BikePortland

City survey asks: What would make you use Biketown and e-scooters more?

The City of Portland wants to talk about its bike share and e-scooter rental program. 10 years after the Nike-sponsored Biketown system launched to much fanfare, the Portland Bureau of Transportation has grown its fleet of orange bikes into a relatively reliable form of transportation for thousands of people. Today there are roughly 3,000 bikes and scooters available as part of the “Shared Micromobility” program for rent in a service area that touches nearly every square mile of the city.

Now PBOT says they are, “thinking through new ways to shape the future of e-bike share and e-scooter share,” and they want to benefit from your opinion. Today the bureau launched a Shared Micromobility long-term planning survey. If my memory serves, this is the first time they’ve conducted such a survey. I haven’t heard any rumors about big changes afoot, so I can only assume this is being done so PBOT can keep their finger on the pulse of folks who use the system. I also feel like these systems are pretty static at the moment and if everything stays the same ridership will likely stay flat and the fleet of scooters and bikes will become even more outdated and in need of a refresh.

That’s why I believe the one thing on the horizon that could have a major influence on the future of this program is funding. From what I can tell, the current system is starved for cash. The older model “Watson” bikes (the orange ones) are woefully outdated and a majority of them have batteries in dire need of replacement. Ideally the entire fleet would be replaced with the newer, “Cosmo” models (the grey ones), but that would require a big investment. The system also needs a lot more bikes in order to meet its vast potential as a true public transit system.

With PBOT in such a dire budget situation and the political capital necessary for more public funding of Biketown, the only bright spot for Biketown investment is the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF). PCEF has already funded Biketown’s low-income program and in their latest annual revision of the PCEF Climate Investment Plan, the City of Portland has made it even easier for Biketown to win grants through this program. Among the changes to the CIP that’s under consideration by Portland City Council this month, PCEF will add “Biketown infrastructure fleet addition” as an eligible use of funds.

If we expect councilors and the City of Portland to continue to support and invest in bike and scooter share, it’s important they hear what folks think about the system. Which brings me back to the purpose of this post: to encourage you to take the survey.

I took the survey this morning. It was very quick and the questions were straightforward. Take the survey here.

TriMet lays out new hurdles for 82nd Avenue bus lanes

Imagine the irony of a transit agency not building dedicated bus lanes because they’re worried about how it might impact car traffic on nearby state-owned highways. That’s the position TriMet is in as the agency ponders a decision on dedicated bus lanes in their 82nd Avenue Transit Project.

As BikePortland has been covering for months now, a key decision about the extent of “Business Access and Transit,” or “BAT,” lanes on a 10-mile stretch of 82nd Avenue has been become fraught. TriMet faces threats of lawsuits from business owners who say the lanes would drive car-using customers away, while BAT lane boosters (which include advocacy groups, politicians and more than one TriMet board member) say they won’t stand for even one block to be built without them. In the middle of the controversy are TriMet project staff who’ve felt heartburn over increased costs of a design option known as “More BAT” — which would build semi-dedicated bus lanes on nearly the entire scope of the 82nd Avenue project — might delay and/or otherwise jeopardize the project timeline.

While we’ve understood “More BAT” would come with more costs since this story first heated up back in September, now TriMet has shared another hurdle for dedicated bus lanes to clear. In documents shared ahead of a key project committee meeting tomorrow (Friday, January 16th), TriMet has laid out seven “areas of concern” that have been identified by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT).

This entire project is possible because ODOT transferred jurisdiction of 82nd to the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation, so why is ODOT still sticking their neck in PBOT’s business? Because 82nd Avenue is 3,400 feet away from Interstate 205, it crosses Powell Blvd/Highway 26, and the northern part of the project touches ODOT’s Highway 30, also known as Northeast Lombard. ODOT worries that if more space on 82nd is dedicated to bus travel, less of it will be available for car users, and the resulting diversion could cause congestion and crashes on/near their facilities.

As many of you know, transportation departments live and die by highway design manuals (both state and federal) that tell engineers and planners how to respond to various levels of auto traffic. Models based on lane characteristics, current and predicted traffic volume, distance between signals, and so on spit out numbers that tell engineers whether a design will succeed or fail (in the eyes of the manual). If engineers and planners willingly choose a design the formula says would fail — one that exceeds the target volume-to-capacity ratio, or v/c — they must receive permission from ODOT through a “design exception” in order to move forward.

According to a presentation ODOT will share at the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Policy & Budget Committee meeting Friday, they found seven locations where this might become an issue. ODOT says five of those seven locations require some sort of mitigation (such as a change in the design) or must receive a design exception.

A few slides from the ODOT presentation.

We got a hint of these challenges at the December TriMet Board of Directors meeting when TriMet Interim Director of Major Projects Michael Kiser mentioned congestion from diversion at specific intersections under the “More Bat” scenario and said, “Maybe we pull the BAT lanes back in those areas.”

Now we know more precisely which areas he was talking about. Below is the list of locations ODOT has flagged for more scrutiny along with their assessment of what must happen if “More BAT” moves forward (see slides above or the full presentation for more):

• 82nd Ave at Powell Bl: Requires mitigation or DE (this is the most acute concern from ODOT and the location the project team wants to drop the BAT lane)

• 82nd Ave at Lombard St: Requires DE or mitigation

• Cully Bl at Lombard St: Requires DE or mitigation

• 82nd Ave at Johnson Creek Bl: Requires DE or mitigation

• SE Powell Blvd at SE 92nd Ave: Requires mitigation or DE

• I-205 SB off-ramp to Powel: No mitigation or DE required but extensive queues

• I-205 NB on-ramp at SE Foster Rd: No mitigation or DE required

Keep in mind that “mitigation” would always lead to higher project costs (something TriMet has already flagged as a concern) and that needing a “DE” or design exception requires a leap of faith because ODOT could ultimately deny it. While these are clearly risks to doing “More BAT,” it’s important to remember that TriMet’s own studies show “More BAT” provides the most overall transit benefit and would provide improvements in pedestrian safety and comfort because the lanes would create buffer between humans on the sidewalk and people driving cars.

The project team will share more about these ODOT traffic studies and concerns at the Policy & Budget meeting tomorrow. TriMet says no final decision will be made about bus lanes at that meeting and that the Policy & Budget Committee will make a final recommendation on BAT lanes at their meeting on February 13th.

Find out how to take part in tomorrow’s meeting on TriMet’s website.

City of Portland e-bike rebate pilot boosts economy, shows ‘strong demand’

PCC student Liraz Brand was able to buy this Trek e-bike thanks to the pilot program. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

138 Portlanders took advantage of the City of Portland’s first e-bike rebate program. The Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS) launched a pilot of the program back in September and reported last night at a meeting of the Bicycle Advisory Committee that there was “strong demand” for the discounted bikes.

The pilot offered rebates of $1,600 for e-bikes and $300 for accessories to Portland Community College students. A presentation shared last night revealed that 183 of them finished the application and 138 were ultimately verified. The program directs rebate recipients to specific types of bicycles (Class 1 e-bikes with a 20 mph top speed and no throttle only) at authorized e-bike retailers.PCEF Strategic Communications Manager Elizabeth Stover tells BikePortland, “We have 123 more Portlanders on e-bikes and boosted local business by putting $250,037 in the hands of our Portland bike shops.”

Below is some of the data BPS gleaned from 202 pilot program participants:

The gender split between male and female was relatively even, with males receiving 80 rebates and females receiving 72. Non-binary people received 34 rebates.
When it comes to race, White people received the overwhelming number of rebates with 81. Black Portlanders received 19 rebates, with Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native people received 28 and 29 rebates respectively.
Just over 9% of the participants were new to bicycling.
Asked, “If you weren’t participating in this program would you still consider buying an e-bike?,” 60% of respondents said “Yes.”

Slides from presentation shared last night.

13 local bike shops redeemed at least one rebate. The two shops with the most rebates processed were A Convenient Cycle and The e-Bike Store who both sold 31 bikes through the program. Other top sellers were Trek Bicycle Westmoreland (30), Vvolt (27), Sellwood Cycle Repair (25), and Trek Bicycle Slabtown (24). A big measure of success for the pilot is that 88% of retailers said they had a positive experience working with program staff and 100% of respondents said the online portal was clear and easy to use. There were similar levels of good reviews from program participants.

PCEF Transportation Decarbonization Program Manager Seetha Ream-Rao said beyond the clear success, some of the lessons learned include: more outreach to “key demographics,” more education on choosing e-bikes, and it’s important for participants to test ride bikes before making a decision.

Ream-Rao said the main launch of the program will happen in late March (of this year) with a complementary program for adaptive bikes launching in April. BPS will expand offerings in the full launch, adding Class 2 e-bikes and cargo e-bikes (which will qualify for a $2,350 rebate). Visit PortlandEbikeRebate.com to learn more.

NOTE: I realize that some of the numbers in the BPS report don’t quite add up. I’ll follow up with project staff next week to clarify.

UPDATE, 1/26 at 8:44 am: Given the confusion over data in the report, I asked BPS to clarify. They acknowledged a few typos in the report and have shared the statement below:

I spoke to our team, who let me know the chart in the presentation deck had a typo. Please allow me to share an accurate breakdown of those numbers below:

244 rebates were redeemed overall, including:

123 E-bike rebates

121 Equipment rebates

There were 138 participants awarded, but 15 did not redeem them within the allotted timeframe.

Each participant was awarded a rebate for an e-bike and equipment. However, not everyone who redeemed the rebate for an e-bike redeemed for equipment.

In our chart, the number of overall rebates was incorrectly labeled as “bikes redeemed.”

Weekend Event Guide: Warehouse sale, mutual aid, karaoke, and more

We’ll have some sun this weekend. Head out to Marine Drive and take part in a cleanup effort on Saturday. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

I hope you can see over the persistent existential dread of climate change enough to enjoy the relatively dry and sunny winter we are having. There’s more of that on tap for the weekend, so you might as well get out on a bike! Here are my picks for the weekend. Have fun out there.

Saturday, January 17th

BikeTiresDirect Warehouse Sale – 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at BTD HQ (NE)
This is it! A massive sale and perfect place to find what you need for all your rides. Up to 70% off and the entire warehouse is at least 25% off. More info here.

Forest Park Firelane 5 Dig Day – 9:00 am to 2:00 pm in Forest Park (NW)
A very cool opportunity to help maintain the only purpose-built singletrack in the entirety of Forest Park (sad, I know). Event is hosted by NW Trail Alliance in collaboration with Portland Parks. More info here.

Marine Drive Path Trail Cleanup – 10:00 am at Made in Oregon parking lot (NE)
Volunteer your time to help make our beloved bike path more inviting for everyone. Cargo bikes encouraged (but not required!) for helping carry trash bags. This event is organized by nonprofit SOLVE Oregon. More info here.

Inner Southeast Mutual Aid Ride – 10:00 am at Abernethy Elementary School (SE)
Join fellow Portlanders for a ride that will bring food and other items to free fridges and pantries in the neighborhood. Bring packaged, nonperishable staples, fresh vegetables, and so on. More info here.

Resolutions Ride – 10:00 am at Seth Lewelling Elementary (Milwaukie)
This is the monthly ride of Bike Milwaukie. The plan is to ride and then grab lunch in Milwaukie and share hopes and aspiration for the new year! More info here.

Karaoke Bike Ride – 2:30 pm at Abernethy Elementary School (SE)
“It’s different and a very specific vibe to karaoke while actually riding, that nearly everyone can’t see your face is liberating, having your body engaged in riding a bike is grounding and just the sense of freedom is so unique. It’s like regular karaoke but with your friends.” More info here.

Sunday, January 18th

All Bodies on Bikes Forest Park Ride – 10:00 am at Dragonfly Coffee (NW)
Get ready for a 15-mile out-and-back ride on unpaved Leif Erikson Road with about 1,000 feet of climbing. Gravel/MTB or bikes with wide tires recommended. 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.

TriMet to purchase former Greyhound terminal in Old Town

Former Greyhound bus terminal as it stands today on NW 6th Ave. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

*Updated with statement from TriMet at 11:23 am.*

The former Greyhound station in Old Town across the street from Union Station will soon house TriMet buses if a plan to purchase the building goes through. At a meeting this morning of Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT), TriMet General Manager Sam Desue announced a plan to reallocate funds currently set aside for zero emission buses and instead use it to purchase the Greyhound building for use as a bus layover facility.

“Due to our current financial situation, where we are reprioritizing the use of these funds,” Desue told fellow members of JPACT. “We currently have more buses that we need for our current operations. However, we’re not taking our foot off the gas regarding zero emission buses and purchases for the future.”

Desue went on to explain that TriMet intends to purchase the two-acre property at 550 NW 6th Avenue and convert it from a Greyhound terminal into a layover facility that can house up to nine, 60-foot spaces for TriMet buses. Currently, TriMet bus operators on the frequent service FX-2 Division Line layover in the transit mall on NW 5th and 6th avenues. TriMet says housing these buses indoors will be safer for operators, spur much-needed urban development in Old Town and satisfy a commitment TriMet made with the City of Portland in 2016 to not use a public street for extended layovers.

At their meeting today, JPACT authorized an amendment to the Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program (MTIP) that reallocates $4.1 million in federal funds previously intended for zero emission bus purchases and adds $7.9 million (a mix of federal and TriMet funds) for a total of $12 million.

According to the Portland Business Journal, the former Greyhound terminal is currently owned by Transportation Realty Income Partners LP, and it listed on the market for $10 million. Greyhound moved out of the building in 2019 and TriMet has had its eye on it ever since. TriMet says they hope to close on the property by this summer.

Below is more information about the proposed sale in email from TriMet just before noon on Thursday:

This is a unique opportunity for TriMet, as the funding strategy to acquire the former Greyhound property as a bus layover site leverages federal funds with the minimum possible investment of TriMet general funds. Given our constrained revenues and more than enough buses needed given our current and future service levels, we are not making this particular electric bus purchase this year.

TriMet is looking to reallocate existing federal funds and grant money to purchase the former Greyhound bus site at 550 Northwest 6th Avenue for a new bus layover facility. The need for additional bus layover space was identified back in 2016, during the planning phase of the Division Transit Project. When the City of Portland adopted the Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA) for the project, they included a provision, which said that TriMet would work with the City “to identify, plan and design a permanent off-street bus layover facility… near the north terminus of the transit mall.” The resolution gave a timeline of five-years from the Sept. 18, 2022 service launch of the Division Transit Project.

The site at 550 NW 6^th Avenue is uniquely suited to TriMet’s needs, as it located next to Union Station; close to TriMet MAX lines and the Steel Bridge; and serves TriMet access and future needs in this part of the city. It includes 2-acres of property on the transit mall, with an existing bus yard. Of the locations TriMet considered for the layover facility, the Greyhound site had the lowest up front capital investment requirements and the greatest long-term flexibility. It will serve buses from across the region; meet an urgent need for additional layover space; and has the opportunity to catalyze development directly adjacent to high capacity transit and Union Station.

The proposed transaction for the site leverages existing federal funds and federal grant monies that are not available for TriMet operations, maintenance or TriMet service, or other agency expenditures. A breakdown of the funding is below.

In addition to the $3.3 Million in federal formula dollars in this MTIP amendment, TriMet will be using $7.9 Million in FTA restricted funds for the purchase of this site. When TriMet sells a piece of property that was purchased with federal funds – a portion of the sale, attributed to federal funds – goes into a dedicated fund that we can only use for purchases like these and attached to other federal dollars like these formula funds.

TriMet’s Board of Directors was briefed on the topic in December, and you can watch that part of the meeting here. As for next steps, we expect our Board of Directors to vote on a Resolution related to the acquisition at their Jan. 28 meeting. We hope to close on the property as soon as this summer.

Job: Shipping Specialist – Velotech, Inc.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

Shipping Specialist

Company / Organization

Velotech, Inc.

Job Description

At Velotech, our goal is to get people out on their bikes. Whether it is road, trail or gravel we want to help people get out there and do it in the right gear. What started as a local bike club selling its excess imported tires has grown into one of the most extensive online retailers for tires, components, gear and nearly all other cycling-related products.

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 are available for general physical and/or minor administrative labor.

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 25lbs above your head without assistance.
– Stand for long periods of time.
– Be able to lift 50lbs 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.

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 fingers, 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, as well as climb ladders.

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.

WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU:
– Health Benefits – Medical, Dental, Vision, Life/LTD, EAP as well as a few other voluntary options.
– PTO, Floating Holidays, Sick Time
– Employee Discounts. Not just at Velotech but also at our parent company Backcountry.com (and a few others).
– A great team to work with, where your ideas matter and you can participate in decision making and grow in the company.

$18 – $19 an hour

Washington state applicants only: If you believe that this job posting does not comply with applicable Washington state law, please notify us by sending an email to HR@velotech.com.

Velotech, Inc. provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial, state or local laws.

How to Apply

If interested, please click on the link to apply, or go to our careers page at Velotech.com.
https://jobs.lever.co/cscgeneration-2/d2248fb1-0871-4b9f-96da-c4e87606ffdb

Pedego electric bike shop closes Portland store without notice

A completely empty Pedego store on NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. (Photo sent in by a reader)

An electric bike store in Northeast Portland has closed without notice, and customers say they’ve been left in a lurch.

Pedego Electric Bikes on Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd is empty as of this morning. The shop’s phone leads to a voicemail box that’s full and no longer receiving messages, the listing on Google Maps says it’s “Temporarily Closed,” and one customer said her email to own of the co-owners bounced back as undeliverable.

From what I’ve gathered based on emails from readers who were customers of the shop, it’s been closed since the end of December, “with no prior notice or even a note on the now empty store giving any information.” Folks who own Pedego bikes say they’ve received no email or other communication to explain the sudden abandonment. There’s no mention of any closure on the Pedego Portland website. On the brand’s main, corporate website, the Portland location is no longer listed.

One BikePortland reader who purchased a bike from the shop said the manager told her the staff were let go. “The owners just closed the shop all of the sudden,” the customer shared with BikePortland.

Pedego opened in Portland in February 2016 on SW 2nd Avenue downtown. They moved to the MLK Blvd location several years later and, based on what I’ve heard through the grapevine and read from online reviews, appeared to have a strong business.

While it’s unclear why the owners of the Portland location left without a trace, there are several plausible reasons for why the shop would close. An article published today in Bloomberg titled, “What’s killing off all the e-bike companies?” describes a very challenging market for e-bike brands as high costs and dwindling demand have hurt the industry. The Trump Administration’s tariffs are another challenge mentioned in the article.

But Pedego appeared to be on solid ground. The company made industry headlines in November of last year when they announced a new owner. That new owner, Urtopia, was billed as a way for Pedego and its dealers to save money and bring in new bike models. Bicycle Retailer & Industry News reported that the brand, who currently has about 120 stores nationwide, planned to grow its dealer count to as many as 500 stores by 2029.

The Portland location might just be part of a recalibration of dealers by the new owners. But the way they’ve abandoned our market has left a bad taste in customers’ mouths.

“I don’t know what to do. I’ve given up on getting service and I’m going to have to find another shop to help me,” one local Pedego owner told me. “I’m super disappointed and feel very abandoned. Especially the way they’ve done this, no notification. It feels really scammy.”

I’ve reached out to one of the owners of the Pedego Portland and have not yet heard back. I’ll update this story if and when I learn more.

Despite clear evidence, officer’s lack of citation illustrates discretionary loophole

The person with the green traffic signal went through the intersection. The person with the red signal failed to stop and hit the person with the green signal, who sustained serious injuries in the collision. The entire incident was clearly captured on video.

What happened to Lisa Timmerman while cycling on Southeast Clinton Street on June 27th, 2024 was as much of an open-and-shut case you could ever get. Even the responding officer understood that the driver of the blue sedan that hit Timmerman was at fault (and said so in the police report). But the officer chose to not issue a citation to the driver because she was, “remorseful and apologetic for hitting the cyclist.”

This jaw-dropping reason for letting someone off the hook who so clearly and egregiously failed to operate their vehicle in a safe manner was was hard for Timmerman (and any rational person) to swallow. On November 17th, 2025 she filed a complaint with the City of Portland’s Independent Police Review (IPR), claiming that the officer who worked her case should have issued the driver a citation.

The response from IPR wasn’t what Timmerman hoped for.

“In this case, the officer’s actions appear to be within policy,” wrote IPR Director Ross Caldwell. “Portland Police Bureau Directive gives officers discretion to issue citations. This is even true when a driver appears to be at fault. Because the Directive allows for this discretion, we cannot prove that there was misconduct.”

That makes sense from a technical and policy point-of-view; but its implications are maddening in the real world where there are vast disparities in the safety of road users and where so many people drive cars as if they are the only ones on the road.

“It seems like we could come up with all the creative consequences we want to deter dangerous driving,” Timmerman shared with me via email after reading the IPR response. “But if individual officers are not committed to roadway safety, it ultimately doesn’t matter.”

Timmerman added that she recently received a parking ticket, paid the $165 fine (she admits reading a sign incorrectly), and couldn’t help but notice the contrast in penalties.

On December 11th, Deputy City Administrator of Public Safety Bob Cozzie emailed Portland city councilors after several of them inquired to his office about Timmeman’s case. Speaking for the PPB, Cozzie wrote, “They recognize that some people feel frustrated that a citation was not issued in this case. PPB and I hear that concern, and we don’t take it lightly.”

“I disagree,” Timmerman said, when I asked her to respond to Cozzie’s statement. “I feel like they did take it lightly. This seems like a ‘thoughts and prayers’ response to me.”

What’s particularly galling about this case is that community and traffic safety advocates worked hard to pass a law in 2007 that addresses this exact situation: Where a driver causes serious injuries to a vulnerable road user and doesn’t face stiff enough consequences. To have someone simply say “Oops I’m sorry” to an officer and get off scot-free makes a mockery of that law.

In his email to councilors, Cozzie wrote that, “a citation is only a part of the potential consequence, the driver may also face civil liability.” This is also known as the “let the insurance companies figure it out,” approach. But that’s inherently unfair and unjust. “It puts the burden and cost of seeking the remedy on the crash victim,” Timmerman shared with me. She also pointed out that Oregon insurance minimums have not kept up with current medical costs. And, she says, “It’s a highly inequitable system because the outcome is dependent on who hits you: The outcome is completely different if a middle aged successful business person hits you versus a recent college grad versus a hit-and-run or uninsured driver.”

We need a better solution. What happened to Timmerman should never happen again.

“I just want there to be some consequence to communicate to the driver that this was very serious and they need to not repeat this action ever again,” she wrote to me via email. “There’s some real cognitive dissonance when we say safety is a priority, we know this is a dangerous corridor, and yet, when we stare the real-life consequences in the face we fail to act.”

Family searches for answers in mysterious death of SE Portland cyclist

One truism about investigating fatal bicycle crashes is that we often never know what happened because one of the best witnesses is no longer around to share their story. In the case of Mike Sloan, the 69-year-old who died on Southeast Division Street around 8:30 pm on January 5th, it remains unclear what precipitated his fatal crash.

The two main assumptions — made by myself, the Portland Police Bureau, and others immediately following his crash — were incorrect. Sloan was not riding eastbound on SE Division and he very likely did not lose control of his bicycle due to a large pothole located just west of the intersection of Division and SE 52nd.

A witness who’s shared their account with BikePortland and the PPB has confirmed that Sloan (who was wearing a helmet) was stopped at the southbound traffic signal on SE 52nd prior to his crash. That witness told me via email: “Sloan began riding southbound when the signal changed and lost control about halfway across the intersection.” The witness also recalls seeing Sloan “swerve toward the pothole.”

View south on 52nd at Division. This is where Sloan would have been waiting for the signal prior to his crash. Note location of the pothole. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

If Sloan lost control in the intersection, there’s no way he hit the pothole initially, because it’s located several yards outside the intersection. It’s also important to note that this witness claims Sloan, “bobbled a bit as he began to accelerate” and that he was rolling “quite slowly” before being seen flipping over his handlebars.

A few other factors I’ve considered while trying to understand Sloan’s final minutes: he was riding with cleats and clipless pedals, the cleat on his right shoe was broken, his body came to rest about one foot east of a large pothole, and this was a route (north and south on 52nd) he’d ridden dozens of times (which I learned from viewing his Ride With GPS account where he logged several rides per week).

Given that Sloan was a very experienced and veteran rider, it’s hard to fathom what could cause him to lose control of his bicycle. What I think is most plausible is that he had trouble clipping in to his pedal, reached down to mess with his cleat (which was broken, likely before this crash), lost his balance, and ended up veering to the right where he crashed near the pothole. It’s hard to say exactly what transpired without video solid video footage.

I’ve heard nothing to make me think there was another road user involved. That matters because solo fatal crashes don’t get the same type of resources from the PPB as multi-vehicle/multi-person fatals. You’ll note there was never a standard police statement about Sloan’s crash. That’s because the PPB (and Portland Bureau of Transportation, who follow the same reporting protocols) don’t consider this a “traffic-related fatality” as per National Highway Traffic Safety Administration guidelines (which don’t count intentional acts (homicides, suicides), medical events, non-motor vehicle crashes (like this one or a MAX/train collision), crashes on private property, or deaths occurring more than 30 days after the crash).

Also because this was a solo crash, the PPB Major Crash Team was not sent to the scene. If not for BikePortland’s coverage and the public/media interest it generated, there would have only been a very cursory investigation. Thankfully, now the PPB has assigned a crash investigator to take a closer look. That investigator has been in contact with Sloan’s family, witnesses, and I’ve traded notes with him as well.

Flowers to remember Sloan near where PBOT crews patched the pothole. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

It will be interesting to see what the PPB concludes about the cause of Sloan’s death. Sloan’s family is skeptical of the pothole explanation and feels the official story about what happened (that the pothole caused his crash) doesn’t make sense. And since this was a solo crash and is not considered a traffic-related fatality, the State Medical Examiner declined to do an autopsy. That leaves family members without a full understanding of what might have happened.

“The initial explanation we were given was that Mike’s accident was caused by a pothole in the road; however, the evidence we’ve seen does not align with that account, and our family is seeking clarity,” writes Sloan’s son-in-law Joshua Pattillo in a GoFundMe post where the family is trying to raise $8,000 to pay for a full autopsy.

Sloan was dearly loved by many people in our community and was clearly a shining light on a bicycle. He and his family deserve as much clarity and closure as possible. Please consider helping the family pay for costs related to his death by donating at the GoFundMe.

Councilor floats using climate tax funds to reverse TriMet service cuts

Portland City Councilor Mitch Green is worried our public transit system might be headed for a “doom loop” and he favors tapping into the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF) to prevent it. His comments at a meeting of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee this morning come just one week after TriMet proposed serious service cuts they say are necessary to grapple with a $300 million budget gap.

“In my view, the biggest threat to our climate goals is backsliding and losing ground on ridership,” Green said. “Which is a potential doom loop for transit.”

Green said making an investment into transit with PCEF dollars is something folks have been whispering about in private City Hall conversations, but now it’s time to bring it into the public. PCEF is a voter-approved fund administered by the City of Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability and made up of revenue collected from a 1% tax on the Portland sales of large retailers (companies that sell over $1 billion nationally and $500,000 locally).

Green was just spit-balling at this morning’s meeting, but he is clearly serious about the idea, which he described as, “Potentially approaching the climate investment plan (CIP, the plan that sets PCEF investment strategy) amendment process with a lens towards using some PCEF revenue to support TriMet through some sort of IGA [Inter-governmental Agreement].”

T & I Committee Chair Olivia Clark said she liked Green’s idea and wants to discuss it further at their next meeting.

T & I Committee Vice Chair Angelita Morillo said the topic of using PCEF funds for transit is already on the agenda for a meeting of council’s Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee scheduled for this Thursday, January 15th. The PCEF CIP adjustments on that agenda are part of a regular review process to make sure investments are set up for success and are in alignment with program goals. Separate from a larger investment in TriMet via an IGA as Councilor Green proposed, there’s currently a $15 million reduction to the CIP’s Targeted Electric Vehicle Financing Tools program that was slated to be spent instead on the Clean Energy in Regulated Multifamily Affordable Housing program. At least one councilor I talked to about that switch was uncomfortable that the funds were going from a transportation program to a housing program (given that transportation is the largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions). Given Morillo’s comments today it seems there’s an opportunity here — given the severity of TriMet service cuts that have recently come to light — to keep this $15 million in transportation and put it toward bus service.

If a PCEF deal between Portland and TriMet was struck, it wouldn’t be the first time climate tax dollars funded transit. Back in December 2024, TriMet won $55.5 million from PCEF for their 82nd Avenue Transit project.

At this morning’s meeting, Councilor Morillo said the Climate Committee (which she co-chairs) will, “discuss different options for about $15 million in PCEF dollars that are available.” “Whether or not we should keep using them for housing infrastructure and making that more climate-friendly, or, what if we invested it on the bus? This is an open discussion.”

And since there’s often heartburn among climate advocates and politicians whenever PCEF funds get stretched into new places, Morillo added, “And as a transit user that desperately needs some of the bus lines that are getting cut, we need to balance the need to protect PCEF and its integrity and what it was meant for, and also look at some of these emerging issues given that the federal and state legislature abandoned us on public transit issues.”

That sense of urgency to fund transit is shared by Councilor Green.

“Once people switch away from riding a bus and they decide to get in that car, they’re never going to go back to riding a bus,” he said at the meeting today. “Or if they do, it’ll take pretty herculean effort to do so.”

— Learn more about Thursday’s Climate Committee meeting and view the PCEF CIP ordinance here.

Monday Roundup: Why I’m a great driver, suburban transit, cost of cars, and more

Hi folks. I’m slowly getting the gears turning again after a nice and needed holiday break.

Cyclists drive better: This is a topic that comes up a lot in conversations, so it’s neat to see an article about it. The author shares a list of 10 ways being a cyclist carries over to safer driving. (Canadian Cycling Magazine)

On affordability: With all the talk of affordability in political and general policy circles, let’s not forget the huge impact the cost of cars has on Americans’ pocketbooks. (Streetsblog USA)

More about car costs: It’s not just advocacy outlets that are talking about the high cost of driving and how monthly payments have skyrocketed for folks whether they opt for a new car or a used one. (Washington Post)

Suburban divide: Fascinating dynamic in Dallas where several suburban cities want to leave the regional transit partnership because they don’t feel their residents get enough bang for their buck. Will they design their own transit systems or just not offer any service? Will the defections hurt the transit agency’s other customers? (Texas Tribune)

Yamhelas update: The proposed rail-trail in Yamhill County could be deleted from the transportation system plan if anti-trail County commissioners get their way. Meanwhile, supporters of the trail have mapped out an exciting plan to save the trail regardless of political shenanigans. (Newberg Graphic)

The O weighs in: In news that shouldn’t surprise anyone, the editorial board of our state’s paper of record has penned an essay saying Oregonians shouldn’t have to pay more for transportation services and they blame Oregon Governor Tina Kotek for the transportation bill SNAFU. (The Oregonian)

Grim outlook for IBR: This is a solid recap of where things stand with the beleaguered Interstate Bridge Replacement project with some interesting quotes from a Washington lawmaker about how one way out might be to drop the light rail component to save money. (The Urbanist)

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.

A quest to ride all of Washington County’s historic communities

Bacona, Greenville, Meacham, Mountaindale, Five Oaks, Philips, Lenox. Chances are, unless you’ve lived there, you’re a local history buff, or you’re a cyclist who likes to get off the beaten path, you’ve probably never heard of these oft-forgotten communities sprinkled throughout Washington County.

For Hillsboro resident Matt Traverso, these historic communities are the inspiration for what he calls the “Grand Cycling Tour of Washington County.” He’s on a mission to ride to all 150 (or so) small communities in the county — including abandoned logging camps and farming outposts that survive only as mysterious names on maps or on dilapidated wooden signs on the side of a dirt road.

Traverso is a PhD with a day job as a technical writer in the STEM field who also publishes articles on Medium about a wide range of topics from energy efficiency to gardening. He moved to Washington County in 2011 and says, “I won’t move again.” The county is Traverso’s “forever home,” and being a transplant has given him the curiosity to learn more about the area. Being a cyclist has given him the perfect vehicle to do it. Turns out that pedaling and pondering history pair perfectly.

On the website where he documents each ride (26 so far) with photographs and illuminating details about history, flora and fauna; Traverso says his goals for the Grand Tour are twofold: He wants to showcase Washington County as a top locale for cycling, and he wants more people to slow down and appreciate their surroundings.

“This is an exploration of our home,” Traverso writes on his website. “We tend to reduce our local environment to a few important places (work, home, shop, etc.). We ignore everything else as the junk we drive past. This is a community-driven journey to expand our perception of our surroundings. On each trip, I seek out the significant touchstones in each community to learn and share.”

He began this quest in September and far he’s about half-way done. He keeps a detailed record of which communities he’s explored on a map (see above) and his ride reports are excellent. If you are looking for inspiration or just need intel for fun cycling routes in Washington County, bookmark Traverso’s website and follow his adventures on Bluesky and/or Facebook.