The NE 33rd Street bridge over Lombard Street was demolished last week, closing bike access to Marine Drive, a popular destination for Portland cyclists. The old bridge had limited weight capacity so it had to go and according to Paul Gorlick of the Portland Office of Transportation, “it is not expected to reopen until late September 2006. NE 33rd Ave is closed to traffic between Dekum St and Columbia Boulevard.”
Last week I was invited to be a guest panelist for a class project on Portland’s bike culture at Lewis and Clark College. I had a good time and realized that I really love talking about Portland bike stuff…I could do it all day. I answered questions on everything from Critical Mass to bike safety. The other panelist was a guy named Kelly Rogala. Kelly is the bike fun kingpin at Lewis and Clark because he manages the “Bike Room” and he founded the Pedal Pushers, a new club on campus devoted to bike fun.
The thing I love most about this site is all the amazing and intelligent bikey people it gives me an excuse to meet with. Just to give you an idea of what I mean, here’s a list of the meetings I’ve had just this week.
Local bike advocate, Aaron Tarfman (seen here at Worse Day on the Year Ride) attended the recent Sellwood Bridge Task Force Meeting. Here what he found out:
On March 4, 1986 Roger Noehren established Citybikes (it was turned into a workers cooperative in 1990). Twenty years later, the shop is an icon, essential resource and shop of choice for thousands of Portland cyclists.
While on a recent visit I noticed this little sign on their door. I wondered if I’d missed the party, but it turns out that they haven’t officially celebrated just yet. According to employee/owner Beth Hamon, they are planning a celebration this summer. Stay tuned for details on what is sure to be an event you won’t want to miss.
Thank you Citybikes for being such a great shop and resource for the bike community (and for selling my stickers!).
[Posted by user “edi rodriguez”]
bike stolen from my garage 31st and killingsworth about 2pm thurs 23rd. the bike is a 58 in frame 04 giro teal with a yellow water bottle holder, there are about 2400 miles on the odometer and it has worn out armadillo tires. the serial # is: H4A26050 . please help any info call edi rodriguez 503 680 0365
I know the Blazers aren’t exactly everyone’s favorite team these days…but a bike party is a bike party, and that’s exactly what we’ve got shaping up with the first-ever Bike to Blazers Night Ride. According to the always helpful Lisa B. over at Blazers Headquarters, we’ve already sold over 30 tickets (get yours here)!
Since $5 from each ticket ($15 each) goes to the Get Lit program, that means we’ve already raised $150 to keep our streets safe and buy lights for cyclists in need (and, rumor has it that Get Lit might expand into helmets too).
Last week, the Community Cycling Center named Susan Remmers their new Executive Director. Susan (known as “Remmers” to friends) was an unknown quantity to me so I wanted to find out what she’s all about.
Why do I care who’s in charge of the CCC? Well, as a well-known non-profit and retail bike shop, the CCC is an integral part of our bike community and their leader can have a big impact on the Portland bike ecosystem.
I just stopped into Veloshop downtown. When I saw the front window broken out and Molly, the shop’s owner, on the phone and in a somber mood, I expected the worst.
Turns out, last night someone broke her window and made out with several thousand dollars of bike parts. For a small shop like Molly’s, this is a big hit.
[Posted by user “sglmalts”]
Stolen from our porch (N Mississippi & Holland St.). Black 20″ Giant Frantic with hot rod flames on the fenders and chain guard. Serial #AT225225. If found, call Marc 503-880-4467.
After more than 25 years with the Portland Police Bureau, Traffic Division Commander Bill Sinnott will move on to a new career.
Sinnott was a tremendous ally of the bike community. He was open and sincere about working with us to find solutions and ease the sometimes tense relationships between cyclists and cops. He regularly attended meetings with Critical Mass participants, and his work with the Critical Mass Working Group was recently recognized with an Alice Award nomination. He was also instrumental in the Bureau’s free bike light program, which was covered nationally by CBS Sunday Morning.
PepsiCo, the global corporation that owns brands like Doritos and Gatorade, has taken notice of an ad by iconic Portland bike shop, River City Bicycles. At issue is one of PepsiCo’s oldest and most valued brands, Quaker Oats.
