4/25: Hello readers and friends. I'm still recovering from a surgery I had on 4/11, so I'm unable to attend events and do typical coverage. See this post for the latest update. I'll work as I can and I'm improving every day! Thanks for all your support 🙏. - Jonathan Maus, BikePortland Publisher and Editor

Willamette Week: Portland’s Vision Zero efforts “not working”

“Portland’s streets are killing fields.”

That’s the opening salvo in a Willamette Week cover story that tries to make the case that the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Vision Zero efforts are failing.

Blindsided is a photo essay and reporting effort that will likely have a big impact on local transportation discussions for weeks and months to come. It uses personal stories from a range of Portlanders to illustrate the vast problem of unsafe roads and to poke holes in the City’s effort to fix them. The focus of the piece isn’t a surprise given that so far this year 35 people have been killed in traffic-related incidents. That’s one more than we recorded for all of 2018.

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Racing news roundup: Rathe conquers gravel, Wrye-Simpson gets her due, Point-S Nokian off to Colorado

L to R: Team Point S Nokian, Jacob Rathe, Team S&M CX.

I often feel like we should talk a lot more about Portland’s bike racing scene and the people who make it tick. After all, our region has a dynamic community of people who love competitive cycling in all its forms.

At this point in the season, many of those folks are switching gears from road and track racing to cyclocross. Before we embark on another muddy season, I want to share a few racing-related tidbits on my list…

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Bill Walton rides again! And you can join him during Sunday Parkways

Let your mind wander back to the halcyon days of the 1970s…

You’re sitting on your porch with a drink after work and you see the biggest sports star in town pedaling a bicycle up your street. “Good luck tonight Bill!” you call out as none other than Portland Trail Blazer star Bill Walton rides by with a huge smile on his face.

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Hearts, Minds, and thighs: A Gorge Pedal recap

With incredible support from many people and organizations, the Gorge Pedal ride happened this July. It delights my soul that this happened and reinforces several public and hidden agendas in regard to our needs of our incredible World Heritage Site worthy Columbia River Gorge.

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Pearl District building owner violated city code by blocking bike racks with locked gates

Gates succeed at keeping everyone out; but they fail at complying with city code.
(Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)

The owners of the Asa Flats & Lofts in the Pearl District wanted to prevent people from sleeping in alcoves of their building along Northwest Marshall and Lovejoy streets. Their solution was to erect large metal gates. But the gates kept out more than people seeking refuge, they also prevented customers of nearby businesses from accessing bike racks.

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Guest post: Biking away (some of) my Amazon Prime guilt

The author on his Benno e-bike.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

This story is by northwest Portland resident, Planning & Sustainability Commissioner and devoted civic activist, Chris Smith.

I confess, I’m a heavy user of Amazon Prime. Not in the “I’m too lazy to go to the grocery store” way, but more of a “there’s so much selection, I can get exactly the thing I’m looking for!” way. If I can buy what I need locally, I definitely do.

I’m aware of the potential negative impacts of this convenience: exploitation of workers at Amazon warehouses, impact on local retail and — especially given the focus of my activism — last mile impacts on the local transportation system.

I think I have an answer for that last point: Amazon Lockers.

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Family Biking: Go beyond parks and campgrounds with these bike camp hacks

The best camp-hacking comes with a pool, cake, and karaoke.
(Photos: Madi Carlson)

Did you know house sitting is now called (by some at least) “rent hacking”? It sounds cool, but I prefer “camp hacking,” a term I coined for camping options beyond the usual parks and campgrounds. If you’re looking for a quick-and-dirty way to camp with your bikes, maybe it’s time to think outside the box.

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Comment of the Week: Let’s stop with the bikes-on-sidewalk B.S.

(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Our post last week about the new crossing treatment on Northeast 37th at Prescott attracted a lot of ire. The vast majority of people we heard from do not like the new design.

High on the list of grievances is the fact that the transportation bureau decided to route bicycle users up onto a narrow sidewalk.

Long-time BikePortland reader and noted local activist Betsy Reese wasn’t having it. In fact, you could say she called B.S. on the idea.

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