BikePortland

The Oregonian blames ‘hipster hovels,’ not massive housing shortage, for rising rents

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

(Data: Census Bureau, Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability. Charts: BikePortland.)

In a big new story promoted using its new “watchdog” label, The Oregonian has determined that a wave of new apartments that account for 3 percent of Portland’s housing supply are the best way to start talking about a trend that is rapidly pushing Portland homes out of middle-class reach.

From 2006 to 2014, Census figures show, Multnomah County’s population grew 79 percent faster than its housing supply. The surge of apartments that began to open in 2012 have barely made a dent in the deep shortage that developed during the Great Recession, when housing construction nearly stopped but 10,000 people kept pouring into Multnomah County each year.

In 1,600 well-crafted words about Portland’s housing problems, the newspaper doesn’t find room to mention these facts.

Adam Newman in July 2014.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The current issue of Bicycle Times Magazine has special significance for one Portland resident. Issue #37 of the magazine (brought to you by Pennsylvania-based Rotating Mass Media, the same folks who do the venerable MTB mag Dirt Rag) is the first one put together by Adam Newman.

Newman, who moved to Portland last summer, was named editor-in-chief of Bicycle Times back in July.

If you go to local bike events and various rides in the city and region, you have probably already rubbed shoulders with Mr. Newman. He did some stellar coverage of the Riverview Natural Area trails debate and he most recently joined Travel Oregon for a tour of the coast on fat bikes (which you can read about in the current issue).

Congrats Adam! We’re lucky to have you here in Portland.

Read the official news release below:

Screengrab from Hannah Davison’s GoFundMe page.

Plenty of room for changes.
(Photo: Google Streetview)

The street that once ran along part of Portland’s eastern border is now one of its most important corridors, and it’s lined up for some changes — which may even include a new bikeway.

On Saturday, Oct. 10, the 82nd Avenue Improvement Coalition will host a community forum about the urban highway’s future. It’s convened by the Asian-Pacific American Network of Oregon, the force behind an effort to keep strengthening the identity of the Jade District near 82nd and Division; by state Sen. Michael Dembrow, one of the forces behind an effort to bring 82nd Avenue from state to local control; and by the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, which is updating its zoning maps in ways that could push the street away from its current highway-on-the-edge-of-town atmosphere.

The proposed median diverters, similar to those used elsewhere in the city, would allow local auto traffic on Clinton but render the street much less useful as a car commuting route by forcing east-west cars to turn. The goal is to make more people comfortable biking there by reducing auto counts on the street.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

Citing fresh evidence that Clinton Street has accidentally become a significant route for rush-hour car traffic, the Portland Bureau of Transportation last week proposed two diverters designed to push the traffic to Powell Boulevard, Division Street and elsewhere.

Under its plan, PBOT would test median diverters at 17th and 29th to block east-west auto traffic on Clinton while allowing north-south traffic at those intersections. The barriers would be put on the ground this fall and tested for six months.

Job Title *

Clothing Associate

Company/Organization *

River City Bicycles

Job Description *

River City Bicycles is accepting applications for a person with experience in clothing retail sales. The applicant should be a passionate cyclist with varied experience in multiple aspects of biking. Please be available to work weekends, be computer literate, be friendly to work with as well as to customers, and comfortable talking about technical fabrics and features.

How to Apply *
Please send resume to daveg@rivercitybicycles.com

Final thoughts on an unprecedented Cycle Oregon

Another Cycle Oregon rides off into the sunset.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Cycle Oregon wrapped up its 28th edition in Baker City on Saturday. 2,200 riders and hundreds of volunteers and staff have packed up their tents, taken down road signs, and returned their support RVs and “sag wagons.”

(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

A reader just shared what looks to be a meaty transportation agenda for the monthly meeting of the Land Use & Transportation Committee of the Downtown Neighborhood Association. Note the item about “dedicated bicycle infrastructure in downtown Portland” in particular. That’s a reference to PBOT’s “Central City Multimodal Safety Project” which they are just starting to plan (and which we’ve covered extensively here).

If you live or work downtown, please consider attending this meeting.

View details and more information about the meeting below:

Have you ever accidentally knocked over someone else’s bike when you locked up your own? If so, what did you do about it?

Wait a minute…
(Photo: Streetsblog USA)

This week’s Monday Roundup is brought to you by Metro’s Bike There! Map, now available at local bike shops.

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

Backwards bike lane: Good news: Cleveland is now installing buffered bike lanes. Bad news: it’s painting the buffer on the wrong side.

Folding cargo bike: Xtracycle just launched a Kickstarter for its new invention, available for $1,600.

Cycle Oregon 2015 Day 6 - Baker City to La Grande-9.jpg

Velia Mendoza was one of the first users of the new lockers at Hacienda CDC. They were donated by the City of Portland but had sat empty since last year while residents and managers worked out an agreement for how to use them.
(Photo: Jaclyn Hoy for CCC)

After three years of meetings and negotiations, the group of Northeast Portland families who might be the city’s most dogged biking advocacy group got their goal Thursday: somewhere to park their families’ bikes.

The Oregonian blames ‘hipster hovels,’ not massive housing shortage, for rising rents

Industry Ticker: Portlander Adam Newman now editor-in-chief of Bicycle Times Magazine

North Portland hit-and-run victim looks to crowdfunding for medical bills

Outreach begins for likely upgrades to SE 82nd Avenue

City proposes traffic diverters on SE Clinton at 17th and 29th

Job: Clothing Associate – River City Bicycles

Final thoughts on an unprecedented Cycle Oregon

Newswire: Downtown n’hood association meeting tonight focuses on transportation

Ask BikePortland: Who takes the fall for a fallen bike?

The Monday Roundup: Cleveland’s backward bike lanes, folding cargo bike & more

A Grande old time: Cycle Oregon 2015 Day 6

Years of advocacy leads to bike lockers at affordable housing development

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From the Archives

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