‘Families for Safe Streets’ to launch Sunday on national day of remembrance

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Kristi Finney at a protest on Powell Blvd in May.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

A new organization for people whose lives have been changed by traffic violence will hold its first public event this weekend.

As part of the World Day of Rememberance for Road Traffic Victims, members and supporters of Oregon and Southwest Washington Families for Safe Streets will meet noon Sunday at 1805 NE 2nd Ave. in Portland, the headquarters of Oregon Walks and the Community Cycling Center. Anyone is welcome.

From there, they’ll meet for fellowship and then break into carpools and bike trains “to place memorials at crash sites along high crash corridors to build awareness and honor those who’ve died.” The group hosted an event this week where volunteers cut out cardboard in the shape of humans.

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Taking the pulse: Aggressive driving in Portland

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What’s going on out there?
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Part of my job is to monitor various sources of information. As I do that, trends often start to emerge. Recently I’ve sensed an uptick in chatter about how “aggressive driving is getting worse in Portland.” I’ve also heard of a few specific incidents just in the last day or so.

I’m putting this on the Front Page to hear more from you and gain more understanding about whether or not aggressive driving is indeed on the rise or if these are isolated incidents that don’t point to a larger trend.

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John Wayne Pioneer Trail needs your written support!

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The John Wayne Pioneer Trail (JWPT), of which Iron Horse State Park is one part, needs the support of anyone who might enjoy riding it on a bike, or other non-motorized use. In case you haven’t heard, it’s a rails-to-trails project that runs more than 200 miles from North Bend to Tekoa, Washington, a mile from the Idaho border. Seattle to North Bend isn’t formally part of the JWPT but there are good bike routes (plural) to the trailhead, with bike connections from the King Street Amtrak station. The JWPT itself includes crossing the Cascades, the 2.3 mile Snoqualmie Tunnel, upper Yakima River, arid shrub-steppe hills, Columbia River, Channeled Scablands, and the Palouse Hills. The western part of the JWPT is already in use but parts of it are still in primitive condition. There has been an attempt to give part of the eastern right-of-way over to local land owners, which would stop public access. Positive, friendly words explaining how bike tourists bring money to rural communities, and how we are respectful users and neighbors, will go a long way to bolstering support to retain the trail. Out-of-state writers are great; they show the scope of interest and potential tourism customers.

Tom Fucoloro has more information, including public meeting dates and locations as well as some of the back-story, in this post:

http://www.seattlebikeblog.com/2015/11/09/road-trip-to-save-our-states-longest-trail-three-meetings-this-month/#comments
Ellensburg is the closest hearing location to Portland. Those of us who can’t make a meeting, please consider sending your words of support to jwtcomments@gmail.com.

History and photos by a horse-drawn wagon association here:

http://www.jwpwr.org/
General info:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wayne_Pioneer_Trail

Weekend Event Guide: Activism, Zoobomb, the solar system and more

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This man is a professional. I wouldn’t recommend a bike like this for your first Zoobomb.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

This menu of delicious rides and events is brought to you by our friends at Hopworks Urban Brewery. Their support makes BikePortland possible.

The weather doesn’t look too great this weekend… But we’ve the love to keep you warm! Whether you feel like activisming, socializing, racing, or shopping — there’s something for you this weekend.

What are your plans?

Here’s the forecast:

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Leah Treat reflects on two years at the helm of PBOT

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Bureau of Transportation Director Leah Treat at the Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting last night.
(Photos J. Maus/BikePortland)

Many people move to Portland because it’s a place they can live with their family without having to use a car for every trip. For Leah Treat, that fact not only drew her here, it’s also part of her job description.

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New BTA policy looks to make its biking advocacy more racially equitable

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Diego Hernandez, a Reynolds School District board member running for the state legislature, speaks at a BTA event Tuesday advocating for Metro to fund safer streets in East Multnomah County through a regional Safe Routes to School program.
(Photos: M.Andersen/BikePortland)

Portland’s largest biking advocacy group has, for the first time, created a written policy to help it fight racial disparities in transportation.

“The reality of Portland is that while we are one of the whitest cities in America, it’s not going to be a white city forever.”
— Rob Sadowsky, BTA

As the most bikeable areas of Portland grow even whiter and many less bikeable areas grow even more diverse, the group says it needs to focus more on building “a community where everyone from all racial backgrounds has access to safe, healthy, and affordable transportation options.”

“The reality of Portland is that while we are one of the whitest cities in America, it’s not going to be a white city forever,” Executive Director Rob Sadowsky said Wednesday. “Over half of Portland Public Schools students already are students of color.”

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Portland may require developers to offer residents, employees $600 for biking or transit

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Downtown employer New Relic already offers in-office bike parking, but it doesn’t buy you a bike. Not yet.
(Photo: New Relic)

Got a new job in Portland? Have a new bike.

Deals like that could become common under a set of proposed rules being discussed by the City of Portland that might require developers or property managers to give each new resident or on-site worker $600 that could be spent only on non-car transportation: a nice new bike, six months of TriMet passes, four years of bike share memberships, or whatever.

The one-time payment would trigger at the time of move-in or hire. The goal is to make Portland’s streets cleaner and more efficient by reducing auto use.

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From the Archives

With six kids and no car, this mom does it all by bike