City, BTA gear up for Walk and Bike to School Day
The morning scene at Trillium Charter School in North Portland.(Photos © J. Maus)
safe routes to school
Care about Safe Routes to School? Tell Congress about it
We need more like him.(Photo © J. Maus) Yesterday the Safe Routes to School National Partnership launched their “Dear Congress: Why Safe Routes to School is Important” campaign. The intention of this grassroots lobbying effort is to send a clear message to members of Congress that their constituents care deeply about getting more kids to … Read more
Utrecht’s ‘traffic garden’ helps kids become responsible road users
Kids pedal cars around a “traffic garden” in Utrecht, Netherlands.(Photo © J. Maus)
In Beaverton, Safe Routes challenges hit home
Signs don’t work as well as crosswalks.(Photo © J. Maus) It’s common at advocacy-oriented conferences to hear the latest horrible stats about how bad things are and how it’s up to the great work of advocates to charge into a new era and change the world. At the Safe Routes to School National Conference being … Read more
National organization finds that bike-to-school bans are on the rise
Robert Ping from the Safe Routes to School National Partnership.File photo(Photos © J. Maus) Robert Ping, the State Network Coordinator for the Safe Routes to School National Partnership shared a startling bit of information during his presentation at the Safe Routes to School Conference today. In communities throughout America, students are being told they are … Read more
Safe Routes to School National Conference begins today in Portland
We need more like him.(Photo © J. Maus) This week, Portland is playing host to the Safe Routes to School National Conference. The event is hosted by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) and they report that over 500 attendees have registered. Attendees include biking and walking advocates, health care providers, city planners, transportation experts and … Read more
Safe Routes to School National Conference coming to Portland
We’ll have a lot more coverage of this exciting upcoming event in the weeks to come. For now, here’s the official press release from conference host, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA): The 2nd Safe Routes to School National Conference will be held in Portland on August 19th-21st, bringing stakeholders from across North America together to … Read more
Local high school does bike parking right
Good spacing, a high visibility location, and cobblestones!(Photos © J. Maus) When students and staff arrive at the campus of Benjamin Franklin High School in Southeast Portland (5405 SE Woodward), they’re greeted with an important message: Bikes are respected, encouraged, and accommodated for. The message isn’t something you read on a poster. It’s implied — … Read more
Kidical Massers bring message for more money to City Hall
How can the city say no to a face like this?-Slideshow below-(Photos © J. Maus) Last Friday, about 100 people — most of them families with kids in tow — rode to City Hall as part of a special edition of the BTA’s monthly Kidical Mass ride. The goal was to raise awareness about the … Read more
Kids will take Safe Routes message to City Hall
A politician’s worst nightmare. Kidical Mass storming City Hall.(Photos © J. Maus) The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) plans to use their monthly “Kidical Mass” ride as way to send a clear message to City Council about their upcoming budget: Find more money for the city’s Safer Routes to Schools program. Hoping it is seen as, … Read more
Portland’s Safer Routes to Schools program faces 40% budget shortfall
Portland’s Safer Routes to Schools program encourages kids to ride to school — but budget cuts loom.(Photos © J. Maus) The City of Portland’s Safer Routes to Schools program is facing a steep drop in its funding for the 2009-2010 fiscal year. In the past two years (Portland’s fiscal year goes from July 1 to … Read more
Europe envy: Practical kid’s bikes and why they don’t exist in the U.S.
You’re not likely to find a bike like this at your local shop.(Photo © J. Maus) The other day, in the bike rack of my daughter’s school, I noticed a very practical children’s bike. It had everything a bike needs to be used as a real transportation vehicle — a chain-guard, generator lights front and … Read more
Comment of the Week: Upbeat thoughts before the election