10 biking advocates on Portland’s fast-changing mayoral race

Policymakers Ride - Gorge Edition-1

Former BTA Advocacy Manager Michelle Poyourow and BTA
Deputy Director Steph Noll: undecided voters.
(Photos: J.Maus/BikePortland)

Last week, the spring 2016 race for Portland mayor looked like a hard-fought duel between two very similar people. On Monday, when Mayor Charlie Hales dropped out, it briefly raised the possibility of a coronation for the remaining major candidate, State Treasurer Ted Wheeler.

By Wednesday, it once again seemed clear that this will be a race. State House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson, former Metro Councilor Robert Liberty and Portland Association of Teachers President Gwen Sullivan said they’re considering runs. Multnomah County Chair Deborah Kafoury and Multnomah County Chief Operating Officer Marissa Madrigal have both been conspicuously silent so far.

Amid all this, we wondered what the city’s bike advocates have been thinking. So we asked a bunch of them.

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Quick thinking leads shop to two stolen bikes

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Roger Averbeck snapped this photo after recognizing the bike as one stolen from Southwest Bicycle in Multnomah Village last week.
(Photo by Roger Averbeck)

Quick thinking by a southwest Portland resident has resulted in a local shop being able to recover two bikes that were stolen from them last week.

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Wednesday Video Roundup: Cyclocross, Chernobyl and more

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Editor’s note: Welcome to the first of a new feature from BikePortland contributor Ted Timmons, a lover and observer of bike culture in Portland and around the world who’s volunteered to try out something new on the site. We’re featuring at least the first post here on the Front Page. Take it away, Ted.

I watch a lot of bicycle- and transit-related videos, so this is an experiment on sharing them with BikePortland. They will be at least tangentially bicycling-related, and should enthuse, entertain, educate, or enrage you.

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Bike-friendliness and walk-friendliness are actually pretty different, study says

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Rosa Parks Way -3

Rosa Parks Way.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

Portland has a long way to go, but it’s one of the country’s best cities to bike in. Sad to say, it isn’t yet one of the country’s best cities to walk in.

So why do so many people, here and elsewhere, speak as if there’s an activity called “bikingandwalking” that can be encouraged all at once?

Some new research from a recent Portland State University engineering grad helps to disentangle the science of these two awesome activities.

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City issues updates on Portland Off-road Cycling Master Plan

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Michelle Kunec-North at the Portland Bicycle
Advisory Committee meeting back in September.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Four months after it officially launched, Portland’s Off-road Cycling Master Plan is getting started in earnest. Yesterday the city released a more detailed project scope and opened the application period for the project’s advisory committee. Back on October 12th, the city chose a project consultant (Toole Design Group) that will be tasked with managing the public engagement and planning.

Michelle Kunec-North, the bureau of planning project manager overseeing the plan, spent all summer talking to interest groups and organizations. Her goal with that initial outreach was to better understand the lay-of-the-land, both figuratively and literally.

“Now the idea is to zoom out with a wide lens and set up a system plan for where these facilities might be, what they might look like and who they might serve,” Kunec-North told members of the Bureau of Transportation’s bicycle advisory committee back in September.

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One commuter’s take on the many turns and stops on Tilikum’s east side

tilikum east side map with numbers

Issues identified in Justin C.’s letter below.
(Map: Google. Annotations: BikePortland)

How many inconveniences does it take to add up to a serious problem?

“I feel like I’m using a system that was not designed for me… It seems to be designed to get me out of the way of transit vehicles, not to get me to work.”
— Justin C.

For about a year now, we’ve been watching the expanse of east-side paths to Tilikum Crossing with unease. We’ve heard from many readers, publicly and privately, about its many issues. But like most of us, we wanted to give TriMet and the Portland Bureau of Transportation a chance to get it built, celebrate the good parts and work the kinks out before talking about what can be done to fix the problems here.

After more than a month of Tilikum crossings, it’s time to start talking about what’s still wrong and what can be done. And we couldn’t frame the situation better than one reader, Justin C., did in an email to BikePortland last week.

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Job: Customer Service Rep – Yakima Products, Inc.

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Job Title *
Consumer Service Rep

Company/Organization *
Yakima Products, Inc.

Job Description *
General Description:

This is a great opportunity for an individual looking to make the move from retail to inside sales, or for anyone who is looking to start a career in the outdoor industry. The position provides Yakima customers with the amazing support they have come to expect in our 35 years on the road. This is done by providing rack recommendations based on vehicle fit, rack installation and troubleshooting assistance, warranty support, and order support via phone and email. Responsibilities include processing phone calls, emails and sales orders with the speed, accuracy. Further, this position will help execute and support projects with teammates to deliver against initiatives in Yakima’s strategic and annual plans.

Scope and Responsibilities:

•Provides troubleshooting and analysis to resolve consumer problems in a timely, efficient, cost effective, professional manner, and within established guidelines
•Processes sales orders, including follow-up and documentation, in an accurate and timely manner
•Provides timely technical product support to dealers by phone and email
•Increases sales through suggestive selling to consumers

Qualifications:

•AA degree from an accredited college, or equivalent experience preferred
•One (1) year customer service experience in outdoor retail sales, and experience selling Yakima racks preferred
•Intermediate level with Pac’s: Microsoft Office Suite; Outlook
•Ability to effectively develop work systems to manage workload, work independently and efficiently, have a keen ability to prioritize, and ability to identify and address needs in advance
•Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal/external customers and consumers
•Professional level communicator ~ both oral and written correspondence
•Data base experience preferred
•Mechanical aptitude
•Able to visualize and understand geometric and spatial relationships

Physical Requirements:

•Able to sit and work at a computer keyboard for extended periods of time
•Able to perform activities such as stooping, kneeling, bending at the waist and reaching on a daily basis
•Able to lift and carry objects up to 75 pounds occasionally
•Corrected 20/30 vision
•Must be able to safely operate a motor vehicle and sit for extended periods of time

The complete posting can be found at www.yakima.com

Compensation:

DOE
Comprehensive benefit package provided

How to Apply *
To apply, please visit our career center page at: https://workforcenow.adp.com/jobs/apply/posting.html?client=yakimaprod&jobId=108448&lang=en_US&source=CC3

Job: Delivery Partner – GrubHub

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Job Title *
Delivery Partner

Company/Organization *
GrubHub

Job Description *
GrubHub Inc. is the nation’s leading online and mobile food ordering and delivery service, serving more than 900 U.S. cities and London.

The company’s online and mobile ordering platforms allow diners to order directly from approximately 35,000 takeout restaurants in more than 900 U.S. cities and London. In addition, GrubHub partners with Restaurants on the Run and DiningIn to execute delivery for nearly 3,000 restaurants across the country through. Every order is supported by the company’s 24/7 customer service teams.

Would you like to deliver food–and happiness–to hungry customers? We are looking for drivers to partner with to help us serve top restaurants.

All qualified Delivery Partners will be independent contractors. You will need to use your own iPhone or Android phone and expect to use your data and text plan.

Pay is competitive!

How to Apply *
Apply today at: http://driver.grubhub.com/

At Wonk Night, County DA announces effort to change state law

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Multnomah County DA Rod Underhill (with Deputy DA
Chuck Sparks on his left) addressing last
night’s Wonk Night crowd.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

We had two firsts at Wonk Night last night: An activist group used the event as a platform for their cause, showing up en masse with protest signs and demands; and an elected official announced a new legislative proposal that could someday change Oregon law.

It all started quite unexpectedly. As I set up the room for the event about 17 people walked in who I’d never seen before. They were carrying signs that said things like “Justice for Chandler!”, “Speed Bumps for Chandler!”, “Slow Down” and so on. It caught me off guard and it took me a few seconds to realize that the “Chandler” in their posters was Chris Chandler, the man who was killed last month on SE Stark.

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