A report out today from the Portland Business Alliance, our regional chamber of commerce, is the latest argument that bike and freight transportation really ought to be close allies.
An unexpected 3 p.m. traffic jam, for example, can lead to a canceled flight, which can cost Intel precious hours in the short lifespan of important dyes used in Hillsboro chip factories.
Almost one year after Portland Parks Commissioner Amanda Fritz quietly destroyed hopes of new singletrack bicycling opportunities in Forest Park (at least in the short-term), off-road advocates plan to deliver a strong message to her at an upcoming budget hearing.
Their request? Find the money to fund a citywide mountain bike master plan that would address Forest Park trails and other cycling opportunities like family-friendly pump tracks in local parks.
Putting out “bait bikes” to lure bike thieves is a very popular idea. For some, the idea of setting a trap and then waiting for an unsuspecting thief to fall into it, gets the vengeful heart pumping. While the idea comes up almost every time we report about enforcement of bike theft, to our knowledge there has never been an organized bait bike program in Portland.
Until now.
Hit and runs are far too common in Oregon. Unfortunately, so is the feeling of helplessness about what to do about them. In the spirit that knowledge equals power, I’ve put together a primer on the laws surrounding hit and runs and what do to if you are ever involved in one.
Here’s the sad but true fact: If a vehicle operator* can escape a collision scene then the chances are they will get away without having to pay for the damage they caused and they can also avoid things like: arrest on an outstanding warrant; a DUI charge for driving/riding while impaired; a possible police search of the vehicle for drugs or contraband on board; a car with no insurance, or not having a drivers’ license.
If the perpetrator is ever caught (and they usually are), here’s what the law says about their crime.
Two streets in northwest Beaverton would get 1.5-miles of protected bike lanes joined by a U.S.-style roundabout under a Washington County plan being presented next week.
A few blocks north of the spot where Southwest 4th Avenue becomes Barbur Boulevard, a five-lane city street has been slowly becoming a place for people to enjoy. A team of Portland State University students is pushing this spot to its next step.
If it comes together — the current step is a crowdfunding campaign that would raise $15,350 for construction and the first two years of maintenance — it’d be one of the first fully public Street Seats installation in the city.
Sorry, this job has been filled. Browse more great jobs here.Job Title
Assistant Store Manager
Company/Organization
Western Bikeworks
Job Description
Western Bikeworks is looking for an Experienced Assistant Store Manager with strong leadership skills and a passion for cycling.
This position is at our Pearl District Location and supports the Store Manager and assists in the development of our sales team, expanding product knowledge, and creating a positive shopping experience for our customers. Other duties include assisting with stock management, merchandising, promotional activities, time card management and other retail functions.
To be successful in this role you’ll need:
• a good understanding of the local retail environment
• retail management experience
• strong work ethics and decision-making skills
• a natural ability to engage, persuade and motivate others
• strong verbal and written communication skills
• strong sales skills
• outstanding customer service standards and success creating memorable customer experiences
• a great sense of humor and ability to create fun
• good with numbers
• ability to work a flexible schedule to meet the needs of the business, including holidays, evenings, and weekends.
• positive and energetic, with loads of personality and initiative
This is a Salary paid position with a generous vacation package, in addition to premium level medical dental and vision plans.
How to Apply
To apply for this position submit your cover letter and resume to Jobs@velotech.com
Two lawsuits filed in the past two weeks put a focus on the question of who’s responsible for safe riding.
According to The Oregonian, a woman was badly injured last May during a mountain bike race in Hood River when she attempted to ride over a log that had fallen on the trail. She now seeks $273,000 from race organizer Hurricane Racing (Portland based bike shop Fat Tire Farm, the event’s main sponsor, is also named in the lawsuit).
Here’s more from The Oregonian:
Portland thieves will stop at nothing to take your beloved bike.
In the wee hours of this morning, someone sawed clean through a standard-issue City of Portland staple rack and stole a Trek Lexa road bike.
The theft happened in front of Star Bar at SE 7th and Morrison and was first reported via its listing on BikeIndex.org. Bryan Hance from Bike Index said the listing came in at 6:00 am so he suspects the theft occurred overnight. (We’re still trying to get in contact with the bike’s owner.)
These are the stories that caught our eyes last week…
Smart pedals: The buzz this morning is all about “connected” pedals that track your location, speed, distance and so on. They debuted today at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas.
The Growing Bike: This balance trike-and-bike adjusts to fit your kids as they grow.
Distractions everywhere: A Eugene motorcycle cop who had just pulled someone over for texting while driving was hit by a van whose driver is suspected of texting while driving. Can you say epidemic?
People who don’t know BikePortland well, especially those who don’t bike much themselves, are sometimes surprised to learn that we don’t see ourselves as an environmentalist website.
Cutting your carbon is a great reason to ride a bike, but there are plenty of others.
Even so, most bike users have probably spent some time thinking about the relationship between small-scale and large-scale environmental action. Maybe that’s why so many readers’ nerves were touched by the link in this week’s Monday Roundup to the Oregonian editorial writers’ odd editorial explaining that they wouldn’t be editorializing about climate change this year because climate change is a national and international issue.
One of the power couples of Portland biking has decided to formally join forces professionally, too.
Elly Blue, creator of the Taking the Lane zine about feminism and biking and the author or publisher of several other bike-themed books, announced this week that she’s merged her living-room operation Elly Blue Publishing with Microcosm Publishing, the Portland-based independent publisher founded and managed for years by her partner Joe Biel.