Job: Pacific Northwest Regional Policy Manager – Safe Routes to School National Partnership

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Job Title
Pacific Northwest Regional Policy Manager

Company/Organization
Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Job Description
Position: Pacific Northwest Regional Policy Manager

Program: Safe Routes to School National Partnership

Institution: Bikes Belong Foundation

Reports to: Regional Network Manager

Employment and Classification: “At will” employment status; full-time salaried position; grant currently funded through December 2015.

Location: Your home office in the Portland, Oregon region

Applications: Applications will be accepted through September 27, 2013 at 5 PM PT and must be sent to hr@saferoutespartnership.org. Specific details on application requirements are provided below. No telephone calls please.

Start Date: October 2013

Summary: Join the Safe Routes to School National Partnership (National Partnership) and use your professional talents and personal passion to advocate for safe walking and bicycling to and from schools, and in daily life, to improve the health and well-being of America’s children and to foster the creation of livable, sustainable communities.

The Pacific Northwest Regional Policy Manager is a new position and will be part of the National Partnership’s Regional Network Project. The Regional Network Project started in 2010 with support from Kaiser Permanente and currently focuses on Southern California; Northern California; Greater Washington, DC area; Denver, Colorado; and Atlanta, Georgia. Continued support allows the National Partnership to deepen our work in these regions, and to expand our efforts to the Pacific Northwest region with the ultimate goal of increasing physical activity and improving safety among students through policy, systems and environmental changes.

The Pacific Northwest Regional Policy Manager will work in the Willamette Valley area, with an initial focus on the greater Portland Metro region, in collaboration with America Walks and Oregon Walks. The Pacific Northwest Regional Policy Manager will build a network and partnerships of diverse organizations and individuals to advocate for improved transportation funding allocations and policies for Safe Routes to School, walking and bicycling at the Metro regional government (Portland, Oregon area), the Mid-Willamette Valley Council of Governments (Salem, Oregon area) and the Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council (Vancouver, Washington area). Specific attention will be on improving policies for walking and bicycling for children and families, especially lower-income communities most vulnerable to childhood obesity. In addition to regional policy work, the Pacific Northwest Regional Policy Manager will provide technical assistance at the local level to select c ommunities receiving Kaiser Permanente community investments. Funding for this position is through 2015 and the Pacific Northwest Regional Policy Manager will work with the National Partnership to secure continued funding for the project.

Primary responsibilities for the Pacific Northwest Region Policy Manger position include: building and maintaining a regional network; enhancing and advancing regional policies to improve the built environment and increase active transportation; meeting grant-related deliverables; providing technical assistance in specific communities; and assisting in fundraising efforts

For more information about this position, please see the detailed job description.

Qualifications:

Minimum of two years proven success in Safe Routes to School policy, program, planning and/or implementation
Experience with leading coalitions, working with partners, and providing technical assistance to develop leaders to achieve state and/or local policy change and campaign goals
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong problem solving skills
Strong project management experience
Ability to travel
Detail-oriented
Highly collaborative
Ability to work from home, to work independently (self-starter) and as a team member across departments with minimal supervision
Ability to follow-up in a timely manner, be proactive and to work under tight deadlines/schedules with attention to detail
Fundraising experience a plus
Proficient with PCs and with MS Office software
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required
Background: The Safe Routes to School National Partnership was founded in 2005 and is a network of more than 650 organizations, agencies, schools and professional groups. Its mission is to advance safe walking and bicycling to and from schools, and in daily life, to improve the health and well-being of America’s children and to foster the creation of livable, sustainable communities. The National Partnership is hosted by the non-profit Bikes Belong Foundation.

Annual Salary: This “at will” position offers a starting annual salary of $50,000 – $60,000/year, plus health insurance benefits, paid time off and optional participation in a deferred compensation plan. A PC computer, telephone and internet access will be provided. All Safe Routes to School National Partnership personnel are employees of the Bikes Belong Foundation and work from home offices. Presently, this project is funded through December 2015.

How to Apply
To Apply: Interested applicants should submit (via email) a cover letter, resume and three writing samples in one PDF file to hr@saferoutespartnership.org. The PDF file shall be named as follows: [LastName]_PacNW_RPM.pdf. Ensure that the subject line of your email includes the text “Pacific NW RPM.” Applications must be submitted in the format indicated in order to be considered. Due to a high volume of interest in our positions, we are not able to accept email or telephone inquiries.

Receipt of applications will be acknowledged with an email reply. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until Friday, September 27, 2013 at 5 PM PT. Applying soon is encouraged as interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.

Visit www.saferoutespartnership.org for more information about the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.

Bikes Belong Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.

City Council backs $21 million for better walking and biking, citing boost to economy

Commissioner Steve Novick at Green Lane Project event

Commissioner Steve Novick speaking at a
Green Lane Project event earlier this week.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The ways people talk about active transportation seems to be changing in Portland, both inside and outside of government.

At a unanimous City Council vote Wednesday in favor of $20.7 million in federally backed walking and biking improvements throughout the city, including $9.1 million to enact parts of the East Portland in Motion plan and $6.6 million for what promises to be a historic upgrade of central Portland bike facilities, people on both sides of the council dais were repeating an idea that isn’t always common: Improving biking improves the city for people who don’t.

Leading the shift: new Transportation Commissioner Steve Novick, who echoed and rephrased some of the observations we shared from his speech two nights before.

“It should be obvious to everybody that the freight improvements are connected to economic development,” Novick said Wednesday, referring to $4.1 million dedicated to efficient truck movement. “But the things that make it easier to walk and bike are economic investments. … There’s a couple of ways to improve your family’s economic position. One is to make more money, and one is to reduce your expenses. Active transportation investments help people reduce their expenses.”

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Via Reddit, man shares account of being hit by MAX train

TriMet released this image of the man who was hit and
the operator who came to his aid.

A man posted on Reddit this morning about his harrowing experience of being struck by a MAX train. He said it happened at a station somewhere near the northeast Portland/Gresham border and that his use of headphones directly contributed to the collision. Here’s “fehu’s” post:

I was on my way to work, and got off at my stop in Northeast Portland/Gresham. I had my headphones in like a dumb ass, and went to cross the intersection before my train had left.

I mounted my bike, like I do every day, and went to cross the intersection. When I noticed the train, it was about 20 feet away, and my body was dead in the center of the tracks. I turned a sharp left, because I knew I couldn’t push past it in time. My front wheel got caught in the track. I unclipped from my pedal, put my foot down, and pushed myself and the bike about six inches back.

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Researcher explores the ‘Language of promoting cycling’

“When it comes to cycle planning and policy, all parties involved (politicians, policy-makers, practitioners, advocates, etc) should remember that they are providing for “cycling”, not “cyclists””.
— Glen Koorey, University of Canterbury

Reader John Lieswyn (an associate at Alta Planning + Design) emailed me a link to an amazing bit of research this morning. A 2007 paper written by Glen Koorey, a transportation researcher based at the University of Canterbury titled, Are You a Cyclist or Do You Cycle? The Language of Promoting Cycling.

This 10-page paper (PDF) blows my mind, not because of the subject matter itself, but because Mr. Koorey explores a topic I have thought and spoken about for many years. It’s as if he crawled inside my brain and then reported back what he found.

From the online abstract, it appears Koorey presented the paper at a cycling conference in New Zealand. Here’s how he introduces the topic:

“Promoting more cycling in New Zealand is still an exercise fraught with much adversity, both from the general public and from decision- and policy-makers. It is therefore crucial that anyone advocating for a better cycling environment is careful in how they present their case, lest they end up “scoring an own goal” or furthering existing mis-conceptions.”

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ArtCrank poster event returns to Portland next month

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This just in from our friends at Artcrank. The show is returning to Portland this year on Ocotber 3rd and 4th at The Cleaners at The Ace Hotel. This is the fifth year Artcrank has come to Portland and it’s a not-to-be-missed event. You can see and buy awesome bike-inspired, affordable (and original) art that also benefits the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.

Check out the flyer below…

Event organizers are on the lookout for volunteers, who’ll get a free t-shirt and free beer at the event. Email Alison Taylor if you’re interested – alison@artcrank.com.

Learn more about the event on their Facebook page.

See photos and coverage from past Artcrank Portland events in our archives.

Two moms, two cargo bikes, one big adventure

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Portlander Emily Finch en route to the Oregon Coast.
(Photos by Sarah Gilbert and Emily Finch)

This guest article was written by Portland writer and Stealing Time magazine founder/editor Sarah Gilbert.

“The Portland’s been strained outta him.”

This was a regular at a coffee shop in Vernonia. The coffee shop in Vernonia, maybe. “Him,” the guy behind the coffee bar, had welcomed us in right at opening time with an admiring look and, “YOU are the ladies with the bikes!”

He’d followed, “They said you were loaded, but I thought they meant the other way.”

We were Portland, unfiltered, and they acknowledged this without meaning anything bad by it. Loaded like this: Emily with 220 pounds: speakers, bike and a five-gallon water container. Me with all our “soft stuff,” sleeping bags, pillows, extra dresses and sweaters, bread, peanut butter, a little backup boombox, that sort of thing. Music is so important to motivate us up the hills, it’s worth the extra pounds. We went through a weigh station on the way out of Portland, on Highway 30, and I registered 250, Emily 350. We each weigh 130. I kept asking Emily to let me take something else so I wouldn’t feel like a wuss; she kept saying “no.”

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Transpo a key factor in Portland’s #2 national energy efficient city ranking

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Portland ranked #1 in the transportation category.

The City of Portland has earned a #2 ranking in the first-ever “City Energy Efficiency Scorecard” released yesterday by the American Council For An Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE). We came in behind Boston, but ahead of major cities like San Francisco, New York and Seattle (a total of 34 cities were included in the study).

The scorecard ranked each city in five separate categories: local government, community, buildings, utilities, and transportation. Portland placed #1 in the local government and transportation categories. That’s not a big surprise given that we have more daily bicycle commuters than any other major American city (and a growing number of low-car residents).

Here are the “Best Practices” the ACEEE listed in the Transportation category:

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Here’s your chance to improve cycling on the central eastside

Thanks Portland Streetcar-2

The presence of streetcar tracks on the
MLK/Grand couplet has degraded the bicycle
network on the central eastside. That’s one of many
reasons we need smarter planning in this area.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

One of the most important neighborhoods in Portland, the central eastside industrial area, is changing fast and the City of Portland is looking for help to nudge the changes in the right direction.

As tech startups remodel warehouses and the new streetcar and MAX lines bring more housing, offices and retail into the area between the Willamette River, SE 12th Avenue, Interstate 84 and SE Powell, the city is updating its plan for the area and looking for stakeholders to join the Southeast Quadrant Plan Stakeholder Advisory Committee.

Members must “be able to commit 4-6 hours every month, which includes preparing for and attending monthly meetings (typically held in the evening), and attend workshops, charrettes and community involvement events,” according to the city’s application website. Applications are due Oct. 3.

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Job: Bike Builder/Mechanic – Sellwood Cycle Repair – FILLED

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Sorry. This job has been filled. Job Title
Bike Builder/Mechanic

Company/Organization
Sellwood Cycle Repair

Job Description
Sellwood Cycle Repair is currently looking to fill a part time (~20hrs per week) position that is a supporting role in the preparation and sale of new and used bikes. Duties include building new bikes from the box, making small repairs on used bikes that will be sold on consignment, and more. Attention to detail and organization and mechanical aptitude are requirements. Bike shop experience is a plus. For now, the job is part time but there is potential for more hours if it is the right fit. Email resumes to brad@sellwoodcycle.com.

How to Apply
Email resumes to brad@sellwoodcycle.com

Stop! Police will target Ladd Circle stop sign violators today

Stop sign in Ladds

A stop sign at Ladd Circle.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The Portland Police Bureau is all set to do a targeted enforcement mission at Ladd Circle today. The action comes after they received complaints from area residents about people rolling through the stop signs.

As regular readers of this site know, this issue has plagued road users in this southeast Portland neighborhood for many years. We first reported about police activities at these stop signs in April 2007. Since then, the lack of compliance and resulting frustration from neighbors who say they’re afraid to walk around the circle and from people who feel the enforcement is unfair and a poor use of police resources, has continued.

On Monday, we received a phone call from PPB Traffic Division Lieutenant Chris Davis. He said he plans to send several officers out for the mission. “We’ve been getting complaints again of people running stop signs out at Ladd Circle,” said Lt. Davis. “We’re having the same issues with bikes and cars running the stop signs.” Lt. Davis said now that school is back in session, the bureau’s biggest concern is the safety of people walking in the area.

We’ve heard from various police sources that the mission might occur this morning and this afternoon.

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Silver K2 Mach 2.0 2005

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Year: 2005
Brand: K2
Model: Mach 2.0
Color:Silver
Photo: http://www.bikepedia.com/quickbike/BikeSpecs.aspx?year=2005&brand=K2&model=Mach+2.0#.Ujk67BbX8qY
Stolen in 97209, OR
Stolen:2013-09-18
Stolen From: Stolen between 7:05pm-9:15pm from the bike lock-up closest to the corner of 17th and Glisan. Bike lock was cut and thrown under parked car next to corner. This happened while an event was taking place in the Mission Theater (which is where I was) – many other bikes were locked up in the area around 7pm.
Neighborhood: NW
Owner: Che Lowenstein
OwnerEmail: ctlowenstein(replace with at sign)comcast.net
Reward: $100
Description: Silver K2 Mach 2.0 (21 speed) road bike with black bag attached under seat, and vertical axis mounted light on handle bars, horizontal axis red light on seat pole.
Police record with: Portland Police
Police reference#: T13009348
This registrant has documented proof of ownership of this bike

Take an interactive tour of design options for SE Foster Road

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Screenshot of new interactive visualization
of SE Foster Road by Spencer Boomhower.

Portland resident, citizen activist, and animation expert Spencer Boomhower is at it again. You might remember Spencer’s fantastic animation work that deftly explained the “Idaho Stop” law, or his video for PBOT explaining cycle tracks and buffered bike lanes. Spencer also aided the Columbia River Crossing discussion by producing several helpful animated videos about various design options and issues surrounding the project.

Now Spencer has outdone himself by combining his graphic and explanatory skills with his experience in video game development to produce an interactive visualization of design options under consideration for SE Foster Road. Due to some issues with the display of the Unity3D file format used to create the visualization, what I’ve pasted below is a video version Spencer created for folks who aren’t able to download and display the required plug-ins.

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