storm of 2008

Mayor’s office releases results of bike-specific storm survey

Riding across the railroad bridge near Esplanade-1

68% of survey respondents said
they biked during the storms last
winter. 78% of them said bikeways
were in poor condition.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Mayor Adams’ office has released the results of a survey they conducted to learn more about the experiences of people who rode their bikes through our spate of severe winter snow storms.

The bike survey was conducted separately from a general storm response survey because the Mayor’s office completely forgot about bikes in the first one.

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

The City wants to know more about
biking in the Storm of 2008.
–Take the survey–
(Photo © J. Maus)

Mayor Adams’ office has just released a survey titled, Bicycle Transportation During the Storm of December 2008.

The survey (take it online here) comes after their initial Winter Storm Response Survey, released back in January, failed to mention bicycles at all.

Today, the Mayor’s office released a new, bike-specific survey along with this statement (emphasis mine):

On January 14, the Office of the Mayor launched a survey to gather information about the City of Portland’s response to the recent winter storm. Six hundred people responded to the survey, and provided critical feedback on walking, transit and driving conditions during the storm. Almost immediately after releasing the survey, we realized that we had failed to consider bicycle transportation.

As these tracks show, many
people still rode during
December’s snow.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Earlier this month, the Mayor’s office released a storm response survey. The 15-question survey (it’s still online) asked citizens about their travel behavior during the storm and asked them to rate the city’s response.

Every mode (transit, motor vehicles, pedestrians) was considered — except bikes.

In a city that prides itself on leading the nation in bike-friendliness and aspires to be a world-class bike city, it seemed strange that bikes didn’t even warrant a mention. Sure, many people decided to leave their bikes at home instead of battling the slush, snow and ice; but many also found their bike to be a perfectly viable way to get around (especially with studded tires).

Thankfully, the Mayor’s office has acknowledged the oversight and now the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee has drafted a bike-specific storm response survey.

Some Portlanders continued to ride bikes
during the storm.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Mayor’s office has launched a survey to help gather feedback about how they responded to the major storm we had at the end of 2008 (take it online here).

The survey is part of a “snow and ice readiness assessment” that the Mayor’s office has undertaken. It’s obvious the City (and TriMet) was caught off-guard with the storm. After acknowledging the “tireless work” of city employees and citizens, in the introduction to the survey, the Mayor’s office says, “we would like to do better next time”.

This pothole was chalked up
on the Pothole Ride last year.
(Photo: Heather Andews)

The Portland Bureau of Transportation just issued their latest press release about the big winter storm. This time, the focus is on potholes.

PBOT is urging residents to report potholes* because the “heavy snowfall caused treacherous conditions for motorists…” (Hey wait, don’t potholes pose an equally, and even more severe potential hazard to cyclists?).

Gravel on N. Interstate Ave.
Photo taken yesterday (12/6).
(Photo © J. Maus)

Since the outset of what has become an epic Storm of 2008 (stories, photos), we wondered how the Bureau of Transportation would handle the perennial problem of gravel on the roadways — and especially the gravel that inevitably ends up all over the bike lanes.

“Where sweepers could get to the curb, our first priority was bike lanes.”
— PBOT spokeswoman Cheryl Kuck

On December 16th, we reported that the City had their hands full with the storm, telling people who bike that they’d just have to wait until crews could clean it up.

After two weeks of a once-in-a-generation winter storm that pelted Portland into submission, the Bureau of Transportation is now in full clean up mode.

A few days after the first snow fell, we turned our attention to how gravel laid down by PBOT to break up the ice was impacting bikeways. Back on December 16th, they didn’t mince words in telling us that we shouldn’t expect the gravel to be picked up “any time soon.”

Here’s the latest storm advisory from the Bureau of Transportation. The release below has updates on road conditions, maintenance priorities, and so on (also available online here).

City Crews Begin Street Cleanup
Released: December 29, 2008
(PORTLAND, OR) – The Portland Bureau of Transportation is transitioning work crews to cleanup operations as the city recovers from a two-week severe winter weather event. Sewer crews are clearing clogged catch basins, culverts, and trash racks of debris to prevent drainage problems and street flooding. Street-sweepers are beginning sand and gravel cleanup. The Bureau will continue to staff according to conditions throughout this phase of the recovery effort and any new storm system that may arrive.
Read more

Gravel and other storm detritus: What’s it like out there?

Snow piled high in the bike lane on
SW Broadway on 12/26.
(Photo: Rex Burkholder)

I’m down in California, but judging from reader emails and a story this morning on KGW-TV, it looks like Portland’s bike lanes are in bad shape following an unprecedented storm that has left streets with mountains of snow, gravel, and other assorted hazards.

I left town just as The Big Thaw was about to begin and I can only imagine what it’s like out there now.

Here’s the latest storm advisory from the Bureau of Transportation (online here):

Changing Conditions Create New Challenges for Road Crews, Travelers, and Property Owners
(PORTLAND, OR) – Severe winter weather conditions continue to work against City crews as they continue to plow priority routes 24 hours a day since Sunday, December 14, when an arctic air mass entered the Portland metropolitan region. Additional snowfall and icy road conditions are making travel treacherous. The public is advised as follows:
Read more

Beyond studded tires; the ultimate snow bike and bike tire chains

Now that Portlanders have experienced a “real” winter storm (not the occasional dusting of snow we usually get), some folks are beginning to think about how to equip themselves to ride through anything.

If studded tires aren’t enough, maybe it’s time to consider the Ktrak. This morning Jack Bog reminded me of this bike, which I used to chuckle at when I’d see it at the industry trade shows…

Snow can’t stop this multi-modal commuter out in Beaverton.
(Photo by K’Tesh via the BikePortland.org Photog. Pool)

Mayor’s office releases results of bike-specific storm survey

Mayor’s office releases new storm response survey after they “failed to consider bicycle transportation”

Storm response follow-up: City will release bike-specific survey

City wants feedback on winter storm response

City asks for help to find potholes

An update on gravel in the bike lanes

City storm clean-up crews “focusing on bike routes”

PBOT Press Release: City Crews Begin Street Cleanup

Gravel and other storm detritus: What’s it like out there?

PBOT Press Release: Changing Conditions Create New Challenges

Beyond studded tires; the ultimate snow bike and bike tire chains

Open Thread for riding conditions (12/24)

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