BikePortland

Taming outer Barbur: MAX or BRT could bring raised bike lanes through Southwest

SW Barbur near SW 78th – just west of the section that might be rebuilt by a new transit line.
(Photo by J Maus/ BikePortland)

This post is part of our SW Portland Week.

It would certainly be ironic if Southwest Barbur Boulevard became the first arterial in Portland to receive a Copenhagen-style protected bike lane retrofit through a high-destination commercial area.

But that’s exactly what might happen if a regional committee chooses Barbur as the best route for a major new transit line. And getting around outer Southwest Portland would certainly be transformed.

Jeff Knapp.
(Photos Michael Andersen/BikePortland)

This post is part of our SW Portland Week.

Jeff Knapp has two things to blame for his afternoon rides into downtown and back: a friend and a white stripe of paint.

“When I started bike commuting, that was right before it really took off,” said Knapp, 52. “You could sort of feel it was poised to take off.”

A friend of Knapp’s, who lived in Northeast Portland, started riding to work and talking about how pleasant it had turned out to be. So Knapp, a 20-year resident of the Garden Home area, decided to try.

Oregon Secretary of State Kate Brown at a
2011 fundraiser for the Portland Society Fund, which
supports “emerging leaders in active transportation.”
(Photo: M.Andersen)

Oregon’s next governor rides a tandem.

While we’ve been hurrying around Southwest Portland this week, we’ve been keeping half an eye on the drama unfolding in Salem. In the wake of Willamette Week’s report Thursday that Gov. John Kitzhaber unsuccessfully tried to get state employees to block release of thousands of his emails amid a criminal investigation of the overlaps between his public role and his fiance’s business, the governor has resigned and Secretary of State Kate Brown will be moving into the job.

According to her 2012 election registration, Brown lives with her husband in a 1914 home in Southeast Portland’s Woodstock neighborhood.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

We’ve had four great job opportunities listed this week. Check them out via the links below…

Bike Shop Retail Coordinator – Bike Works (Seattle)
Account Service Representative – Chris King Precision Components
Account Specialist – AR & Sales Tax – Castelli USA
Senior Mechanic – Joe Bike

A SW Illinois Street piggyback ride,
brought to you in part by speed bumps.
(Photos: M.Andersen/BikePortland)

This post is part of our SW Portland Week.

Part of Portland’s big idea of renaming “bike boulevards” as “neighborhood greenways” was that they’re not just bikeways; they’re spaces for street play, sports and other fun. And they’re also, the line goes, good for walking.

It’s easy to laugh that last part off on the east side of Portland, where almost every greenway is lined with sidewalks.

Not so in Southwest Portland, where neighborhood greenways are few but sidewalks are nearly as rare.

Mini Bike Winter is here… let the games begin!
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

Welcome to your menu of weekend rides and events, lovingly brought to you by our friends at Hopworks Urban Brewery.

If you’ve got energy saved up from all the rain we’ve had, this weekend is the time to use it! The forecast looks very promising, and there just happens to be a ton of cool bikey things to do.

Not surprisingly, there’s a lot of love among this week’s events. The BTA will share stories of bike love, the Portland Wheelmen (and Women) will ride to the roses, and even the folks at Puddlecycle have a heart-themed ride. Make sure your outfit has some red in it and enjoy the ride(s)!

Friday, February 13th

With 36-feet of unused right-of-way, advocates like Roger Averbeck say this portion of SW Capitol Hwy should have a dedicated bikeway.
(Photo J. Maus/BikePortland)

This post is part of our Southwest Portland Week.

For a quarter-century now, neighborhood activists have been pushing to make SW Capitol Highway a nicer place to live, walk, and bike. Yesterday I joined up with local resident and Southwest Neighborhoods Inc Transportation Committee Chair Roger Averbeck for a closer look.

The Fanno Creek Trail near Garden Home is not too shabby.
(Photos J. Maus/BikePortland)

This post is part of our Southwest Portland Week.

It’s been a great week out here in southwest Portland. We’re learning a lot and enjoying the experience of being in a new place with new roads to explore and unique bicycling issues at play. I’ve gotten behind on my daily photo essays, so here’s the one from my ride on Tuesday.

Seems easy enough.
(Photos Michael Andersen/BikePortland)

This post is part of our SW Portland Week.

Here’s a confession: though I’ve driven on Southwest Barbur, ridden the bus on it, and walked along it to reach a vigil for a woman killed while she crossed it, in four years of reporting on the street and its problems I’ve never actually ridden a bike on it.

Until this week.

This is PBOT’s biggest Vision Zero commitment to date.
(Detail from PBOT’s Portland Progress: A 2-Year Workplan.

The City of Portland has released a new plan aimed at re-energizing their Bureau of Transportation.

Women’s plum color on the left, men’s white on the right.
(Images: Showers Pass)_

Industry Ticker

Showers Pass, a riding apparel company based in southeast Portland, continues to push the boundary on innovative bike apparel that works in wet weather. Their latest is a jacket that packs up small and packs a high-tech rain-busting punch. I’ve got one to try out so stay tuned for a proper review.

For now, check out the press release below…

Job Title
Senior Mechanic

Company/Organization
Joe Bike

Job Description
Joe Bike is looking for a passionate, experienced mechanic to join our team.

You should have:

Several years’ experience as a bike shop mechanic

Outstanding customer service and communication skills
A friendly and upbeat personality

A desire to work in a collaborative environment while also being able to work independently

Joe Bike offers competitive compensation, an excellent health care program, paid sick leave, flexible scheduling, and a generous employee purchase program.

How to Apply
Email info@joe-bike.com, or drop your resume off at the shop.

Taming outer Barbur: MAX or BRT could bring raised bike lanes through Southwest

SW rider mini-profile: Jeff Knapp, lured by a simple bike lane

With Kitzhaber resignation, bike advocates upbeat about incoming Gov. Kate Brown

Jobs of the Week: Castelli, Chris King, Bike Works, Joe Bike

In sidewalkless Southwest, neighborhood greenways are made for walking

Weekend Event Guide: Mini Bike Winter, gravel, stories, love, and more

Friday, February 13th

A closer look at southwest Portland’s ‘highest priority project’

Southwest Portland Week photo essay: Day 2

What it feels like to ride Barbur Blvd for the first time (photos)

City’s new 2-year transportation ‘workplan’ steps up to Vision Zero

Industry Ticker: Showers Pass launches Double Century RTX jacket

Job: Senior Mechanic – Joe Bike – FILLED

Latest Headlines

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I’m going on hiatus

Come to BikePortland’s 20th birthday and beer collab release party!

Big day for PBOT budget as new revenue proposals head back to Council Wednesday

From the Archives

The 10 busiest bicycling spots in Portland