Dispatch from Disaster Relief Trials in Seattle

Portlander Mike Cobb competed at the Seattle Disaster Relief Trials.(Photo by Fred Bretsch – FEMA Region 10) Seattle cargo bike advocates held their first Disaster Relief Trials event over the weekend. The event sprung up thanks to inspiration from Portland’s event of the same name that was held last year. Portlander Mike Cobb traveled north … Read more


Cargo bike responders wanted for Tigard mock emergency drill

Cargo bikes to the rescue!(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) The City of Tigard is planning a major, region-wide “mock emergency” exercise on Thursday and they want to include cargo bikes. Tara Harper, a consultant working on the event, was inspired by her involvement with the Disaster Relief Trials in Portland last summer and says cargo bikes … Read more


Disaster Relief Trials back (and bigger) for second year

Joe Partridge competing in the 2012 event.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) The Disaster Relief Trials, an event that showcases the capabilities of cargo bikes in disaster response, will be bigger and better and this year. After a successful inaugural event last year (which has already spawned similar events in Boulder and Seattle), organizers have loaded up … Read more


Emergency expert now consultant for using bikes during disasters

Joe Partridge at the Oregon Active Transportation Summit yesterday.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Following the tsunami in Japan in 2011, the idea of using bicycles in response to major disasters has quickly gained momentum around the country. Now the former Deputy for Planning and Preparedness for Multnomah County’s Emergency Management Disivion, Joe Partridge, has left his … Read more


More from the bikes/disaster front

Ready for the apocalypse.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Along with women on bikes, another major biking theme that has gone from trend to full-fledged movement in 2012 is the connection between bicycles and disasters. From our local efforts here in Portland, to national attention thanks to hurricane Sandy, this is an idea whose time has come. … Read more


City of Portland releases video about bikes in New York City after Sandy

“Bikes prove useful in Sandy aftermath,” reads PBEM home page. The idea that bicycles can play a large role in how cities respond to natural disasters continues to gain momentum. What started as something of a niche curiosity here in Portland, has matured into a serious topic of discussion among bike advocates and the national … Read more


National spotlight shines on role of bikes in disaster response

Screen grab of The Rachel Maddow Show last night. It’s been a good year for the idea that bikes are the ultimate disaster response vehicles. What started as a niche thing here in Portland (promoted by a few emergency preparedness hobbyists with a penchant for cargo bikes), spread east to New York after superstorm Sandy; … Read more


KGW TV: “Bikes can be a lifeline” after disaster strikes

Screen grab of Woodlawn’s cargo bike disaster response unit.– Watch video below – KGW TV (Portland’s NBC affiliate station) ran a feature segment last night about how cargo bikes will play a role in our disaster response plans. It’s a story we shared back in March, and after superstorm Sandy proved once again that bikes … Read more