BikePortland

City issues fact sheet on shared lane markings

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

[Shared lane marking, a.k.a. “sharrow”.]
(Photo by Todd Boulanger)

These roadway markings in Northwest Portland are known as shared lane markings, or sharrows. They were installed back in September as an experimental project, and they’re still awaiting official sanction.

Because the markings are still new to many road users, the City of Portland has developed a list of frequently asked questions. They’re not available anywhere online yet, so I’ve gotten permission to publish them here:

Laughing Horse Books is a collectively run bookstore in Southeast Portland that was co-founded by Tim Calvert, who also co-founded the Citybikes Cooperative bike shop. As you might have read on IndyMedia, Laughing Horse has been forced to move due to a rent increase.

Turns out they want to do the move by bike! Here are the details.

It will take a major effort to make this happen and it would be a great way for the bike community to show support for this important neighborhood resource. If you aren’t familiar with bike moves, check out this recap and photos from last month.

Sam Adams to ride with Sunnyside kids

[From a BTA press release]

Sam has been known to ride in Portland’s controversial Critical Mass ride, but this Friday, he will be taking part in a different sort of group bike ride. 5th graders at Sunnyside Environmental School and community volunteers will ‘helmet’ up to take a 2-hour ride through SE Portland. All week, the students have been learning and practicing bike safety skills as part of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) Bicycle Safety Education program. The program started in 1998 and has taught traffic savvy to over 25,000 Oregon kids. The 10-hour program emphasizes on-bike practice to teach kids how to safely ride on-street.

If you think bicycle commuters deserve the same tax benefits from employers that already exist for drivers and transit users now is the time to make your voice heard. I just got this urgent call to action from Jessica Roberts at the BTA.

The Portland Development Commission needs to hear from you about what traffic safety projects you care about on the Vancouver/Williams corridor.

The meeting is tonight from 6-8PM. I know this is way late notice, but this is an important opportunity to weigh in on traffic safety issues. If I could make it, I would tell them about how Adaptive Path Construction put this fence and dumpster dangerously into the bike lane.

Hopefully some of you can attend. Here are all the details

Is it time to change stop sign laws?

[Photo by
quite peculiar.]

For many years, the prevailing mantra from bicycle advocates has been, “Same roads, same rights, same rules.” Beyond a catchy slogan, the thought is that this puts bicycles on a level playing field with motorists in the court of law and public opinion. This seems to make sense.

However, the problem with this thinking is that bicycles and motorized vehicles are vastly different, both in physical makeup and more importantly, in their potential to cause harm when an illegal maneuver results in a collision. It also seems unfair that given this difference in potential to cause harm, bicycles are levied the exact same fines as motor vehicles.

Under current law, a grandma rolling through a stop sign on her three-speed receives the same $242 ticket as the guy in the big SUV.

The Community Exchange Cycle Touring Club needs volunteers for the Free Community Bike Repair Clinics on Saturdays.

Two of our regular volunteer mechanics, Scott Potter and Evan Burgad, are now working at Fat Tire Farm and Gateway Bicycles respectively on Saturdays. We want to give them a big thank you for helping in the clinics tiredlessly since Feburary. If you drop in at those shops, don’t forget to say Hi to these two great bike mechanics and community builders!

[NOTE to readers: This post is coming to you via my new “Volunteer” category. I am experimenting with this as a way to increase visibility for volunteer opportunities. Like the Stolen Bike Listings, these posts will not show up on the front page of the site, they will only show up in the RSS feed, email notifications and in the “Recent Posts” lists in my sidebar. Thanks and let me know if you have any feedback.]

Reach the Beach is a 2,000 rider strong benefit bicycle ride for the
American Lung Association of Oregon (ALAO). You don’t need to be on a
bike to make a huge difference in the ALAO’s work to promote lung
health and clean air. Over 300 volunteers are needed to make this
event a success on May 20th. SIGN UP TODAY!

Yesterday morning the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division set up a sting at SE 23rd and Salmon streets. Several cyclists were given $242 dollar fines (the same amount for motor vehicles) for rolling through the four-way stop.

This enforcement “mission” was motivated by a phone call to 823-SAFE (the City’s traffic safety hotline) several weeks ago by a woman who lives near that intersection. According to Traffic Division Lieutenant Mark Kruger, she complained that bicyclists were running the stop sign at speed without even slowing down and when she tried to confront them about it they became “caustic” (argumentative and sarcastic). Here’s more from Lieutenant Kruger:

Local artist, cyclist, historian, and general renaissance man Shawn Granton has just unveiled the much anticipated Pedalpalooza poster. The official poster will be done up right by Stumptown Printers but isn’t ready just yet.

In the meantime, Shawn sent me a hi-res version that I strongly recommend you print it out, stick in your cubicle and dream of the bike fun that awaits you from June 8-24th.

Behold (click to make bigger):

[Posted by “Alan”]

My 2004 Trek 9400 with wide back fenders and narrow slick tires was stolen from the parking lot above 24 hr fitness at SW 5th and Clay on May 10th 2006. I bought it from Coventry Bicycles at SE 20th and Hawthorne last summer. It has a water cage, pump and a rear MT-1 rack. Rock shock front fork. Contact me by email if you have info. And thanks for all the fish! serial # ww1787494

alan_hahn@yahoo.com

Ride of Silence planned for Portland

On May 17th at 7:00PM, thousands of cyclists around the world will gather and ride in silent solidarity to remember cyclists that have been killed. The Ride of Silence started in Dallas, Texas in 2003 and will happen in 225 cities in the U.S (including five in Oregon).

Amazingly though, until today there was no ride planned for Portland. Good thing local cyclist John McCaffery came along. In the last few days he has organized a route, obtained a permit, and has just announced the details.

City issues fact sheet on shared lane markings

Laughing Horse Bookstore to move by bike

Sam Adams to ride with Sunnyside kids

Action alert: Support the Bicycle Commuter Act

Vancouver/Williams traffic safety meeting tonight

Is it time to change stop sign laws?

Volunteer: Bike Repair Clinics

Volunteer: Reach the Beach

Police sting cyclists in response to complaint

Pedalpalooza poster unveiled

Stolen: Blue Trek 9400

Ride of Silence planned for Portland

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