josh Ross.
When it comes to cycling from Portland to surrounding areas, the more you stretch out distances the more you run into the realities of geography. If you decide to head east then you have to deal with the Columbia River to the North, Mt. Hood to the east, and the Clackamas River to the south.
Crossing the Clackamas allows a connection to the wonderful country roads on both sides, but it remains elusive due to highways. That is, until recently when I found a connection through Estacada. It’s hardly a secret but for some reason I’d never seen it before. With a little massaging to find the low traffic options I’m ready to share a beautiful route covering country roads to the southeast of Portland metro. I recommend doing this route on a clear day so you can enjoy the constant views of Mt. Hood.
OK, let’s ride…
East Marmot RdSE Coalman RdSE Keisecker RdSE Kleinsmith RdSE Duss RdA new friend off SE Tracy RdSE Rugg Rd at TelfordView of Hood off SE Coupland Rd
As is often the case, I started from the Springwater because I live nearby. You could also follow the Columbia and Marine drive if you are farther north. Either connect to the route by heading north through Portland or by coming across the Sandy River after heading towards Corbett. The Springwater does make for a nice flat, low stress, way to get warmed up but the ride really starts once you cross Highway 26 and Orient Drive.
At this point you’ll find yourself on low-traffic country roads. You’ll also be at the start of the roller coaster that this ride is. Throughout the day you’ll climb then descend to a river only to have to start climbing again. (If you attempt this in colder seasons watch for ice in the early morning and especially as you get close to the river. During my rides in January there was not only ice in the morning but in areas of shade throughout the day.)
The first of these climbs will be a warm up. It’s not too much elevation and it gets you started before descending to Dodge Park. From there the climbing really starts — you are going to gain about 1,200 feet of elevation. About half-way up you could take Ten Eyck Rd across the Sandy River and into Sandy to cut about 20 miles off the route.
If a ride to Sandy is ambitious enough then take to the low-traffic roads northwest of Sandy. Make sure you swing past Jonsrud Viewpoint and take in the scene looking up the river at the mountain. From there make your way back to Boring to rejoin the Springwater path. You’ll have a beautiful ride to be proud of.
SE Stone RdSE Lusted Rd.E Sleepy Hollow Dr.SE Music Camp Rd.SW Lakeshore DriveSouth Fischers Mill Rd.SE Gronlund Rd
If you stick to the route and keep climbing there’s a big reward. When things start to level off you’ll get to one of the most beautiful parts of the ride. This whole section has some of the best views of not only the mountain but also gorgeous glacial valleys. You can see how the ice once flowed off the mountain and cut the valley. It’s easy to imagine setting up a small cattle farm here in the early part of the 20th century and it doesn’t seem like much has changed.
After coming through a few valleys, you’ll cross the Sandy and head towards Highway 26. You do need to spend a few miles on the shoulder of the highway. It’s not ideal but the shoulder is wide and the time spent is short before you turn to the right and head onto low-traffic roads again. After some hefty climbing you will find yourself in Sandy where you’ll find plenty of places to refuel, grab a coffee, or whatever.
Leaving Sandy is where the next section of the ride begins. You’ve got a steady climb out of Sandy before descending towards Eagle Creek. Most of this riding is facing Mt. Hood as you cover low-traffic roads, but you will have to climb as you leave Eagle Creek. Keep an eye out for the giant… uhm… rooster next to the American flag before you descend towards the Clackamas River. There’s actually two, but the one next to the flag is the obvious one and makes for a nice picture and a laugh.
After you come across the bridge in Estacada there’s a short section of gravel road. You could take the highway if you want to stay on paved roads. I did the first time and it was doable, but not pleasant. Instead, cut through the park. The road surface isn’t paved for one mile but it’s possible on a road bike. The biggest thing you’ll need to watch for are huge potholes filled with water and unknown bottoms.
When you hit pavement again, get ready to climb out of the river valley. At the top of the climb, you’ll need to turn onto Springwater Road for a mile. It’s not great but there’s a shoulder. It’s also flat which makes things feel a little better. Your time here is short and the section after it is another beautiful meander through low traffic country roads.
The last section is the least pleasant of the ride. I’ve done it many times over many years but it’s not awesome and I don’t think there’s a better option. The views continue to be beautiful but you will find yourself climbing on a road with more traffic and less shoulder than you’d like. It’s about three miles before things get better again when you turn and head towards Carver Park. Keep an eye out for any right hook issues as you turn left onto Clackamas Highway and you are on the home stretch. Make your way through the city in whatever way fits your needs.
I’ve put this together as a ride that’s about 100 miles. That might be ambitious for some and that’s okay as there’s distinct sections that are all worth enjoying. Parking in Sandy and using Ten Eyck Rd would make for a loop through the valleys. You could start in Boring and make a loop out to Sandy and back. The section between Estacada and Sandy is a tough one to hit without doing a much larger loop but you could cut a good 20 miles with the more direct route to Sandy. Whatever you end up doing, make sure you don’t route on Hwy 211. Otherwise, enjoy the views. I look forward to hearing everyone’s experience!
Rendering of Downtown Loop possibility. (Source: Walker Macy)
(Source: City of Beaverton)
A major project that could completely redesign Beaverton’s downtown loop has received its first injection of financial support thanks to the federal government. On Wednesday, U.S. House Representative Suzanne Bonamici and Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced a $2 million grant for the Downtown Loop project.
The project aims to re-imagine the couplet of SW Watson and Hall between 5th and the MAX light rail line in order to connect Old Town and Beaverton Central. The streets and intersections on the loop today are dominated by drivers and their cars, but Rep. Bonamici says the future will look much different. “On a recent tour of the Beaverton Downtown Loop, I saw firsthand the challenges that people experience when walking, biking, or using transit in Beaverton’s downtown area,” Bonamici said in a statement.
SW Hall and Farmington today. Ooof.
Senator Jeff Merkley said the project will “make Beaverton thrive. “This federal funding will make Beaverton’s vibrant Downtown Loop safer for pedestrians with wider sidewalks, safer for bicyclists with protected bike lanes, and more easily accessible by public transportation with more bus stops. “
Beaverton City Councilor-elect Kevin Teater. (Photo courtesy Kevin Teater)
While project will ultimately create much more space for buses, bikes, and walkers, the final vision for how best to do that is yet to be determined. This $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will support moving the project forward into design and development. Specifically, the money will be spent on the design and construction of a demonstration project in the downtown area.
Beaverton City Councilor-elect Kevin Teater rides his bike through intersections on the loop almost every day. “And I fear for my life multiple times a day,” he told me in a phone interview this morning. “The opportunity to really reimagine how that works is incredibly refreshing and encouraging.” Teater said elected officials in Beaverton share a sense that change is needed when it comes to how folks get around and this project might provide an opportunity to do something big. “I think we’ve got the leadership in place that’s willing to ask really bold questions, like dramatically changing the forms of transportation downtown and realizing that it’s a it’s a neighborhood and not just a destination,” he said.
“This grant funding is really meaningful,” Teater added. “And hopefully we can get some good going out of this.”
