(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
Family Biking: Here’s how to ace Walk + Roll to School Day
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
The Monday Roundup: Untokenizing, emissions omissions, De Blasio’s blunder, and more
This week’s roundup is brought to you by Harvest Century, the last major organized ride of the season which comes to the beautiful roads of rural Washington County on September 22nd.
With eye on Portland-area freeway expansions, ODOT announces new “Mega Projects” office
The Oregon Department of Transportation is bulking up to handle a future where the Portland region is an epicenter of highway megaprojects.
In an email (below) sent yesterday afternoon to all employees, ODOT Deputy Director Paul Mather announced the formation of the new Office of Urban Mobility & Mega Projects to be based in Portland. A search process for a manager of this office is just getting underway.
The move comes in response to House Bill 2017, the $5.3 billion transportation package passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2017. That bill laid out funding for several projects in the Portland region (ODOT Region 1) and it defined “mega transportation projects” as those that, “cost at least $360 million to complete, that attract a high level of public attention or political interest because of substantial direct and indirect impacts on the community or environment or that require a high level of attention to manage the project successfully.” (The bill also established the Joint Interim Task Force On Mega Transportation Projects.)
Among the projects ODOT will focus on in this new office are expansions to I-5 and I-205, and an effort to re-kindle the Columbia River Crossing.
‘Truck Trike’ maker seeks new partner for licensing and production
(Photo: Mark Gamba)
Remember the Truck Trike?
It was almost 10 years ago when we first introduced you to this Portland-made, Portland-desinged, bike lane legal, electric-assisted bicycle that can haul up to 600 pounds of cargo. Bill Stites (Stites Design) has evolved his product considerably since then. When we last heard from him a year ago his trikes were being tested by UPS in a last-mile delivery pilot project up in Seattle.
Traffic diverters get painted and bring neighbors together in north Portland
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
In too many city planning departments, diverters is a dirty word. As we’ve seen numerous times here in Portland, proposals to redirect which streets people are allowed to drive on is often met with vitriol.
Weekend Event Guide: Save Alpenrose, critical mass for the climate, Bike Beaverton, and more
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
PBOT touts ‘significant success’ of traffic calming project on Lincoln-Harrison
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
The City of Portland has released the first batch of traffic analysis data for one of their most contentious projects in years and the numbers look good if you’re a fan of safer streets.
Bike shop news: Driver crashes into Cat Six Cycles, Crank Bicycles closing
(Photo: Cat Six Cycles)
I’ve got two bits of bike shop news to share…
Tech troubles delay opening of secure parking at TriMet bike-and-ride facilities
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
There’s perhaps no more important place for high-quality bicycle parking than a location where bike theft is rampant and that sits at the bottom of a big hill separating two major employment zones.
That’s why many bicycle users were excited about the new bike parking at TriMet’s Goose Hollow MAX station. Unfortunately the facility is now over a year behind schedule and remains mostly unused. Reached this morning for comment, TriMet says a technology issue is preventing them from opening the high-tech secure facilities at three stations: Goose Hollow/Jefferson Street, Beaverton Creek, and Gateway Transit Center.
State commission close to making pick for ODOT director
The Oregon Transportation Commission just announced a special meeting that will take place on Wednesday where they are likely to choose a new leader of the Oregon Department of Transportation.
ODOT’s longtime director Matt Garrett announced his resignation back in January and left the agency in June. An OTC search committee has been meeting since March to choose his successor.
The Willamette Week reported in late August that three finalists have been chosen. On the short list are Contra Costa Transportation Authority Director Randell Iwasaki, New Hampshire Department of Transportation Director Victoria Sheehan, and current ODOT Highway Department Manager Kris Strickler.
Family Biking: Two tweens on a family bike (part one)
(Photos: Madi Carlson)
I just realized I can still carry both my kids on my bike! But just barely. The barely part is due both to my ability to carry them and the amount of space on my bike. The ability part isn’t about not having an e-assist (though that would certainly make it easier and more fun), but being able to muscle the bike off its kick-stand and to hold it upright when stopped.
This has me thinking about biking with two tweens in general — as a single unit, that is — and how/if it’s really feasible.
The Monday Roundup: Profiling, transit victory, bad drivers, e-bikes and more
This week’s Monday Roundup is sponsored by the Lumberyard Bike Park, where bike-themed birthday dreams come true.