There are many signs along the route to help you along.
(Photos and words by Adam Herstein)

— This post was submitted through our subscriber post system by Adam Herstein.
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The Cascades line is arguably the bike-friendliest
in the country.
(Photo: Will Vanlue)

One of the country’s most-ridden Amtrak lines could have its southern tail chopped off unless Oregon legislators find another $5 million to keep it whole.

The state-sponsored Amtrak Cascades service between Eugene and Portland, with stops in Albany, Salem, Woodburn and Oregon City, is likely to be eliminated unless the state is willing to cover the one-third of the line’s operating costs, $28 million annually, that aren’t covered by ticket revenue.

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Still from YouTube.

Collisions between bike riders and car drivers are not uncommon. What is uncommon however, is the level of civility displayed by reader Ben Koker after he was thrown to the ground following a slow-speed collision with a man driving a Lexus SUV earlier this month.

Thankfully, Koker was not seriously hurt. And he also happened to capture the entire incident on video thanks to his helmet-mounted camera.

The collision happened in the intersection of Main Street and 10th in downtown Oregon City. Koker was heading southbound on Main toward the four-way stop at 10th. After stopping and thinking it was safe to go, Koker was hit by the SUV driver from his right. The driver failed to stop at the stop sign.

Here’s the video:[Read more…]

First City Cycles employee Adam Beykovsky
is helping promote bike tourism in Oregon City.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Clackamas County is once again placing its bets on bicycle tourism as a way to bolster local industry and economic vitality. As The Oregonian reports, the Urban Renewal Commission in Oregon City voted Wednesday to support a proposal by a local bike shop owner to develop a bike tourism hub inside a vacant Amtrak station.

The idea for the “First City Central Marketplace & Bistro” was conceived by Blaine Meier, owner of First City Cycles. Meier’s shop opened in July of last year and he wasted no time in getting the idea off the ground. In September Meier told the Clackamas Review newspaper, “I’m excited about the opportunity, and I think it’ll be a great way to promote Oregon City tourism.”[Read more…]

Freshly laid sharrow on the (still closed for repairs) Oregon City/West Linn Arch Bridge.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

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New sharrows on Main Street in Oregon City.
Will they put these on the Arch Bridge too?
(Photos: Don Arambula)

According to a source close to the project, the Oregon Department of Transportation and the cities of West Linn and Oregon City are strongly considering installing sharrow markings on the historic Arch Bridge when it re-opens next month after a multi-million rehabilitation project.

Back in August, we wondered whether the time was right for ODOT to add sharrows to the bridge’s main roadway. After all, we thought, ODOT installed sharrows on the St. Johns Bridge back in May following a similar rehab project. And like the St. Johns, the Arch Bridge has sub-standard sidewalks that do not adequately serve bicycle traffic. With people all but forced onto the main bridge roadway, having a large bicycle symbol in the center of the lane would be a small, yet helpful, bike safety improvement. [Read more…]