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Repaving on E Burnside brings newly buffered bike lanes

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward
buffered burnside

Yes, this guy doesn’t seem to know he’s riding in the buffer rather than the lane. Bike stencils or cross hatches would help.
(Photo: M.Andersen/BikePortland)

Here’s an example of the sort of incremental bike-lane improvement we can hopefully expect to see more of now that the city has $9 million more per year to repave roads.

This spring, the city refinished East Burnside Street with a smooth new coat of asphalt. And when they did, they converted the 1990s-style door-zone bike lane to a more comfortable buffered bike lane between Interstate 205 and approximately 90th Avenue.

It’s not a major improvement but it does extend what was already a buffered bike lane on Burnside’s bridge across I-205 by about a third of a mile. This is the most comfortable crossing of I-205 anywhere south of Marine Drive, so it’s nice to improve the comfort a bit further west.

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#WorkzoneFTW? City may require walking and biking routes around building sites

brian rod

A proposed city policy would require builders to look for a way around.
(Photo: M.Andersen/BikePortland)

A proposed policy before the city council Wednesday would withhold city permits from builders that block sidewalks or bike lanes around their work sites without first considering reuse of parking and travel lanes.

The action comes after a months-long social media campaign from Oregon Walks and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, which evolved out of a years-long behind-the-scenes effort by the BTA.

The city’s draft policy stops short of saying that walking, biking or traveling by mobility device are always higher priorities in work zones than traveling by car. Instead, it says that walking and biking routes should only be blocked if no other option is “practicable.” Here’s some other relevant language:

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The Monday Roundup: America’s sorriest bus stops, mechanical speed limits & more

sad bus stop

Last year’s winner: A very sorry bus stop outside St. Louis.
(Image via Streetsblog)

Here are the bike-related links from around the world that caught our eyes this week:

Sorriest bus stops: Streetsblog wants your nominations.

Mechanical speed limits: The National Association of City Transportation Officials has a six-point agenda to making autonomous cars work for cities, not against them. No. 2: cap speeds at 25 mph.

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Body paint & costume highlights from the World Naked Bike Ride, plus a bonus video

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward
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(Photos: Michelle Wilkinson)

Many of these photos may not be safe for work.

Before we turn the page on the 2016 World Naked Bike Ride, we wanted to share some fun photos from Michelle Wilkinson, a local freelancer I met during the World Naked Bike Ride setup who offered to share some of her favorite costumes and body paint here on the site.

Also, for those who’ve wondered what it might feel like to be part of the ride, we’ve also shared a video shot Saturday by longtime participant Tom Hardy. Check it out below.

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Five rides before Friday: Street photos, parking reform, a free tram ride & more

Aerial Tram from above

Why pay $4.50 when you can ride down for free?
(Photo: M.Andersen)

BikePortland needed a breather after our early Sunday morning shift, so today’s Monday Roundup will be an afternoon feature. In the meantime, summer fun on the street continues — here are a few of the many notable weekday rides for the last full week of Pedalpalooza.

Bill Cunningham Memorial Street Style Ride
Honoring the great bike-based photographer and unofficial mirror of NYC street style who died on Saturday. “Dress down like Bill or up like his subjects.” Monday 6 pm.

PDX Parking: Past and Future
Meet with other parking reform advocates in the city’s most famous former parking lot, Pioneer Courthouse Square, for a ride to notable car-storage locations that are, have or will one day be used differently. Finish it off with The Parking Lot Movie. Monday 6:30 pm.

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Portland’s invisible machine: Behind the scenes at the World Naked Bike Ride

evan setup

Who’s asking? A traffic cone at 52nd and Woodstock gives a subtle tip of the show to come.
(Photos: M.Andersen/BikePortland)

Some of the images in this post are not safe for work. Obviously.

There it stood in the middle of SE Woodstock Boulevard, a 42-inch-tall orange breadcrumb surrounded by a bustling commercial district.

The Beaverton 17-year-old who’d leapt out the rolling door of a blue minivan to drop it confidently into place in front of the east curb of a traffic median didn’t tell anyone what he was doing or why. No one asked. Maybe no one even looked twice as he hopped back in the minivan to ride to the next stop, well out of eyeshot.

Seven hours earlier, the boy in question — his first name is Evan — wouldn’t have looked twice at something like that, either. That was before he found out that he was about to receive what was, just for that day, maybe the most closely guarded secret in Portland, Oregon: the route of that evening’s World Naked Bike Ride.

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Five things to know about tonight’s World Naked Bike Ride

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

(Photo J. Maus/BikePortland)

1) It’s not about sex. The WNBR is about loving your body, loving low-car or car-free life, demonstrating the power of bikes in mass motion, metaphorically conveying the vulnerability of people on bikes, experiencing the city in a new way and loving the friends and new friends you’ll see before, during and after. And although all of those things are almost certainly good for your sex life, you’ll be surprised how much fun nudity (or near-nudity) is without sex.

2) Nobody cares that your body is not perfect. Nobody’s body is perfect, so for one night, everybody’s body gets to be perfect.

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Comment of the Week: A frustrated, hopeful east Portlander on the gas tax

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward
jim chasse

Veteran east Portland advocate and gas tax fan Jim Chasse.
(Photo: M.Andersen/BikePortland)

Three out of four east Portlanders who voted last month didn’t vote for the local gas tax. But given how their area’s been treated in the last few decades, can you blame them?

That’s the perspective of one east Portland resident who supported the “Fix Our Streets” plan, commenting on Thursday’s post about gas tax voting patterns.

BikePortland reader Jim Chasse is part of an extremely effective network of east Portland advocates who’ve brought in tens of millions of dollars of budgeted commitments to east Portland streets over the next several years. If the city keeps those promises, he suggests, east Portlanders may notice.

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Juggling, rollerblade camping & pasta neckties: Pedalpalooza picks for weekend 3

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Coen Brothers fans draw a lot of water in this town, especially tonight.
(Photo: Brian Thomas)

After a dose of classic Portland Juneuary on Thursday, this weekend is looking clear, dry and (especially on Sunday) downright hot. Get out on a bike before the summertime indicators get too high!

Here are a few particularly interesting entries on this weekend’s Pedalpalooza calendar.

Prop and Juggle Ride
“Jugglers, hoopers, poi peeps, staff spinners, and other prop manipulators get together and we will ride to good flow and juggling spots in parks. New prop spinners welcome.” Friday 6:30 p.m.

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