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
New bikes on the showroom at Trek Bicycle Store. (Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
The amount of revenue collected by the State of Oregon from the bicycle excise tax was over $1 million for the first time ever in 2022. And the total amount of new bikes sold in the state have returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Those are two insights we can glean from Oregon Department of Revenue data that has been kept since the bike tax went into effect on January 1st, 2018.
The bike tax was a part of House Bill 2017, the landmark, $5.3 billion transportation package passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2017. In addition to funding projects like freeway expansion megaprojects, rural transit systems, and Safe Routes to Schools infrastructure, the bill included a bevy of new fees to begin the Oregon Department of Transportation’s transition away from the withering gas tax. Vehicle registrations went up, car dealerships had to pay a new “privilege tax” (0.5% on the retail price of any taxable car or truck sold in Oregon), and bicycle riders were dinged $15 at the register for each new bike purchased. The tax applies to bikes priced $200 or more.
BikePortland last took a look at the numbers about two years ago and requested the latest figures from the Department of Revenue.
Note that some 2023 Q4 receipts are still being tallied.
In addition to annual bike tax receipts, DOR gave us our first-ever quarter-by-quarter breakdown of (reported) new bike sales in the state. These numbers illustrate the huge impact of the Covid lockdown-induced bike boom. Oregon’s Covid emergency declaration was made on March 8th, 2020. The first quarter after that declaration we see a huge spike in bike sales and the highest total we’ve seen since.
In Q2 of 2020, the state recorded 27,695 new bike sales, that’s nearly double the 16,073 bikes sold in Q2 of 2019. The total number of new bikes sold in 2020, 2021, and 2022 was around 60,000 bikes. Last year sales decreased by about 33%, to 44,175 bikes — an amount nearly identical to the two pre-pandemic years.
The 2022 tax receipts of $1.2 million fell by about half last year to just $776,000, or about the same as the 2019 amount. One interesting takeaway from the 2022 receipts total is that it’s exactly what state economists estimated when they pitched the tax to lawmakers in 2017. According to DOR, the administrative overhead required to collect the tax was about $39,000 each of the past two years.
Proceeds from the bike tax go into the Oregon Community Paths program. OCP is administered by ODOT and it funds grants for, “project development, construction, reconstruction, major resurfacing or other improvements of multiuse paths that improve access and safety for people walking and bicycling.”
This 2013 photo shows why some riders might opt to use the path adjacent to SW Terwilliger instead of the unprotected bike lanes. (Jonathan Maus – BikePortland)
Terwilliger Parkway is an iconic Portland bike route. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the winding road with interesting inclines is shrouded in lush greenery and offers memorable views of the Willamette River. For some it’s a route to and from southwest neighborhoods into downtown Portland, and for others it’s a perfect warm-up to challenging, hilltop destinations in the west hills like Council Crest Park.
The same attraction Terwilliger has for bike riders, it also has for walkers and runners. A sidewalk gives people a perfect way to experience the parkway on foot.
But a nonprofit that oversees the parkway, Friends of Terwilliger, says these two users have come into more conflict in recent years and with spring and summer approaching, they reached out to BikePortland in hopes of sending a message: “Please use the bike lanes that are clearly marked on the road if you are part of a group of cyclists.”
Friends of Terwiller board member Robin Vesey first contacted BikePortland last year when she began to hear reports of what she refers to as “organized groups of cyclists” using the pedestrian path and not yielding to people on foot. She says bike riders, especially those riding together in a group, should use the striped bike lanes on the roadway.
Here’s more from a prepared statement Vesey wants to share with the community:
“There has been a dramatic increase in the use of the sidewalks by bicyclists, going in both directions, even though there are dedicated bike lanes in both directions. Park users have noticed up to 15 riders, participating in a group ride, using the pedestrian path, not the bike lanes. Bikes have overtaken runners, walkers, and children from behind without notification and without slowing, endangering both the pedestrians and the cyclist…
Please use the bike lanes that are clearly marked on the road if you are part of a group of cyclists, young, or able-bodied. Keep the pedestrian path for walkers and runners and our senior community that frequents the Terwilliger Parkway pedestrian path.”
Vesey said a resident at Terwilliger Plaza, a nearby retirement home, is the person who alerting her to the “close encounters with cyclists speeding on the path.” I asked Vesey share that person’s concern: “I have had a close call from an electric-assist bike coming at speed up the parkway from behind me,” the person wrote. “Bikes are increasingly using the pedestrian path in both directions. It’s dangerous for runners, walkers and, especially, those trying to pick up litter on both sides of the path.”
The sidewalk path continues all along Terwilliger for about two miles to SW Capitol Highway, but the two locations of specific concern are where it begins just south of the Duniway Lilac Garden just past the SW Sam Jackson Park Rd intersection. Another trouble spot Vesey shared was an interaction someone had with a bicycle rider near the Chart House restaurant in September. “An organized group of 20 or so, with a leader, were coming uphill and not giving way to pedestrians. They were taking up the entire width of the path.”
I shared the Friends of Terwilliger concerns with southwest Portland cycling advocate Keith Liden (who you might recall from this BikePortland story last year). Liden said he’s one of the people who uses the sidewalk near the lilac garden because the bike lane in that section isn’t safe it, “discourages riding in the street.” It’s also uphill in the southbound direction, which creates a wide speed differential between car and bicycle users.
Despite that, Liden says he hasn’t seen a lot of people biking on the sidewalk path. “Speaking for myself, I find it to be too lumpy and constrained,” he added.
But Liden also said a reminder about etiquette is needed. “Too often cyclists are guilty of coming up fast from behind, not politely announcing their presence, and whizzing by. And in some ways this has gotten worse with electric bikes. We all need to get along.”
If you ride on Terwilliger and choose to use the sidewalk instead of the bike lanes, please use caution, always assume there will be someone on the path, and pass respectfully.
What better way to mark Easter than with a Kidical Mass ride? (Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
The clouds should break just in time for the weekend, so make sure to take full advantage by checking out one of the fun rides below…
Saturday, March 30th
BIPOC Dig Day – 8:30 am at Rocky Point Central Trailhead (Scappoose) Join Warpaint Mag in partnership with NW Trail Alliance on this exciting trail-building project that will result in the Portland area’s first POC (person of color) designed and built mountain bike trail. More info here.
Arleta Triangle Square Winter Work Party – 10:00 am in the Plaza (SE) Roll out to SE 72nd and Woodstock to spruce up this awesome carfree neighborhod plaza so it’s ready for all the spring and summer fun. Organizers will supply gloves, tools, and warm drinks. You just need a smile and a willingness to help the neighborhood. More info here.
Memorial Ride for David Bentley – 1:00 pm at Waterfront Park – Japanese American Historical Plaza (SW) Friends and safe streets activists will come together to remember David Bentley, the man who was killed last month in the bike lane on SE Belmont. There will be a ghost bike installation at the scene of the crash at the end of the ride. More info here.
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Sunday, March 31st
Not So Boring Ride – 10:00 am at Tilikum Crossing Bridge (SE) Get outta’ town via the Springwater Corridor and explore the cool town at the end of the path. Expect to pedal about 40 miles and spend five hours or so on this relatively slow-paced ride. More info here.
BIPOC Social Ride – 11:30 am at Skidmore Bluffs (NE) Join Roo Albisurez (@warpaintmag), Nanette Beyale (@smirkingfoxx) and Alexis Vazquez (@soyalexisvaz) for a short and chill cruise that ends at Brujos Brewing in northwest. Note this is a BIPOC-only ride. More info here.
Kidical Mass Easter Ride – 2:00 pm at Irving Park (NE) It’s back! A perfect opportunity to ride with the family in a large group while wearing bunny ears. More info here.
Ladds Key to Southeast – 3:00 pm at Ladd Circle Park (SE) Join filmmaker Amit Zinman on a classic Portland route while shoots video for his Bike Stuff PDX YouTube channel. Amit is riding all of PBOT’s official classic Portland bike routes and making videos about each one. Come out and be part of this exciting project while exploring our bikeways! More info here.
— Don’t see an event? Please tell us about what’s going on in your neighborhood by filling out our contact form, or just email me at maus.jonathan@gmail.com if it’s easier.
As the title says, all eyes are on 2025 because lawmakers are expected to craft and (try to) pass another massive spending and policy plan, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the $5.3 billion package passed in 2017. The importance of this moment needs to be understood — that’s why I asked the report’s author, Cassie Wilson, to join me for an interview.
Cassie is a disability rights and transportation advocate who you might recall from our profile of her in 2022. This past legislative session, Cassie was a legislative aide for the Oregon House of Representatives. She wrote the Oregon in Motion report as an intern with nonprofit land-use and environmental advocacy group, 1000 Friends of Oregon.
The 60-page report is an excellent, insider’s look at the sausage-making that led to HB 2017, what that package did (and didn’t do), and what Oregon’s next big funding bill should include. And that’s just the start of what you can learn by reading it. I loved the sections with quotes from activists and insiders who were on the front lines in 2017.
Report cover.
Asked for her take on 2025, Cassie pointed out there’s one big difference from last time around. “Part of what House Bill 2017 did was create the Joint Committee on Transportation. Before that, transportation committees were created more on an as-needed basis. And so, this is kind of the first time that we’re going into a transportation package with a committee that has been consistently working on transportation in the years since the last one.”
That’s an important point; and what will be even more important is which lawmakers are leading that committee. Right now it’s Co-Chair Rep. Susan McLain, a centrist when it comes to some of the more progressive ideas of another JCT member, Rep. Khanh Pham. As I’ve watched this committee in the past year or so, I’ve seen a palpable tension between Reps Pham and McLain so it will be interesting to see how that materializes as flags are planted leading up to a new bill.
Asked what we should look for next session, Cassie said there will definitely be talk of a new funding mechanism. There was a flurry of activity this session around re-assessing the state’s Weight Mile Tax, there’s been a lot of talk about making sure all road users pay their “fair share,” and with recent cooling on tolls by Governor Tina Kotek, how ODOT raises money will be just as big of a conversation as what they spend it on.
“There an ongoing conversation around electric vehicles and how they pay into the system,” Cassie said in our interview. “There’s also been a lot of talk since 2017 about micromobility and about e-bikes… so I think a lot of people are looking to the 2025 package to get those things across the finish line.”
HB 2017 will be remembered as a landmark package in large part because of how it diversified ODOT funding beyond just highways for car users. Cassie’s report details how the Statewide Transit Improvement Fund has been a boon for rural transit providers and how programs like Safe Routes to School have flourished thanks to new, dedicated funding in the bill.
In addition to funding projects and programs, HB 2017 also included important transportation policy, and its 2025 sibling will follow suit. Cassie said it’s a time to discuss changes to how the Oregon Transportation Commission oversees ODOT policy and to push for better funding transparency so all Oregonians can see what our money is being spent on.
“Don’t be intimidated by the 60 pages of length,” Cassie shared as a parting shot. “There’s an executive summary or you can check out the table of contents and skip to your favorite parts. I think that it’s a really good primer for what’s to come next year and hopefully will inspire folks to dream big for the next package.”
I couldn’t agree more. Do yourself a favor and check out the report. And join me in thanking Cassie and 1000 Friends of Oregon for putting it together!
Just some of last week’s crowd on the Gorges Beer Co patio. (Jonathan Maus – BikePortland)
I hope you’ll consider joining us at Bike Happy Hour tomorrow (Weds, 3/27). I realize it’s Spring Break and lots of folks are not on their normal schedules, but BHH will continue on as per usual. And we’ve got a great night planned!
As you might have seen on Instagram this week, BHH regular “Lady Max” Nash is bringing her kit and caboodle of craftyness to share with all of us. Max and her Flat Tire Creations have made several appearances at BHH over the past year and you might have seen her really cool, holiday-inspired creations. Max has a knack for turning old inner-tubes into beautiful things and she’s got a special craft planned for us this week.
Name cards have become a cherished tradition at BHH and Max will be helping folks create cool lanyards that keep yours conveniently displayed around your neck in style (see below). And of course as Max often does, there will be lots of opportunities to add additional flare. Max says, “You decide the length, whether to hole-punch with hearts/stars/flowers or not, and which clip color and style you want (5 to choose from).” She’ll have bike charms available for a few bucks. It’s free to take part in craft night and Max has a pay-what-you-can system with a $10 recommended fee to keep things rolling.
From Flat Tire Creations on IG.Carey and her friend Jack. (Jonathan Maus – BikePortland)
Max has tons of fun ideas for bicycle-inspired art and accessories, so stay tuned for more craft night announcements.
Also this week we’ll sing a special “Happy Birthday” to BHH co-host Carey Booth (above, right). Carey is a fantastic human that volunteers for events and organizations all over Portland and we are very lucky to have her involved with BHH. When I’ve had to miss a night, Carey has stepped up and been an awesome host and name card passer-outer. Let’s toast Carey tomorrow night!
Also this week, there will be an option to roll down to the Central Eastside after BHH to be an extra in an indie movie being filmed in Portland. A Simple Machine is a film by Portlander Mark Hoffman and it’s based on the book by excellent writer and bike nerd Evan P. Schneider (of Boneshaker’s Almanac fame). I visited the set last week and it was so exciting to see a movie being shot locally that has a bicycle as its central character. The film tells the story of a man who faces big decisions about how to live and when he fixes up an old bike it helps him understand how simple (and cheap!) his life could be.
On Wednesday, Hoffman and his crew need a large crowd of bicycle riders for, “a very cool scene that will showcase Portland and the Biking community.” They want us to meet at 349 SE Morrison (under the bridge) at 7:30 pm and gather for a parade that will have a police escort. Any type of bike and person riding it are welcome. Lights and/or bike decor are encouraged. The mood of the scene is fun and festive. Look for the white trucks. (Note: Film scenes often take a while to materialize, so expect to be there for a bit. Bring some snacks, a jacket and whatever else you need to stay comfortable! Don’t complain, it’s the price of fame!).
I’ll see you tomorrow (Weds, 3/27) on the SE Ankeny Rainbow Road Plaza from 3:00 to 6:00 pm. Depending on the weather we’ll either be indoors at Ankeny Tap & Table (if it’s really wet) or on the patio of Gorges Beer Co.
Looking south toward Division. (Photos: Jonathan Maus – BikePortland)
Mische’s plan.
On Monday, April 1st, the Portland Parks & Recreation bureau will realize a 113-year-old vision when they open a new southern entrance to Mt. Tabor Park.
The year was 1911 when a plan for Mt. Tabor was drawn up by Emmanuel Mische, who worked for the Olmsted landscape architecture firm and went on to become superintendent of Portland Parks. Mische’s plan shows a “Maple Entrance” between what is now Southeast Division Street and SE Lincoln.
Fast forward to the Mt. Tabor Park Master Plan, which was updated in 2008, and we see a fully fleshed-out concept drawing for the path that will open next week. All that was missing was funding. When voters approved a $68 million Parks bond measure in 2014, planning for the new path began in earnest.
Mt. Tabor Park has always lacked good access from the south. For folks who live in the South Tabor neighborhood, there’s about a half-mile distance between access points from Division (at SE 60th and 68th). Not only was another entry point needed, but SE 64th — smack dab in the middle of two existing entrances — is the route of the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s 60s Neighborhood Greenway, which will connect Mt. Tabor to the Springwater Corridor path and is due for construction later this summer.
Looking north toward SE Sherman.Relaxing at one of the art nodes. The diagonal scoring gives is a plaza feel.Stone and poem by Adam Kuby.Looking north into the park across SE Division.People were eager to use it! Looking north from the southern terminus at Division.Looking south toward Division on the infiltration swale bridge.Looking north from the art node adjacent to Division.Looking north from northern end of path where it meets SE 64th and Sherman.Looking south on the path toward SE Division/SE 64th.
On Monday I got a tour of the new path from Portland Parks Capital Project Manager Evan Callahan. We started at the corner of SE Lincoln and 64th, the northern terminus of the Mt. Tabor Maintenance Yard Project that the new path is a part of. As part of a major upgrade to this maintenance and nursey facility, Parks seized the opportunity to build the path and update SE 64th Avenue. Callahan said the path and road elements of the project cost about $1.9 million.
The path closes about a one-block gap in SE 64th Ave that used to be blocked by the maintenance facility. It’s only about 450-feet, but the impact for park users will be vast. Landscaping and construction crews were busy putting finishing touches on it yesterday and fences were up on both sides, but folks were already finding their way onto the path. It’s just such a natural and intuitive entrance. Mische was clearly onto something.
The path itself makes a slight bend between SE Division and SE Sherman. There are ample plantings on both sides and a new bridge that takes users over a large stormwater infiltration swale. There are three “art nodes” by a collective of artists that includes Adam Kuby, Stephanie Adams-Santos, Samiya Bashir, Trevino Brings Plenty, Anis Mojgani, Sam Roxas-Chua, and Dao Strom. The nodes are at both entrances and just north of the swale bridge. Each one includes a seating area, Kuby’s stones etched with poems set around a tree, and a change in paving texture (diagonal scoring that gives it the feel of a plaza). The path is also lined with lampposts that reflect the same aesthetic to existing ones in the park.
Callahan mentioned one of the challenges of the site will be keeping drivers from taking cars on the path. At the northern entrance, they initially installed just one steel bollard, but have since installed another. There will be three bollards at the southern entrance.
With the incline from Division into the park, bicycle riders and other types of rollers will need to ride with courtesy and caution in what will likely be a busy environment shared with walkers and runners. The textured pavement adjacent to the art nodes and the bollards at each entry should help with that.
The biggest concern I have with this project is how it connects to SE Division and 64th Avenue south of the park. PBOT has recently installed a marked crosswalk and temporary median (with plastic posts and curbs) that Callahan said has made an immediate difference: “This crosswalk just went in and we’re seeing people use it and our staff uses it coming into the [maintenance] yard. Even in its temporary state, we’ve seen a huge increase in people using it.”
The crossing of Division at 64th, looking north toward the new path.The new sidewalk and green street stormwater treatments looking south from SE Lincoln.The newly paved street looking south from Lincoln toward the new path entry.Amazing amount of swales.Looking north on newly paved section of 64th from SE Sherman.Crossing SE Division.
Unfortunately for bicycle riders, the transition to the curb cut and crossing is not direct. As you come south on the new path, you’ll need to slow way down and turn left to use the crosswalk, and then move back to the right as you continue south on the greenway on 64th. That initial left turn is very tight if you stay on the paved path and sidewalk. If you cut the corner, you’ll be in decomposed granite (fine gravel).
“It’s a tight spot with this curb-tight sidewalk as well, but that conversation is ongoing in earnest with TriMet,” Callahan shared.
The good news is Parks is working with TriMet (via their Division Transit Project) and PBOT to improve the connection at Division. Callahan said PBOT plans to install bike parking staples on the curb where the path comes out (effectively stopping bike riders from just rolling into Division) and will install a “Bikes Use Crosswalk” sign. Reached for comment today, PBOT said they’re providing feedback on designs for an updated crossing at 64th and Division that’s currently planned as part of the TriMet project.
In addition to the new path, Parks has repaved and built a new sidewalk on SE 64th between SE Sherman and the main park entrance on SE Lincoln. I haven’t confirmed with PBOT yet (will update this when I hear back), but I assume they’ll add sharrow markings on that one-tenth of a mile section.
Stay tuned for a short video that will give you a better understanding of some of these issues. And remember, this isn’t officially open until this coming Monday, April 1st. Once you try it, let us know how it works for you.
In a week of strong comments, Charley’s stood out for its even tone and thoughtful analysis. Writing in response to last week’s post about the political tightrope the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) walks because of unexpected revenue windfalls, Charley broadened his critique beyond PCEF to include a certain type of ballot measure.
This comment is so polished, it’s almost as if Charley was angling for Comment of the Week. And you know something? that’s OK. Put some effort into it, write a short op-ed, that’s what we’re here for.
PCEF is one example of a taxing and funding policy that has been used to fund popular ideas, but has some real flaws. In short, it would be nice if we could actually direct our local governments’ funding priorities, rather than create these easily mismanaged, bespoke funding mechanisms!
Other examples are the Multnomah County Homeless Services Tax and Portland Arts Tax.
Characteristics:
a voter approved ballot measure,
with a bespoke tax,
which was marketed to voters as a way to fund a popular priority (such as addressing climate change),
and which ends up being used to patch holes in the budget which are caused by the government’s other spending priorities.
It works like this: voters feel that their local governments aren’t adequately addressing some issue (arts funding, climate resilience), and advocates get a ballot measure passed by arguing that the ballot measure will force the City to address the priority.
As I see it, these measures are voters’ attempt to direct a local government’s budget prioritization, because the elected leaders don’t seem willing or able to change the prioritization themselves. Voters could theoretically vote for individual candidates that agree with their preferred policies, but the issues at stake in elections haven’t been specific enough to resolve this mismatch
Practically, all of our local candidates are “for” affordable housing, the arts, and climate resilience. Especially in City Council elections, it hasn’t mattered what a candidate runs on, because the Mayor could put them in charge of completely unrelated bureaus!
Some flaws:
Since these taxes haven’t changed the real priorities of these governments…
The taxes add to the existing tax burden, rather than re-direct funding. We all just pay more taxes, rather than, for example, diverting funding from auto-oriented road projects to bike-oriented projects.
The funds are subject to diversion. For example, while the Arts Tax was marketed to local arts organizations as a way to get steady funding, they’ve seen little steady money from the tax, even though the local arts community lobbied the public in support of the measure, and the public understood the tax to be of great benefit to these organizations.
Sometimes, governments just literally don’t spend the money (Multnomah County Homeless Services Tax).
There’s little democratic accountability. One can’t just vote the Arts Tax out of office.
I seriously think people are fed up that local governments don’t address climate change, fund the arts, or make more housing and would be happy if they perceived that City had made these kinds of things priorities in the budget; they may not be thinking about the total amount of taxation, or the fact that the money will end up going other places!
Thank you Charley. One characteristic of a good comment is that its sparks other good comments. Take a peek at the responses, they are worth reading too.
Welcome to the week. Hope you are able to enjoy “spring break” even though it doesn’t feel that spring-y out right now.
Here’s what our community has been talking about for the past seven days…
‘Hell on earth’: It was striking to me how similar the anti-urban cycling arguments are in Paris to the ones we hear in America. (The Telegraph)
Trails momentum: A new US DOT program funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will give a boost to carfree path projects nationwide — it’s just a shame that so far only $45 million is on offer. (Associated Press)
The woes of car ownership: It’s truly jaw-dropping how much of American life is influenced by cars and car ownership — especially when you consider the financial strings cars attach to their owners. (Streetsblog USA)
Cougar attack: The woman who was attacked by a cougar in Washington last month is now telling the amazing story of how she and her riding buddies managed to fight back against the big cat. (KUOW)
Acknowledging a mistake: At least the EPA now fully admits that their own fuel economy standards are to blame for the massive shift in the American vehicle fleet to larger trucks and SUVs and the death of the sedan. (The New Republic)
Call for bollards: A horrific crash in San Francisco that killed a family of three has local activists calling for stronger leadership, stronger protection, and stronger enforcement. (Streetsblog SF)
Drugged-up: I had never heard of the Enhanced Games, where athletes are encouraged to take drugs before the competition. Now I’m curious if any cyclists — drugged-up or clean — will show up. (Canadian Cycling Magazine)
Third place for whomst?: A tony new club on the Central Eastside has at least one local journalist lamenting how a much-needed “third place” is now pay-to-play. (Portland Mercury)
Cleaner cars: President Joe Biden announced stronger emissions requirements that could force a much quicker transition to electric cars and pundits call it one of the most significant climate regulations ever. (NY Times)
It’s Friday, and you know what that means… Yes it is time for our weekly podcast featuring the wonderful Eva Frazier and I! We were graced with Eva’s presence before she jets off once again — this time to beautiful Kearny, Nebraska where she’s got a date with a few thousand sandhill cranes.
In addition to amazing bird migrations, here’s what else we talked about:
Eva’s wife’s Robitussin-induced fever dream.
What is Eva’s favorite place to ride?
Albina Vision Trust and the highway caps.
Eva’s idea to charge property tax for on-street parking spots.
Sunday Parkways: The good, the bad, and the should.
Weekend lanes and automated bollards are the Next Big Thing.
Our big ideas for that sweet, sweet PCEF grant funding.
Thoughts about Jonathan’s upcoming interview with Portland Police officer and city council candidate Eli Arnold.
Thanks to Brock Dittus of Sprocket Podcast fame for our fantastic theme music. Listen in the player above or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for listening!
Henderson’s bike was found in the bike lane on this section of SW Alder just east of 3rd Ave.
40-year-old Johnathan Henderson moved to Portland four years ago and spent most of his time riding his beloved singlespeed “fixie” on downtown streets — filling one delivery order after another. Around 9:30 pm on March 12th, he was involved in a collision with the driver of a Land Rover SUV near the intersection of Southwest Alder and 3rd. The impact with the SUV knocked Henderson to the ground and he was taken to the hospital in a coma. He died on March 18th at 3:02 pm.
Police have yet to release an update about the death or details of the crash (their initial statement is here), but BikePortland has learned that Henderson’s bike came to rest in the bike lane on Alder just east of the SW 3rd. The SUV was stopped in the left-most lane. This section of Alder is known to be stressful because it’s a de facto on-ramp to I-5 via the Morrison Bridge. SW 3rd is one-way southbound and Alder is one-way eastbound.
While police continue their investigation, Henderson’s family and friends are reeling at their loss. His family — who he hadn’t seen for many years — arrived from out of state to be around his bed at the hospital. His close friend and neighbor, Filly, is managing Henderson’s belongings and memorial details.
“He was really my big brother,” Filly shared with me in a phone call a few minutes ago, struggling to speak through the sadness.
Johnathan Henderson.
“I saw him the day before and he was just stressed about bills and stuff. He was living day-to-day just hustling and doing deliveries for UberEats and Instacart.”
Henderson loved riding his “Indigo 96” fixed gear. Filly said he’d put over 11,000 miles of delivery miles in Portland and was pulling 40-mile a day shifts. When he wasn’t knocking out a delivery, he was doing local group rides or hanging out with his dog “Callie” (short for SuperCaliFunkyPuppy). A veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Henderson moved to Portland from Detroit by himself and found his chosen family through bicycling. He was a mainstay at the Thursday Night Ride (“TNR”), where he was a proud corker he kept the ride safe. On the Tuesday he was hit, Henderson had just peeled off from a weekly, social, fixed-gear ride.
He would often leave rides early to make a delivery. Filly said whenever a big order came up on his phone, he’d jump on it because he needed the money. He also didn’t want to do it anymore. “He’d tell me, ‘I really want a job so I can stop this delivery bullshit. It’s stressful and cars aren’t paying as much attention nowadays. I just want something stable’,” Filly said.
Some days he’d make deliveries just to make sure Callie would have food. “He just loved that dog so much,” Filly recalled.
Henderson also loved his bike. Filly said it was gifted to him by a stranger and that it had 20 years of life as a courier bike in San Francisco before it fell into Henderson’s hands. “He was just so excited to ride it all the time,” Filly shared. “He was always trying to get me motivated to ride with him, like, ‘Come on! Let’s go do laps around Ladds!'”. When Henderson moved in next door to Filly, they weren’t friends right away. But once they realized they both rode fixies, “That’s how we connected at first,” Filly said.
Henderson’s love or riding comes through in this LinkedIn profile he wrote (and that Filly urged me to share):
Self Employed, Partnered with Uber Eats Delivery. Delivering meals from various Restaurants within the Downtown Portland Area, via Fixed Gear Bicycle. I absolutely love doing deliveries on bicycle, not only do I get to deliver great food, I get to enjoy all the sights, and discover new locations to eat, and while I do it, I get to stay active and in great physical condition.
Providing great customer service, and delivering smiles to everyone I deliver to, plays a big role in my own mental health and wellness. Before this job, I had worked in customer services as well as the food service industry, which, unfortunately, did not leave much time to myself, and maintaining my own mental and physical health. Unfortunately, I had to resign from those positions because of the issues that were becoming more predominate, worsening my depression and physical health. I am now much happier with where I am at, and has made me more goal oriented and mission driven, in my pursuit to become a Peer Support specialist for military veterans with PTSD as well as other mental and physical disabilities.
Filly admired his friend’s riding skills. “He’s hyper-conscious of traffic and cars. He’s skilled as shit,” she said.
Now Filly plans to paint Henderson’s beloved bike white and place it as a ghost bike where it came to rest on that Tuesday night. There’s also a memorial gathering and ride planned for April 26th, the day Henderson would have turned 41.
But organizing those events will have to wait. Today, the emotions are still too raw. “We’re all feeling it. I’m feeling like I’m in that whirlwind still where I’m angry and sad.”
— Henderson is the 17th person to be killed while using Portland roads so far this year. We had 12 fatal crashes by this same time last year. Stay tuned for more details about the memorial gathering and ride on April 26th.
UPDATE, 3/25: PPB have released an update. They say: “The preliminary investigation reveals that the cyclist entered the intersection against a red light and was struck by a sport utility vehicle (SUV) that had a green light. The driver has been cooperative. No arrests have been made or citations issued.”
When David Robinson launched the Ladds 500 in 2016, he had no idea it would become a phenomenon. I mean, who would want to ride 500 laps (about 100 miles) around Ladd Circle Park? Even Robinson’s self-deprecating slogan, “Let’s do something stupid!” didn’t seem like the best way to attract the masses.
But over the years, this event has become a favorite on Portland’s bike fun calendar. As the first big event of the year, it’s much more than a ride and it has blossomed into a community gathering where friends are eager to meet after a long, dark winter. Last year about 400 people crowded into the park (a planted roundabout where eight streets come together) and now Robinson is feeling the growing pains of success.
Organizer David Robinson at last year’s Ladds 500. (Jonathan Maus – BikePortland)
As an all-volunteer event, costs for things like porta-potties and the permit have traditionally been offset by a few community sponsors and from sales of commemorative patches and stickers. As crowd have swelled, however, so too have expenses. More people means more sanitation facilities are needed and the cost of the event permit has tripled since 2020 and now sets him back about $1,200 — about a quarter of the total event budget.
“Demands have continued to scale from a financial perspective,” Robinson shared in a conversation with BikePortland Thursday. “I keep getting more [porta-potties] every year and then the lines are still halfway across the circle. I’ll need about 6-8 this year at $250 each. It adds up and the big hole in my pocket was scary going into this year.”
Thankfully, as word spread in the community, a fundraising effort has been “wildly successful so far” and Robinson says the event will survive for at least another year. “Community support allows me to make decisions regarding event logistics without having to worry about whether I (as an individual) will be reimbursed,” Robinson said.
So mark your calendar for April 13th, grab some friends, make a team, and get ready for what Robinson calls, “A celebration of the inane, and bikes, and spring.” And remember it’s not a race, it’s a relay.
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