If you’ve been wondering what the City of Portland means when they talk about “going Platinum”, look no further than this fascinating video called “Copenhagen, City of Cyclists”. It was sent to me by a reader whose wife works for PSU’s Center for Transporation Studies.
This 22 minute video perfectly illustrates the goals and visions that Portland’s bike advocates are striving for. Here are the links:
I checked out the Last Thursday Artwalk on Alberta last week.
I was hoping to see the Clownhouse in all its glory, but unfortunately the rain kept them from most of their fun. The yard was empty of craziness (don’t worry, it will come later), but the house itself was full of energy and I discovered some great bike art by Tiago Denczuk, a.k.a. “Pinga”. I also came across a bike hanging in the window of the pedX shoe store.
Right now the Chief of Police and Mayor Tom Potter are working to find a new Commander of the Traffic Division to replace the retiring Bill Sinnott. Bill was an ally to the bike community and we need to make sure his successor is just as open and willing to work with us.
This position has a big impact on our experience as cyclists. The Traffic Division writes 82% of this city’s tickets and they’re also the ones that show up to Critical Mass and work permitted events like bike parades. We need the new commander to be on our side. Just take a look at some of the stuff Bill did for the bike community during his tenure:
[Posted by username “tentboy”]
56cm green/silver 2005 Van Dessel Country Road Bob cyclocross bike. flip flop hub, no good components to sell off, nothing fancy–why did they steal it? Stolen March 22 in front of Lloyd Cinemas. tentboy@gmail.com. Thanks!
Last Saturday 150 people filled the Eugene Hilton to share ideas and learn more about an effort to establish Oregon as the top cycling destination in the country. The participants came from every corner of the state and ranged from politicians, bike shop owners, bike industry entrepreneurs, and at least one “BMX mom”.
The event was emceed by Bike Gallery owner Jay Graves and he got things off to an inspirational start by having each person stand up and introduce themselves. From that moment on, it was clear that this summit will go down as a seminal moment in the history of bicycle tourism in Oregon.
I love emails from readers. They run the gamut from people seeking advice to diatribes about this or that bike issue. I got one last Friday that I won’t soon forget. It was sent (along with this photo) from a soldier in Iraq named Joe:
“Jonathan, I really enjoy your website and can’t wait to get back to Fort Lewis to do some more cycling in the Northwest! I’ll be coming down to Portland as soon as my deployment in Iraq is complete. In the meantime, I’ve been doing my stationary cycling on my spinner in order to keep in shape for the STP. Thanks for supporting the great cycling of the NW!”
Allan, Carie and two year-old Cody Folz have just returned from a bike tour through southeast Asia. They pedaled the roads of Laos and Thailand on their tandem with Cody in a child seat. The photo on the right was taken just minutes after they returned to their home in North Portland.
Welcome back guys!
I’ve enjoyed Allan and Carrie’s engaging emails from the road…and now you can too. If you’d like to read some great travel writing, Ayleen Crotty has posted all some of their reports on her ORBike.com blog.
I’m not sure if this is an April Fools prank or the real thing, but this message has just been posted in the Zoobomb forum:
“Your “Zoo Run” is over!!!! your bikes are gone. You can forget about them. They didn’t float. The whole thing is tired and you should all get jobs or do something productive. We are all sick of you and your lame shinanagans. Give it up. You are a traffic hazard and a threat to safety. Stop before you kill someone. You just suck!!!!!!
Sincerely,
FED UP!!!”
And here’s the reaction from a veteran Zoobomber:
It’s a fantastic day for cycling in Portland. I got up early to join friends on the Hawthorne Bridge for free pastries and coffee from Shift’s Breakfast on the Bridge crew. The sun welcomed cheery commuters and the conversation flowed as nicely as the hot coffee…
Saw some cool bikes too. Here’s a list of my favorites:
Michael Chen, president of Mountain Cycle and board member of parent-company Kinesis, has just released the first official statement regarding the local layoffs and shutdown of Mountain Cycle.
Portland Rock Gym has a cool little program to help keep their customer’s bikes safe. They have a big sign on their rack (see photo) that says “Cable locks are not secure”. Then, they take it a step further by loaning out U-locks to members that need one.
According to Yuval, the gym’s manager, they’ve had 2 or 3 bikes stolen recently and the club felt terrible that this happened on their property. He also added, “it’s not that expensive and it’s a good service to our customers.”
Portland has recently been named the best city in America for both walking and biking and the City wants to spread the word. They’re going to put up 22 new signs touting this great news that will be placed right below existing “Welcome to Portland” signs on all major highways leading into the city. For the first time ever, city traffic engineers are asking for our input on the design of these signs.