People of all ages enjoyed
Sunday Parkways last June.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Details of Sunday Parkways 2009 are slowly leaking out of the Transportation Options division at PDOT.

Last year’s event — which opened up a six-mile loop of North Portland streets to people and prohibited cars — was a ground-breaking success. In 2009, PDOT says they’ll expand the event to three separate days in three different parts of the city.

According to Janis McDonald, one of the lead staffers on the project, the upcoming Sunday Parkways will consist of a North Portland route in June, a Northeast route in July and a Southeast route in August.
[Read more…]

Portland has been at the cutting edge of traffic design for many years. In America, with our stringent, car-centric traffic design guidelines, that means having engineers who are not afraid to push the boundaries of the status quo.

The most recent example of this are Portland’s colored bike boxes. We weren’t the first city to do them, but we were the first to launch several of them at once on busy intersections in the urban core.

Before laying them down, PDOT sent an official “Request to Experiment” to the Federal Highway Administration. It’s not a required step, but an official nod from the FHWA would help PDOT breathe a little easier, and more importantly, would open the door to make colored bike boxes a standard treatment that could then be adopted more easily in other cities.[Read more…]

The rain is coming.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Kids aren’t the only ones who need to stay dry and visible while riding. Portland is set for wet weather for the next week or so (at least) and, combined with darkness falling over rush hour, rain can make things a bit more tricky out there.

Here are some tips taken from a list of wet and dark weather riding tips put together by the City of Portland Office of Transportation:

Stay Dry and Warm
You don’t need the latest and greatest cycling gear to get around town by bicycle. A decent rain jacket and pants are your best defense. They both cut down on wind and keep you dry. If you can afford it, GoreTex or other breathable fabric will keep the rain out and keep you from feeling clammy. [Read more…]

The City of Portland Office of Transportation will host the 2008 Portland Transportation Safey Summit next week (Monday, 10/8). The event is a great way to meet local and state transportation planners, policy makers, etc… and get information on many important resources and programs.

PDOT just released the agenda and program. Check it out:[Read more…]