Portland City Council to consider carfree South Park Blocks plan

Riding the South Park Blocks.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

At their weekly meeting this Thursday, Portland City Council will consider adoption of the South Parks Blocks Master Plan. Like myriad other planning documents, this plan is an unfunded mandate that identifies a vision for how the South Park Blocks could grow in the years to come.

These plans are usually passed without much drama because they’re the result of years of painstaking public outreach and don’t come with specific, required actions and timelines. But this plan might be different: Tucked into Appendix B of the plan is a joint proposal from Portland Parks and Recreation (PP&R) and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) that would create a carfree space on several blocks of Park Avenue West. The “Connected Cultural District” concept would expand the existing pedestrian plaza of Portland State University by six blocks near the Portland Art Museum and create a world-class segment of the Green Loop — a central city greenway corridor that was adopted by council in 2018.

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U.S. House-approved ‘INVEST in America Act’ includes $18 million for Portland road projects

U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer on 82nd Avenue, Friday July 9th, 2021.
(Photo: City of Portland)

U.S. Congressman and former Portland city commissioner Earl Blumenauer took a walk on Southeast 82nd Avenue on Friday to highlight a $5 million federal investment into the beleaguered road. The visit came a week after Blumenauer and his colleagues in the House of Representatives voted 221 to 201 to pass the INVEST in America Act, a bill that would inject $715 billion into transportation infrastructure nationwide.

The $5 million earmarked for 82nd comes amid unprecedented momentum for the state highway (OR 213) to finally be transferred into local hands after years of advocacy from safe streets activists and elected officials who are fed up with the State of Oregon’s management style. After years of pushing for the transfer, two more deaths on the street back in April pushed the issue to the front-burner. State lawmakers then teamed up with the City of Portland and Oregon Department of Transportation to hammer out a “historic” agreement that would allow the transfer to take place — but only if all the parties cough up the requisite funds — totalling nearly $200 million — to bring the road up to a state of good repair.

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Job: FT + PT Mechanic + Customer service – Everybody’s Bike Rentals

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

FT + PT Mechanic + Customer service

Company / Organization

Everybody’s Bike Rentals

Job Description

EBR is approaching it’s tenth year in business and we’re the only shop in Portland renting high end mountain and gravel bikes. We have several other categories to fit most needs with nearly 100 bikes in the fleet excluding tandems and trikes. The majority of our customers leave happy and stay in touch with us sending photos and stories of their adventures and we strive to keep it that way while not compromising our own happiness and wellbeing. This balance is essential to EBR.
The shop is under new ownership and getting a makeover but the overflow of business has been prioritized over renovations and repairs. I need more hands on deck so I can stay focussed to recreate the website and shop space and maintain the integrity of the bikes.
Our 2021 mission is to reconnect people to their natural sense of wonder and adventure! We are committed to maintaining a healthy and vitalized workplace by frequently evaluating our systems in search of opportunities for growth and innovation.
Our team will thrive by having a strong work ethic, positive attitude, and problem solving skills. An ideal candidate will have mechanical aptitude ( shop experience is prioritized but not required ). Must have or actively strive for excellent communication skills. Honesty and authenticity a must.
A typical workday involves responding to rental requests online, on the phone and in person, preparing specific needs for each reservation and maintaining the fleet. At times it will be a very busy environment and being able to navigate between customers, phone calls and quick repairs can be challenging. If you have a strong inner compass, know your boundaries while feel genuinely aligned with the mission of EBR then we want you on board.
While this is a seasonal business, we are currently developing positions to maintain staff in the winter.
Full time customer service position and bike mechanic position. Part time hours can be accommodated. Positions are available now.
Weekend days a must with few exceptions. Pay is competitive. Benefits pending. Let’s ride!

How to Apply

Email resume with cover letter and references to Ryan Smith pdxbikerentals@gmail.com. Visit 305 NE Wygant st. Call 503-358-0152

Climate anxiety leads to action for Portland bike shop owners and freeway fighters

Look for it at your local bike shop.

The recent heat wave, looming wildfire risks, and lawmakers’ tone deaf support of freeway expansions are fueling high anxiety about climate change in the Portland region. And as you might expect, many people are organizing and taking action to do something about it.

There’s now a “Bike Action Team” that has formed under the local chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, a nationwide effort to boost awareness and support for the federal Energy Innovation and Carbon Dividend Act. The legislation would put a price on carbon and send taxpayers a carbon dividend check. We first reported about local support for this effort back in March. Since then, six more local bike shops have signed onto the Business Climate Leaders Bicycle Industry Climate Declaration. Backpedal Cycleworks, Block Bikes PDX, Gladys Bikes, Joe Bike, Kenton Cycle Repair, and New Age Bike Works are the six new shops on the list. They join Clever Cycles, Cyclepath, Cynergy E-Bikes, The eBike Store, Inc., Fat Tire Farm, Go By Bike, Nomad Cycles, Recumbent PDX, River City Bicycles, Rose City Recumbent Cycles and West End Bikes.

You’ll likely see this poster (right) at these shops next time you stop in. The poster has QR codes where you can learn about the legislation and send your congressional representative a note to urge their support.

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From the Archives

With six kids and no car, this mom does it all by bike