BikePortland

Vision 0.08: Why any major safe-streets effort must tackle alcohol

Scene of fatal crash on SW Barbur Blvd-6

SW Barbur Boulevard: a bad street to
be drunk on by any mode.
(Photos: J.Maus/BikePortland)

This is a guest opinion piece by A.J. Zelada, a longtime biking and walking advocate who chaired the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee from 2011 to 2013.

Intoxicating amounts of alcohol are at the death scene of 36 percent of walking fatalities and 32 percent of biking deaths.

So why does today’s street safety movement seem to trivialize it?

Last year, I listened to Oregon’s Safe Routes to School manager proclaim new safety issues to protect pedestrians. The ideas were great, but one was missing: She did not mention alcohol at death scenes. Vision Zero is being considered by many cities, including Portland and New York City, as a backbone policy for reducing road deaths. New York City’s new Vision Zero policy has one paragraph about alcohol.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

We’ve had three excellent job opportunities posted this week. Learn more via the links below…

Warehouse worker/customer service representative – Portland Design Works
Bicycle Tourism Project Coordinator – Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce & Visitors Center
Inside Sales Representative – Cyclone Bicycle Supply

Let’s do this!
(Photo: J Maus/BikePortland)

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

Things are getting a bit lean on the various ride calendars… Except, that is, if you are a cyclocross fan (and can get to Bend). If you aren’t into racing and you’ll be in Portland this weekend… Might I suggest joining 100 other BikePortland readers for Blazers Bike Night on Sunday!?

Of course, Halloween is tomorrow and we all know that the streets will be full of folks headed to parties and filling up panniers with candy and treats.

Have fun!

Friday, October 31st

Climate change in action — or inaction, depending on your point-of-view.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

This morning, Clackamas County’s commissioners are considering whether to urge the Portland region to attempt to fight climate change by adding more lanes to its freeways.

The people have spoken, and they say that in most of Portland, it’s getting harder to park a car on the street:

(Source: 2011 and 2014 community surveys, Portland auditor’s office)

Since the central-city building boom resumed, residents of every part of the city except East Portland are more likely to say it’s annoying to find a car parking space.

But this is interesting: they say something else, too.

As a follow up to our story a few weeks ago about Multnomah County’s project to remove the rumble strips and revamp the bus stop/bike lane on the westbound approach to the Hawthorne Bridge, I just got an email update on the project from our friends at Multnomah County…

I wanted to update you on our project on the westbound Hawthorne Bridge ramp, where we have widened the bus stop above SE Water Ave. The concrete work at the bus stop is done and the bus stop has reopened. We are waiting for supplies and dry weather to complete the pavement striping and lay down about 40 feet of ADA raised bump pads along the curb edge at the bus stop. When those tasks are completed we will remove the speed humps in the bike lane approaching the shared use raised path and bus stop. All this work should be completed in November.

PPB officer on a mission to curb downtown bike theft

Officer David Sanders.
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)

There’s a strong feeling among many in the community that the Portland Police Bureau simply doesn’t care about bike theft. I hear this sentiment all the time, and I agree that the bureau needs to step up and make this growing problem a higher priority.

In the meantime however, it’s good to know there are some PPB officers going out of their way to battle bike thieves. Officer David Sanders is one of them; but unfortunately he’s doing it inside a bureau that has yet to join him in the fight.

I met Sanders last week at his headquarters office in Old Town.

As he led me into a conference table, I noticed about 8-10 bikes strewn about. They were just the latest batch that Sanders and his partners have taken off the streets and now hope to connect with their owners. Sanders is one of six members of the the downtown Bicycle Patrol Unit (four of which are paid for by Portland Patrol Inc., a private security company that contracts with the PPB), whose job is to keep the peace on the streets. The bulk of his day is responding to low-level disputes and establishing relationships with downtown residents and business owners.

But whenever he can find a few extra minutes, his attention turns to bike theft.

Sorry, this job has been filled. Browse more great jobs here.

Job Title
Inside Sales Representative

Company/Organization
Cyclone Bicycle Supply

Job Description
Cyclone Bicycle Supply, a locally owned, nationally recognized distributor of bicycle parts and accessories, is looking for Inside Sales Representatives to join our team of sales professionals. Applicants should have previous sales experience in either wholesale or retail environments, be self motivated and driven, and be able to provide our dealer network with the industries best customer service. Knowledge of bicycles is a plus. You will have assigned territories and will be responsible for maintaining existing accounts and attracting new dealers. Position is salary plus commission, with benefits.

How to Apply
Please send your resume to: jobs@cyclonebicycle.com

Portland’s ‘Peacock Lane’ holiday light show will go car-free on busy nights

More bike visits mean less trouble for the neighborhood.
(Photo: PeacockLane.com)

First, it was the Last Thursday art festival. Then, Old Town’s weekend nightlife district.

Now, Portland’s 90-year-old holiday light tradition is also dealing with crowded streets by going car-free on certain nights.

The catch: It looks as if the car-free nights this December on Peacock Lane, which is one block east of SE Chavez Boulevard between Stark and Belmont, won’t be announced in advance.

That’s the word this month from the Peacock Lane Neighborhood Association:

I have an idea thiiis big. (Brad Biddle at last night’s event.)
(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)

If you want to figure out how to move a city’s people around in a way that does not bow to dominant, auto-centric power structures and paradigms, you’ve got to have guts. It was with that in mind that Portland’s nationally renown transportation research center hosted the Fearless event at Portland State University last night.

A parklet on Powell Street in San Francisco.
(Photos by Michael Andersen/BikePortland)

I spent a few days in San Francisco last week, learning and sharing stories at the NACTO Designing Cities Conference. It’s not my favorite city (obviously) but it’s a lovely place.

Once in a while, though, they definitely screw up.

Vision 0.08: Why any major safe-streets effort must tackle alcohol

Jobs of the Week

Weekend Event Guide: Corn cross, Blazers Bike Night, sausage ride, and more

Friday, October 31st

Clackamas County wants Metro to fight climate change by widening roads

Portlanders say street parking is getting worse, but their neighborhoods are getting better

Update on Hawthorne viaduct bus stop/bike lane project

PPB officer on a mission to curb downtown bike theft

Job: Inside Sales Representative – Cyclone Bicycle Supply – FILLED

Portland’s ‘Peacock Lane’ holiday light show will go car-free on busy nights

Willamette River ferry service tops ‘Fearless’ transportation ideas

Postcard from San Francisco: How not to build a parklet

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From the Archives

Portland’s invisible machine: Behind the scenes at the World Naked Bike Ride