Group works to repeal Oregon’s mandatory bike lane use law
The law has been a thorn in the saddle of bike advocates for many years.
ORS 814.420
Woman cited by Portland Police for not riding in downtown bike lane
Bike riders will often opt out of using bike lanes because they are so often full of to debris, potholes, or inherent engineering hazards.
Judge dismisses Medford man’s protest over citation for leaving bike lane
A Medford man issued a citation last year for pedaling outside of a bike lane to avoid debris says a judge has sided with the officer who pulled him over.
Video of bike lane citation in Ashland highlights controversial Oregon law
Still from police video of traffic stop. Just after 6:00 pm on August 15th, 35-year-old Medford resident Dallas Smith was riding in the bike lane on Main Street in Ashland when he was pulled over by Ashland police officer Steve MacLennan. The offense? Officer MacLennan claimed that Smith was riding his bicycle outside of the … Read more
In Roseburg, popularity of bicycling thwarts punitive police power grab
“Public hearing” or not; not all bike lanes are “safe and reasonable” to ride on.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Earlier this month, police officers in the City of Roseburg tried to strengthen their authority to ticket people who do not ride in bike lanes. They thought they could sneak an agenda item through City Council and … Read more
In rare move, City of Roseburg looks to strengthen Oregon’s ‘mandatory sidepath’ law
Who says its “safe and reasonable” for bicycle use?(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) On August 13th, the City Council of Roseburg (about 170 miles south of Portland) will attempt to take a rare step toward strengthening the Oregon law mandating use of a bike lane (a.k.a. the mandatory sidepath law). That law, ORS 814.420, mandates that … Read more
Bike Law 101: The law of the lanes
If it’s there, you should be too.(Photo © J. Maus) If you’re concerned about your personal safety mixing it up with motorized traffic, your fears are not without merit. American roads are made for something powerful, weighty and full of horsepower. Stepping foot or pushing pedal upon them can indeed be daunting. The tendency for … Read more
From Seattle: How we’re coping with fourth place
Now that the whole country thinks Oregon isn’t in the top-three best states to bike in, you might assume the Beaver State delegation here at Pro Walk/Pro Bike would be sulking and demanding a recount. Not exactly. When the League of American Bicyclist’s executive director Andy Clarke announced the rankings at a party at the … Read more
Police quotes raise safety concerns
Education about bicycle laws is a major factor in keeping our roads safe for everyone. Increasing awareness and understanding of these laws is just as important as any bike safety infrastructure or policy changes. That’s why some cyclists are concerned that a quote attributed to a Portland Police Bureau employee and published by the Oregonian … Read more
Expert witness backfires on DA in bike lane case
[City of Portland’s Chief of Bicycles, Roger Geller] One of the more interesting and dramatic cases in yesterday’s “Bike Day at Court” was the case involving Jeff Smith. Smith is a PDOT employee who, ironically, has worked in the city’s bike program for many years. Smith was issued a citation for failure to use a … Read more
Cops carry out enforcement mission on morning commuters
I have had several phone calls and emails about the enforcement mission being carried out by the Portland Police Bureau on the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge this morning. I have heard reports of up four cyclists being pulled over at one time. This was a planned enforcement mission and I remember an email … Read more
List of common violations and fines
The LDTMA (Lloyd District Transportation Management Association) recently held an open forum to discuss bike issues in the Lloyd District area. They invited several NE Precinct police officers and traffic division commander Bill Sinnott. During the Q&A session, someone asked to see a list of the most common bicycle infractions and the cost for each … Read more