The Midnight Mystery Ride is one of many Portland bike culture traditions that is being forced to reconcile with social distancing requirements during the Covid-19 outbreak.
Tonight: Choose your own adventure to keep Midnight Mystery Ride alive
Portland Mayor fears more people in the street, Oakland Mayor embraces them
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
It’s been a rip-roaring 24 hours in the streets activism world.
We’ve seen Portland’s Mayor say “no” to adapting streets to be in line with Covid-19-induced behaviors. We’ve seen the City of Oakland become a national sensation for saying the opposite. We’ve had some important chats about how groups that work with people of color see the issue. And we’ve had our first dose of tactical urbanism from someone who’s tired of waiting for changes.
It started when Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler took to Twitter to answer a question about giving more street space to give people on foot and bikes. Wheeler deferred to Portland’s transportation bureau and said, “If we close a street, we potentially make it more attractive and create a destination where large groups can congregate. This is exactly the opposite of what we want to do.”
Covid-19 news roundup: ‘Locals only’, Historic Hwy closure, slipstream science, and more
It’s sort of amazing to me that it’s been about a month since we got serious about this pandemic and there’s still a major split in local cycling circles about whether it’s a good idea to ride outside and how/where to ride if you do.
Mask or no mask? Are rural routes OK? Or should we stay close-to-home? How far can the virus fly in the air?
We’ve published six stories on biking and Covid-19 since March 12th and there’s still new information coming out — and even more confusion as it does. With amazing weather on tap for the weekend, it’s time to make sure you have the best info to help you make informed decisions about riding (or not).
Here’s some of the latest news and my thoughts on the situation…
5 years after launch, PPB Bike Theft Task Force leader says problem remains ‘very bad’
(Photos: Portland Police)
Bike thieves do not care about the pandemic. In fact, it’s probably encouraging them to steal more.
According to the Portland Police Bureau Bike Theft Task Force, bike theft in March was up 25% compared to last year. Task Force leader Officer Dave Sanders says it’s “very bad” out there right now.
The BTTF was launched five years ago this week. We haven’t reduced bike theft as much as we’d hoped, but the task force itself remains strong and is doing excellent work. While Portland is a leader in bike theft with about 10,000 bikes stolen each year (over one per hour), we are also a leader in recoveries. According to PPB data, they’ve recovered 30% more bikes so far this year than last. That’s $100,000 worth of stolen bikes back in the hands of their owners. The key? Registration.
“We could solve bike theft overnight if everyone would take a few minutes today to walk out to their garage and register their bikes,” Ofcr. Sanders shared with me this week.
Sanders is on the frontlines of the bike theft epidemic. As he scours the city looking for stolen bikes, he’s also been a victim himself. It happened back in January and it just happened again last week.
Portland has slashed the price of the Biketown bike share system
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
A bikey birthday gathering in the time of Covid-19
**Watch the video below.**
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)
The coronavirus has changed a lot of things about our daily lives, but it hasn’t stopped Portland’s bike-inspired street culture from blossoming.
BikePortland’s first post was 15 years ago today
Can you believe this site started with an innocent, 100-word post about biking to an ice cream shop with my wife and daughter 15 years ago? I can’t.
On April 8th, 2005 I hit “Publish” and had no idea I would spend nearly every day of my life for the next 15 years thinking and writing about biking and other transportation issues in Portland.
I had only lived in Portland for about a year or so before starting the site. But that was enough time to understand that this place was different. That it mattered. And that these things called blogs would be the perfect place for a “citizen journalist” (which is what people used to call me) to capture it all. From those first days my goal was to create a central place where our community could gather, learn and be inspired, then go out and do more amazing things for me to document. It was — and is! — the best kind of positive feedback loop I could ever imagine.
Opinion: Commissioner Eudaly should act now to make streets more virus-resistant
(Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Masks, more room, and passing etiquette: The new rules for riding
The Age of Masks is upon us.
Becky Jo’s Carfree Life: Cats and Quarantine
How do you do pet care without a car?
My cat is freaking out.
Jobs of the Week: The CCC, Santa Barbara Bike Coalition, Portland Pedal Power, Velotech
The economy is reeling, but there are still jobs to be had in the bike world.
Learn more about our freshest listings via the links below…
– Mechanic/Brand Ambassador Rider – Portland Pedal Power by Waiter.com
– Youth Programs Supervisor-Safe Routes to School – Community Cycling Center
– Customer Experience Specialist – Velotech, Inc.
– Executive Director – Santa Barbara Bicycle Coalition
Covid-19 Small Bike Business Resource Guide: Part 3 – A Roundup of Revenue Sources
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePorltand)
The final installment of our three-part series written by Rebecca Small and Shawn Small.
On Friday, we shared information on the two programs that are intended to help you maintain payroll. However, businesses have other expenses besides payroll.
Though not an exhaustive list, the resources below can help you pay for things such as; fixing your broken cargo delivery bike, hiring a financial advisor to help you make a two-year plan, or buying camera equipment to create high-quality videos to take advantage of new streaming/remote/virtual business opportunities.