BikePortland

No bike groups are represented on I-5 Bridge Replacement project advisory committee

Wednesday evening is the first meeting of the community advisory group (CAG) for the I-5 Bridge Replacement program — the new effort from Washington and Oregon departments of transportation to improve the crossing of the Columbia River between Portland and Vancouver. It’s one of three advisory groups that will help the DOTs avoid the fate of the failed Columbia River Crossing project.

Getting to the bridge and crossing the river is currently terrible for bicycle users and this project could attract billions of federal dollars to make it better. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make it easy to bike between these two growing cities — both on the bridge itself and on street connections on both ends.

However, despite the importance of bicycling in this project and the project’s own contention that the CAG will, “develop recommendations to help ensure the program outcomes reflect community needs, issues and concerns,” the 32-member body does not include anyone who represents a cycling advocacy group.

Screen Shot 2021-01-27 at 10.24.42 AM — Current concept for the Portland Opportunity Dwelling ™.
(Graphic: POD the People, based on input from James Fritz)

What if there was a form of shelter that was much less expensive than housing and more private, comfortable and mobile than living on the street?

(Photos from last night’s vigil by Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Friends, family, and many people who never knew Jean Gerich gathered to remember her Tuesday night. The 77-year-old Gerich was killed Monday in the intentional vehicular assault in southeast Portland that left at least nine other people injured.

Screen Shot 2021-01-26 at 12.25.50 PM — Police and media at SE 18th and Stark on Monday.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The owner of six Bike Gallery retail store locations in the Portland region has decided to sell the business to Trek Bicycle Corp.

The crime scene on Southeast Stark yesterday.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

View looking west on Stark from SE 21st.

(Photos from the scene by Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The Getting There Together (GTG) coalition has turned up the volume on their efforts to influence who TriMet picks to be their next general manager.

The coalition — which has dozens of members including biking and walking-related nonprofits like The Street Trust, Oregon Walks, Oregon Trails Coalition, WashCo Bikes, and the Community Cycling Center — is urging the public to join them and testify at the TriMet Board Meeting on Wednesday. The meeting agenda (PDF) includes Resolution 21-0149 that calls for, “Adopting a General Manager Job Description and Informing the Public of the General Manager Search Committee and Appointment Procedure.”