Larch Mountain Road now open for the season

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

For those of you who like the beautiful challenge of climbing to the top of Larch Mountain Road east of Troutdale, you will be happy to know that Multnomah County has just announced it is now open. It closes each year during winter and usually stays closed until mid-June… But we’ve just gotten word that it is open as of today, Tuesday, May 27th. Below is the official statement:

Upper Larch Mountain Road to reopen afternoon of May 27
Thursday, 5/22/14 – 11:01 am

Multnomah County will reopen the upper section of Larch Mountain Road on Tuesday, May 27 at 2 p.m.

Larch Mountain Road is the highest road in Multnomah County’s jurisdiction, reaching an altitude of 4055 feet in east county. Each winter, the county closes public access to recreation areas off upper Larch Mountain Road by installing a snow gate near milepost 10. Opening the mountain road for recreational users happens when snow levels decline. Reopening the gate provides vehicle access all the way to the view parking lot at milepost 14.5 and the walking trail to Sherrard Point.

White Gravity Avenue B 2011

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2011
Brand: Gravity
Model: Avenue B
Color:White
Size:MALE MEDIUM/58″
Stolen in Portland, OR 97217
Stolen:2014-05-26
Stolen From: Lewis and Interstate outside of Civilian Studios and across from Broder Nord.
Owner: Ryan Woodring
OwnerEmail: ryanwwoodring( atsign )gmail.com
Reward: 50.00
Description: white bike that reads “GRAVITY” on the long diagonal crossbar. It is the only Gravity I’ve seen in Portland because I bought it from China off ebay.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T14005527
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

The Monday Roundup: Race and safety, anti-theft petition and more

crosswalk crossing

Unequal rights.
(Photo: Portland State University)

Here are the bike links from around the Web that caught our eyes this week:

Race at the crosswalk: Twice as many Portlanders drive past a black person at a crosswalk than drive past a white person, new research found.

Bike theft petition: Bike-software maker Project 529 has launched a petition asking Craigslist and eBay to make it harder to fence stolen bikes by requiring serial numbers on all bike listings.

Read more

53cm IRO 2011ish

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2011ish
Brand: IRO
Color:53cm
Size:black
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2014-05-16
Stolen From: SE 35th and Salmon
Neighborhood: Sunnyside
Owner: Laura Feldman
OwnerEmail: Lfeldd(AT)gmail.com
Reward: $100
Description: White rims, fixed gear. Pretty scratched up on the down tube and there was (is still?) Electrical tape around it.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Black Diamondback Steliacoom RCX

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Brand: Diamondback
Model: Steliacoom RCX
Color:Black
Size:56m
Stolen in Portland, OR 97206
Stolen:2014-05-18
Stolen From: Near SE holgate and 82nd
Owner: Alex Wise
OwnerEmail: alexwwise(AT)gmail.com
Reward: $100
Description: Mismatched nice wheels, bar end shifters, purple bar tape
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

gray/silver Gary Fisher Monona 2009

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2009
Brand: Gary Fisher
Model: Monona
Color:gray/silver
Size:22 1/2″ frame
Serial: WTU29860048D
Stolen in PORTLAND, OR 97202
Stolen:2014-05-24
Stolen From: 4000 SE Tenino St
Neighborhood: Eastmoreland
Owner: Michelle Smit
OwnerEmail: michellesmitdesign( atsign )comcast.net
Reward: YES!
Description: This was my sons bike and his mode of transport. Just a simple gray/silver bike with a light.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T14005477
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

58cm Masi Gran Criterium 2013

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2013
Brand: Masi
Model: Gran Criterium
Color:58cm
Size:green/silver
Photo: http://www.masibikes.com/bikes2013/steel/gran-criterium-2013
Stolen in Portland, OR 97215
Stolen:2014-05-23
Stolen From: SE 53rd Ave and SE Madison
Neighborhood: Mt. Tabor
Owner: Brian Scott
OwnerEmail: bscott(at sign)gxi-inc.com
Reward: $100
Description: compact 105 silver cranks, vuelta corsa lite wheel set, silver Ultegra deraileurs and brakes, Velo Orange handle bars and seat post
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: 14-42177
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Landlord looks to reduce car ownership by buying a shared car for its tenants

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward
shared car division

The shared car at 3330 SE Division Street is marketed to UDP residents but rentable by anyone.
(Photo by M.Andersen/BikePortland)

Real Estate Beat is sponsored by Portlandia Home

The local developer and landlord that in 2011 reintroduced zero-auto-parking-apartment buildings to the city after a 60-year absence is seeing success with another innovation: it’s bought a car for its buildings’ residents to share.

Urban Development Partners, whose Move the House Apartments project at 38th and Division inspired dozens of copycats around the city, says the car, a 2012 Subaru Forester that UDP has shared using the Getaround peer-to-peer carsharing service, is covering its own costs and seems to be helping motivate UDP tenants to give up their cars.

The car rents to anyone, whether or not they’re a UDP tenant, for $5 per hour or $35 per day, plus gas and a $1 transaction fee. Just as other car-sharing companies such as Zipcar do, the developer pays the city a few hundred dollars per year for a reserved parking space directly in front of the 35-unit building at 3330 SE Division St.

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Community groups launch multilingual survey on where transportation fixes are needed

Detail of heat map showing East Portland trouble spots.

A coalition of nonprofits and community groups calling itself “Prioritize Portland!” has created an easy-to-use online survey to ask more Portlanders what walking, biking and public transit improvements are needed most.

It’s being promoted by a team that includes OPAL Environmental Justice, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Oregon Walks, East Portland Neighborhood Office, Central Northeast Neighbors, the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, East Portland Neighbors, East Portland Action Plan, the GIS Jammers, Portland State University and Verde.

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Weekend Event Guide: Aftermass premiere, pump track, and sales galore

Disaster Relief Trials -40

Local filmmaker, activist, and publisher Joe Biel
will screen his latest documentary, Aftermass,
at the Clinton St Theater tonight.
(Photo 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 are a fan of bike films, it’s going to be a great weekend. Two documentaries will screen in Portland, each of them from a completely different part of the cycling spectrum.

As for the forecast, we might have a bit of rain here and there, but not enough to cancel anyone’s plans (hopefully). And it’s a long weekend for some of you (Memorial Day), so we’re sure there are some big adventures being planned. If you haven’t already set your course, perhaps the suggestions below will help you fill out your weekend calendar….

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From the Archives

The good, the bad, and the ugly on the Oregon Coast Bike Route