The City of Portland’s vehicle fleet just got a bit more bikey.
The Portland Bureau of Transportation has purchased two new electric-assist cargo bikes to help get official city business done: a Tern HSD and a Specialized Globe Haul. PBOT Communications Director Hannah Schafer recently shared more with BikePortland about the bikes and what they’ll be used for. She said both bikes were bought for specific uses and not as general loaner bikes.
Here’s more about the bikes from Schafer:
Blue Tern HSD – This bike is outfitted with a large front rack and two high capacity panniers for our Active Transportation team to use for delivering materials to various locations around the city, such as delivering cartons of bike maps to Multnomah County Library or transporting bike helmets for bike skills workshops. We’ve also attached a bike trailer to it, for extra extra capacity, and hauled up to nine boxes of bike maps (approx. 35 lbs each) to the library’s distribution warehouse.
Specialized Globe Haul – This e-bike, with a higher top-speed of 28 mph, is being used by staff in our Traffic Operations team to conduct field work. That includes traffic observations and investigations, work order inspections, and more. It is also shared with staff in our Temporary Traffic Control team to use for special event work. The team has found that for a lot of the work, it is easier and more convenient to use an e-bike versus a car, or at the very least offers some additional multimodal flexibility. It also gives staff who may not be regular bike commuters the valuable experience and perspective of using the road when biking.
The Tern HSD has a retail price of about $4,300 and the Specialized goes for about $2,800. Schafer said both teams used their program budgets to fund the bikes.
If you see PBOT staff on these rigs, be sure to do the nod and wave. We want to see more e-bikes in the city fleet!
(This story is part of a paid advertising partnership.)
If you love mountain biking, this weekend has something very special in store.
Imagine manicured trails in the Coast Range with food, drinks, music and a great crew of folks to enjoy it all with. That’s what Ride the Dirt Wave is all about and the first of its three events kicks off this weekend at the Klootchy Creek Traily system located right off Highway 26 before the Cannon Beach/Seaside turnoff.
Daniella Crowder is an Oregon bike advocate who I met many years ago as part of the state delegation at the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C., a co-owner of a bike shop in Newport, and director of Oregon Rides & Events, the company behind Ride the Dirt Wave. She says the Dirt Wave events are a perfect excuse to discover new places to ride and folks who’ve done them give rave reviews.
“Several people commented to me that they never would have visited all three trails had it not been for the Dirt Wave, and now they are excited they have and plan to return,” Crowder said.
The events offer guided rides, timed races, trails for all ability levels, great food, drinks, music, and plenty of time to explore and great people to enjoy everything with.
And there’s a lot more going on here than just great riding and good times. These events represent a strong community of bike clubs and trail advocates who’ve worked for years to create these opportunities for all of us to enjoy. Another advocacy element is how these events demonstrate that bikes mean business by contributing to Oregon’s tourism economy (it’s no accident that the Oregon Coast Visitor’s Association sponsors the event!).
If you’re MTB-curious, itching to get away from cars and into the woods, or want to explore new singletrack trails while testing your skills against riders from around the state, you should check out the Ride the Dirt Wave event series.
Planner 4 – Bicycle and Pedestrian Program Manager
Oregon Department of Transportation
Public Transportation Division
Policy & Strategic Investment Unit
Salem
Salary: $6,454 – $10,013
The role:
We need your leadership, communication and analytical skills! As a pedestrian and bicycle program manager, you will develop and implement statewide policy and program activities to support our efforts to improve conditions for people walking, rolling and biking. You will be the central point of contact for pedestrian and bicycle issues across the state and serve as a policy and technical advisor to internal staff and external parties. You will also lead the implementation of the Oregon bicycle and pedestrian plan, coordinate funding decisions, contribute to and distribute program materials, act as the staff liaison for advisory committees and coordinate training and education opportunities for agency staff. If you’re passionate about expanding access for walking, rolling and biking and excited to develop your leadership and project management skills, then apply today!
We encourage people from all backgrounds to apply for our positions. We hope you’ll join us on our path to increasing diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging through our values, commitments, strategies and actions.
Before applying, visit our applicant information website to learn more about our process. If you are a current State of Oregon employee, you must apply through your employee Workday profile.
A day in the life:
• Manage and coordinate pedestrian and biking policy issues statewide.
• Identify investment needs, coordinate agency funding distributions and legislative requests.
• Recommend policy strategies, options and legislative positions to senior managers.
• Participate in multidisciplinary teams to communicate agency policy and implementation strategies.
• Represent the agency and communicate policy direction at manager meetings, occasionally before elected officials and other interested parties.
• Assess federal and state policy changes for implications to the agency.
• Bring forward advocacy, concerns and perspectives from external partners for consideration.
• Staff the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (OBPAC), coordinate support for recommendations, develop agendas, assist in developing the annual work program update and track progress.
• Report on the progress of key performance measures, update and implement the 5 year Oregon bicycle and pedestrian work plan and coordinate contractor support for policy implementation efforts.
• Develop and deliver training, lead monthly coordination meetings for agency staff that support active transportation initiatives and organize regular workshops.
• Develop and implement plans to communicate and engage internal and external partners, identify project risks and design strategies to manage and mitigate risks.
• Coordinate and oversee the update and distribution of program materials.
• Hybrid work options available – minimum in office once a month for meetings and trainings. Occasional over night travel.
• To request a copy of the position description, which includes all duties and working conditions, please email ODOTRecruitment@odot.oregon.gov.
What’s in it for you:
• Work/life balance, 11 paid holidays a year, flexible work schedules, paid leave and so much more. Learn more about working at the Oregon Department of Transportation and the benefits we offer.
• Competitive benefits packages which can be estimated using our compensation calculator.
• Comprehensive and equitable base salary offer within the listed range based on your experience, skills and education. The salary range listed is the non-PERS participating rate. If you are already a participating PERS member or once you become PERS eligible, the salary range will increase by 6%. Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details.
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness opportunity!
Minimum qualifications:
Eight (8) years of planning experience related to the job;
OR
A bachelor’s degree in urban or regional planning, public administration, social science, civil engineering, architecture, economics, geography or a related field AND four (4) years of planning experience related to the job;
OR
A master’s degree in urban or regional planning, public administration, social science, civil engineering, architecture, economics, geography or a related field AND three (3) years of experience;
OR
An equivalent combination in relevant education, training, and experience.
What we’d like to see:
If you have these attributes, let us know in your application materials! It’s how we will choose whom to move forward! You do not need to have all these qualities to be eligible for this position. We may also use transferable skills, experience, education and alignment with ODOT values to help us decide who will move forward.
• Demonstrated experience working on bicycle and pedestrian related issues and policy, bringing a general understanding of national and international trends and best practices.
• Skilled at working collaboratively and influentially with different peers towards a common outcome, as well as working well independently.
• Demonstrated experience managing relationships with interested parties and partnering with people in different roles to achieve a common goal.
• Demonstrated experience building strong partnerships, strategic engagement, political navigation acumen and the ability to work in a demanding and time sensitive environment with competing priorities.
• Experience and skills with project management and administering funding programs.
Learn more and apply:
This recruitment closes at 11:59 p.m. on Monday, June 17, 2024.
Please note that we can only accept applications through our website.
For questions, call 503-779-9733 or email ODOTRecruitmentJB@odot.oregon.gov
ODOT is an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer
Off-script comments made by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler during a City Council meeting last week have sparked concern. Wheeler said that since participants at a protest at Portland State University didn’t leave the area after being told to do so by the Portland Police Bureau, the protestors, “Shouldn’t whine, complain, and cry when there are consequences.”
The “consequences” in this specific instance were a reference to concerns shared by Christopher Olson in council testimony shared just minutes prior to Wheeler’s comments. Olson, who’s running for city council, was at a May 2nd protest on the campus of Portland State University when a man drove a car into a pedestrian-only zone and accelerated toward the crowd.
You can watch the exchange below.
According to video taken at the scene (also below), the driver of the white Toyota sedan didn’t hit anyone and stopped prior to making contact with a large crowd that was there to protest Israel’s bombing of Palestinians in Gaza. While he appears to have had second thoughts about hurtling his vehicle into the crowd, the driver clearly intended to cause a confrontation. Not only did he enter a carfree zone of campus (on SW Hall just west of Broadway), but prior to arriving at the PSU campus, the driver posted on social media, “On my way,” and a middle finger emoji along with tagging PSU’s campus newspaper. There was a metal baton on his dashboard and he was driving a rented car with a license plate cover that read, “We the people.”
As I was walking up to PSU in Portland, Oregon, a car turned down an alley in front of me where the crowd of protestors were standing. On the dash was a can of bear mace and the license plate holder read "we the people". This wasn't an accident.
Once on campus, the driver was confronted by the crowd and ran away from his vehicle while shooting pepper spray (see video above). He was later picked up by PSU campus police. I’m not aware of his current status.
At city council last week, Olson testified against giving the Portland Police Bureau $1.1 million to buy crowd control munitions and related training. Olson said in testimony he witnessed the driver, “barreling toward the crowd of students,” in an “attempted slaughter” that could have been “another Charlottesville.” In Charlottesville in 2017, a man drove his car into a protest and killed one person and injured 30 others and was later given a life sentence and charged with a hate crime.
The incident on PSU came just two weeks after U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) posted on X, “I encourage people who get stuck behind the pro-Hamas mobs blocking traffic: take matters into your own hands to get them out of the way.”
Given the rise in vehicular violence at protests in Portland, heightened political tensions among Americans, and ahead of what is likely to be a busy protest season in Portland, Mayor Wheeler’s surprising comments shocked many observers. “Big yikes (at council today),” wrote Oregon Public Broadcasting reporter Alex Zielinski when she read Wheeler’s words.
Here’s the full text of Wheeler’s comments:
“I was interested in the public testimony we heard for the simple reason that the Portland Police Bureau had speakers asking people to leave [before the driver showed up] in fact, insisting that people leave for the better part of an hour, and they chose not to. That is an act of defiance, and you are entitled to that act of defiance. But then you shouldn’t whine, complain and cry when there are consequences for that act of defiance.”
You can watch video of Olson’s comments, followed by Wheeler’s response several minutes later, on YouTube.
Wheeler’s comments were picked up today by right-wing agitator Andy Ngô, who posted to X that, “In his final year in office, Wheeler has shown more willingness to push back against the extreme far-left.”
In 2020, when Donald Trump supporters descended on downtown Portland and maced protestors out of the windows of their vehicles, I shared my disappointment that Wheeler nor the former PPB Chief seemed to care. The use of vehicles as weapons is on the rise and it will very likely happen again. Elected officials should do everything in their power to address the issue instead of carelessly pointing a finger and blaming victims.
I’ve reached out to Wheeler’s office and PSU Campus Safety for comments and will update this post when I hear back.
(This article is by BikePortland subscriber and Portland City Council candidate Timur Ender. Timur was a guest on our podcast back in February and his last contribution was a dispatch from Izmir, Turkey. If you want to meet and talk with Timur, he’ll be at Bike Happy Hour this week (Weds, 6/5 from 3:00 to 6:00 pm at Gorges Beer Co on SE Ankeny at 27th.)
With the primary elections behind us attention will now shift to November’s historic city council elections. Most people are likely aware of the basics but I wanted to share a quick reminder on what is special about our city council election this time around.
The city council election will take place Nov. 5, 2024 and council candidates will be on the same ballot as other state and federal races. Candidates for mayor and auditor will also be on the ballot and are running citywide.
While the entire city council will be elected in the Nov 5th election, the council members elected from districts 3 and 4 (SE and West) will only serve a 2-year term and will be up for election again in 2026 for a four-year term. Districts 1 and 2 (East and North) council members will serve an initial 4 year term and be up for election in 2028. This was done so that not all of the council would turnover at the same time and so that districts that historically have lower voter turnout are aligned with the presidential election years.
With a new form of government and no incumbents, this will be a historic election for Portland, reshaping our political landscape for years to come.
I want to take a minute to thank all those who worked on charter reform. These systemic changes are what have allowed so many grassroots, first-time candidates to have viable campaigns. I am appreciative to everyone who has worked tirelessly on building an inclusive democracy and developing charter reform, gaining voter approval, and continuing to protect these gains so that underrepresented parts of the city finally have seats at the table.
Get Involved!
This may seem counterintuitive, but given that there are three people representing your district and nine people on council representing other districts, the council members outside of your district will have a greater impact on city policy than the three people representing your district. One of the only ways you can have an impact on candidates in other districts is by voting with your dollar through the small donor election program.
With the small donor election program, donations from Portland residents are matched 9:1 which means a $5 contribution becomes $45 and a $20 donation becomes $200. (*Note: the 9:1 match was the original program intent but the amount of match is ultimately dependent on the extent to which city council funds this program; final decisions about this will be made by council soon).
Your donations to candidates are matched, even if you donate to multiple candidates and even if that candidate is not in your district. What this means is that even though you cannot vote for candidates outside of your district, you can vote with your dollar by donating to candidates in other districts and having those donations matched by the city. The minimum contribution amount to have your donation matched and be counted as a Portland donor is $5.
There is also the Oregon Political Tax Credit which allows Oregon residents who file taxes and have incomes less than $75,000 to donate up to $50 to a political candidate and recieve the full amount as a credit subtracted from your Oregon state taxes when you file.
There are over 70 candidates running for city council in this election and pretty much every candidate is trying to get to 250 Portland donors. The candidates who have reached this tier are trying to get to the second tier of 750 Portland donors (or, in some cases, the third tier of 1,250 Portland donors). What happens when a candidate reaches these tiers? These are the tiers when matching funds are dispersed from the city, often to the tune of approximately $40,000.
One of the most interesting realizations I have had since becoming a candidate is, in a city of over 600,000 people, it’s very challenging for campaigns to get to 250 Portland donors. Out of 6 mayoral candidates and 70 city council candidates, approximately 12 council candidates have reached the first tier of matching funds, meaning they have received donations from at least 250 Portlanders.
You can see which candidates have received public matching funds at the city’s small donor elections website and view how how many contributions each candidate raised at this site.
Now you know you can have an impact with strategic $5-$20 contributions to candidates that align with your views, but how do you know who these candidates are, what district they are in, and whether they align with your values? City council races are nonpartisan so it takes legwork to see who believes what. Thankfully, Maja Harris at Rose City Reform has done an incredible job keeping Portlanders updated about the candidates, endorsements, and other helpful info.
If you want to see who has signed various pledges, such as the one organized by Friends of Portland Street Response, it can be found at Rose City Reform. If you want to see which candidates have been endorsed by various organizations, it can be found there as well.
Hundreds of thousands of Portlanders will vote in this upcoming election, but only a fraction of them will donate to candidates. Take a minute to visualize what your ideal city council would look like and take the step of donating $5 to each of the 13 candidates you would like to see on that council.
Other ways to get involved include serving on an endorsement panel for an organization that will be endorsing candidates in the upcoming election, volunteering on a campaign, or attending/hosting a candidate forum.
In conclusion, don’t wait until November to have your voice heard in this historic election. Do some research, talk to your friends, be engaged, and vote with your dollar today to support candidates who align with your values in every council district.
Timur is a resident of the Hazelwood neighborhood of East Portland and a city council candidate in District 1.
Two different City of Portland employee bike buses converged at Peace Park on their way to work on May 1st. (Photo: City of Portland)
When it comes to local bike trends, one of the things I’m looking forward to is how the bike bus phenomenon plays out in the coming months and years. Will these mass group rides to schools eventually fizzle out like “bike trains” of yesteryear did? Or will they continue to swell and become as ubiquitous as yellow school buses? And beyond bike buses themselves, will they have an impact on bicycling and safe streets advocacy more broadly?
As Portland’s bike buses evolve, we are beginning to get answers to questions like these.
When the Abernethy Elementary School bike bus went daily, organizers told me it had an immediate impact on how the community perceived the event. It was suddenly more accessible, more reliable, and inspired more engagement. Then on May 22nd, Portland Bureau of Transportation Director Millicent Williams and City Traffic Engineer Wendy Cawley joined them, a move that represents further evolution.
Left: Still from @coachbalto TikTok video. Right: Abernethy Bike bus photo posted to social media with additions by BikePortland.
And turns out it wasn’t Director Williams’ first time on a bike bus. In a video posted by Alameda Elementary School bike bus leader Sam Balto to social media today, Williams said the bike bus, “Shows me what we need to do at the transportation bureau to make sure that every community that wants to do this, has the ability to do this safely and comfortably.”
And now the City of Portland’s transportation bureau wants to adopt the bike bus playbook for getting employees to work. The Portland Bureau of Transportation tried its first ever employee bike bus on May 1st (the first day of Bike Month) and it went so well, they plan to make it a regular thing.
According to PBOT Communications Director Hannah Schafer, the idea of an employee bike bus came from internal staff who felt it would be a fun way to build camaraderie during Bike Month. “They were inspired by all the amazing bike buses we’ve seen in Portland schools and wanted to try our own version,” Schafer shared with BikePortland last week.
Here’s how they did it…
Internal PBOT communications about May 1 ride details.
Staff from PBOT’s communications and social media teams used internal newsletters and other channels to gauge interest. Staff were given a form that asked the general area they commute from and whether or not they’d be interested in being ride leaders. 45 employees responded to that initial survey — plenty to signal the initiative was worth pursuing.
Organizers then cross-referenced locations of employees who wanted to lead rides to come up with possible meeting spots and routes to the Portland Building on SW 4th and Madison. “The ride leaders were essential,” Schafer said. “They helped refine routes and made sure there would be a person waiting to greet riders and show them the way.”
Once the meeting places and routes were set, the event details were shared through the Bureau of Human Resources in a citywide newsletter sent to all 7,500 city employees.
On event day, staff met at six different locations and hopped onto unique routes that all led to Salmon Springs in Waterfront Park where they gathered for a group photo before rolling up SW Main to the Portland Building’s robust bike parking area. But before locking up for the day, Schafer made sure one element of the event was in place: free coffee and treats!
“Every bike bus had adventures to share,” Schafer recalled about the event. “The SE Belmont bike bus coincided with the Abernethy School bike bus, resulting in an epic, joyful moment at Ladds Circle that staff couldn’t stop talking about. The NE Woodlawn bike bus got cheers and waves from PBOT colleagues working on an ADA curb ramp along their route. The Woodlawn and University Park groups came together at Peace Park just before crossing the Steel Bridge and stopped for an impromptu group photo.”
Schafer also said that, during the ride some staff got to know more about colleagues and/or meet other city employees for the first time.
Over 40 city employees participated and Schafer said it was such a success they are now planning monthly bike buses through September. They will start a bit earlier (to make sure everyone gets to those early meetings on time!) and add more start locations to meet demand.
Schafer thinks PBOT’s approach could be a great model for other workplaces. “We can’t wait to see how our bike buses grow,” Schafer said.
The bike bus might end up being the most effective advocate for cycling in Portland. It’s one thing for city engineers and planners to hear from Portlanders at meetings, or experience streets on a site visit or while biking to work alone. But riding in a group can encourage a much deeper appreciation for the myriad social, mental, and physical benefits of cycling that transcend engineering calculations. This experience with human infrastructure could end up leading to more of the concrete kind.
And I’ll be damned if “mh” isn’t saying the same thing as Cortright did! (Only “mh’s” commented is shorter, sweeter, and simpler.)
Basically, “mh” wants to be charged “for the wear we actually put on the roads” (sort of like ODOT already does for large freight trucks). But, as Cortright concludes, ODOT isn’t counting costs, (“the wear” to the roads). No, it’s accounting for its expenditures — how ODOT allocates its money. And ODOT’s expenditure choices reflect the department’s bias toward freeway building rather than maintenance.
But let’s get back to short and sweet. Here’s what “mh” wrote:
(Weight x miles) for every vehicle. For passenger vehicles, weight is the manufacturer’s stated weight, for the first registration you pay based on the average number of miles the average vehicle is driven, on registration renewal you reconcile and the vehicle owner either pays more or is reimbursed. I guarantee I’d be reimbursed. I’ve been proposing this for years, and have yet to see anyone think it’s a good idea.
My little Honda Fit is charged a penalty for being a small, light car. The fact that it is driven very little is ignored – they just assume I owe more because they assume I drive it the 10k or whatever the average miles per year is. We don’t. Let us pay for the wear we actually put on the roads.
I’d happily pay (weight x miles) for my bike commutes if they provide me some way to track my miles, [and] if all the oversized SUVs also pay (weight x miles) for their roadway damage. That would make me a much more serene commuter.
Thank you for the clarity, “mh.” You can read “mh’s” comment in the context of the two other brave souls who wrote in.
Welcome to the week. I hope you’ve taken a few minutes to soak up my video and photos from the Bike Summer Kickoff Ride on Saturday. It was an incredible display of cycling spirit and an atmospheric river of bike joy. This will be a big week with lots of great rides, a warm sun, big Bike Happy Hour Wednesday, and the Oregon Active Transportation Summit kicking off.
Let’s start things off with a recap of the best items our community came across in the past seven days…
Protesting the right-of-way: As we enter what could be a big summer of protests, it’s time to brush up on the ethics and laws that govern our rights to assemble on public roads. (Streetsblog USA)
A cautionary tale: As Oregon embarks on a debate about transportation funding, California shows us that even in 2024 it’s possible for leaders to prioritize freeway expansions over bicycling and walking projects. (LA Times)
**This week’s Roundup is sponsored by Ride the Dirt Wave, a mountain biking event on the Oregon Coast that happens monthly and starts on June 8-9th at the Klootchy Creek Trails in Cannon Beach.**
What the hell(cat): This dude up in Seattle thinks his big Instagram following gives him a right to race his souped-up Dodge “Hellcat” around city streets at night. Hopefully the car is booted along with his rights to drive it before he kills someone. (NY Times)
Bike-on-bike collision: A popular carfree path in Washington was the site of a scary bike-on-bike collision that sent a woman to the hospital with head injuries. It’s interesting to see how local media handles crashes when no car user is involved. (King 5)
No men: If you’ve ever wondered why some folks love to host rides where men are not allowed, this cyclist offers a good explanation of why she prefers all-women rides. (Cycling Weekly)
Ride to remember: Long bike tours are such great ways to raise awareness about historical events because they give participants endless hours to ponder what they are pedaling for. This ride to remember the forced removal of Cherokee tribe members from their land is a good example. (Cherokee Phoenix)
E-assist upgrade: This attachment known as the Clip has been banging around for a while now and it seems pretty nifty. It turns almost any bike into an e-bike. But it’s the aesthetics that I just cannot get used to. (Ars Technica)
A tired take: The idea that New York’s ubiquitous e-bike delivery riders have made the city a “nightmare” is entirely missing the point. Yes they are an issue to deal with, but a major reason they are so problematic is because they operate mostly on crowded scraps of space left over from all the damn drivers. I bet that when congestion pricing hits and NYC reduces the number of drivers in the city, this issue will magically balance itself out. (NY Times)
Tariffs and you: The expiration of a tariff exemption will add an additional 25% onto the cost of many e-bikes produced with Chinese parts, adding even more urgency for states to subsidize costs to promote purchases. (Global Cycling News)
Thousands took to the streets on bikes for the annual Bike Summer Kickoff Ride from the North Park Blocks to Laurelhurst Park. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
2024 Bike Summer season kicked off in fine fashion today. At one point at the start of the ride I stood near the western entrance to the Broadway Bridge at the corner of NW Lovejoy and Broadway. I looked down the ramp toward Burnside and all I could see were people on bicycles across the entire width of the street as far as my eyes could see (photo above). One corker I talked to said they stood and watched the pedaling mass roll by for 35 minutes he was probably near the middle of the pack!
As I biked from my house near Peninsula Park to the meet-up spot at the North Park Blocks it felt like the opening to the classic film, The Warriors, when all the gangs from New York posse-up and descend on the city for a big rumble. The city’s bike lanes were like tributaries to a mighty river of bikes. The Kickoff Ride has always been a true gathering of the tribes, and as Portland’s bike scene has broadened and diversified over the years, the gathering has grown along with it.
Bike Summer (formerly known as Pedalpalooza) is a three-month festival of pedaling and free fun unlike anything in the world. It began in 2002 as a traveling festival with a few dozen rides. The next year, locals did it again and it’s happened every year since, becoming one of Portland’s most important cultural institutions.
As the first major ride of Bike Summer on the first day of the festival, there’s always a great sense of optimism and energy at Kickoff. This year’s ride started at the North Park Blocks, where riders were treated to a pre-ride party that included a drag show, great food, a DJ, and a live music send-off from Portland Samba. The route went across the Broadway Bridge, up NE Weidler, and then through Lloyd District to southeast via the Blumenauer Bridge and ended up at Laurelhurst Park.
Below are some of my favorite photos. I got some fun video clips and I can’t wait to share them. Stay tuned for that.
Hope you had a great ride.
Headed up SE Belmont en route to Laurelhurst Park.
If you’re lucky maybe they’ll let you take a “research” ride on the Oregon Coast Bike Route. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Would you like to, “develop and implement statewide policy and program activities to support Oregon’s efforts to improve conditions for people walking, rolling and biking”? Or perhaps you are, “passionate about expanding access for walking, rolling and biking and excited to develop your leadership and project management skills.” If your interest is piqued, and you’ve got experience in the transportation planning world, you should consider apply for a job as the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Bicycle and Pedestrian Program manager.
ODOT released the job listing Thursday and they’re willing to pay between $6,400 and $10,000 a month for the right person. I’ve known the lasttwo people to hold this job and they were amazing folks who did important work. Everything from being ODOT’s in-house expert for all things bike/ped and being the staff liaison at the all-important Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, to helping cities and organizations navigate the byzantine web of state-run grant programs and tracking how bike facilities are built (or not!) throughout the state. This person can be a key link inside the system to help our state DOT be as friendly as possible to everyone who rides.
This is a very interesting time to take on this job. Next year the legislature will pass a new transportation bill that could entail major shifts in what gets funded and how revenue is raised. The steady march of climate change and growing political inertia for transit and everything that’s not single-occupancy vehicles should give this program a higher profile in years to come. Adding to the import of this job is a new State of Oregon audit released last month that found ODOT, “faces multiple barriers in its efforts to provide bicycle and pedestrian facilities across the state system.” The audit found gaps in how ODOT funds and prioritizes bike/ped projects, sloppy data and inventory analysis, and poor accounting related to the Oregon Bike Bill.
Thanks to those audit findings, whoever gets this job won’t have to lobby internally to get those things on the radar of higher-ups. Then again, maybe it means whoever gets this job will be on the hook to fix all the findings. OK, I’ve said enough.
Here’s a bit more about the position:
Manage and coordinate pedestrian and biking policy issues statewide.
Identify investment needs, coordinate agency funding distributions and legislative requests.
Recommend policy strategies, options and legislative positions to senior managers.
Participate in multidisciplinary teams to communicate agency policy and implementation strategies.
Represent the agency and communicate policy direction at manager meetings, occasionally before elected officials and other interested parties.
Assess federal and state policy changes for implications to the agency.
Bring forward advocacy, concerns and perspectives from external partners for consideration.
Staff the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (OBPAC), coordinate support for recommendations, develop agendas, assist in developing the annual work program update and track progress.
Report on the progress of key performance measures, update and implement the 5 year Oregon bicycle and pedestrian work plan and coordinate contractor support for policy implementation efforts.
Develop and deliver training, lead monthly coordination meetings for agency staff that support active transportation initiatives and organize regular workshops.
Develop and implement plans to communicate and engage internal and external partners, identify project risks and design strategies to manage and mitigate risks.
Coordinate and oversee the update and distribution of program materials.
Hybrid work options available – minimum in office once a month for meetings and trainings. Occasional over night travel.
The position closes June 17th. See the full description here.
Over the past 4 years BikeLoud has grown by over 400%. We are looking for Portlanders to help us continue to grow our membership and connect our communities to advocate for better bicycling policies and infrastructure.
BikeLoud is excited to start our Bike Ambassador program with four geographic positions. These roles will last from June, July, and August with the potential to continue. Each of the four local election districts will have an Ambassador role assigned to it. These Ambassadors will help organize BikeLoud summer social events and promote BikeLoud around their community.
Each Ambassador will have the choice to use a Tern Quick Haul from the BikeLoud fleet for personal and advocacy use and have access to bike advocacy supplies as well as a $100/monthly stipend.
Each Bike Ambassador will organize a monthly social event and engage with their district to improve bicycling. We will work with ambassadors to empower them to use Portland’s PDX reporter and our bike lane sweeper.
Qualifications:
-Experienced bicyclist, with good knowledge of traffic laws and excellent safety skills.
-Ability to work in diverse communities.
-Social and dependable.
-Ability to learn and use Slack for communication.
-Must be able to represent BikeLoud PDX with appropriate judgment when interacting with others both inside and outside BikeLoud PDX.
-Positions report to the BikeLoud Board
How to Apply
Please send a 2-6 paragraph cover letter on why you would be a good fit to be an ambassador to bikeloudpdx@gmail.com
Looking south from SW Salmon at loading platforms in front of the Heathman Hotel and Arlene Schnitzer Concern Hall. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland – See full gallery below.)
Loading platforms have come a long way since 2020. Back then, when the Portland Bureau of Transportation saw them as a way for bus operators to service customers away from the curb, while still allowing bicycle traffic to roll by, the agency said, “Over the next several years, this tool will be implemented in a variety of contexts and locations throughout the city.”
Four years later and PBOT has not only kept their word, they’ve significantly improved the design and implementation. The three newest loading platforms installed on Southwest Broadway are a big upgrade. I still want to see how they do under high volume situations, but after spending some time with them a few days ago, my first impressions are very positive.
Spurred by concerns of bad interactions between guests and bicycle riders, hotel managers and valet staff worked with PBOT to come up with a solution that would work for everyone (for more on how these relate to the Broadway Bike Lane Scandal, read this story). With parking-protected bike lanes, it was too easy for folks outside busy areas like hotel loading zones to park illegally against the curb. And without adequate signage or design cues; hotel staff, guests, and bike riders didn’t always navigate the right-of-way with each others’ safety and convenience in mind.
Enter these new platforms:
Benson (SW Oak)
Heathman/Schnitz (SW Salmon/Main)
Hotel Vance (SW Columbia)
They are fully hardscaped with permanent concrete ramps and curbs, the bike lane is painted solid green, there’s minimal use of plastic posts, and there’s a grooved, yellow divider between the bike lane and sidewalk. There’s also ample length (about 2-3 car parking spots) for gentle slopes up and down and signage that communicates expected behaviors for all users.
There are three new platforms on Broadway: in front of the Benson at SW Oak, the Heathman at SW Salmon, and Hotel Vance at SW Columbia. (These are in addition to existing platforms at NW Couch and SW Main.) PBOT says they cost about $90,000 a piece.
They all worked well for me. The one at the Benson has a bit of a rough entry angle, but other than that it was smooth sailing. And because there are now two of these upgraded platforms on the block between Salmon and Main — in front of the Heathman and the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall — it’s almost like we have an above-grade, separated cycle-track for that entire block.
In addition to practical benefits, I believe these platforms have intrinsic value and are the type of thing that can create a positive feedback loop for bicycling and bike facilities more broadly. It goes something like this: When we build high quality bike facilities, it leads to better behaviors by users and more respect for the people using them, which in turn leads to political inertia to build more high quality infrastructure, and the cycle continues.
Then of course I visited on a slow day downtown, so maybe my bubble will burst on a busy day when the bike lane and hotels are more crowded. We’ll see. For now, I’ve got a very good feeling about these and hope they’re an example of the type of quality we’ll see on the nearby SW 4th Avenue project PBOT is working on.
