A new pole for the streetcar (marked with orange/white stripes) has narrowed the entry to the Broadway Bridge path.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) As the story unfolds about how and why Portland Streetcar Inc. installed a utility pole on the Broadway Bridge bike/walk path, it is becoming more clear that they made a bad move. We’ll … Read more
See below for statement from city regarding two open houses to hear public feedback on “the development and analysis of the fare policy and the related benefits and impacts of future service.” For background on what Portland Streetcar might have up their sleeve, see our story from April, How bike-sharing could spur revamp of transit … Read more
“I got caught in there [rail tracks]. And it put the fear of death in me. And that was the last time.”— Portlandia star Fred Armisen on why he doesn’t plan to ride a bike when he moves to the Pearl District Often when I’ve brought up issues related to sub-par bicycling conditions that I … Read more
Existing streetcar track education effort.(Photo © J. Maus) The City of Portland is working with Portland Streetcar and streetcar project contractor Shiels Obletz Johnsen on a new educational video about how to ride a bicycle around streetcar tracks. City spokesperson Dan Anderson said the idea to do a video was spurred by a “desire to … Read more
PBOT has striped a new bike lane on NE 7th which puts bike traffic in between moving cars, trains and parked cars.(Photos © J. Maus)
On the Cherry Ave Bridge in Chicago, the tracks are filled with rubber so bicycle riders can roll over them without worry.(Photo: Steven Vance) As we continue to discuss the ongoing problem of streetcar tracks causing people to crash while bicycling in Portland, I thought it might be helpful to share some potential solutions. Many … Read more
Despite presence of precarious streetcar tracks, many people still ride on Lovejoy.(Photo © J. Maus) The Eastside Streetcar project has radically altered vehicle access to the Pearl District. If you ride a bicycle, the changes have been especially acute (as I shared back in July). NW Lovejoy has been decommissioned as a bike route and … Read more
Due to the presence of new streetcar tracks, people on NW Lovejoy routinely drive in the bike lane.(Photos © J. Maus)
According to a 2008 report by Alta Planning, bike crashes on streetcar tracks are a “major and underreported problem for Portland-area bicyclists.” Even so, the issue struggles to gain official attention because the vast majority of crashes do not get reported. Portland-based, grassroots transportation advocacy group Active Right of Way (AROW) hopes to change that … Read more
A traffic advisory has just been released by Portland Streetcar Inc. and the City of Portland warning of traffic detours and a bike lane closure due to Streetcar Loop Project construction on Weidler, MLK, and Grand that is set to begin this Tuesday (1/4) and last for four weeks. The work zone will be on … Read more
To avoid driving on streetcar tracks, most people opt to straddle them, which causes them to drive on and/or in the bike lane.(Photos © J. Maus)
The Eastside Streetcar Loop project has radically transformed Portland streets and citizen activists think more should be done to improve bike safety.(Photos © J. Maus)