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
As we hinted at a few weeks ago, TriMet is set to begin construction of their new Bike & Ride facility at the Sunset Transit Center this month. A statement released yesterday said the project will begin June 21st and the facility is expected to be open for business by end of July.
Michael Andersen gives us a sneak peek at Portland Afoot.(Photo © J. Maus) Former reporter with The Columbian newspaper, Michael Andersen, is set to launch Portland Afoot, a publication that will cover “low-car life” in Portland. Billed as “PDX’s 10-minute newsmagazine on buses, bikes and low-car life,” Andersen hopes his new endeavor will capture Portland’s … Read more
Easy pickings for thieves?(Photo © J. Maus) This week’s question comes from reader Carl Blanchard. He wants to know if the bike racks on the front of TriMet buses are secure. Here’s the question: “Are you aware of any incidents of bikes being stolen from the racks on the front of TriMet buses? I’m always … Read more
Fred Hansen.(Photos © J. Maus) The Oregonian reported last night that TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen has decided to resign from the agency. Hansen has been TriMet’s GM since 1998. In light of Hansen riding the MAX into the sunset, I checked the BikePortland archives and found that his name popped up several times. The … Read more
Concept of new bridge. Last Thursday, The Oregonian’s top transportation reporter Dylan Rivera (he’s also their go-to guy for coverage of the new I-5 bridge/CRC project) took a closer look at the new TriMet multi-use transit bridge project. The story also included an audio slideshow titled, “Concept Bridge Creates Controversy” (watch it below). In the … Read more
A sample route on byCycle.org. Someday, you’ll be able to type two addresses into your computer and get customized directions for traveling between them — by bike. The addresses could be in the same city, or across the country. You could choose between different kinds of routes, or find out how to transfer to the … Read more
Bridge concept design by Donald MacDonald. Once it’s built, TriMet’s Milwaukie Light Rail bridge over the Willamette River will be the first in the country to carry only light rail and people on bikes and foot (no cars). What will the actual bike and pedestrian facilities look like? TriMet is currently working out design details … Read more
[This ride was part of Pedalpalooza. See more of our Pedalpalooza coverage here.] Dedicated Gorge riders were rewarded with this spectacular scenery.(Photos by Dan Liu)
TriMet is using straps in the wheelchair area to increase bike capacity.(Photos: Jim “K’Tesh” Parsons) When TriMet’s WES commuter rail line between Wilsonville and Beaverton opened back in January, many bike commuters were concerned about the lack of onboard bike capacity. WES had only two bike hooks per car, compared to four hooks on MAX … Read more
“TriMet’s agreement to pay the maximum amount of damages that TriMet believes it owes proves that Austin’s death was the result of a bus driver’s carelessness.”— Stephanie Miller, Austin Miller’s mother The Oregonian’s Aimee Green is reporting that Austin Miller’s parents have reached a settlement with TriMet for $200,000. Austin Miller died on February 11, … Read more
The WES has newly designed hooks, but fewer of them.(Photo: Jim Parsons) TriMet’s new Westside Express (WES) commuter service officially opened at the end of January to big celebrations, but people that showed up to ride the train with their bikes in tow, quickly found that the WES has less — as in, less hooks … Read more
The ghost bike for Austin Miller.(Photos: Jim “K’Tesh” Parsons) On February 11, 2008, 15-year old Beaverton high school student Austin Miller was collided with a TriMet bus when he merged from a sidepath on Murray Road into a bus stop on SW Farmington Road. The tragedy sent shockwaves through the region. It raised questions about … Read more
Comment of the Week: Gratitude for N/NE Broadway project