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Two more people were killed while walking across Southeast Division Street last night

division-maps2
(Note: This post is a mix of news and opinion.)

Two people were killed while walking on Division Street last night in separate collisions. The first one happened just before 7:00 pm at 156th Avenue. The second one happened around 9:00 pm near 87th. These are the 13th and 14th people to be killed while walking (about three over our average since 1996) and the 39th and 40th traffic fatalities so far this year. That’s the most fatalities we’ve had since 2003.

Division is already known as one of the most dangerous streets in Portland for vulnerable road users. This year alone five people have died in traffic crashes while using Division (four people walking and one person driving). In addition to those fatalities there have been at least three serious injury crashes on Division in 2016, including one with life-threatening injuries and another with traumatic injuries. Seven of these collisions happened on a two-mile stretch between 124th and 156th.

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Job: Shipping Specialist – Velotech

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title *
Shipping Specialist

Company/Organization *
Velotech

Job Description *
Velotech, Inc. is looking for a detail oriented shipping specialist to join our fast paced and fast growing operation. This person will be expected to pick, pack, and ship customer orders and receive incoming shipments in a timely manner. Additionally
there will be many random tasks that will assist in warehouse operation.

* Must be able to lift 50lbs
* Must be comfortable with ladders
* Basic knowledge of cycling components preferred
* Enthusiasm for cycling
* Full-time
* Great benefits and vacation package

Velotech, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to sex, race, color, age, national origin, religion, disability, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, citizenship, pregnancy or veteran status, or any other status protected by applicable law.

How to Apply *
Please apply by clicking on link below:

https://www.paycomonline.net/v4/ats/index.php?/job/apply&clientkey=4C6D7027145254251F7D24DAA9BDF3F7&job=4367&jpt=

UPS now using pedal-powered trike to deliver freight in Portland

The UPS e-bike in action.(Photos: Mark Gamba for Truck Trike)
The UPS e-bike in action.
(Photos by Mark Gamba for Truck Trike)

Global package delivery juggernaut UPS has chosen Portland to debut its first electric-assist trike in the U.S.

In a statement released today, UPS said, “The deployment of the eBike is part of UPS’s ongoing commitment to reduce carbon emissions as city populations and e-commerce grow, and traffic, noise and air quality challenges continue to rise.”

Using trikes and other small, pedal-powered vehicles to deliver cargo in dense urban areas is relatively common in Europe. The European Cyclists’ Federation (an EU-funded non-profit) says 25 percent of all goods could potentially be delivered bicycles. That number rises to 50 percent when just considering lightweight cargo.

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Job: Customer Service Representative – Stages Cycling – Indoor

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Job Title *
Customer Service Representative

Company/Organization *
Stages Cycling – Indoor

Job Description *
Role and Responsibilities

Provide pre- and post- sales technical support for Stages Indoor Cycling products to domestic consumer and International distributor accounts. Our Stages Indoor Cycling products include commercial grade indoor cycling bikes which come equipped with a Stages Power meter and a visual display that instructors use to lead indoor cycling classes at gyms, studios, fitness clubs, and other commercial fitness venues. Stages Indoor Cycling is a sister company of Stages Cycling.

Customer Technical Support

· Provide sales and technical support to our domestic consumer and dealer accounts
· Support pre-sale and post-sale technical support on our indoor cycles, power meters, VismoX, and any other SIC products
· Communicate with customers via inbound and outbound phone calls*
· Communicate concerns or issue trends to SIC Customer Service Lead*
· Respond to customer service “tickets” submitted via email, the website, and occasionally social media*
· 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. This pertains to the Stages Indoor Cycling bike, power meter, VismoX system, and any other Stages Indoor Cycling products.
· Participate in Customer Service team meetings and trainings

Order Entry

· Respond to warranty needs as directed by SIC Customer Service Lead
· Issue parts orders for warranty replacements
· Place orders for parts as directed by SIC Customer Service Lead
· Troubleshooting for international distributors

Field Technician Support

· Provide technical support to field technicians with any questions related to installation, maintenance, trouble-shooting and any other questions related to the Stages Indoor Cycling bike, power meter, VismoX system, and any other future Stages Indoor Cycling products.
· Create work orders and purchase orders for third party field service technicians and work with accounting to ensure payments are completed in a timely manner
· Maintain files with contracts and insurance documents for third party service provider contracts
· Maintain google document with information on current third party service providers and the regions they cover
· Place orders for parts as requested by the Service Technicians and approved by the Service Director.
· Other tasks and projects as assigned

*Designates non-essential job responsibilities

Qualifications and Education Requirements

· This is a full time position.
· 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.*
· Intermediate communication skills: 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.*
· Intermediate math skills: Ability to calculate figures and amounts such as discounts and percentages. Ability to apply concepts of basic math.
· High reasoning skills: 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, Experience with word, Spreadsheet, and inventory software.

Physical Demands and Work Environment

· Ability to sit and type at a computer for the duration of the day.
· This position is primarily an in office position.
· Quiet office environment with noise from call center and occasional customer visits.
· Able to lift 50lbs.
· Able to squat, bend, carry equipment, move heavy equipment with moving devices; able to use fingers, hands, and arms to build equipment; able to use tools to build equipment.

Additional Notes This position is a full-time, in-office attendance position

How to Apply *
To apply, please send your cover letter and resume to jobs@stagescycling.com.

City will update NW 16th Ave with buffered bike lane

The new bike lane will fill a gap in the network and help people connect to the new carfree bridge coming to NW Flanders. (Image: PBOT)
The new bike lane will fill a gap in the network and help people connect to the new carfree bridge coming to NW Flanders.
(Image: PBOT)

The City of Portland is reconfiguring the lanes of Northwest 16 Avenue between Johnson and Glisan. That three-block stretch of road in one of the most dense areas of the state currently lacks dedicated bicycle access.

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PBOT moves forward with carfree ‘Sullivan’s Crossing’ bridge over I-84

Renderings of the new bridge. (Map: KPFF; renderings by Fat Pencil Studio)
The new bridge would create a long-awaiting north-south connection between the central eastside and the Lloyd District.
(Map by KPFF, renderings by Fat Pencil Studio)

For years people have dreamed of a low-stress and convenient bikeway between inner southeast Portland and the Lloyd District. Now it’s becoming a reality.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is moving forward with plans to build a new carfree bridge over Interstate 84 that would connect 7th Avenue between NE Lloyd Boulevard on the north end and NE Flanders on the south end.

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Despite safety rhetoric, ODOT looks into raising highway truck speeds

"Higher Speed Limit: No More Need to Speed" says an ODOT sign following speed limit increase in March 2016.(Photo: ODOT)
“Higher Speed Limit: No More Need to Speed” says an ODOT sign following speed limit increase in March 2016.
(Photo: ODOT)

The faster a vehicle travels, the more likely it is to hurt its operator or other road users. Advocates know this, first responders know this, traffic engineers know this, safety experts knows this. It’s a simple concept that fuels a lot of policy and advocacy — yet some politicians are still enthralled with the idea that the benefits of going faster outweigh the human costs.

After we got our first clue about two weeks ago, we’ve now confirmed that the Oregon Department of Transportation has commenced an engineering report on raising truck speeds on interstate highways. The move comes after an unnamed lawmaker said they plan to introduce legislation in the 2017 session to raise the speed limit on I-5 and two other major highways.

Let’s back up a bit…

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Portlander gets global attention for bringing pedal-power to Standing Rock

 Cobb is name-dropped in a video published by CNN from Standing Rock that has over a million views.(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
Cobb is name-dropped in a video published by CNN from Standing Rock that has over a million views.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Portlander Mike Cobb brought valuable cargo with him on his journey to Standing Rock in support of people fighting against the Dakota Access Pipeline. It wasn’t food or jackets or blankets — it was the ability to produce electricity with a bicycle and a bit of pedal power.

Cobb is well-known in Portland for his bike messengering and extreme biking skills (he’s represented us at the World Cycle Messenger Championships and I ran into him on the Oregon Outback last year), his passion for the potential of cargo bikes during disasters (one of the main organizers of the annual Disaster Relief Trials), and his entrepreneurial endeavors in the bike industry (he’s co-owner of Framebuilder Supply).

Cobb has a passion for expanding the potential of what a bicycle can do. Given that, Cobb’s offering at Standing Rock comes as no surprise — but that doesn’t make it any less awesome. And what better way to promote the idea that bicycles can save the world than by getting major exposure on one of the world’s largest media outlets.

A CNN correspondent noticed Cobb’s set-up and published a video report about it thaty already has well over one million views:

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Subscriber Post: Driving as a right versus biking as a privilege

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Excerpt from Sellwood Middle School newsletter, 11-30-2016
Excerpt from Sellwood Middle School newsletter, 11-30-2016

This post was written by Carrie, a BikePortland subscriber. As a community member who supports our work, Carrie (and 306 other individuals and businesses) can create and submit posts whenever she wants. We publish most submissions in our Subscriber Posts section and will elevate the post here to the Front Page when warranted. This is just one perk of subscription! Learn more and sign up here.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about Vision Zero, the enforcement angle, and the difference in the way we treat traffic scofflaws.

I agree with the data that show that speeding and other ‘minor’ infractions are the leading causes of injuries and deaths to road users. And I am not happy that enforcement of existing laws (rules) regarding speed limits, general traffic control devices (stop signs and turn prohibitions and crosswalks at every intersection) and existing infrastructure to keep all users safe is not a high priority.

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