🚨 Please note: BikePortland is currently on hiatus and only publishing guest articles. Learn more here. Thank you. - Jonathan 🙏

Oregon House Rep gives up on mandatory reflective clothing bill

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Rep. John Davis.

Oregon House Representative John Davis has changed his mind about how best to improve the safety of bicycling.

Davis made headlines around the state last month when he introduced H.B. 3255, a bill that would require all Oregonians who ride a bicycle at night to wear refelctive clothing. Davis’ clothing mandate garnered considerable media attention and resulted in an “action alert” from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance who urged their members to help stop the bill.

A hearing for the bill was scheduled for March 30th in Salem.

Now he says he’s changing course and the bill will no longer include any language about reflective clothing.

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Where growth went: How different cities answered America’s urban rebound

occupied units portland

The orange line shows Portland-area housing patterns in 1990; the brown line shows it in 2012.
(All images: UVA Demogaphics Research Group)
Want to sponsor this great column? Get in touch.

If affordable proximity is one of the keys to great bike cities, understanding Portland’s biking boom means understanding its urban development decisions 20 years ago.

To see how our metro area grew, it’s useful to see how dramatically different things have gone down in different U.S. cities. A fascinating new website from the University of Virginia gives us a new way of looking at exactly that.

The chart above shows Portland at two key moments in American urban life: the orange line for 1990, when urban crime levels were near their peak and many central cities were seen as charity cases for their suburbs; and the brown line for 2012, when the economic boom of some U.S. cities was accelerating the country out of recession.

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Another use for green? City adds bike refuges at SE Ankeny/Sandy/11th

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Looking southwest down SE Sandy Boulevard from Ankeny, Sandy and 11th.

One of Portland’s weirder intersections has a new splash of color.

As part of its repaving project on inner Southeast Ankeny — which has, for the record, greatly improved the ride between SE 11th and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard — the city has added some interesting and potentially useful new features to the six-way intersection of Ankeny, Sandy and 11th.

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Tandem curious? Santana Demo Day coming to Portland Saturday

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(Photo: Santana)

*This post is sponsored by West End Bikes.

If you are a tandem fan or are tandem-curious, you won’t want to miss a special event at Mt. Tabor this Saturday.

Legendary tandem brand Santana is coming to town and they have bikes for you to ride. Check out the official invite on Facebook and learn more below…

Santa Join Santana founder and President BILL McCready for a day of riding, demoing, picnicking, and good Northwestern Weather (rain or shine).

    Santana Tandem Demo Day
    10:30 am to 3:00 pm
    PICNIC AREA A
    Mt. Tabor City Park (SE 60th and Salmon)

There’s been a few projects in the works, here at Santana. Years of loving tandems and months upon months of prototyping, testing, and pushing boundaries have left us with some pretty great new rides. We want to find out what you think and get you to some roads you may not have been able to venture on prior.

The ENTIRE Santana Fleet will be there. What have you had your eyes on and your feet itching to clip in to? Is it the lightning fast Beyond PHD, or the family fun, ultimate cruiser, Smooth? Want to see for yourself the ease of a bike with Z Couplers, or the comfort of riding on a frame with Exogrid and Isogrid technology?

There’s a lot to unveil that’s just getting to market! Come ride all 3 of our brand new prototypes.

Hosted by West End Bikes and Santana Tandems

10:30 Group ride takes off. (Bring your tandems, as ours will be staying for demos)

11:00 – 3:00 Demos

12:00 Free Picnic Lunch
FREE FREE FREE:
FREE COFFEE
FREE LUNCH
FREE TEST RIDES
FREE FUN
FREE TANDEM RACK BY ATOC WITH ANY NEW SANTANA TANDEM PURCHASED IN PORTLAND BY APRIL 15, 2015

Job: Lead SoupCycler – SoupCycle

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Job Title
Lead SoupCycler

Company/Organization
SoupCycle

Job Description
Do words like “organic”; “bicycling” and ”soup” get you excited? SoupCycle makes organic soups from scratch and delivers by bicycle through a weekly soupscription; and we are looking for our next Lead SoupCycler. We have done more than 148,000 deliveries in the last 7 years, and we are a weekly staple for many people offering soup, salads, green salads, deli salads, and juices all delivered to offices or homes.

JOB DESCRIPTION
The Lead Soup Cycler plays an integral role in the weekly logistics and operations of preparing and delivering SoupCycle soups. The Lead Soup Cycler works closely with the Owner, Chef, Business Manager, and Soup Cyclers managing the weekly route logistics, delivery operations, and cycler shifts. The Lead Soup Cycler is responsible for all training and on-boarding of new Soup Cyclers. This person also rides two routes a week.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES
• Oversee all delivery routes, routing for maximum efficiency
• Train all new Cycler employees on delivery, safety protocols, and customer service functions
• Schedule all Cyclers and manage time-off requests
• First point of contact for all delivery-related questions and solutions
• Oversee cyclers and correct inefficient/incorrect actions
• Regularly check and maintain the delivery trailers
• Regularly check and maintain coolers and other delivery-related materials
• Meet weekly with owner to report on delivery and kitchen related operations
• Meet monthly with Owner, Chef, and Business Manager to review business operations, and ongoing planning and business development

JOB QUALIFICATIONS
• Prefer experience in operations or with delivery or routing systems
• Experienced, safe, and strong cyclist
• Enthusiastic trainer who sees the role of training as a key and important component of business operations.
• Physically able to lift 75 lbs and pedal a bike trailer carrying up to 215 lbs.
• A reliable bicycle
• Basic competency in use of Microsoft Office Suite and Dropbox
• Strong communication skills
• Ability to communicate tactfully and respectively with customers and co-workers
• Ability to work well independently and as apart of a team
• Strong self starter who is willing to take initiative for the benefit of the business

TITLE: Lead Soup Cycler
REPORTS TO: Owner
HOURS: 30-35 hrs/week, Sunday – Thursday
PAY: $23,296 annual salary
Benefits: Health Savings Account, Weekly Soup Allowance, Access to Pro Deals, Access to Timbers and Thorns tickets, Paid Vacation.

How to Apply
To apply please send a resume and 2-3 paragraphs expressing your interest and qualifications to nate@soupcycle.com

Reflective clothing mandate, other bike bills up for hearing in Oregon house – UPDATED

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One bill would ban nighttime biking
without reflective clothing.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

UPDATE: Davis’ office says the reflective clothing idea will not move forward. See our update here.

Oregon’s biggest legislative session for bike-related issues in years will come to its first peak on Monday, but many biking advocates have a prior engagement.

Awkwardly, five separate bills that could make big differences for biking will get hearings in Salem on the same day that dozens of Oregon biking leaders and professionals are scheduled to gather in Portland for the annual Oregon Active Transportation Summit.

The bills to be tackled include HB 3255, which would ban nighttime bike use for people not wearing reflective clothing; SB 533 A, which would permit someone on a bike or motorcycle to proceed through an unresponsive red light after a full cycle; HB 2621, which would let Portland issue speeding tickets on its high-crash corridors using unmanned photo radar; HB 3035, which allows school-zone warning lights to flash all day, rather than just at the start and end, for schools whose campuses straddle 45 mph+ streets; and SJR 16, which would refer a bill to the voters in 2016 that would allow car-related taxes and fees to be spent on off-road transportation projects.

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Job: Bicycle Mechanic – Community Cycling Center

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Job Title
Bicycle Mechanic

Company/Organization
Community Cycling Center

Job Description
About the Community Cycling Center

We believe that the bicycle is a tool for empowerment and a vehicle for change. The Community Cycling Center is a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization that broadens access to bicycling and its benefits. The Community Cycling Center is an energetic workplace with a collaborative style. Visit www.CommunityCyclingCenter.org for more information about us.

General Position Summary:

The Bicycle Mechanic is responsible for supporting the mission of the Community Cycling Center. This includes assessing, repairing, and refurbishing bicycles, assisting customers with choosing parts and accessories, and supporting our programs team. Under the supervision of the shop management team, the Bicycle Mechanic will work to consistently and efficiently deliver on the demands presented by our customers and programming efforts. This position will require technical proficiency in bicycle assessment and repair procedures, attention to detail, the ability to multitask, and to act as an ambassador for the Community Cycling Center.

Essential Job Functions/Major Responsibilities:

Assess bicycles of various quality and condition and estimate repairs needed
Communicate customer expectations, timeline, necessary repairs, cost estimate, mechanical considerations, and clear and thorough service writing
Efficiently repair customer’s bicycles to established standards of quality and speed
Rebuild donated bicycles in varying condition to established standards of quality for programs and sale
Educate customers about the operation and maintenance of bicycles, including the purchase of bikes, parts, and accessories
Assist customers in a retail setting, answer shop phone, operate cloud based POS system, and work with inventory team to maintain stock of parts and accessories
Cooperatively maintain a safe, clean, and organized work space
Work cooperatively to meet the goals set forth by the shop management team
Support fundraising efforts on the sales and communicate our programmatic efforts and mission to the public. It’s a part of every employee’s job to support fundraising activities

General Qualifications:

5 years experience working in a high volume bike shop
Familiarity with era and brand compatibilities
Exemplary time management and problem solving skills
Ability to maintain focus to meet production and service goals as outlined by shop management team
Willingness to accept guidance and feedback related to job duties
Ability to physically complete job duties including lifting up to 50lbs*
Effective written and verbal communication
Ability to work in a collaborative environment
Commitment to and respect for equity, sustainability, and diversity and belief in our non-profit business model

*Reasonable accommodation can be made for those living with disabilities.

Additional Desired Skill:

Ideal candidate would also have knowledge and experience with bicycle fitting
Ideal candidate would be bilingual in Spanish and English

Pay rate: Competitive bike mechanic rate

Term: Permanent

Schedule: Full Time (32-40hrs/wk, depending on season), 5 days per week including weekends.

Benefits:

Kaiser health insurance
The Principal (dental, LTD, AD&D, VSP vision, life, employee assistance program (EAP), travel coverage, and will prep)
PTO (prorated for first year from date of hire; eligible to use following 90 days)
Sick time (begins accruing from 1st day; eligible to use following 90 days)
Used Parts Allowance, and generous discount on new parts
Participation in organization 401(k) plan (see personnel guidelines for details)

How to Apply
Please submit cover letter, resume, and (3) references to:
Hiring Committee
RE: Bicycle Mechanic
Jobs@communitycyclingcenter.org

Introducing BikePortland’s new column: Biking as subversion

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Please join us in welcoming a new regular contributor to the site: Taz Loomans. Taz, a Portlander whose writing you may have seen on Atlantic Cities, Inhabitat or her own site BloomingRock.com, will be taking the delicious title of BikePortland’s subversiveness columnist. She’ll be approaching that from many angles, but we suggested she start things rolling with a bit about herself.
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The world didn’t want me to bike. Biking was for men, for recreation, or for poor people, but definitely not a mode of transportation for a woman.

That is the message I got from my parents when I started to ride my bike in Phoenix. My dad was born and raised in Tanzania and my mom was raised in Mozambique. We are Muslim Indians by origin. Both my parents come from places where only poor people bike, and even then, women aren’t among them.

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‘Bike Week’ is start of something big in outer east Portland

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There’s reason for hope.
(Photo J Maus/BikePortland)

This week is Bike Week in east Portland’s Rosewood neighborhood and it’s also the launch of the much-needed cycling spark that east Portlanders have been waiting for.

As we learned first-hand back in June, once you cross over I-205 on a bike everything changes. There are no longer bike shops on every other corner, the streets feel a lot less welcoming, and you suddenly feel like a fish with no school to swim with.

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Bikes, a perfectly normal part of growth in Portland’s Central Eastside

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Parking garage at the Central Eastside Lofts.
(Photo: J.Maus/BikePortland)

Since we’ve taken some shots at Oregonian news coverage lately, it’s worth highlighting a moment of bike-friendly perceptiveness in their coverage.

Sunday’s cover story was the second in the paper’s occasional series about Portland’s changing Central Eastside, an “industrial sanctuary” that’s gradually been adding more office workers and, at the developing Burnside Bridgehead, several big apartment buildings.

The first installment, back in January, included some interesting perspective of what it feels like to run a truck-dependent business facing the Taylor Street neighborhood greenway. This weekend’s focused specifically on the food industry, and mentioned bicycles in the most casual way possible.

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