BikePortland

Is this the end? State transportation commission could defund I-5 Rose Quarter project

How bad have things gotten for the I-5 Rose Quarter project? So bad that the Oregon Department of Transportation has finally called the question: Is it time to mothball the project and transfer the funding to other priorities?

That’s one of three options on the table according to documents uploaded in advance of this Thursday’s meeting of the Oregon Transportation Commission — the five member body appointed by the governor to oversee ODOT. It’s also the latest in a string of very bad news for the beleaguered megaproject.

The project aims to widen about one mile of I-5 between I-84 and I-405. It would also add a lid for future development and make major investments in surface streets in the area of the Moda Center. I was originally estimated to cost $450 million, but that price has ballooned to over $2 billion with the start of construction nowhere in sight.

Slides from I-5 Rose Quarter project presentation.

But it was a brutal summer for this project. The Trump Administration took back $382 million of a $450 million grant previously awarded to the project (when it axed the equity-related program that funded it) and the Oregon Legislature failed to pass dedicated funding for it in the heavily-compromised, anemic transportation package.

Eight years into planning the project and ODOT says it currently has just $487 million in the bank — about 25% of its total currently estimated price tag. And the cost of the project is likely to go way up, since it’s still only at the 30% design stage and isn’t slated to make it to 60% (a key milestone necessary for more precise budget estimates) until the second quarter of 2026.

One reason for the slow progress is pesky nonprofits who’ve joined forces to file multiple lawsuits against the project. Among their concerns are that the plans run afoul of already-adopted city and regional planning documents.

Amid all this bad news, key leaders of the project have recently resigned, including the former project director and leader of ODOT’s (now closed) Urban Mobility Office which included the I-5 Rose Quarter as its top regional priority.

For their part, the OTC has expressed grave concerns about the project. The last time ODOT came to the OTC asking for permission to move forward, commissioners reluctantly offered support for some preliminary work. “Everyone in this room needs to understand that beyond that, there is no money,” said OTC Chair Julie Brown at that meeting. “We are not saying that we are going to move forward with a complete Rose Quarter.”

And that was before the Oregon Legislature failed to put any money into the I-5 Rose Quarter piggy bank.

At this point, ODOT has already begun the dreaded work of cost cutting and value-engineering to try and create a more palatable project — an exercise that could further weaken the project’s political viability and curb appeal.

That’s the context of what is likely to be a very tense discussion at the OTC meeting on Thursday where ODOT staff plans to present three options for consideration: 1) a full package that would begin construction without the funding to complete it; 2) a partial package that would spend $167.5 million to build partial elements of a reduced scope project; and 3) the “stop spending” option.

If the OTC chooses that third option, the $167.5 million could be reallocated to the I-205 Abernethy Project (another freeway widening south of Portland that has been beset by cost overruns), or it could be transferred to any other project in the state. If the OTC directed ODOT to “stop spending” they would use $67.5 million (the portion of the federal grant they had already obligated to the project before Trump rescinded it) to work on design and some preliminary construction projects.

ODOT is well aware of the pitfalls that come with option three. In a slide (above) that shares “pros” and “cons” they state that community partners, “will be disappointed” and that the move would be seen, “as ODOT walking back its commitments.” This underscores years of relationship-building between ODOT staff and construction companies — many of whom are owned and/or led by Black Portlanders as part of an intentional effort to create wealth that was stolen when the initial construction of I-5 decimated the Lower Albina neighborhood. Project staff also say ODOT would lose trust

Lack of trust in ODOT as an agency will affect bidding on future RQ work packages and could affect bidding on IBR and other regional projects. • Significant rework would be required to restart the project in the future.

Beyond that, the project documents state: “Progress on the remainder of the Rose Quarter would await future funding opportunities, and the cost of the project would grow with each year.”

— View the Rose Quarter funding letter and the presentation.

UPDATE, 11/12 at 12:48 pm: ODOT has just updated the agenda for this meeting and they have removed this item from the agenda.

Debunking a CEO’s opposition to bus lanes on 82nd Avenue

(Photo of Tarlow: Screenshot from TriMet committee video.)

On Friday at the Policy and Budget Committee meeting for 82nd Avenue Transit Project, the CEO of a business that has two outlets in the project area testified in opposition to building better bus lanes. But as I listened to this influential person make their case, it just didn’t ring true. I figured since TriMet is very concerned about business owner opposition, it’s worth taking a closer look at one of their arguments.

Washman Car Wash CEO David Tarlow made it clear in his testimony that Washman does not support Business Access and Transit – or “BAT” – lanes on 82nd Avenue. But the proposal he described in his testimony isn’t even what’s actually being proposed. Below are some false claims and other misunderstandings and/or misrepresentations Tarlow made in his testimony, followed by my thoughts.

“The proposal is that two entire lanes of 82nd — both northbound and southbound — will be closed to motor vehicles and the bus lanes will take their place.”

That is incorrect. The proposal would convert the curbside lane in each direction from a general travel lane to a BAT lane. BAT lanes explicitly allow car users inside of them. TriMet puts “business access” in the name to clarify that.

“… Creating serious additional congestion, taking away 50% of 82nd Avenue’s capacity just to speed up transit times by just a few minutes, but causing the same, or worse, corresponding delays for motor vehicle traffic.”

This is also a misrepresentation of the facts. TriMet’s numbers show that the “More BAT” option (that would build continuous bus lanes on seven miles of 82nd Ave from Clatsop to Lombard) would speed up buses by 11 to 14 minutes. In project documents, TriMet says even without an BAT lanes, buses would be 8-10 minutes faster than current conditions due to new signals, better buses, and so on. The “More BAT” option would add an additional 3-4 minute time saves for bus users. Taken together, that’s a transit trip that would be 8-14 minutes faster — compared to an estimated 3-4 minute delay for car users.

As for capacity, given how much more efficient buses are compared to cars, giving more space to more buses would actually increase the capacity of 82nd Avenue.

“82nd Avenue is a highway corridor that drivers use to get from Southeast Portland to Northeast Portland, and it should not be turned into a local street.”

Since Tarlow clearly only started following this project once he felt threatened by new bus lanes, he must not realize that 82nd Avenue is no longer a highway and that it was already turned into a local street three years ago. If that issue was a concern of his, he should have advocated before the owners of 82nd was officially transferred from the State of Oregon to the City of Portland.

“This proposal would add serious impediments to vehicles trying to get to 82nd Avenue business destinations.”

The proposal would actually remove all through car traffic from two lanes — which to me sounds like removing a serious number of “impediments” (other cars) to drivers trying to get to businesses.

“[The bus lanes]… would lead to frustrated drivers, empty bus only lanes, and more traffic diversion into local streets, resulting in those neighborhood streets becoming less safe for those residents that walk, ride their bikes and kids playing.”

Tarlow is right that the bus lanes would often be empty, giving car drivers even better access to businesses than they have today. And if diversion into neighborhoods became a problem, the answer would be the installation of modal filters and other traffic calming tools to keep drivers from cutting through. Also keep in mind, when drivers cut through neighborhoods it doesn’t have to make streets unsafe. The streets become unsafe when those drivers choose to drive dangerously.

“The congestion caused by taking away 50% of the lane capacity will not only result in increased congestion, as previously mentioned, but will also result in 82nd Avenue becoming a more dangerous corridor to drive on.”

The fewer cars we have on 82nd Avenue, the safer it will be. The more buses we have on 82nd Avenue the safer it will be. Of the 20 people killed while using 82nd Avenue in the past decade, not one of them was hit by a bus operator, while car drivers were involved in all of them.

“I-205, is already at capacity, so those vehicles that normally travel on 82nd will no longer use that route. They will utilize neighborhood streets, take their shopping, etc, to other locations in the city to avoid the congestion, and as mentioned previously, cause businesses to eventually close their doors and move to more viable locations.”

I shouldn’t have to point out the folly of that argument, but it also makes the point that cars are extremely inefficient and a business corridor designed around them lacks the resiliency and capacity necessary to compete for business in 2025.

I realize why someone who’s a CEO of a car wash feels threatened by this project, but if Tarlow is going to take the extraordinary step of becoming an outspoken critic of it, the least he can do is come up with a factual, good-faith argument against it.

For a different view of this story, watch it on YouTube.

Jobs of the Week: Velotech, Oregon Walks, LifeCycle, HGNR, InterCity Transit

Need a job? Want a better job? Just looking for a change? You are in the right place. Don’t miss these recent job announcements. (Remember, you can always stay abreast of jobs as soon as they get listed by signing up for our Job Listings email.)

For a complete list of available jobs, click here.

Be the first to know about new job opportunities by signing up for our daily Job Listings email or by following @BikePortland on Bluesky

These are paid listings. And they work! BikePortland has helped hundreds of people find great jobs and great staff members. If you’d like to post a job on the Portland region’s most popular bike and transportation news platform, you can purchase a listing online for just $100. Learn more at our Job Listings page.

Monday Roundup: Vehicular cycling, daylighting pushback, bloated cars, and more

Welcome to the week. Let’s make it a good one.

Below are the most notable stories I came across in the past seven days. Thanks to everyone who suggested links this week!

Daylighting data: I love two things about this story: First, it underscores the positive impact of removing parking from corners (aka “daylighting”) and it is an inspiring example of a city council holding a DOT to account. Can you imagine Portland City Council staff launching an investigation of a PBOT decision? (Streetsblog NYC)

Road rage turns ugly: A driver and bicycle rider were detained by police in Marin, California after some sort of altercation caused the driver to get out of their car and stab the bicycle rider with a knife several times. (CBS News)

Cycling award controversy: A UK nonprofit who intentionally excluded trans riders from the winners of its, “100 Women in Cycling Award” now faces backlash. (Bike Radar)

Anti vehicular cycling video: Popular YouTuber Not Just Bikes has released a 90-minute takedown of the late “vehicular cycling” advocate John Forester, whom he credits with single-handedly making cycling dangerous in America. (Not Just Bikes)

Wrong turns on red: A city in Missouri has banned right turns on red in school zones following a collision that killed a nine-year old who was riding to school. The policy allows schools to opt out of the law if they so choose. (KSHB)

Cost of cars: Because of rising prices on cars and service/repairs, the cost of owning a car is up 40.59% since January 2020 and nearly one in five buyers has a monthly payment over $1,000. (NPR)

Homework: Get ready for ‘War on Cars’ Week in Portland by reading this short interview with Life After Cars authors and then make sure to see them live at Bike Happy Hour on Wednesday and/or Powell’s on Thursday. (OPB)

It’s official, car bloat kills: What further evidence do elected officials need to make policy that further regulates the purchase of supersized vehicles than an op-ed from the BMJ saying unequivocally that larger cars are a public safety hazard? (British Medical Journal)

Thanks to everyone who sent in links this week. The Monday Roundup is a community effort, so please feel free to send us any great stories you come across.

Job: Area Manager (Oregon) – LifeCycle Adventures

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

Area Manager (Oregon)

Company / Organization

LifeCycle Adventures

Job Description

LifeCycle Adventures — Local Operator / Area Manager (Oregon)
Location: Portland, OR (greater metro)
Engagement: Independent contractor
Travel Area: Willamette Valley, Mt. Hood, Columbia River Gorge

Overview
LifeCycle Adventures is seeking a Local Operator to deliver our private, self-guided cycling tours in Oregon. This role is ideal for a small local business or an experienced independent contractor based in the Portland area.

What You’ll Do
• Tour Delivery & Guest Care – Meet guests, transport riders/bikes/luggage, provide route briefings, and on-call support.
• Operations & Logistics – Coordinate schedules, lodging handoffs, luggage moves, rider shuttles, and incident response.
• Quality & Safety – Maintain high service standards, ensure adherence to SOPs, complete reports, and uphold safety protocols.
• Local Expertise – Share Oregon’s culture, history, and geography; provide vetted dining/activity suggestions.
We provide training, guidebooks, GPS app, routes, and operating procedures. Day-to-day, you’ll work autonomously and exercise independent judgment in the field.

Seasonality & Workload
• Part-time, variable, based on sold trips.
• Primarily June–September; tour lengths range 3–10 days.
• Requires flexibility for in-season, on-call coverage and multi-day commitments.

What You’ll Bring (Qualifications)
• Exceptional hosting and client-service presence; calm, solutions-oriented communicator.
• Operationally minded, highly organized, detail-focused, and reliable with time management.
• Prior bike guiding or adjacent outdoor guiding/operations experience.
• Strong local knowledge of Oregon riding areas, roads, and conditions.
• Cycling oriented mindset and competent bike mechanic (field fixes & quick triage).
• Clean driving record and driver’s license; able to lift bikes and luggage.
• Current First Aid/CPR (or willingness to obtain promptly).
• Operate from home or small office with stable connectivity.

Nice-to-Haves
• Vehicle/van suitable for guest and bike transport.

Compensation
• Competitive, industry-aligned contractor rates, commensurate with experience and responsibilities.
• Rates vary by assignment type (e.g., transfer days, guiding, on-call coverage, multi-day blocks).

Growth Path (possibility)
• Operations Manager, North America: oversee seasonal staffing, SOPs, service levels, and cost performance across multiple regions.
• New Destination Development: collaborate on route design, vendor curation, and launch operations.

How to Apply

Please email your resume to Gregory Craig at Greg@lifecycleadventures.com

TriMet says full bus lanes on 82nd are up to project partners

The dream of continuous, semi-dedicated bus lanes on 82nd Avenue is alive; but if it is to become a reality, someone besides our regional transit agency will have to step up and make it happen. That’s the position made clear by TriMet General Manager Sam Desue and the agency’s Interim Director of Major Projects Michael Kiser at a meeting this morning.

The good news from the meeting is that Metro and the Portland Bureau of Transportation appear ready to step up.

At issue is how many miles of “business access and transit” (BAT) lanes should be built as part of the $350 million 82nd Avenue Transit Project. The two options under discussion are: “Some BAT,” which would build just three miles of bus lanes and leave busiest, central portion of the project corridor with standard lanes where buses are caught behind cars; and “More BAT, which would cost $8 million more and build seven continuous miles of bus lanes from SE Clatsop at the Multnomah/Clackamas county line to NE Lombard Street in the Cully neighborhood.

TriMet caused a stir last month when they released a staff recommendation memo opting for “Some BAT.” They have since walked back that recommendation, but after this morning’s meeting we have a clearer understanding of why our transit agency is choosing the option with less transit: According to Desue and Kiser, a more expensive and ambitious project could jeopardize the budget and timeline. With federal funding, there can be no diversion from the timeline and TriMet wants to take the safest option.

At the outset of the project’s Policy and Budget Committee meeting this morning, Desue said he’s aware the community is, “advocating for a bold vision for 82nd Avenue.” But, he added, “For those of you who know construction, scope is more than just a word, it’s our foundation.”

“Scope defines what we will build, how we will build it, and it serves our promise to deliver on that vision,” he continued. “To keep that promise, we need a budget that matches the scope and a timeline for delivery. Any adjustments to the scope, schedule or budget make project delivery more difficult. So that’s why our direction to the project team is always: scope a project that we can build.”

Desue then referred to the bus lane decision as one TriMet “cannot make alone because of the impact on scope, schedule and budget,” and that, “the project has its limits, but our investments can be leveragd by the good work you all do” (where the “you” referred to project partners at Metro, the Portland Bureau of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Transportation).

Kiser has echoed this sentiment. He maintains that the staff recommendation for “Some BAT” reflects the reality of what TriMet can deliver by themselves. In reference to the recommendation at this morning’s meeting he said it, “Didn’t necessarily fit the aspirational expectations of some partners, and also individuals in the community as well.”

The good news is that TriMet is giving more time for this issue to be debated before a final decision (expected by February 2026) will be made.

Metro Councilor and Policy and Budget Committee member Duncan Hwang, who was one of the people caught off-guard by TriMet’s initial staff recommendation, urged folks to not settle for compromised transit. He sees better transit as vital to the future of 82nd Avenue, especially as development hastens in the near future. “With the new 82nd Avenue TIF [tax increment financing] district, 40% of that [revenue] goes to affordable housing — so you’re going to see 30 more buildings along the corridor over over the coming decade or two,” Hwang said.

“So how do we create the best transit system to support that new vision that’s coming?…I think that requires us to be ambitious at this moment,” he added.

Hwang made it clear he’s ready to advocate for more funding from Metro if that’s what it takes. “Bring us that budget,” he said. “We want the corridor of our dreams, and I don’t want to cut things off before we’ve had that full conversation.”

PBOT Director Millicent Williams also sounded ready to find more money to build continuous bus lanes. “Yes that will be more expensive,” she said. “But that’s what we’re here to do, to help raise money.” Williams also pointed out that the extra $8-10 million needed for the “More BAT” option, “is not a lot of money.” “We can figure out how to raise $10 million if it’s a $350 million investment.”

Williams sees this not just as a question of dollars and cents, but as a symbol of what Portland stands for. “The issue really is: What are we saying as a region? What is the policy statement that we’re making by the choices that we’re putting forward? It’s less about the money, and more about what are we saying about the community that has been historically underserved and underinvested in, and how are we meeting this moment?”

TriMet is still gathering feedback from businesses along 82nd about the bus lanes and plans to present a full community engagement report at the December 12th Policy and Budget Committee meeting. Also at that meeting TriMet and ODOT will share more details about diversion analysis and other technical metrics that could influence the decision. An ODOT rep on the committee pointed out that ODOT has to issue a permit to TriMet because the lane decision will impact two state highways that intersect with 82nd: US 30 (NE Lombard) and US 26 (SE Powell).

The next meeting for this project is a Community Advisory Committee meeting on November 19th. Learn more at the project website.

CORRECTION, 10:51 am on 11/10: This story originally stated that ODOT has to issue a permit to PBOT because the bus lane decision will impact state highways. That was incorrect. The ODOT permit would go to TriMet. I regret any confusion. – Jonathan.

E-scooter rider dies in collision with Amtrak train

Just after 10:00 am this morning someone riding an electric scooter died following a collision with an Amtrak train. According to photos from witnesses at the scene shared with BikePortland, it happened at the sidewalk crossing of the rail tracks where they intersect with SE 11th/SE Milwaukie Avenue.

The deceased person’s body came to rest on the sidewalk located just north of the northernmost track, just beyond the Ford Building parking lot. According to photos that show the e-scooter and other investigative markings, it appears the collision might have originated at the eastern end of the crossing. Also clear in the photos is that the person was riding a Lime e-scooter that’s part of the City of Portland’s shared electric scooter system.

Police haven’t released any further details.

This is the second fatal collision at these tracks this year. Back in June, a man riding a bicycle was attempting to cross SE 8th in the main roadway prior to being struck and killed by a MAX light rail train.

Since August of this year there have been four fatal crashes involving e-scooter riders. On August 17th a man died from his injuries after being involved in a collision with a tractor-trailer operator near NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and NE Holladay St. One day later, a man hit a pothole near SE 52nd and SE Mitchell while riding an e-scooter and later died from his injuries. And on October 22nd, a woman riding a Lime e-scooter collided with another vehicle operator at N Vancouver and N Weidler and died in the hospital one week later.

This is the 36th fatal crash on Portland streets so far this year.

Despite Trump rescission, PBOT will move forward with Broadway Main Street project

I’ve just confirmed some very good news: The City of Portland has the green light to move forward with the design of the Broadway Main Street project.

Back in July I shared that the Trump Administration had reneged on a $38 million grant that had already been awarded to the Portland Bureau of Transportation. The grant would have allowed them to transform the currently car-choked section of NE Broadway between NE 7th and the Willamette River into a family-friendly main street. The project is a lynchpin to the city’s Reconnecting Albina planning effort and is seen as an extension to the recently completed Broadway Pave & Paint project.

Unfortunately, the grant was taken back by the Trump Administration with the passage of House Resolution 1 (the “Big Beautiful Bill”), which rescinded all unobligated balances from the Neighborhood Access and Equity grant program.

But last month at a meeting of the I-5 Rose Quarter project, a presentation from the Oregon Department of Transportation included a slide stating that PBOT had received funding for the “initial phase of the ‘Broadway Main Street’ project.” I reached out to PBOT to learn more.

On Tuesday I received a clarification from PBOT Spokesperson Dylan Rivera that Oregon’s congressional delegation was able to wrestle away $5 million from the grant for project design.

Project map and a conceptual rendering of possible streetscape design.

Rivera confirmed that, while construction of the project has been officially cancelled, the $5 million is enough for PBOT to complete the project design and development. “This project remains a high priority for PBOT and the city. Having a completed design can make the project more competitive for future funding opportunities,” he said.

PBOT will launch a public engagement process early next year to help finalize the project design.

The vision for this project, as described by a PBOT staffer at a meeting in 2023 is that, once complete, someone could, “take a pleasant walk with their young child from NE 7th to Waterfront Park.” Project elements had previously included: a raised bikeway protected from auto users by a planted median; multiple improved pedestrian crossings; a redesign of the Broadway Bridgehead at N Larrabee; improved access to Rose Quarter Transit Center, and more.

Stay tuned for updates and opportunities to weigh in.

TriMet punts 82nd Avenue transit lane decision to ‘early next year’

Two days ahead of what insiders expected to be a consequential meeting of TriMet advisory committee, the agency says they’ll delay a decision about bus lanes on 82nd Avenue.

As I reported last month, TriMet shocked many in our region by publishing a staff recommendation on the 82nd Avenue Transit Project that called for only partial business access and transit (BAT) lanes along the project corridor — which spans 10 miles from the Multnomah County border with Clackamas County at SE Clatsop to Northeast Lombard Street. The recommendation is a necessary step for the project to reach a key 60% design completion milestone. In a memo dated October 14th, staff said the project should move forward with three miles of BAT lanes (the “Some BAT” option) instead of seven miles of BAT lanes (the “more BAT” option). Staff have since walked back that recommendation saying it was merely a “starting point in the conversation.” (One board member said the publication of the memo was a leak.)

Regardless, the decision sparked a large outcry from many Portlanders, some of whom showed up to a recent project Community Advisory Committee meeting to make concerns known. Tomorrow is a meeting of the project’s Policy and Budget Committee, where many folks assumed the BAT lane decision would be debated — and possibly made final.

But in a blog post published Monday, TriMet wrote, “No decision will be made during the November 7 meeting. Rather, it’s an opportunity for committee members and the community to hear the latest information from our staff and to ask questions as options continue to be explored.”

TriMet added that a final decision about the BAT lanes, “is expected early in the new year.”

Given the high stakes of this decision, TriMet’s attempt to cool things down won’t stop folks from testifying at tomorrow morning’s meeting. Not only is the Line 72 bus the busiest in the entire state, but it’s impossible for 82nd Avenue to reach its potential unless bus users have faster, more reliable service.

And then there’s the looming issue of the Bike Bill lawsuit hanging over the Portland Bureau of Transportation — the agency that has final say over how the street is used.

That lawsuit was organized by BikeLoud PDX on behalf of 15 individual plaintiffs. While it’s currently in legal limbo due to procedural questions surrounding the Portland City Council, a settlement agreement already signed by the city attorney, PBOT, and BikeLoud’s lawyers mandates full BAT lanes on 82nd Ave (with the expectation they can be shared by bicycle riders). According to the settlement, if PBOT fails to build continuous BAT lanes, they would be in violation of the settlement and the case could go to trial.

Add to that the threat of lawsuits from business owners on 82nd who oppose the BAT lanes and it becomes clear that the seven members of the Policy and Budget committee — TriMet GM Sam Desue Jr., Clackamas County Commissioner Diana Helm, Metro Councilors Christine Lewis and Duncan Hwang, ODOT Policy & Development Manager Chris Ford, Community Advisory Committee Interim Chair Franklin Ouchida, and PBOT Director Millicent Williams — have a lot of perspectives to consider.

— The 82nd Avenue Project Policy and Budget Committee meets Friday (11/7) at 9:00 am. The meeting is at TriMet’s Public Safety Office (1020 NE 1st Ave) and viewable online. More info here.

‘War on Cars’ podcast hosts at Bike Happy Hour on Wednesday

Doug Gordon and Sarah Goodyear (Photo: LifeAfterCars.com)

I’m excited to share that this coming Wednesday (11/12), The War on Cars Podcast hosts and Life After Cars authors Doug Gordon and Sarah Goodyear will join us at Bike Happy Hour.

This dynamic duo is on a national media tour talking up their excellent new book that diagnoses, dissects, and debates how car-dominated places have negatively influenced our lives — and what we’d gain by living life without (or a lot fewer of) them. With a new political era sweeping across our country, it’s the perfect time to talk about ideas that once felt radical, but now feel inevitable.

I’ve followed the rise of Doug, Sarah — and the third co-conspirator on the book, Aaron Naparstek — for almost as long as I’ve been doing BikePortland. Aaron was the founding editor of Streetsblog (and also author of the 2003 classic, Honku: The Zen Antidote to Road Rage), Sarah was founding editor of the Livable Streets Blog Network, and I’ve followed Doug since he maintained the Brooklyn Spoke blog and got even more deeply involved in transportation politics in 2013.

Suffice it to say; Sarah, Doug and I are kindred spirits who’ve chosen different paths and tools in the fight against motordom, carbrain, motonormativity — or whatever word you want to describe America’s seductively destructive relationship to cars and driving. And what they’ve done with their podcast since its launch in 2018 is nothing short of extraordinary. With a massive following and guests that include actors, entertainers, experts and politicians from around the world, the podcast has transcended the transportation field and has helped shift the Overton Window around the idea of carfree and low-car cities.

Sarah and Doug have a masterful grasp of the evidence to back up their (very well-reasoned, despite the provocative names of their podcast and book!) arguments for helping people see that cars and driving really isn’t all it’s been cracked up to be. In fact, as you can learn in Life After Cars, the entire idea that Americans have a “love affair with the automobile” is nothing more than propaganda to peddle products and cajole capitalists. In one of my favorite passages in the book, I learned that even Superman once considered drivers and their cars worthy of a fight!

You can hang out with Sarah and Doug this Wednesday at Bike Happy Hour. We’ll get there at 3:00 and then sit down for a short chat and have some audience Q & A at 5:30. We’ll be in the back patio of Migration Brewing on North Williams Avenue. Remember you can enter from the alley between N Shaver and N Failing.

And if you can’t make it Wednesday, grab tickets to see them at Powell’s Books on Thursday at 7:00 pm. For more about the book, read Taylor’s article in the Portland Mercury. Also check out the official websites of The War on Cars Podcast and the Life After Cars book.

City will use cargo trikes in new sidewalk cleaning program

On Monday, the City of Portland announced a new focus on cleaning sidewalks citywide. Utilizing contractors and a budget of about $2 million, the plan is to focus on sidewalks along major business corridors and commercial centers.

Among the new tools that will employed to do this cleanup work are pedal-powered cargo trikes. These trikes have already proven themselves as perfect vehicles for navigating tight spaces and still having room to cart sizable loads of garbage and debris back to a central location. Last year I profiled a downtown nonprofit that used the same style of trikes in their programs to great success.

Seven trikes were purchased for this program from Icicle Tricycles, a Portland-based company that sells trikes to businesses all over the world and recently moved into a 30,000 square-foot warehouse in Old Town.

In a statement about the new program, the City of Portland said the trikes will be accompanied by a truck and will, “visit Portland’s busiest locations on a regular basis to clean up trash and biohazards from the sidewalks that people rely on to go to school and work, go shopping, keep appointments, and enjoy their neighborhoods.”

Clear and clean sidewalks are important not just for walkers, but in many parts of the city they are a refuge for bicycle riders as well — especially in locations where the adjacent street has no safe space for cycling. (Note: bicycle riding on sidewalks is allowed in Portland, except for a small part of downtown, as described in City Code Chapter 16.70.320.)

Below is a list of streets the city will keep clean as part of this initiative:

District 1

NE Sandy Boulevard

SE 122nd

E Burnside

SE Division

NE 82nd

SE Powell

NE Halsey

District 2

N Lombard

NE Killingsworth

N Williams

NE Alberta

N Mississippi

N Vancouver

NE Broadway

N Interstate

North Ainsworth

NE MLK

NE Cully

District 3

NE Sandy

E Burnside

NE 28th

SE Hawthorne

SE Division/Clinton

SE Belmont

SE Foster

SE Woodstock

NE & SE 82nd

SE 79th

SE 80th

SE Milwaukie

SE Powell

SE 12th

SE 7th

SE MLK

SE Grand

District 4

NW 21st

SE 13th (Sellwood)

SW Beaverton Hillsdale Highway (Hillsdale)

SW Capitol Highway (Multnomah Village)

NW 23rd

West Burnside

NW Everett

NW Glisan

NW Lovejoy

NW 10th

NW 11th

NW 18th

NW 20th

Learn more via the official statement.

Weekend Event Guide: Mutual aid, Overlook neighborhood, ‘cross champs, and more

Get wet. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Hope you’re doing OK with all the rain and wind. If you’ve been needing new rain gear, this is a big weekend because the annual Showers Pass Warehouse Sale is on Saturday.

Below is more info on that and the rest of my picks for the weekend. Have fun out there!

Saturday, November 8th

Showers Pass Warehouse Sale – 9:00 am at Showers Pass HQ (SE)
An excellent opportunity to score great deals on gear that will keep you dry and comfy. This is a legendary sale where they offer deals you will not get any other time/place. In addition to SP gear they’ll have stuff from TREW, Black Stone Stitchworks, and Vvolt E-bikes. More info here.

I-205 Path Cleanup – 10:00 am at Home Depot (NE)
Join the nonprofit SOLVE to pick up trash and debris from the I-205 path near Airport Way. Yes it sucks that we have to do this, but we have to do this. Cargo bikes encouraged! More info here.

North Portland Mutual Aid Ride – 1:00 pm at Wonderwood Springs in St. Johns (N)
Riders will roll to a supermarket to buy food and then make a tour of 8-9 mini food pantries and fridges outside homes in North Portland. A perfect way to help folks in need. More info here.

Sunday, November 9th

Overlook Ride – 9:30 am at Stacks Coffeehouse (N)
Get to know the beautiful Overlook neighborhood with a knowledgeable ride leader (hi Nic!) who will also help you plug into neighborhood activism if you’re so inclined. More info here.

Sunday Social Ride – 10:00 am at Gateway Transit Center (NE)
Roll with members of the Portland Bicycling Club on a metro area excursion. Expect a 13-15 mph pace with most folks on drop bar road bikes. More info here.

Cycle Sundays – 10:00 am at Memento Mori Cafe (NW)
Roll out with the fun-loving Cycle Homies for this “moderate-fast” paced ride of about 15-20 miles. More info here.

OBRA Cyclocross Championships – All day in Independence, Oregon
If you love bike racing — either on the inside or outside of the tape — you’ve got to be excited about this event. The crew from Sellwood Cycles have organized a brand new venue at a cool main street park in downtown Independence, Oregon. This is an amazing excuse to venture south to discover a classic small town that has become a bike-friendly oasis and will open their arms to this event. More info here.

— Did I miss your event? Please let me know by filling out our contact form, or just email me at maus.jonathan@gmail.com.