Want to name that bridge? Now’s your chance

TriMet's yet-to-be-named bridge

TriMet’s new bridge is shaping up, but it still needs a name.
(Concept drawing)

All joking aside, what is that new Willamette River bridge going to be called? Starting this morning, the citizens’ committee appointed to decide is asking for ideas.

In construction for more than a year, the new cable-stay bridge is being built by TriMet as part of its Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project. The agency says it’ll be the only one in the country to carry buses, trains, emergency vehicles, and people on bike, foot or skate, but no private cars. It’ll connect the fast-developing Southeast Division Street area with the South Waterfront.

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Black Bob 2004

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2004
Brand: Bob
Color:Black
Stolen in Portland, OR 97206
Stolen:2013-10-12
Stolen From: Front porch of house on SE 58th near Holgate.
Neighborhood: Foster/Kenilworth
Owner: Bill Wilder
OwnerEmail: wildmountains( atsign )gmail.com
Description: Black Bob bicycle trailer.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: waiting report appoval
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

Black Specialized Tricross 2012

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2012
Brand: Specialized
Model: Tricross
Color:Black
Size:53cm
Stolen in Portland, OR 97206
Stolen:2013-10-16
Stolen From: Stolen from our house as 3001 SE 62nd Ave.
Neighborhood: South Tabor
Owner: Samantha Charles
OwnerEmail: sampcharles50(replace with at sign)hotmail.com
Reward: $200
Description: This was a new all black tricross bike. It has dropped handle bars, a new saddle, fenders and a rack that was scratched up a bit.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T13010585
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Latest Columbia River Crossing proposal scales back bike facilities (updated)

Current bike infrastructure on much of Hayden
Island: signs and sidewalks.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Even for the many Portland-area residents who ride bikes but aren’t inclined to object to expensive urban freeway expansions, the Columbia River Crossing has always had one small thing going for it: it’d widen the Vancouver-Portland bike crossing and simplify the maze of trails required to reach it.

With pro-CRC lobbyists hastily re-gathering votes for a possible Oregon-funded version of the project, it looks like the bike facilities are being scaled back.

During its years of planning and outreach, one of the features of the Columbia River Crossing concept was a shared-use path through Hayden Island that would put bike traffic at a different height (or “grade”) from auto traffic. A Sept. 25 memo (PDF) from the CRC’s environmental manager, however, shows that the new “phased” project would save money by indefinitely postponing the grade separation and sending bike and foot traffic through “at-grade intersections on Hayden Island.”

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ODOT unveils plans for major changes to Kenton-PIR-Delta Park connection

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Detail of ODOT plans for a new bike path
adjacent to Denver Ave.
(ODOT)

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) is entering the design phase of a project that will bring major changes to bicycling conditions between the Kenton neighborhood, N Denver Ave, and connections to Schmeer Road and Portland International Raceway (PIR).

On the project website, ODOT says the changes come from issues with traveling in the area that were first identified through a study completed during their I-5 Delta Park Project in 2006. That study, says ODOT, “pointed out multiple safety and operational concerns along the Denver Avenue corridor, including poor sight lines for drivers, deficient turning movements, gaps in bicycle/pedestrian paths, and the poor conditions of the Denver Avenue bridge decks and railings.” ODOT won $2.5 million for the estimated $4 million project through the 2012-2015 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program.

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Outer southeast Springwater Corridor path closure notice

See below for info and detour maps just sent to us from PGE:

Notice of Trail Closure along the Springwater Trail

Beginning at 9:00 a.m. on Monday, October 28th, 2013, Portland General Electric will begin work along the Springwater Trail between SW Pleasant Valley View Dr. and SE Circle Ave. to improve service reliability in the area. This activity is expected to continue for eight days (excluding Saturday and Sunday), ending at approximately 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6th.

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‘Live the Revolution’ event promises inspiration through storytelling

Jude Gerace, owner of Sugar Wheel Works
and creator the Live the Revolution event.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Everyone’s talking about the Live the Revolution event happening tomorrow night (Thursday, 10/17) at Clinton Street Theater. The event is organized by Sugar Wheel Works, a custom wheel-building company based in north Portland. This is the fourth year Sugar’s owner Jude Gerace has put on the event. In addition to being a fundraiser for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s Safe Routes to School programs, Live the Revolution is also an anniversary party for Gerace, who opened her doors back in 2009 (as Epic Wheel Works, a name she was forced to change due to the threat of legal action from Specialized Bicycle Components).

The event draws on the personal bicycling stories of interesting local personalities. The list of speakers includes: bicycle builder Joseph Ahearne; head chef at Clyde Commons Chris Diminno; online editor of Bitch Magazine Sarah Mirk; and writer, rider, and photographer Heidi Swift.

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Renovation at Powell’s Books leads to uncertain future for iconic bike racks

Mia Birk at Powell's Books-4

The racks at Powell’s on Burnside and 10th have the
names of bike books and their authors on them.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

An upcoming renovation project at Powell’s Books in downtown Portland has put the future of its iconic, bike book themed racks at the corner of SW 10th and Burnside in question.

According to the land use review notice (PDF) available via the Portland Bureau of Development Services (and brought to our attention by Doug Klotz), Powell’s is planning a storefront improvement project that will bring changes to the south and east facades of their flagship downtown store. The plans call for a new “porch” design that will eliminate the existing art bike racks and swap them out for nine PBOT-issued staple racks that will be placed on a new curb extension at the northwest corner of 10th and Burnside. (Note: These new racks won’t be an on-street bike parking “corral”, they’ll be placed on an extension of the existing sidewalk that will use space currently occupied by two auto parking spaces.)

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Black Trek Matrix (rear wheel only) 1989

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 1989
Brand: Trek
Model: Matrix (rear wheel only)
Color:Black
Size:700c
Photo: http://images.craigslist.org/01212_i9r0hAPgjir_600x450.jpg
Stolen in Portland, OR 97214
Stolen:2013-10-15
Stolen From: The rear wheel (note that the photos shown are of the front wheel which I still have) of my old school commuter bike was stolen yesterday afternoon from a bike rack next to the Convention Center. It’s an old 1989 Matrix rim with a black/orange treaded tire and a slight aero “V” profile that doesn’t work with many other bikes/rear derailleur setups, and it’s really hard to change tires/tubes because of the old school “V” design. I’m offering a $20 reward in case anyone comes across this wheel because I need to get around town on my bike and I’m not good riding unicycles =)
Neighborhood: Stolen at the Oregon Convention Center in the Lloyd Center neighborhood
Owner: Justin Yuen
OwnerEmail: justinyuen(at sign)mac.com
Reward: $20
Description: http://images.craigslist.org/01212_i9r0hAPgjir_600x450.jpg
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Maroon Trek 7.2 FX 2012

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Year: 2012
Brand: Trek
Model: 7.2 FX
Color:Maroon
Serial:SWTU046C4238G
Stolen in 97202, OR 97202
Stolen:2013-10-16
Stolen From: My driveway, 3817 SE Nehalem St. Portland, OR 97202
Neighborhood: Eastmoreland
Owner: Kara Gilmore
OwnerEmail: kara.gilmore.31@gmail.com
Reward: $100
Description: It was a women’t bike and had a black REI basket on the back of it as well as a mount for a headlight on front and a bell.
Police record with: Portland PD
Police reference#: T13010547
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Orange Marin

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Brand: Marin
Color:Orange
Stolen in Portland, OR 97209
Stolen:2013-10-6
Stolen From: The Wyatt apartments on NW 12th and Marshall
Neighborhood: Pearl
Owner: Fergus Caldicott
OwnerEmail: fergus(replace with at sign)caldicott.net
Description: An Orange Marin mountain bike. The saddle stem is pretty marked from being adjusted.
This registrant does not have proof of ownership of this bike

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From the Archives

With six kids and no car, this mom does it all by bike