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.
Note: I'm currently on a family trip and not working normal hours. Email and message responses will be delayed and story and posting volumes here and on our social media accounts will not be at their usual levels until I return to Portland September 4th. Thanks for your patience and understanding. - Jonathan Maus, BikePortland Publisher and Editor
The law has been a thorn in the saddle of bike advocates for many years.
Bike riders will often opt out of using bike lanes because they are so often full of to debris, potholes, or inherent engineering hazards.
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.
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
“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
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
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
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
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
[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
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
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
Comment of the Week: Gratitude for N/NE Broadway project