The Monday Roundup: Froome’s double, drivers trapped in Florida, cycling ‘magic’, and more

Welcome to the week.

Here are the most noteworthy stories we came across over the past seven days…

Pothole leads to payout: The City of Los Angeles will pay a man $6.5 million to settle a lawsuit that blamed them for a pothole that caused him to crash his bicycle and sustain serious injuries.

Smarter bikes = safer bikes: A Michigan tech company wants to build software into bikes and bike parts that allows them to “talk” to computer systems inside cars in order to warn of the presence of bicycle riders (and vice versa presumably). Trek is a partner in the venture.

Froome does the double: Professional road racer Chris Froome cemented his legacy as an all-time great by winning the Vuelta de Espana and the Tour de France in the same season.

Bikes save the day: Look what transportation mode people are turning to in Houston when all else has failed.

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No love for I-5 Rose Quarter project at city council hearing

Signs distributed by No More Freeways coalition as seen at a rally prior to the hearing.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

On Thursday afternoon Portland City Council members got an earful of opposition to the most expensive project in their 20-year Central City 2035 plan: The controversial proposal to invest $450 million to add new lanes and shoulders on I-5 between I-84 and I-405 through the Rose Quarter.

Council hosted the public hearing as part of their effort to adopt an updated Central City plan, which they hope to vote on in March. In recent weeks, No More Freeway Expansions — a grassroots coalition of neighborhood groups, nonprofit organizations and Portlanders who oppose the I-5 widening project — seized on the hearing as an opportunity to encourage council to remove it from the plan.

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Job: Customer Service, Part-Time, Temporary – Stages Cycling

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title *
Customer Service, Part-Time, Temporary

Company/Organization *
Stages Cycling

Job Description *
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide pre- and post- sales technical support for Stages Cycling products to domestic consumers, dealer accounts, and independent sales representatives.

• Provide timely and accurate sales support to our domestic consumers, dealer accounts, and assigned outside sales reps by entering orders, answering questions, and providing guidance on sales programs.
• Provide timely and accurate technical support to our domestic consumers, dealer accounts, and outside sales reps by answering questions, walking them through troubleshooting processes, and processing warranties as needed.
• Support consumers, dealer accounts, and assigned outside sales reps with technical and sales related questions with both pre- and post- sales of Stages products.
• Direct new dealer accounts to the sales representative in their region
• Communicate with customers via inbound and outbound phone calls*
• Communicate with customers via internet contact
• Interact with other departments in Portland and Boulder office through appropriate channels
• Work directly with warranty team to achieve timely resolution as needed
• Respond to customer service “tickets” submitted via email, the website, and occasionally social media
• Maintain accurate customer data and product issue data in ticketing system
• Provide exceptional customer experience in all communications with customers
• Stay up to date on internal communication regarding our product updates, relevant competitor products, industry developments, internal processes, customer facing processes, warranty and other technical support processes, trouble-shooting techniques, and other relevant information
• Participate in Customer Service team meetings and trainings
• Other tasks and projects as assigned

*Designates non-essential job responsibilities

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

• This is a part-time position, temporary position.
• Knowledge of and experience with common bicycle drivetrains and components, especially in regard to bottom bracket standards.
• Able to walk customers through mechanical troubleshooting processes in manner that enables them to perform troubleshooting effectively.
• Able to empathize with frustrated or emotional customers in a manner that calms them down and works towards a productive solution.
• High level of organizational skills.
• High level of flexibility and creative problem solving.
• Ability to work independently and self-manage duties and tasks.
• Ability to use customer management and order processing systems, with training.
• High level communication and interpersonal skills, including high-volume telephone and written correspondence.
• Ability to read and interpret documents such as safety rules, operating and maintenance instructions, and procedure manuals. Ability to write routine reports and correspondence. Ability to speak effectively with customers or employees of Foundation Fitness/Stages Cycling.
• Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts and percentages. Ability to apply concepts of basic math.
• Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete variables in situations where only limited standardization exists.

Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written, oral, diagram, or schedule form.

PREFERRED SKILLS EXPERIENCE WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE COMMUNICATING VIA PHONE AND EMAIL, KNOWLEDGE OF BIKES AND BIKE PARTS, EXPERIENCE WITH WORD, SPREADSHEET, AND INVENTORY SOFTWARE.

Work Environment

This job operates in a professional office environment. This role routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, photocopiers, filing cabinets and fax machines.

Physical Demands

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. The employee is frequently required to sit, stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

PREFERRED SKILLS EXPERIENCE WITH CUSTOMER SERVICE COMMUNICATING VIA PHONE AND EMAIL, KNOWLEDGE OF BIKES AND BIKE PARTS, EXPERIENCE WITH WORD, SPREADSHEET, AND INVENTORY SOFTWARE.

ADDITIONAL NOTES THIS POSITION IS A PART-TIME (APPROXIMATELY 20 HOURS PER WEEK), IN-OFFICE ATTENDANCE POSITION. THIS IS A TEMPORARY POSITION.

How to Apply *
Please email your resume and cover letter to hr@foundationfitness.net.

Bike maker Santa Cruz will match bike taxes paid in Oregon, then donate to MTB trail groups


Some of you totally called this.

When news of Oregon’s silly new bike excise tax sunk in, some readers figured it was only a matter of time before a bike company or bike shop did a promotion around it.

California-based Santa Cruz Bicycles just launched the “Oregon Trail Tax” promotion. It’s their play on the new tax; but it comes with real and serious benefits to mountain bike trail advocacy groups.

I’m pinched for time today, so I’ll just share the press release:

Santa Cruz’s ‘Oregon Trail Tax’ riffs on state’s new bike tax to raise money for mountain bike trails

SANTA CRUZ, CALIF. – Santa Cruz Bicycles has responded to Oregon’s controversial new bicycle tax with a promotion that promises to deliver thousands of dollars to mountain bike projects across the state. Dubbed “The Oregon Trail Tax,” Santa Cruz will match the $15 per bike tax customers pay on every Santa Cruz and Juliana bike sold in Oregon starting September 1 and for the remainder of 2017. Proceeds will be split evenly between three trail advocacy organizations who build trails in the state–the Northwest Trail Alliance (NWTA), the Central Oregon Trail Alliance (COTA), and Team Dirt.

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Press release: Coalition prepares to testify against freeway expansion at City Council

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Here’s the latest on the rally and walk to City Hall by the No More Freeway Expansions coalition today (9/7):

Media Contact: Aaron Brown
nomorefreewayspdx@gmail.com

Coalition Prepares to Testify Against Freeway Expansion at City Council, citing Induced Demand, Climate Disruption, Traffic Safety

September 7, 2017 – A coalition of public health experts, small business owners, transportation advocates and environmentalists plan to deliver testimony in opposition to the proposed Rose Quarter Freeway Expansion on Thursday. 26 organizations and 375 Portlanders have signed on to a letter originally delivered to Portland’s City Council last Wednesday, August 31st in advance of the September 7th City Council hearing to discuss the Central City Plan.

“No More Freeway Expansions” is asking the City of Portland to remove widening of the Rose Quarter Freeway from the Transportation System Plan update included in the Central City Plan due to the project’s ineffectiveness at solving traffic congestion, the impacts to local air quality of additional freeway lanes near a middle school and an elementary school, the project’s expected increased carbon emissions, and the necessity to address traffic safety by investing in dangerous arterials out in East Portland. The coalition encourages the city to study congestion pricing to address the gridlock motorists face on Interstate 5 and to work with the region and state to channel this funding towards desperately needed investments in transit, biking and walking.

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“A pit in my stomach”: ODOT official shares latest on fire damage to Historic Columbia River Hwy

The beautiful Oneonta Tunnel that just re-opened to biking and walking in 2009 isn’t looking so good right now.
(Photo: ODOT)

The Eagle Creek Fire is still raging in the Gorge and we’ve been reaching out to sources to find out how much impact it has had on the Historic Columbia River Highway and State Trail. Just one year ago we joined a big group of riders and dignitaries for a triumphant centennial celebration of the legendary road. And today it feels like it’ll be another hundred years before things are back to normal.

The good news is not all has been lost. Reports yesterday from fire officials were heartening. But what about those pictures of our dear Oneonta Tunnel engulfed in flames?! We’ve been as eager as you to know more.

This morning I heard back from Kristen Stallman, the outgoing Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation. Stallman has worked on the Historic Highway project for years and her connection to it transcends her job title. Here’s what she had to say about where things stand today (emphases mine):

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Weekend Event Guide: Black Feast, Everesting Tilikum, Ride the Rim and more

Cycle Oregon Day 3 - Crater Lake!-45.JPG

Fingers crossed for good air at Crater Lake this weekend.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
The Weekend Event Guide is sponsored by Abus Bike Locks. Thanks Abus!

It’s been a tough week. Air quality has cancelled and/or forced rescheduling of many riding plans. People who blocked out this coming week for Cycle Oregon are now scrambling to find something else to do — but it’s hard to find any place in Oregon that isn’t impacted by the nasty air.

We’re hoping conditions improve by the weekend. The forecast gives us reason for optimism. Regardless, remember to research conditions before you head out.

If you don’t want to ride we’ve got two events in the guide that don’t require much pedaling: an expo for women who bike and a lecture about the Historic Columbia River Highway (we know, strange timing). Here’s this week’s guide…

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Portland’s network of bike clubs for women is thriving

The Bikin’ Betties of Portland.
(Photo: Bikin’ Betties on Facebook)

The community of people who love bicycling in Portland is always changing and evolving. As someone who watches over it everday, I’ve noticed a nice trend of late: A proliferation of riding clubs devoted specifically to women.

It’s a very encouraging sign and a testament to the depth and breadth of who’s riding bikes in Portland. Statistically speaking (as of 2014), women make up about one-third of Portland’s daily bike traffic citywide; but you wouldn’t know that if you could see my social media timelines and inbox. Just since the start of summer I’ve learned of several new groups. Add them to the existing foundation of clubs and initiatives aimed at women on bikes and you’ve got a connected network where nearly anyone can find a home for their biking passions.

If you’re looking for a supportive place to meet other riders, check out the info below. From bikepacking to business, there’s something for just about everyone.

I’ll share the new (to me, at least) groups first, followed by a list of the older ones…

Bikin’ Betties

Bikin’ Betties is a ladies-only bike ride on Monday nights. It’s a great way to meet fellow female cyclists, get a bit of a workout, learn awesome bike routes around our city, and become more skilled and confident on our bikes. Anyone who gender identifies as a woman or who is gender non-binary is welcome.

Find them on Facebook. You can also join them for a special, culinary-themed ride to the “Black Feast” dinner on September 10th.

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Bus-only lane advocates have a proposal to improve SW Madison

The parking on the left would be removed, giving this bus its own lane.

Physical separation is to bicycling what reliability is to transit. If we don’t have it, the masses will never switch from driving and our transportation system will never reach its potential.

That’s why an idea for a “pop-up” bus-only lane is worthy of your attention.

Our friends at the all-volunteer Portland Bus Lane Project have pitched an idea to Better Block PDX that would reconfigure SW Madison Street between 5th and the Hawthorne Bridge. Their idea comes in response a request for proposals that Better Block launched back in July.

PBLP was hatched in May by a group of transit advocates that are frustrated with how auto-congestion during peak hours is killing bus reliability. Their solution is to create dedicated bus-only lanes which they see as an inexpensive way to prioritize mass transit and improve bus reliability while getting more people to their destinations on time.

Their proposal is currently being vetted and considered by Better Block and they’ve given me permission to share it with you.

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Reflections on the Eagle Creek Fire from ‘Gorge Getaways’ author Laura Foster

Eagle Creek in 2015.
(Photo by Debbie Asakawa)

Laura O. Foster is author of Portland Hill Walks and Columbia Gorge Getaways. She lives in the west hills above Highway 30 north of Sauvie Island. Last summer Foster shared tips on riding the ‘Trail of the Gods’ from Stevenson (WA) to Cascade Locks.

The Columbia Gorge. Three Days Ago. Today.

1:00 a.m. today: The smell of burning forest punched through an already-uneasy sleep. I stepped outside, sniffing, looking through the dark for flames, afraid our land was on fire.

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