Note: I'm currently on a family trip and not working normal hours. Email and message responses will be delayed and story and posting volumes here and on our social media accounts will not be at their usual levels until I return to Portland September 4th. Thanks for your patience and understanding. - Jonathan Maus, BikePortland Publisher and Editor
Tim O’Donnell’s widow, Mary O’Donnell, had these buttons made for the hearing. Last Friday, just two days after he relieved former BTA lobbyist Karl Rohde from his duties, executive director Scott Bricker was down in Salem filling his former role as the organization’s chief lobbyist. Bricker presented the BTA’s position on their proposed Vehicular Homicide … Read more
Mary O’Donnell at this morning’s press conference.(Photos © J. Maus) At a press conference this morning held at a law firm in downtown Portland, Mary O’Donnell — whose husband Tim was killed while riding his bike — told reporters and news cameras that her push for a vehicular homicide law is “definitely what he would … Read more
“Tim and I would have been married 50 years this April but I celebrated this anniversary by myself because a dangerous driver ran him down on his bike.” — Mary O’Donnell The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) announced yesterday that they will pursue a vehicular homicide law in the 2009 session of the Oregon State Legislature. … Read more
Graphic from “And we Bike” website.Click to enlarge As part of a new bike safety campaign, a coalition of advocates in Washington County is planning a memorial ride for Timothy O’Donnell this weekend. O’Donnell was struck and killed by a car on a rural Washington County road last June. On Saturday (9/22), the Portland Velo … Read more
(Photo: Jonathan Maus) The death of 66 year-old Timothy O’Donnell last June in Washington County continues to spark activism over safety concerns on rural roads. The tragedy helped shine a light on bike safety during the last legislative session in Salem and was a key ingredient in the passage of the Vulnerable Roadway Users Bill. … Read more
Willamette Week reporter Nick Deshais has been digging into the Timothy O’Donnell case to find out more about the driver, Jennifer Knight. In a story posted late last night on the Willamette Week blog Deshais notes that he tracked down an accident report from Idaho involving Knight just six days before she hit O’Donnell on … Read more
Over the weekend, the discussion over enforcement against bicycles in North Plains continued both in the comments of my post from Friday and on the OBRA email list. Among the reactions was a comment by North Plains Police Chief Scott Whitehead. Whitehead wrote in to clarify his position on the situation: “It seems that several … Read more
The fatal crash that took the life of Timothy O’Donnell seems to have resulted in two different responses by law enforcement personnel. The Washington County Sheriff’s office shows a willingness to work with the community for tougher laws against motorists, while the North Plains Police opt for increased enforcement directed at bicyclists. A story in … Read more
From the Willamette Week: “Jennifer Knight pleaded no contest Wednesday to three citations she received in rural Washington County on June 9. At 12:49 pm that day, she hit and killed bicyclist Timothy O’Donnell, 66, of Aloha.
The bill was introduced ata rally in Salem yesterday.(Photo: Rep. Jerry Krummel) At a rally in Salem yesterday to bring attention to bike safety bills, Representative Tobias Read and Senator Floyd Prozanski introduced Senate Bill 1058. The bill would create the crime of vehicular homicide and make it punishable by a maximum of five years … Read more
[Updated 6/19/07, 7:47am] BTA lobbyist Scott Bricker just gave me a report from Salem. The Vulnerable Roadway User bill (H.B. 3314) got it’s vote on the Senate floor this morning and it passed easily by a margin 25-4. Mary O’Donnell, wife of the late Timothy O’Donnell who was killed earlier this month while riding his … Read more
Tim O’Donnell (1941-2007)(Photo: Portland Velo) Tim O’Donnell will live on in the memories of his friends, family, and of the bike community for many years. A memorial service has been scheduled to pay respects and to come together as a community. Here are the details (taken from the Portland Velo newsletter): A celebration of Tim’s … Read more
Comment of the Week: Gratitude for N/NE Broadway project