Welcome to our coverage of Washington County. Browse posts below and click the headline for the full story. If you have news tips or feedback please get in touch.
An SUV speeds by acycle track in Beaverton(Photos: Will Vanlue) After I shared photos of a psuedo-cycle track in Tigard, and when I visited an actual two-way cycle track in Eugene, some of you contacted me to share your experiences with a cycle track in Beaverton, about two miles south of Tualatin Valley Highway. I … Read more
A new section of the Fanno Creek Trailstarts on SW 105th Ave in Beaverton(Photos: Will Vanlue) A missing section of the Fanno Creek Trail, nearly a decade in the making, is nearing completion. The new section of trail will connect from where the Fanno Creek Trail now ends at Denny Road to where it picks … Read more
Are these road markings legal?(Photos: Will Vanlue) If you’ve ridden through Tigard (about 10 miles south of downtown Portland) recently you might have seen short white stripes in front of storm drains in the vicinity of Tigard High School. The stripes are placed in front of grates sunken a couple inches into the pavement. Dropping … Read more
Proposed alignment for theTonquin Regional Trail(See the full map in a PDF) Back in 2006, Metro-area voters approved a natural area bond measure which identified the Tonquin Regional Trail (a series of routes connecting Tigard, Tualatin, Sherwood, and Wilsonville) as a priority for development. Planning kicked off in 2009 and recently the Project Steering Committee … Read more
Hal Ballard, executive director of the Washington County Bicycle Transportation Coalition, will help shape the plan.(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland) Earlier this week the Washington County Board of Commissioners took a major step towards updating the county’s Transportation Plan by appointing two new committees. One is a 22-member Interagency Coordinating Committee (ICC) representing Washington County’s local … Read more
Officer Enzenberger sits in his patrol car (yellow arrow) across from illegally parked vehicles (red arrow).(Photos: Will Vanlue) As I was out riding this morning I passed by what is unfortunately a common sight in Tigard: landscaping trucks blocking the bike lane on Durham Road. What made today’s incident different was that a Tigard Police … Read more
I can find the Park & Ride,but where’s the bike route?!?(Photos: Will Vanlue) Twice in the last few weeks I’ve ridden my bike along an unfamiliar route. Both rides were enjoyable; but the key difference was how difficult it was to find my way. On the first ride, through an area where I’ve lived and … Read more
Downtown Tigard will soon bemore welcoming to bicycle traffic.(Photos: Will Vanlue) This past summer, the City of Tigard completed improvements to Burnham Street, one component of their downtown core. Now they’re finalizing plans for Main Street (located along Highway 99, 10 miles south of downtown Portland), and by the summer of 2013 we’ll see improvements … Read more
In situations like this, where the Fanno Creek Trail meets a busy street, mid-block crossings are key.(Photo © J. Maus) When you’re riding around Washington County, off-street trails and paths serve as an important alternative to wide arterial roads with freeway-speed traffic. The only trouble comes when a trail or path intersects a road mid-block, … Read more
Is this a cycle track?Not quite.(Photos: Will Vanlue) You may not think the city of Tigard (about 10 miles southwest of Portland) has anything in common with Amsterdam or Copenhagen. The latter two cities are world-renowned for their bicycle facilities while Tigard is known mostly for its freeways and shopping malls. But there is one … Read more
People gathered at a bar in Beaverton to give thanks to those who help make projects happen.(Photos: Will Vanlue) Earlier this week the Westside Transportation Alliance (WTA) gathered a group of advocates and citizens from around Washington County to write thank-you notes to people who have helped promote and improve conditions for bicycling, walking, and … Read more
Sign outside the trailhead in Banks.(Photo © J. Maus) Recent work to complete the Banks-Vernonia Trail continues to reap benefits for Washington County. It’s been one year since the 26 mile linear path was fully completed and it has quickly become a magnet that’s attracting both riders and official recognition. Back in May, the trail … Read more