Use e-scooters in Oregon? You should read this legal guide
Know before your go.
Legal
Doored? The law is on your side (but that might not be enough)
When it comes to getting doored, thankfully the law is on your side.
Supreme Court’s rail-trail ruling: What does it mean for Oregon?
Are our beloved rail-trails doomed? Here’s what the big Supreme Court decision means for Oregon.
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
Politifact checks our work on bike crossing laws
You can stay on your bike and have the legal right to cross an unsignalized intersection (marked or unmarked) simply by dipping your tire into the road.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Our attempt to clear up confusion about Oregon’s crossing laws earlier this month gave us more than we bargained for on several accounts. First, in … Read more
Clearing up confusion around Oregon’s crosswalk law
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Last month I shared the story of a reader who admitted that he doesn’t always stop for people on foot waiting to cross the road in front of him. In that story I mentioned Oregon’s crosswalk law; but I mistakenly left out a key part of it. After hearing from several … Read more
Reader: Why I don’t always stop for people waiting to cross the street
Scared to stop.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) A reader sent us a note recently about a traffic situation that I feel could use more community awareness and discussion. It has to do with stopping for people who are waiting to walk across the street. Oregon law (ORS 811.028) clearly states that if you see a person … Read more
Bike-based contractor denied service at metal recycler for not being in a motor vehicle
Chris Sanderson of Builder By Bike.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Chris Sanderson is a Portland-based licensed general contractor. Like many people in his line of work, he does a far amount of demolition and hauling for his clients. But unlike other contractors, Sanderson’s company vehicle is a bicycle, not a truck. Sanderson owns Builder By Bike … Read more
State finds Disco Trike owner Dan Kaufman “not guilty”
Dan Kaufman on the stand last week.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) The State of Oregon has issued a judgment of “not guilty” in the trial of the “Disco Trike” and its owner, local activist and filmmaker Dan Kaufman. The trial was heard by Multnomah County District Court Judge Cheryl Albrecht last Friday and she announced her … Read more
City will step up truck parking enforcement on SE 4th Ave – Updated
Trucks in bike lanes leads topeople in streets.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) The Portland Bureau of Transportation says they’ll step up enforcement of illegal parking on SE 4th Avenue just south of Caruthers. On Monday, we pointed out that large trucks servicing industrial businesses along the street are parking in the bike lanes that connect the … Read more
Ethics, exhaust, and other reasons to break traffic laws while bicycling
The bike world is buzzing today after a Sunday New York Times opinion piece by Randy Cohen laid out his personal, ethical case for riding illegally. In, If Kant Were a New York Cyclist, Cohen, formerly “The Ethicist” columnist at the paper, wrote: “I treat red lights and stop signs as if they were yield … Read more
How to ride near a funeral procession (without breaking the law)
“We frequently encounter these processions on training rides in Portland’s West Hills. Suggestions range from doing nothing (besides merely following the law), to stopping in respect while the procession goes by.”— Ray Thomas, lawyer For whatever reason, some of the most popular roads for bicycling on here in the Portland region also tend to be … Read more