BikePortland

15 Minutes With: Salmonberry Trail Foundation Director Caroline Fitchett

Caroline Fitchett calls the Salmonberry Trail “Oregon’s next big adventure” and considers it the most ambitious rail-to-trail project in the nation. Fitchett is executive director of the Salmonberry Trail Foundation, the nonprofit that’s leading a coalition of government agencies in development of an 82-mile trail that would connect Washington County to the city of Tillamook on the Oregon Coast.

Imagine biking or hiking through wild river valleys and across abandoned timber settlements along a historic railroad line.

I first wrote about the project 11 years ago and it has captured my imagination ever since. Now more than a decade into the planning process, the project has matured nicely. In the past year or so, volunteers have begun to rip out the old railroad tracks, cut back ivy and blackberries, and parts of the trail are even open for guided hikes. This past summer, US Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici hiked the trail and Fitchett says visits from Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley will happen this year.

In my interview with Fitchett, she shares the story about how the project first came about. I had no idea it began with one mom and dad in Tillamook who just wanted a safe place for their kids to ride bikes! We also talk about a few current projects in Rockaway Beach, Tillamook, and Buxton (north of Banks) that will result in the first official pieces of the Salmonberry that will be open for riding and hiking.

One notable moment in this interview is when I asked Fitchett how she talks about the trail in front of communities who might have some inherent skepticism about it. “I really let them talk about it,” she replied. “We listen… we also share information so they know what our plans are and they have a chance to change those plans.” Fitchett she sees the trail as a neighbor to the communities along it. “We are a neighbor to hundreds of people, to school districts, to watersheds, to the fish and the birds that are along the trail. And so we have to do the best we can to be a good neighbor.”

One ace up the Salmonberry’s sleeve is that all the land needed for the trail is already banked and dedicated to this use. So that saves the organization from having to acquire any rights or easements. “The only thing in our way is planning it appropriately… and raising the money to build it — and figuring out how to maintain it.”

“Only” is doing a lot of work in that sentence for sure. But with the massive political support behind this project and its obvious benefits to Oregon, hopefully we can shorten the estimated timeframes.

When I asked Fitchett the classic “When will this thing be done?” question, she admitted she doesn’t have a good answer. “I tend to say either between 20 and 50 years, or as soon as we have raised the first $50 million I’ll have a very clear answer for you.”

So that’s our marching orders straight from the top, folks. Help the Salmonberry Trail Foundation raise its first $50 million through the federal RAISE grant they plan to apply for in the coming weeks. Stay tuned to SalmonberryTrail.org to get involved, support the grant, sign up for guided hikes, and more.

— Watch my interview with Fitchett above or on our new page, BikePortland.org/YouTube. I’ve also uploaded this interview as a podcast episode that you can listen to below or wherever you get your podcasts.

Cycling up 5% in Portland over last year, city report finds

Biking was up in Portland in 2023 about 17% of riders were on e-bikes. Those are two findings of the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s latest bicycle counts.

PBOT has conducted manual counts of bicycle riders since at least 2000. The annual exercise has become an important and reliable bellwether of cycling’s overall health in the city. The 2022 counts, released last March, revealed a precipitous drop that led to countless headlines and soul-searching among many local policymakers and bike advocates. Last year’s numbers were expected but were nevertheless a difficult pill to swallow.

The 2023 counts were tallied during peak commute times for two-hour intervals at 272 locations citywide. 114 volunteers took part in the process between June and the end of September.

Slides from a presentation at the PBOT Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting.

According to a preview of the report that will be made public for the first time at the PBOT Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting tonight, the number of people bicycling in Portland in 2023 was up 5% over last year. That’s still down 32% relative to 2019, but it’s still a notch in the right direction. The Northwest district saw an increase of 15% over 2022 and East Portland was up 12%.

“Biking probably bottomed-out about 2021,” said PBOT Planner Sean Doyle at the BAC meeting tonight. “And then increases to 2022. And now our counts are showing us that it continued to increase into 2023. And I’d expect that the Census data that comes out later this year will will reinforce that.”

The report also tallied electric bike and other micromobility vehicle riders for the first time ever. Counters tallied an average of nearly 17% of all riders on e-bikes last year. Skateboard and electric scooters made up significant portions of the traffic in the East, Northwest, and Central City districts.

PBOT says a full report should be completed by early March. Check out the preview report for yourself here, and refresh this page for updates from the BAC meeting that I’ll make between now and 7:30 pm Tuesday (2/13).

Why an obscure highway cost study is suddenly in the spotlight

An arcane study first undertaken by the Oregon Department of Transportation in 1937 is suddenly the subject of unprecedented scrutiny. The 2023-2035 Highway Cost Allocation Study (HCAS), published last year for the 23rd time and authored by research firm ECOnorthwest, is completed every two years in order to determine if road users are paying their fair share of taxes based on what ODOT spends on highways. If the balance is off, lawmakers and a study review team can use HCAS findings to lobby for changes in vehicle taxes and fees.

Its findings never made much news until now, because for the first time ever, it has revealed a significant imbalance.

The study, conducted by the Oregon Department of Administrative Services (DAS) splits vehicles into two main classes: light and heavy (over 10,000 pounds, which is essentially all large commercial freight trucks). The past two HCAS reports (completed in 2021 and 2023), have raised eyebrows because the numbers show light vehicle operators are not paying enough for what ODOT spends on them, and heavy vehicles operators are paying too much (see slide at right). “For the 2023-25 biennium, under the existing tax structure and rates,” reads page 45 of the study, “light vehicles are expected to underpay their fair share by 12% and heavy vehicles are expected to overpay by 32% relative to the projected distribution of project spending.”

The numbers validate concerns from trucking advocates who say they’re getting fleeced by taxes (that went up as part of the 2017 transportation funding package) and they’ve used the study to justify a lawsuit against ODOT filed earlier this month asking for a refund.

Why am I sharing this on BikePortland? Because the HCAS findings will likely have strong political impacts and ODOT spending on bicycle-related projects have already been singled-out as one of the reasons for the imbalance.

Note the increase in Bike and Ped costs in 2023.

What ODOT chooses to spend its highway fee and tax revenue on (the “investment mix”) is how the HCAS determines whether or not road users are paying their fair share. The economists who work on the HCAS assign each type of expenditure — whether it’s highway maintenance, administrative and engineering overhead, or bike and pedestrian projects — a specific allocation percentage based on its benefit to light or heavy vehicle users.

What the latest HCAS shows is that ODOT has spent more money on things that benefit light vehicles owners, while the amount of taxes and fees paid by those vehicle owners has gone down — while the inverse is true for heavy vehicle owners.

On page 58 of the study, its authors write,

“Most notable is the shift toward increasing expenditures on bike and pedestrian-related projects… Bike and pedestrian investments have been increasing over recent years and the current HCAS includes nearly 400 bike and pedestrian projects, compared with approximately 250 projects in each of the previous two biennia.”

Given the oft-politicized transportation debates at ODOT and among trucking advocates at the Oregon Legislature, it’s easy to see how this factoid will be leveraged. And what’s at stake on a larger scale is how lawmakers respond to the current HCAS imbalance. Will they see it as a reason to cut fees on large trucks? Scale back investment on bike and ped projects? Charge more for car drivers and other light vehicle owners?

According to Joe Cortright, a Portland-based economist and co-founder of No More Freeways, blaming the imbalance on bike and pedestrian projects is one of three major “flaws” in the latest HCAS.

In a new post on City Observatory, Cortright says the imbalance is primarily caused by the decision to spend less on maintenance (like repaving and pothole repair) and more on freeway widening projects in the Portland metro area. This is because the planning and engineering costs for freeway expansion projects (which have gone up in recent years) count toward light duty vehicles in the HCAS formula, and maintenance projects (which have gone down) count toward heavy vehicle expenditures. Spend more on maintenance and repaving roads, and less on expanding freeways, Cortright says, and, “ODOT could reduce or resolve the cost- responsibility problem.”

Cortright also thinks the state’s use of federal funds in HCAS project expenditure calculations goes against Oregon’s Constitution. “Nothing in the law or constitution directs or authorizes including federal funds in the HCAS calculations,” he writes. DAS also tallies major federal funding for bike and ped projects in the HCAS (see slides above), which Cortright says is not only illegal, but further tilts the balance of blame.

ODOT Communications Director Kevin Glenn told BikePortland the decision to include federal funds was made by the nine members of the HCAS Study Review Team and has been their methodology since 2003. Glenn also says that while it’s true that more spending on maintenance would correct the imbalance, “We don’t really have the ability to do so with our current funding structure.” “We would certainly like to spend more on maintaining our facilities,” Glenn wrote in an email after this post was published. “But because of legal restrictions on how we both receive our funding and how we can spend it, there aren’t a lot of places we could pull from to fund additional maintenance work.”

Findings from the HCAS have already led to the aforementioned lawsuit by the Oregon Trucking Association. And now two Republican lawmakers in Salem have sponsored bills to decrease the weight-mile tax charged to trucks. House Bill 4165, sponsored by Rep. Shelly Boshart Davis (R-15)*, requires ODOT to complete a report and recommend legal changes that would balance the “transportation responsibility cost” between light and heavy vehicles. Senate Bill 1519, sponsored by Senator Brian Boquist (R-12), seeks to lower the weight-mile tax, issue refunds to taxpayers who overpaid, and would set specific limits on how highway funds could be spent.

Both bills have their first public hearing in front of the Joint Committee on Transportation this Thursday (2/15) at 5:00 pm.

*Rep. Boshart Davis is a member of the family that owns Boshart Trucking, Inc.

Note and corrections, 2/26: This story has been edited with comments from ODOT’s Kevin Glenn and has been corrected to change the author of the study from ODOT to the Department of Administrative Services.

— Learn more about the HCAS in the interview with Cortright below, which I recorded last week.

After budget scare, Parks says they’re committed to carfree bridge over Columbia Blvd

Drawing of bridge over N Columbia Blvd shared by Portland Parks bureau at an open house in 2020.

I have some very good news for anyone Portland who breathes: the Parks bureau says they’re committed to building a bridge over North Columbia Blvd at Chimney Park — a key element of the 40-Mile Loop and link in the North Portland Greenway that will connect St. Johns to Kelly Point Park and beyond.

Back in November, trail advocates were dismayed to learn that Portland Parks & Recreation (PP&R) claimed a $3-4 million funding shortfall meant they could only build a standard, at-grade crossing to get trail users over the busy, high-speed, industrial truck traffic on Columbia Blvd. The bridge had been planned for years, much of the funding had been secured, and design was well underway when the announcement was made.

The official shift in stance came via the City of Portland’s Freight Advisory Committee meeting on Thursday, February 1st. Portland Bureau of Transportation Resources Manager Mark Lear told committee members he talked to PP&R Trail Planning Manager Brett Horner and learned that he was “feeling pretty positive about a grant they’re going to apply for.”

Specifically, PP&R plans to apply for a grant through the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a federal grant program administered by the State of Oregon.

Asked to confirm this news, a PP&R spokesperson told BikePortland today that, “Our staff have taken the necessary steps with ODOT [Oregon Department of Transportation] and Metro to resume the design effort and will continue looking for supplemental funding sources as the project moves forward.”

Stay tuned and watch the official project website for opportunities to support this project and provide feedback on the design.

We found fake, politically-motivated comments on BikePortland

We can’t say it enough: comments are an integral part of BikePortland, and tending to our comments section is something we care deeply about.

Our goal is to provide a space that encourages expression of a range of opinions, where people feel they can discuss and disagree (or agree), but with guardrails in place that keep the threads from nose-diving into a lowest-common-denominator sewer, like has happened with comments on so many other news sites.

They are trying to flood the public sphere with a certain political stance to make it appear as if it is widespread.

We do this by moderating the comments. In other words, either Jonathan or I read and approve each comment before it gets published.

It takes a bunch of time, but we are all rewarded with being one of the best places to go to share experiences about riding in Portland, for serious discussion of transportation issues, and yep, some politics.

A few weeks back, I commented about what I do to keep the site clear of “soft trolls.” A few people reading that comment thread had no idea of the work involved in keeping our threads clear, or the extent to which some actors will go to manipulate them.

Jonathan wanted to elevate that discussion out of the comment thread and onto a front page post. So here I go.

For about a year and a half, I’ve noticed that BP has one, or a small handful, of commenters who use multiple identities to post a barrage of comments all with the same point of view. You might recognize some of these identities: Happy Guy PDX, Yoko Chen, Mary Vasquez, Mauri Rocco, Ralph Chang, Randi J, Arturo, Marika S, Jim Knox, SeaTacgoride, Jimmie Green, Romy G, Jerry Perez, Susan Portier, Jeremy Pascal, Jenny Parto, RationalcycleGuy, Priscilla B, Priscilla T . . .

Read enough yet? because I can keep going.

What all of those names have in common is that they have posted from the same handful of IP addresses (often the identities will rotate between IP addresses), with similar political talking points, and often the same writing style.

Comments like these three, which were submitted a couple of weeks ago:

None of them stand out as being offensive. They had no swear words or blatant hate speech. But they are part of a barrage of similar comments from multiple IDs. Let’s look more carefully at what’s going on here.

First HappyGuy posted Thursday evening, with a veiled swipe at city council candidate Angelita Morillo. We didn’t publish it. So that same IP address tried another comment with a different user name, Priscilla. Still not published. Finally, the commenter returns to the HappyGuy identity, but uses a different IP address, one that connects this person to the Margo J identity, who is connected through yet another IP address to at least three other identities . . . Get it? Chains of identities which can be linked through IP addresses. I have been loosely keeping track of this in a folder for about a year and a half.

So why is this person or persons doing this? My guess is that they are trying to flood the public sphere with a certain political stance, and to make it appear as if it is widespread. The comments always hit a disciplined set of talking points: what a mess Portland is; how the commenter doesn’t feel safe; mentions the need for more police; takes a swipe at liberals; takes a swipe at elected officials, especially women (former Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty was a favorite target).

I’m not going to guess at who is doing this, but we thought we would let people know it is happening. Again, it is not the opinion that is the problem, it’s the sneaking around with multiple IDs, among other things, that raises suspicion. What is the result of this barrage? It creates fertile ground for a strongman autocracy — or on a lesser scale, a tilt towards the “law and order” approach more popular with conservative or right-leaning politicians. The comments also stoke cynicism. They wear you down. Some people might be swayed by a narrative of general disorder when they fill out the ballot.

I’ve gotten sick of it, and I recognize the writing. So I’m comfortable just not posting it without having to perform IP traces to justify the trashcan treatment. But I expect this activity to increase because of the elections, as I expect the flow of legitimate comments to pick up.

So you hang on to your hat, and we’ll do our damnedest to keep the ride from getting too wild. Jonathan always says if you care about keeping this comment section productive, the worst thing you can do is quit on them when something rubs you the wrong way (but by all means do so, if if it feels right). The best thing you can do, however, is tell us if you see one that looks suspicious and leave great comments of your own to drown it out.

Meet Mayoral Candidate Keith Wilson at Bike Happy Hour this week

Business owner and nonprofit leader Keith Wilson has thrown his hat into the ring to become Portland’s next mayor, and you can meet him in person at Bike Happy Hour this week (Weds., 2/14 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at Ankeny Tap).

I’ve seen Wilson operate in political, business, and advocacy spheres and have come away impressed. He not only has interesting ideas, he does the hard work it takes to give them legs. This is not an endorsement of Wilson, I’m just relaying my experience covering and working with him since 2020.

In 2020 he got a nice round of applause at a transportation-focused candidate forum when he answered a question about how to make streets safer by saying the number one problem is distracted driving. But he wasn’t just throwing out an answer, Wilson had proven results to back it up. As CEO of Titan Freight Systems (a company that operates 45 trucks and 120 trailers across three states), Wilson pioneered technology in his cabs that uses AI to track driver movements and then sent alerts back to the office. According to a trucking industry media outlet, “In 10 months of use, Titan reduced the number of daily unsafe events by 77% with the exterior cameras enabled.”

Wilson hosted the director of the Oregon Department of Transportation to his company for a close-up look at the technology and wants to help implement something similar in city and state fleets. “Call me and let me give you a run through,” he wrote in an email to me in 2020. “You will be amazed and walk away knowing that the solution to Vision Zero is near.”

After Sarah Pliner was killed on SE Powell Blvd, I called Wilson to have him help me understand the trucker’s perspective for a story I was working on. Wilson’s detailed analysis of the crash and his obvious care about what happened, is something that stuck with me. He also became a member of the SE Powell Blvd Working Group that formed to hasten safety improvements after Pliner’s death. But he didn’t just attend meetings and offer insights, Wilson went above-and-beyond and came up with a fully fleshed-out design proposal for how the lanes on SE 26th can be reconfigured in a way that provides more room for bicycling and still allows trucks to use the intersection.

[Read a BikePortland interview with Wilson from the 2020 city council race.]

In a recent email, Wilson shared that he’s been to Amsterdam twice in the past two years to learn more about homelessness and drug decriminalization policy. “Every time I went out onto the street,” Wilson shared. “I was so impressed with their modal mix, which heavily features bikes. I want to make their reality — and our dream — actualized in Portland.”

Another European transportation staple Wilson wants to bring to Oregon is high speed rail. He’s an advisory board member of the U.S. High Speed Rail Association and in 2022 sampled several HSR lines in France and Italy.

Wilson has experiences beyond trucks and transportation. He’s traveled to Portugal to learn about drug decriminalization and he founded Shelter Portland, a nonprofit that builds temporary, overnight shelters and helps get people off the streets. Wilson is also a leading voice in his industry about the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from truck fleets.

It will be a tall order for Wilson to crack into the top of the mayor’s race. When he ran for council in 2020, he received just 5.2% of the vote and finished fourth with just one-fifth the support of eventual winner Mingus Mapps. Now Wilson faces a surging Rene Gonzalez who has broad support and is a master at getting media attention.

In the new form of government, the mayor will no longer serve alongside city council members. While councilors focus on developing policy, the mayor will have authority over all city business and will oversee (and hire) the city administrator. Whoever is elected to this position will have a tie-breaking vote on council measures and will hire our next police chief and city attorney.

If you want see if Keith is up to the task, a good place to start will be at tomorrow night’s Bike Happy Hour. He’ll arrive around 4:00 pm and we’ll get on the mics around 5:00 and then open it up to audience Q & A. And yes it’s Valentine’s Day, so there will be even more love than usual to go ’round. Bring your date before your special night, or come find a special friend at BHH!

— KeithWilsonforMayor.com

New to Portland: Too nice drivers, lost on greenways, IKEA, and more

This is the second post in my “New to Portland” column. In my first post, I shared my thoughts as a visitor to town. Now that I’m here and settling in, I’m excited to share a few tales from my first few weeks as a Portlander.

I moved to Portland at the end of January, and I would be remiss not to acknowledge that I’m lucky to have completely dodged the ice storm. It’s clear the storm has been a hardship on the city, and that residents, businesses, and infrastructure are recovering from its impacts. On my first day in town, I encountered bike lanes filled with gravel and thought about complaining about the inconvenience; but when street sweepers quickly cleaned the bike lanes in my neighborhood, I realized the disruption was only temporary.

In the few weeks I’ve been in Portland, I’ve prioritized bicycling as my form of transit as much as I can. The unseasonably warm and dry weather has made it easy to make this choice. My destinations have included the mundane — the gym, my office, the grocery store — as well as more unique trips like IKEA, several furniture stores, and Bike Happy Hour. When I can remember, I track my riding with a tool called wandrer.earth which lets me know if I’ve ridden any new-to-me stretches of road. According to Wandrer, I’ve ridden 54 new miles in the first week!

*Thank you to the reader who suggested the Portland Bike Map! I’ve kept a copy in my handlebar bag, and it’s been helpful for planning rides.*

*Naito Parkway was filled with gravel. I’m grateful for wider tires, but from 2004 until 2019 I rode a bike with 25mm tires and would have been afraid to ride this.*

*I love dedicated bike boxes in intersections, and the small blue lights which let me know my presence has been detected.*

I’ve made a goal to navigate using neighborhood greenway signs instead of programming a route into my GPS computer, and for the most part, it’s worked well. But, there have been a few mishaps. Occasionally I “lose” a neighborhood greenway. The greenway will zig-zag, and I’ll fail to see the signage, finding myself on a street that doesn’t have protected crossings. I usually realize this when I try to cross Cesar Chavez or Sandy Blvd and don’t have a protected crossing. My most annoying moment of being lost took place on Lloyd Blvd near the Steel Bridge. For the life of me, I couldn’t find the entrance to the Eastbank Esplanade from NE Lloyd Blvd, and rode back and forth along the sidewalk until I spotted a bicyclist using the entrance. I’m not sure I would have found it otherwise!

The only time I departed from the neighborhood greenway strategy was when I went to IKEA. (No, I didn’t plan to carry my furniture home on my gravel bike — my husband met me there after work, and we drove home together with our purchases and my bike.) I planned a route to IKEA via NE Cully Blvd and Lombard, but when I shared my plan with some friends, they suggested I take the “scenic route” via 33rd and Marine Drive instead. I’m so glad that my friends intervened. Not only was my ride along the river relaxing, but after driving home on Lombard, I now realize it would have been a stressful ride during rush hour.

I’m still having some culture shock, specifically related to how drivers interact with me as a rider. Every city has its own unwritten traffic rules. In Pittsburgh, drivers making a left-hand turn do the “Pittsburgh Left” and turn through the intersection before oncoming traffic or pedestrians have a chance to get in the way. I’ve discovered Portland’s quirky traffic habit: the “Portland Wait.” A Portland Wait is what happens when drivers stop for cyclists even when the driver has right of way.

[ Being “nice” is dangerous and could make you at fault in a collision ]

I need to be careful writing this, because it does feel great to be seen and yielded to. But it’s not great when one driver is stopped and anxiously waiting for me to roll forward, but other drivers in the intersection continue to follow right-of-way rules. Sometimes drivers will even wave me on, when I can see there’s oncoming traffic that has not stopped for me. If I were to follow their guidance, I would surely be hit! The worst instance of this happened while crossing MLK near the Morrison Street Bridge. I waited what felt like ages (it was probably a minute or two) while one lane of traffic stopped to allow me to cross while other lanes of traffic continued past. Eventually the driver got fed up, kept driving, and a break in traffic allowed for a safe crossing.

I’m curious; how do BikePortland readers handle these situations?

It’s been a wild week with lots of chores and errands, and I’ve been longing to join rides from the Shift calendar. Now that the boxes are unpacked and the furniture assembled, my evenings and weekends are free for more social rides. I can’t wait to join a few, and get to know other riders in town.

Job: Retail and Workspace Manager – Community Cycling Center

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

Retail and Workspace Manager

Company / Organization

Community Cycling Center

Job Description

ABOUT THE COMMUNITY CYCLING CENTER
We love Portland and bikes. So, we put our two passions together nearly 30 years ago, creating a nonprofit organization on a mission to broaden access to bicycling and its benefits.  Our goal is to help create a healthy, sustainable Portland for all community members. Our vision is to help build a vibrant community where people of all backgrounds use bicycles to stay healthy and connected. We believe that all Portlanders—regardless of income or background—should have the opportunity to experience the joy, freedom and health benefits of bicycling. This is the motivation behind everything we do. 

The Shop Department of the Community Cycling Center consists of a DIY Workspace and retail storefront, warehouse sales and service, our classes, member events, and occasional pop-ups and events. This department is a revenue stream to provide funding for community programs.

This position operates out of our retail storefront at our membership based workspace in NE Portland. The Community Cycling Center (CCC) is an equal opportunity employer and strongly values diversity, equity and inclusion. Individuals with diverse backgrounds, abilities and experiences are encouraged to apply. 

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY
The Retail and Workspace Manager is the main person responsible for keeping the retail store and workspace stocked, organized, and clean and working order. They will be responsible for managing inventory of new and used goods and parts for sale, used bikes for sale, and inventory of consumables used in the workspace. Listening to customers’ will be imperative to ensure the store is curated to best meet their wants and needs. This position works with the Processing and Production Manager and Classes and Membership Manager to set and meet membership, class, and retail goals; and contribute to the budget process. The Retail and Workspace Manager will be responsible for training and managing retail staff.

Seasonally, shop staff will need to provide retail support at pop-ups and events. Staff in all positions at the shop will also be responsible for providing support to the Programs department as needed. This may include working mechanic shifts at one of our free service events or locations, providing ride support at events, or assisting at a learn to ride event.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Retail (30%)
● Create displays to showcase products in innovative and efficient ways
● Analyze sales trends to determine adequate stocking levels and product selection for the Alberta store
● Work in the retail store on Alberta to sell new and used parts, accessories, to customers and members
● Place orders with vendors to fill special orders for customers and restock the retail space
● Regularly communicate needs for used parts and bikes to the Processing and Production Manager
● Market classes to members and customers in the retail and workspace
Workspace (15%)
● Maintain a clean and organized space for members to work
● Maintain stock of consumables used in the workspace
● Manage contracts with vendors for services (rag cleaning, janitorial, etc.)
Strategic Planning and Process Evaluation (30%)
● Collaborate with other shop managers and staff to maintain and improve shop systems and facilities
● Work with the Shop Leadership Team to evaluate opportunities, trends and feedback towards financial growth for the shop and professional development for their team
● Contribute to the Shop’s annual budget process
● Regularly communicate with the Finance direct and Executive Director to stay on top of the budget and make finacle plans that will meet the needs of the organization
Management of Staff & Shop Operations (20%)
● Partner with Shop Leadership Team to hire, train, and evaluate staff based on the quality and effectiveness of their work
● Partner with Shop Leadership Team to develop and ensure adherence to policies and procedures governing shop practices
● Other duties as assigned
● Manage staff timesheets and schedules
● Point of contact for security and facilities at the Alberta location
Other Responsibilities (5%)
● Help advance the mission of the Community Cycling Center across all departments
● Contribute to the standard work environment – answer phones, maintain a safe, clean & organized workspace
● Collaborate with other senior staff to train and support less-experienced mechanics, including youth interns and apprentices
● Other duties as assigned

REQUIRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
● 5+ years customer service experience or similar hospitality service
● Strong interpersonal communication skills
● Experience working with a diverse range of customers and being able to adjust to and accommodate a variety of expectations
● 5+ years of professional bike shop retail experience
● 3+ years experience managing staff
● Strong organizational skills including the ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously
● Ability to meet project deadlines and account for detailed objectives
● Experience and success in creating inclusive work environments where people from diverse backgrounds feel safe and welcome
● Ability to lift, bend, squat, climb and more—this is a physically demanding job but reasonable accommodations can be made
● Ability to work nights and weekends
PREFERRED SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS
● Attention to detail and a methodical approach to accomplishing tasks
● Knowledge of local outdoor and cycling activities (bike routes/trails, camping, local cycling related social events, etc.)
● Experience with workflow improvement methods
● Experience in a high-volume shop
● Experience in large event planning
● Experience planning and executing social events
● Valid driver’s license
● Experience with Lightspeed POS, Excel, Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe
● Proficiency in Spanish

REPORTS TO: Executive Director
UNION/NON UNION: Non Union
HOURS: Full Time (40 hours)
COMPENSATION: Salaried $50K, Exempt
TERM: Permanent
SCHEDULE: 5-day week, workdays may vary, hours may fluctuate, may work nights occasionally
BENEFITS: Health, dental and vision, PTO and SICK time, HOLIDAY FLEX time

HOW TO APPLY: Send your resume, cover letter, and (3) references with the subject line “Retail and Workspace Manager” to Jobs@CommunityCyclingCenter.org. No phone calls, please.

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment Visa at this time.

NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY
The Community Cycling Center is an equal opportunity employer. We will not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, sex, age, national origin, gender identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, veteran status, marital status, sensory disabilities, physical disabilities, mental disabilities and/or any other bases protected by state and federal law. We take proactive measures to ensure against discrimination in hiring, compensation, promotions, and termination of staff, selection of volunteers (including board members) and vendors, and provision of services. We are committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all members of our staff, customers, clients, volunteers (including board members), subcontractors, vendors, and other members of our community.

How to Apply

HOW TO APPLY: Send your resume, cover letter, and (3) references with the subject line “Retail and Workspace Manager” to Jobs@CommunityCyclingCenter.org. No phone calls, please.

Meet the Boom Bike: Portland’s rocking, rolling, pedal-powered soundstage

A clean energy advocate, bike lover, and fabricator in northeast Portland has launched something that will change Portland streets forever: the Boom Bike — a 100% human-powered mobile soundstage, pedaled behind a trike that can carry 500 pounds of cargo and broadcast live music to a massive audience.

Cully neighborhood resident Mike Cobb built the Boom Bike based on a design by Xtracycle co-founder and carfree musician Kipchoge Spencer. Cobb is no stranger to pedal-powered projects as you might recall his role as an organizer of the Disaster Relief Trials or how he hooked up pedal-powered generators for Dakota Access Pipeline protestors at the Standing Rock Reservation in 2016.

I got an up-close look at the Boom Bike during a visit to Cobb’s workshop last week.

Cobb has known Spencer for years and once worked as a mechanic on his global, bicycle-powered Pleasant Revolution music tour back in 2010. Cobb reconnected with Spencer in 2020 to build five Boom Bikes as part of a massive parade in support of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign.

Cobb says his latest creation is, “The pinnacle of bicycle powered sound.”

The heavy-duty Coaster Cycles trike has a custom cargo bed that serves as a platform for the stage. Bolted to the stage is an off-the-shelf, Rock The Bike blender generator that can generate up to 100 watts at 120 volts — plenty to power the JBL loudspeaker and various electronic components that allow the music magic to happen.

Very low gearing allows Cobb (or whoever else operates it) to pedal relatively easily at slow speeds on a flat surface. Note that the Boom Bike does not use electric battery power — all the power is generated by the person who pedals right behind the trike operator. If hills are on the route, Cobb will call up two additional team members who will ride skateboards alongside and then quickly stow the boards on-stage while they push from behind.

Mike Cobb (foreground), Rachel Freifelder and Dan Kaufman.

While almost anyone produce the 50 watts needed to power the speaker, and most regular bike riders can easily create the 100 watts for full power, driving the trike will take more strength and skill. To help with that task, Cobb designed a handlebar with multiple leverage points and holding options for maximum rider input and comfort.

Dan Kaufman (of Disco Trike fame) is a local musician and friend of Cobb. To get on the stage where he sings, and plays his harmonica and guitar, Kaufman must walk up a ladder. Then he leans on a backrest and straps in with a sturdy buckle, similar to the set-up on a parade float. Once his helmet is on and wireless mic is in position, he’s ready to go.

“It was a bit off-putting at first because you’re pretty high up,” Kaufman said. “But I think a lot of performers are going to want to get on the back of this once they see how cool it is.”

Kaufman and Cobb are eager to try the Boom Bike at events like Sunday Parkways, protest marches and bike bus rides. They’re working on hooking up to an FM transmitter so other people can link up on a group ride for even more sound.

Rachel Freifelder, another Boom Bike team member who lives nearby and has known Cobb for many years, said she loves it because it helps her feel like a kid again and is a beautiful demonstration of the potential of bicycles. “My whole life I’ve been hearing people say, ‘Oh, but you need a car so you can do this or that,’ buit I think this is just such a beautiful example of things you can do with a bike.”

“And when we did our trial run last week and we’re riding around the neighborhood,” Freifelder continued. “I just couldn’t stop smiling when I saw how many neighbors we were making smile. And people in cars who are like, ‘Whoa, that’s amazing!'”

Watch for the Boom Bike at Portland bike events soon!

Comment of the Week: The urban growth boundary, what gives?

The relation of land use to transportation was in the air last week. On different threads, from different starting points, last week saw many conversations arrive at a discussion about density, what is needed to have a transit network that works well enough, for enough people, in enough areas, that it can replace car trips—and if that is even feasible.

There were a lot of strong comments. I wish I could just bundle them. My favorite ones noticed that there seems to be a disconnect between this site’s heartfelt debates about the density/transportation conundrum and what our elected leaders are actually doing.

And it’s more than just debate and talk, Portland eats volunteer time, and the time of city employees too, on its plethora of advisory committees whose advice frequently winds up on a shelf collecting dust. What gives?

This pithy comment from Watts captured the absurdity and frustration of the present moment. Plus, and this is a once-in-decade-phenomena, Fred, Damien and Prioritarian all seemed to agree with him. Think about that!

Watts’s head-in-hand comment came in response to our post about the 2024 legislative session. In particular, about a bill that is afloat to weaken the urban growth boundary established by Oregon’s signature land-use accomplishment, the 1973 Senate Bill 100.

Here’s what he had to say:

HB 4048: The last thing we need is to make it easier to expand the UGB. Between Portland and the state, there seems to be a real fever to roll back environmental regulations around where and what you can build. It seems to be one of the few things Democrats and Republicans can agree on.

Thank you Watts for this, and all your comments. You can read Watts in the context of other regular commenters actually agreeing with him here.

Monday Roundup: Robotaxi backlash, jaywalking reform, and more

Welcome to the week.

Here are the most notable stories our community came across in the past seven days…

More youth e-bike laws: A California rep from San Diego County wants to ban e-bikes for the 12 and under set and require state-issued IDs and a riders test to get one before hopping on for everyone else. (Rancho Santa Fe Review)

Decriminalize jaywalking: Washington did a statewide analysis of people stopped by police for crossing streets in an illegal way and found disturbing trends in who gets stopped, how they are treated by police, and other things that show legal reform around “jaywalking” cannot happen soon enough. (Streetsblog USA)

Mr. Transit speaks: Portland-based transit expert Jarret Walker has published a new update of his excellent book, Human Transit, and one of America’s foremost transit journalists asked him excellent questions about it. (Bloomberg City Lab)

Autopilot death machines: A man accused of hitting and killing someone with their Tesla told investigators he might have been driving on autopilot and checking emails when it happened. Disgusting regulatory failure! But yes, let’s make sure to regulate kids riding e-bikes ASAP! (Star Tribune)

Equity and traffic death: Road safety advocates in NYC say that city’s Vision Zero program is working — but only in neighborhoods where more white people live. In some parts of the city, the death toll is actually going up. (Gothamist)

Drive-thru dangers: The proximity of a major biking and walking path spurred council members to pass an ordinance that bans drive-throughs and gas stations in Atlanta. (11 Alive)

Cost of (heavy) cars: Another reason many of us are concerned about e-cars is because of their increased weight. Now there’s a study showing how costly and dangerous it is for all of us when these heavy vehicles hit roadway infrastructure like guardrails. (Slate)

Robotaxi outrage: A crowd vandalized, destroyed, and then set ablaza a robotaxi operated by Waymo in San Francisco over the weekend. A reader who shared this with us said it might have been in response to an earlier collision with a bicycle rider. (San Francisco Standard – Reuters)

Thanks to everyone who sent in links this week. The Monday Roundup is a community effort, so please feel free to send us any great stories you come across.

Dispatch from where a 12-year-old was hit and killed while bicycling in Hillsboro

My husband came home from a shopping trip on Saturday, grim-faced and quiet. “A kid on a bike got hit by a car,” he said. I looked at him for more information. “Is he going to be okay? How do you know it was a kid? Did you see the crash?” “I saw the kid’s bike under the car,” he replied, and shook his head. He didn’t see the collision, or glimpse the victim, but from the position of the bike under the car, and the swarm of cop cars that responded, he suspected the worst.

The worst was confirmed by local news reports: A twelve-year-old boy named Joseph Brausen was killed while riding his bike after a collision with a driver of a car just a few blocks from our home in downtown Hillsboro.

Although police and news reports say the collision occurred at or near the intersection of SE 10th Ave and Baseline St, my husband clarified that the car was facing west on the alley by the Starbucks”— that’s SE Gumleaf Lane at 10th Ave.

I wanted to pay my respects, bear witness, and try to figure out what happened, so I rode to the place my husband described. Sure enough, at the exact spot, the family of 12-year old Brausen was there, tying balloons to a nearby pole and trying to put up signs with phrases like “Slow Down” and “Speeding Killed My Son” — but the wind kept blowing the signs down. I felt stupidly helpless and pathetically useless. What good are my tears or condolences to the family who lost their son forever?

View looking north on the sidewalk just before SE Gumleaf Lane where the collision likely occurred. Note balloons and flowers left by family. (Photo: Shannon Johnson/BikePortland)

Still, I wanted to try to figure out what happened. I wish I could rely on the official investigation for answers, but frankly, I don’t have a lot of faith in that process right now. So I went out to have a look for myself.

SE 10th Avenue is a very busy five or six lane road (it changes right at this spot). This section is known as “Calle Diez” by many Spanish-speaking locals because of the concentration of Latino-owned businesses. The City of Hillsboro is working on a plan to “enhance the livability” of this section of 10th because so many people feel it’s stressful and dangerous to walk on. At this location there is a concrete center median, so no left turns are possible onto the Gumleaf alley from northbound Baseline. My husband said the car was facing westbound on Gumleaf, which would suggest it was making a right turn from southbound 10th Ave onto Gumleaf (which is more of an alley or parking lot throughway than an actual street).

I wondered, and then timidly asked a relative standing nearby, “Do you think the boy was riding on the sidewalk?” “Oh yes,” he said, “he only rode on the sidewalk.” The family was very strict about that fact. “He always rode on the sidewalk,” he repeated.

And that made sense. 10th Ave is terrifying. There are no bike lanes. It’s very busy. I don’t even like walking on the sidewalk there, which feels narrow and frighteningly close to the passing cars. I have never biked in the road on that section of 10th Ave, and generally avoid it entirely. I don’t think a kid (nor most adults) would ever ride on the road there. The few times I have ridden it, I have used the sidewalk as the only option.

While it’s possible the boy was riding on Gumleaf, or crossing Gumleaf between the Walgreens and Starbucks parking lots, or even doing some kid bike behavior that an adult may not guess at, I suspect the boy was riding on the sidewalk along 10th Avenue, when the driver hit him as it turned onto the Gumleaf alley. The boy may have been crossing the alley “driveway” on the sidewalk as the car turned right into him. That’s my best guess, based on the few details I could gather. Maybe a surveillance camera from the adjacent Starbucks or Hillsboro PD office or other businesses will have recorded the collision. I hope investigators do a far and thorough investigation.

I have more to say, and much I am thinking about. But nothing I say, or write, or think, will restore the life that has been lost. So for the moment, I just want to offer my condolences. And to say that someone cares. I know there are tons of drivers passing by that very spot every minute, unaware, unknowing, and it may feel like no one cares. But I care, and many other cyclists care, and many other parents care, and many other advocates for safe streets care. And I know I speak for more than myself when I say: I’m so sorry for this untimely loss.

— GoFundMe for Joseph Michael Brausen

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Job: Retail and Workspace Manager – Community Cycling Center

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Meet the Boom Bike: Portland’s rocking, rolling, pedal-powered soundstage

Comment of the Week: The urban growth boundary, what gives?

Monday Roundup: Robotaxi backlash, jaywalking reform, and more

Dispatch from where a 12-year-old was hit and killed while bicycling in Hillsboro

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