BikePortland

Live from Salem at the Idaho Stop law hearing

[Note: This story was reported live. For results of the hearing, scroll to the end.]

Rep. Jules Bailey minutes before he
introduced the Idaho Stop bill to his
colleagues on the House Transportation
Committee.
(Photos © J. Maus)

I’m sitting in Hearing Room D inside the Capitol at a hearing by the House Transportation Committee for the BTA’s Idaho Stop law.

In the room are the BTA’s chief lobbyist Karl Rohde, lawyers Ray Thomas and Bob Mionske, members of the BTA’s legislative committee Doug Parrow and Bjorn Warloe and even former BTA executive director Evan Manvel has stopped by (he now works on legislative policy for the Oregon League of Conservation Voters).

Representative Bailey (SE Portland) has just introduced the bill. Bailey is the bill’s chief supporter and he opened his testimony with a copy of the recent Oregon Business magazine that touts the state’s “Bicycle Industrial Complex.”

This graph shows a modal breakdown of ODOT’s recommendation for how to spend the state’s remaining $101 million dollars in federal stimulus money.
(Graphic: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

“And you’re scratching your head wondering when was the last time you saw one actually stop.”
— Harry Esteve, The Oregonian

It’s the BTA’s worst nightmare.

They’ve spent months preparing for the smooth passage of the Idaho Stop Law (the proposed bill, HB 2690, would allow bicycle operators to enter a stop-sign controlled intersection without stopping when safe, and once they’ve yielded to all other traffic). Members of their legislative committee have traveled to Idaho to speak with transportation planners and law enforcement officials about the law (which has been on the books there since the 1980s without incident). The BTA’s legislative team has also spent countless hours working the Salem offices of our state legislators answering their questions and clearing up their confusions about the proposed law.

Then, in one fell swoop, the largest media outlet in the entire state can pen a story that pans the idea — and it’s not even on the editorial page.

For the first time in 61 years, people can once again follow the old Columbia River Highway right through the basalt heart of Oneonta Bluff.

That quote comes from a story in today’s Portland Tribune about an exciting bit of progress on the project to re-establish the Historic Columbia River Highway as a bike and pedestrian route through the Gorge.

More polo action and
faces from the crowd
in slideshow below.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Back on March 8th, the tennis courts at Northeast Portland’s Alberta Park hosted the nation’s best bike polo players at the first annual Oregon Bike Polo Championships.

For the uninitiated, bike polo is like traditional polo on horseback, except it’s played on a bike. The bikes are usually modified to have only one brake (usually on the left side so your strong hand can swing the mallet) and one, easy gear (so you can speed up quickly). Many players add covers to their wheels to keep mallets from flying through them, to deflect a competitor’s shot, or to bank their own shots.

This is a screen shot of an upcoming video that will be released by a coalition of citizens who oppose the current direction of the CRC project.

Headed to Salem for stimulus funding, Idaho stops, and more

Through those doors, the
laws are made.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Tomorrow I’ll make my first trip down to Salem this session — and what a full day it’s shaping up to be.

My day will start with a meeting of the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC). The OTC is the five-person, governor-appointed cabinet that sets transportation policy for the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT). (I introduced you to them a few weeks ago).

At their meeting tomorrow, the OTC will dole out $102 million for transportation projects — their second installment of stimulus funds. Their first phase of stimulus funding decisions (made earlier this month) included only one bike project and did not include any transit funding.

Here’s a great way to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. From Bike Gallery:

St Patrick’s Day “Green Ride” sponsored by Madsen Cycles
Tuesday, March 17

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by bike and get a chance to green up your life by entering to win a Madsen Utility bike? The ride meets at the Downtown Bike Gallery at 5:00pm, departs about 5:15pm. The ride will be a fun, casual pace city tour, lasting about 1 hour, and returning to the DT store for snacks, beverages, and a Madsen bike drawing for all participants. Wear a green costume, or decorate your bike and get two extra drawing entries! Kids and families are encouraged to join us. Lights and helmets required.

Mayor’s office releases results of bike-specific storm survey

Riding across the railroad bridge near Esplanade-1

68% of survey respondents said
they biked during the storms last
winter. 78% of them said bikeways
were in poor condition.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Mayor Adams’ office has released the results of a survey they conducted to learn more about the experiences of people who rode their bikes through our spate of severe winter snow storms.

The bike survey was conducted separately from a general storm response survey because the Mayor’s office completely forgot about bikes in the first one.

This Saturday, trails throughout Forest Park will be full of mountain bikers. Is it a rogue protest for equal access? No. The off-road riding enthusiasts will have their hands on shovels and pick-axes, not on their handlebars. They’ll be putting in sweat equity to maintain trails as part of Forest Park’s second annual Day of Stewardship. The event is hosted by the Forest Park Conservancy.

With excitement building around the idea of increased access for bicycles in the park, advocates hope for a big turnout.

Police say Child ignored their requests to stop after they saw her riding in the street without lights. They say when she ran to a house, they chased her down and took her into custody on her porch using reasonable force.
— From The Oregonian

The Oregonian reported Monday night that a 57 year-old St. Johns woman is suing two Portland police officers in U.S. District Court for an incident six years ago that began because she was riding her bike without lights.

Here’s more from The Oregonian:

…saying they violated her civil rights. Freedom Child, a St. Johns resident, said she is making it a federal case because the city failed to investigate when she filed a complaint about her treatment in 2003.

Read more

Live from Salem at the Idaho Stop law hearing

In Salem, ODOT presents final batch of federal stimulus project decisions

Local media releases hounds on Idaho Stop law

Bike/ped tunnel on Historic Highway to re-open this weekend

BC team takes Oregon Bike Polo Championships

An exclusive peek at CRC opposition plans

Pedaling Revolution author Jeff Mapes at Powell’s

Headed to Salem for stimulus funding, Idaho stops, and more

Madsen Cycles in town for St. Patrick’s Day “Green Ride” tonight

Mayor’s office releases results of bike-specific storm survey

In Forest Park, a different spin on biking to work

Woman sues Portland police officers over bike light arrest

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