BikePortland

New Police Chief puts Traffic Division in new ‘Community Services’ branch

Chief O’Dea in 2008.
(Photo J. Maus/BikePortland)

Incoming Portland Police Chief Larry O’Dea appears to be making good on his promises and his potential. The new Chief, who community advocates have hailed for his record on community policing, announced a host of changes to the bureau today.

Effective January 8th, 2015, the bureau will have a fourth branch: Community Services. This new branch will include the Traffic Division (previously under the Operations Branch), which is a part of the bureau that interacts closely with our community. Traffic Division officers write the vast majority of traffic tickets, they investigate collisions and hit-and-runs, they work targeted enforcement actions, parades, protest marches, Sunday Parkways, and so on.

Great crowd.
(Photo by Guthrie Straw)

Note: Please join me in thanking Bike Index. They were our sponsor for the summit, and it just so happens that Co-director Bryan Hance is the same guy who’s behind our Stolen Bike Listings here on BikePortland (which are back up and running by the way!). Thank you Bike Index!

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Because of everyone who showed up and took part in last night’s Bike Theft Summit, Portland has taken a giant step forward in the battle to curb bike theft.

OPAL organizer Orlando Lopez talks to a TriMet rider
in 2010, gathering support for what became a
successful campaign for longer-lasting transit tickets.
(Photo: Michael Schoenholtz/Portland Afoot)

On March 1, the lifespan of a TriMet ticket will rise 25 percent.

Raising the transfer duration from two hours to two and a half hours is effectively a price cut for anyone who takes round trips on the Portland region’s transit system one ticket at a time — either because they’re only an occasional rider or because they don’t have the cash or fancy job to have a monthly pass.

Down with the doldrums.
(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)

There are few things in my daily life that I avoid as religiously as riding a bus or train with nothing to read, or driving in a car with nothing to listen to.

But somehow, bike commuting in silence seems to be different – for a while, at least.

Longtime Portland bike commuter Ryan Good shared an interesting perspective Tuesday on his Facebook page, which prompted some useful discussion. He kindly gave us permission to share some of it here.

Here’s Good’s original comment:

I’ve been bike-commuting for longer than I can remember, and it’s always been a highlight of my day- both directions. But lately, I am feeling completely unmotivated for it. Not talking about other rides- still stoked for those- only the commute to and from work. Not sure what it is- all the Cat 6 types out there? The weather? Bored with riding the same route over and over and over and over and over and…? Not excited about going to work in the morning + plus feeling lethargic after sitting on my butt all day? I’m almost tempted to just start taking the bus, but that’s probably the worst thing I could do- my body needs the exercise, especially after sitting all day. I guess I’ll just have to grind it out, and hope that I snap out of it soon. Anybody else have a similar experience? Curious to hear about it, and/or how you beat it.

Detail from GP of Portland fact sheet.

The most high-profile cycling race to ever hit Portland won’t happen unless organizers can find a few deep pockets willing to sponsor it.

Nonbox Sports, the Portland-based company that owns the Grand Prix of Portland, announced yesterday that the event has been added to the official Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) calendar for August 29th, 2015. In a fact sheet, Nonbox said their race (which has been given a category ranking of 1.1) will bring in “elite riders from the best teams in the world.” They’ve also lined up two hours of prime-time television coverage on NBC Sports.

But their plans will only become reality if they can find sponsors to offset an overall event budget of about $2 million.

(Photos by M. Andersen/BikePortland)

Like NE Cully Boulevard before it, SW Multnomah Boulevard has become a relatively far-flung street with a few blocks of one of the city’s best bike lanes.

With work nearly finished on the city’s eighth protected bike lane — three years in the making, it’s one of the last few bike projects begun under the Sam Adams mayoral administration — I stopped by Multnomah Tuesday to check it out.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title
Recumbent Bike Mechanic

Company/Organization
Recumbent PDX

Job Description
Looking for an Experienced Recumbent Mechanic
We are a new full-service rebumbent store in Portland, OR. We strive for an upscale shopping experience with great attention to customer service. We are looking for a mechanic with 3-5 year recumbent experience. Previous supervisory role a plus. A passion for recumbents and their riders a must.

Our ideal candidate:
has excellent mechanical skills with attention to detail
shows broad spectrum recumbent and bike product knowledge
demonstrates good communication skills
is computer-literate
has personal integrity and a positive attitude
is self-motivated and efficient

We expect this mechanic to be flexible to meet the needs of a growing business which includes working on weekends.

How to Apply
Please provide a cover letter, a resume and 3 professional references to recumbent@pobox.com by December 31, 2015, Subject line: Experienced Recumbent Mechanic.
Responses will be sen by Jan. 2015.

City staff will meet with activists about conditions on SE Clinton

(Photo by P. Cone)

SE Clinton used to be one of Portland’s marquee streets for bicycling. As one of the original “bike boulevards” it has long been a popular bicycling route that connects inner southeast neighborhoods with downtown and points beyond.

Unfortunately, Clinton has recently become a bikeway in name only. For the last year or so, as development on nearby Division Street has led to increased auto congestion, a steady stream of drivers have begun using Clinton as a cut-through. All these extra drivers have had a very negative impact on cycling conditions.

That reality, combined with efforts from grassroots activism group Bike Loud PDX, has led top brass from the City’s Bureau of Transportation to take notice. On Thursday, a group of concerned citizens will meet with PBOT staff in the Portland Building to talk about existing conditions and how to improve them.

We’re excited for the Portland Bike Theft Summit tomorrow (12/10) and hope you are too.

As I mentioned last week, I’ve put together three panel discussions that will be the meat of the event. The discussions will tackle key pieces of the bike theft puzzle including: prevention, recovery, enforcement, parking design, and more.

Today I want to highlight a few other things I’m looking forward to.

(Photo: City of Portland)

In the last five weeks, nearly a third of Portland’s neighborhood associations have approved a resolution that calls for Portland to virtually freeze residential development in the central city at its current average density.

The resolution’s supporters, who call themselves United Neighborhoods for Reform, say it’s not actually an anti-density measure but rather a movement to protect historical character and housing affordability by reducing needless demolitions of old houses.

Margaret Davis, a UNR spokeswoman who also serves as a board member for the Beaumont Wilshire Neighborhood Association, said she wants to prevent home demolitions like one she saw recently.

Paying homage to Portland’s unofficial Rudolph.
(Photos by M. Andersen/BikePortland)

If there was any question that “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” is a TV movie for the ages, the number of generations who joined Saturday night’s mobile singalong should put it to rest.

“I’ve been watching it every year since I was a kid,” said Tom Howe, the ride’s leader. “The music is timeless.”

See photos below.

Watch out Portland, there are a few hundred new bike riders in town!

The 19th annual Holiday Bike Drive took place over the weekend and the Community Cycling Center provided 300 bicycles to children from throughout the region. The kids are referred to the event by the CCC’s social service partners. They also got free helmets and lots of advice and training on how to ride safely.

It’s quite an undertaking to make this event happen smoothly every year, but the CCC has it down to a science. Of course it doesn’t heart to have a big crew of dedicated volunteers. Among the folks who showed up to lend their support yesterday were Portland Mayor Charlie Hales and U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer.

New Police Chief puts Traffic Division in new ‘Community Services’ branch

Bike Theft Summit recap: Our big, collective step forward

TriMet lengthens transfers to 2.5 hours, a long-awaited victory for riders’ group

How to beat the bike commute doldrums

‘Grand Prix’ will bring big-time bike racing to Portland, if sponsors step up

First Look: Protected bike lane on SW Multnomah Boulevard

Job: Recumbent Bike Mechanic – Recumbent PDX

City staff will meet with activists about conditions on SE Clinton

‘Lock Stars’, solutions, stories, and more at tomorrow’s Bike Theft Summit

Home demolition critics back resolution that would block central-city density

Rudolph-lovers celebrate 50th anniversary of TV movie with sing-along on wheels

Holiday Bike Drive turns 300 children into bike riders (Photos)

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