The Portland Art Museum has proposed a new design for their forthcoming Rothko Pavilion project that includes an open walkway through Madison Plaza on the South Park Blocks. The move comes after the museum fielded widespread opposition to previous plans that would have would have closed off the 24/7 public access through the plaza that people enjoy today.
Bird just announced they have launched a new data dashboard to, “help cities incorporate and manage e-scooters into their transportation mix.”
A company spokesman tells us, “For starters, the platform will include: A data dashboard of Bird usage; Geo-fencing capabilities to tell Bird riders not to ride or park somewhere; Community mode so anyone can report unsafe riding or parking; Rider education — ability to customize messages to a city’s rider base (such as “no riding on Main Street today because of the big parade.”).”
Bird is one of three scooter companies participating in the City of Portland’s Shared Electric Scooter Pilot Program which will run through the end of September.
Here’s the full announcement of the new features:
On streets where buses and bikes are common, the “leapfrog” phenomenon has been a thorn in the side of the City of Portland for many years. It happens when a bus operator pulls all the way to the curb to service a stop — and temporarily blocks a travel lane used by bicycle riders. This behavior causes people to either stop and breathe toxic bus exhaust, or swerve around the bus into a more dangerous shared-lane environment. The issue has become more acute in recent years as the Bureau of Transportation has built more curbside lanes protected from drivers.
When a bus operator can still swing into a lane, it no longer qualifies as protected.
This October, one of America’s best supported bike rides will do something they’ve never done in their 30-year history: Take the show off-road.
A few weekends ago I rode about 50 miles east of Portland to get a closer look at one of the routes that will be featured as part of Cycle Oregon’s ‘Gravel’ event coming October 5-7th. The two days of riding (or three if you choose to ride out there) will be based at Reeher’s Camp, a site built on a historic Civilian Conservation Corps camp a few miles west of Timber (population 130) at the eastern edge of the Tillamook State Forest.
“Right now we have a second-class transportation system for folks that have accessibility issues and it just plain isn’t fair.”
— Adrian Pearmine, DKS Associates.
Seniors and people living with a disability who need accessible transportation across the Portland region have dealt with a patchwork of inadequate services for years.
A new initiative called Mobility for All hopes to change that by creating a one-call, one-click regional transportation information system.
Today, many communities in the Portland Metro do not have accessible or frequent transit, requiring residents with special needs to reserve rides days in advance in order to get around. Service varies significantly in rural communities, and getting across the region through multiple service providers can be daunting. One of those options, TriMet’s privately operated LIFT paratransit service, was recently under fire at a Workers Rights Board hearing in May for inadequate scheduling systems and long wait times for riders among other complaints from employees and community members.
This question is for everyone! Portland Public Schools started back up this week and this affects many more people than just biking parents like myself. Did you see anyone biking to school and get a warm, fuzzy feeling? Did you bike to school or bike with a kid to school?
We had a great first day of biking to school, despite my not doing a heck of a lot of planning and figuring out how long things would take. One of the things I like about biking for transportation is being able to just wheel my bike outside, hop on it, and go…versus walking to a bus stop at an appointed time. This works fine for making a trip to the grocery store in the evening or using Google maps’ time estimate when I’m riding somewhere alone using the most direct route, but getting kids to school on time for the first day ideally gets some practicing and number crunching.
Bicycle Mechanic/Sales
Santiam Bicycle Inc.
Santiam Bicycle is a shop that has been serving the Salem community of riders for over 20 years.
We are looking for a bicycle Mechanic/Sales person. During the winter we can offer part time work. During the summer we extend that to a full time position.
Our business hours are 9-7 Monday – Friday, 9-6 Saturday and 12-5 on Sunday. The average shift is a ten hour day with the exclusion of Saturday and Sunday. Winter part time hours will very depending on the seasonal work load.
We would like applicants to have experience in both retail sales and bicycle mechanic work.
Sales:
Greet customers as the come in to the shop.
Have an expanded knowledge of bicycles and bicycle accessories.
Be able to problem solve/research customers bicycle questions about new parts, bicycles and repairs.
Positive attitude and ability to thrive in a fast paced team environment.
Mechanic:
The ability to work on all styles of bicycles.
Prior experience with disc brake and reverb seatpost bleeds as well as some suspension service.
Complete daily repairs in a timely and efficient manner.
All applicants must be avid cyclists.
Starting salary will vary depending on job experience.
Email Resume to thom@santiambicycle.com
Social & PR Coordinator
Castelli
Castelli Cycling Social & PR Coordinator
Castelli Cycling is looking for a Socia & PR Coordinator to create and sustain excitement and passion for our Castelli and Sportful brands. If you love cycling, are forward-thinking, and have experience developing and managing social strategies, this could be the job for you. Responsibilities will also include managing athlete and team relationships for cycling and triathlon, and developing and managing sponsored events. Position based in Portland, OR.
If interested, please email cover letter and resume to careers@castelli-us.com
“We understood that this was more forward momentum than we have seen in many years.”
— Jim Sjulin, 40-Mile Loop Land Trust
Marine Drive is a gem in our cycling network and a thorn in our cycling socks at the same time. For as great as it is in some spots — and as valuable as it is as an east-west connection between St. Johns and Troutdale — it remains neglected and riddled with dangerous gaps that prevent it from being a truly great route for cycling.
If you love/hate riding on Marine Drive, we’ve got two bits of great news: There’s a new advocacy effort afoot to close the gaps, and the City of Portland has just put real money on the table to close a few of them by next summer.
Well-known northeast Portland neighborhood organizer and nonprofit leader Craig Fondren has been hired as the Community Programs Manager at the Community Cycling Center.
Fondren was formerly executive director of the Sabin Community Development Corporation (CDC), a group that works to make housing more affordable for people of color and people with lower incomes. In 2011, Fondren was named Newsmaker of the Year by the Royal Rosarians for his work in bringing free technology and training to northeast Portland residents.
Here’s more from a CCC press release:
Mr. Fondren’s primary initial work will be leading the Community Cycling Center’s programs in the New Columbia / Portsmouth neighborhood of North Portland… Mr. Fondren will also be working with the parents, staff, and community at Cesar Chavez and Rosa Parks schools (both in Portsmouth) through our “Community Based Safe Routes to School” initiative. In the longer term, Mr. Fondren will work with the team at the Cycling Center to identify other needs and opportunities for Community Programs.
Welcome to the week.
Before we get started, a special shout-out from our sponsor Cycle Oregon is warranted. Their new Gravel ride is coming October 5th-7th and it’s sure to be a fantastic weekend of fully-supported unpaved adventures on some of the best backroads in the region. I checked out one of the routes recently and can’t wait to share a recap!
And with that, here are the most noteworthy things we came across on the Internet in the past seven days…
