Portland Community

At the Bunny on a Bike Ride
in March 2005.

Five years ago today I started an exciting new project. I had published about 150 posts in about four months on The Oregonian's website, but I was itching to do more. I had all sorts of crazy notions about what a blog that focused on Portland's bike scene could become and I wanted to do it on my own -- without any editors or outdated blog software holding me back.

So, I grabbed a free Wordpress theme, bought the BikePortland.org domain name, added the "To inform and inspire" motto, and off I went. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I knew I loved it.

So much has changed since those early days it's hard to put it into words. My author page says I've posted 6,397 articles. Among them are stories and comments (about 114,000 of them!) that have taken me on an amazing roller-coaster of emotions and experiences. There have been countless controversies, celebrations, glorious bike parades, tragedies, triumphs, and everything in between. Day after day, week after week, month after month: We've covered just about every bike topic you can imagine (and maybe some you can't!).

This is a big year for BikePortland. I've got a lot of skin into this game and I don't feel like waiting around and just hoping for it to all turn out well in the end. J.R. and I have been working hard to build a stronger infrastructure so the site can grow into a sustainable business and so I can start to have some of that skin back. We're making good progress, but we're not quite there yet.

With everything that has changed, I remain 100% committed to the pursuit of high-quality bicycle journalism and the (sometimes complicated) role I play as an advocate for bicycling. I take both of those roles very seriously and I'm constantly learning how to balance them.

Whether you've been reading for five years or five days... Thank you! This site only works because of your contributions, comments (especially the critical ones) and emails. I'm also extremely indebted to everyone that has contributed articles, especially Ms. Elly Blue, our former managing editor who now does the weekly Monday Roundup. Her help in keeping me sane these last few years was invaluable.

I'd also like to thank all of our supporters and advertising partners. Without your financial support, I would have had to get a "real job" a long time ago. It's only because of our advertisers that BikePortland.org is what it is today.

If you think we've done a lot these past five years, you ain't seen nothin' yet. There's so much more we can do; the opportunity and potential we've created for ourselves is staggering. Journalism is a powerful tool and one that I think will be key in pushing bicycling in America into it's second Golden Age.

I hope you'll stick around for another five years to see what happens next.

With gratitude,

Jonathan

"Calming soon" -- get it? Detail of new postcard PBOT will be mailing out soon.

The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation is embarking on year two of a four-year strategy that will blanket the city with 60 miles of new bicycle boulevard streets. From Spokane Street in the deep southeast Portland, to neighborhoods in north and outer east Portland, bike boulevards are popping up everywhere. Recently re-named "neighborhood greenways" to reflect their non-bike and stormwater retention attributes, the streets are easily identified thanks to over 2,000 sharrows that are in the process of being placed on them.

"Portland is creating a citywide network of safe, traffic calmed streets where people on foot, on bike and at play are given priority..."
-- From a postcard being mailed to Portland residents

PBOT has held numerous public meetings for each individual project, but they've yet to do a coordinated branding effort for their overall strategy. Explaining new signage (like the sharrows) and creating awareness of new bikeways is just as important as the infrastructure itself. On that note, PBOT is about to launch a marketing campaign for sharrows and the 'neighborhood greenways' concept.

In addition to explaining what the streets are all about, PBOT has to undo some horrible PR damage (does "sewer money for bike lanes" ring a bell?) that still exists after the communications debacle around Mayor Adams' $20 million PBOT/Bureau of Environmental Services 'Green Streets' funding plan.

In the coming weeks, PBOT will hold a series of ribbon-cutting events on recently completed bike boulevard projects. With community leaders -- and hopefully TV cameras -- by their side, the goal will be to explain the benefits of how these green, rainwater-catching streets improve the safety of our neighborhoods and save the City money on stormwater management.

I recently got a look at a postcard that PBOT will mail out to thousands of Portlanders in an attempt to educate them about sharrow markings and introduce the neighborhood greenway concept. The front of the postcard is above, and the back goes into more detail about the sharrow markings. Here's the back side:

The text reads:

"Portland is creating a citywide network of safe, traffic calmed streets where people on foot, on bike and at play are given priority. These “neighborhood greenways” will help improve the health, sustainability and livability of our city.

You’ll know you’re on one of these streets when you see a “sharrow”, a white symbol showing two arrows and a bike. Yes, you can still drive and park on these streets.

Sharrows do not designate a particular part of the street for the exclusive use of people riding bikes. Instead they highlight the presence of bikes and remind everyone to share the road safely."

You'll also notice that they're working on a new website, NeighborhoodGreenway.com, that will organize all the information from each project into one place.

Stay tuned for more details, dates, and information on ribbon-cutting events as well as updates on the BES/PBOT partnership and the many bike boulevard projects going on around town.

To say there's momentum in our region for electric vehicles would be a major understatement. Last week, the Portland City Council voted to accept the recommendations in Electric Vehicles: The Portland Way, a report (PDF) on EVs that lays out a strategy for integrating more battery-powered cars into our city.

Report cover image.

This council action is the culmination of Mayor Sam Adams' aggressive pursuit of an EV agenda. He's lured a large battery maker from Switzerland to set up shop in Portland, he's started a friendly, 'I'm-more-committed-to-EVs-than-you-are' competition with San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom, and late last year he traveled to Japan to meet with EV officials from Nissan and Mitsubishi.

According to the Mayor's office, promoting EVs is way to accomplish the goals of job creation and meeting carbon emission reduction levels set out in the 2009 Climate Action Plan.

The new EV strategy report includes recommendations to:

• streamline the electrical permitting process for charging stations,
• provide private entities and utilities permission to place up to fifty charging stations in City right-of-way,
• support regional job growth in the "clean-tech cluster",
• implement a "comprehensive Green Fleet vehicle plan" that includes purchasing at least 10 Nissan LEAFs in 2010 and having 20% of the City's 2,800 vehicles run on electricity by 2030.

Similar to how streetcars and light rail are aggressively promoted in our region more for their impact on development rather than their transportation value, the economic argument is central to Adams' EV push. In a blog post after the EV report was passed, Mayor Adams' office wrote:

"...electric vehicle adoption and deployment is as much about meeting Portland's sustainability goals and addressing anticipated transportation issues as it is about economic development."

Building up our economy is important, but transportation is first and foremost about moving people through our city. On that note, the report acknowledges that EVs aren't immune to the gridlock made famous by their gas-guzzling cousins.

"To ensure EVs do not further create congestion," the report states, one of the strategies is to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) through the "continued education about using transit, walking or biking for trips of 3 miles or less." Bikes also appear in a section of the report dealing with carshare companies and transit agencies. The report states that PBOT and TriMet are "actively engaged in conversations" about creating "mobility centers" at major transit stations. These centers would include EV infrastructure, carshare vehicles and "bike-sharing bikes or other tools." (City Hall has all but shelved the bike-sharing idea, so it'd be interesting if it ended up happening through this initiative.)

The political feasibility and environmental benefits of electric cars (over gas-powered ones) are obvious, but let's remember that EVs won't solve many of the transportation problems we face. The problem with our transportation system is that there are simply too many cars and trucks on the road, especially in the downtown core.

Or, in the words of writer Chris Baskind, "The problem is not how cars are powered, but that people feel they're powerless to live without them."

-- Learn more about the strategy to make Portland "America's electric vehicle hub at Mayor Adams' website.

After pedaling over 3,700 miles in the past two months, a group of 30 young volunteers will trade their bikes for hammers in Portland today. The group is part of Bike & Build, a non-profit group that organizes cross-country bike rides to support affordable housing projects across America.

The group in Portland rode the Central U.S. route, a journey that has taken them from Virgina Beach, Virginia and will end in Cannon Beach in early August. This morning, they'll be working at Lents Landing (SE 97th and Woodstock) and there's a reception for the riders tonight in southeast Portland.

Just over a week ago, the Bike & Build community mourned the tragic death of one of their riders, Paige Hicks. Hicks, 21, was struck and killed by a truck while she was stopped on a highway shoulder in South Dakota.

Since it was founded in 2002, Bike & Build has donated over $2.3 million to affordable housing charities.

Bike & Build/Habitat for Humanity Party
Thursday, July 29 7:00 p.m.
Green Dragon Bistro & Brew Pub (928 SE 9th Ave.)

Chris King's Gourmet Century.

Our Weekend Event Guide is back, just in time to help plan your weekend of bike fun. Take a gander at all the fantastic events listed below.

Saturday, July 31st

Gourmet Century
This is Portland-based Chris King Precision Components' signature event. With McMinnville as a base, riders enjoy a metric century and and an absolutely excellent feast all along the way. "The route is a worthy road course interrupted with just enough fun and epicurean interest to keep you moving ahead..." Read more at the event website.

Tour de Tillamook (All weekend)
Two days of mountain biking and camping in the Tillamook State Forest. What's not to love? Hosted by the Northwest Trail Alliance, this family-oriented weekend event features guided mountain bike rides, kids skills clinics, food, trail rides, demo bikes, and more. Check out the website for more info.

Bike MS: Explore Oregon (All weekend)
This fully supported, two day fundraising ride features one day in the Willamette Valley followed by a ride through the Historic Columbia River Highway. More info at BikeMSOregon.com.

3:00 pm: Bike to Skate: Birthday Edition
Meet at Peace Memorial Park (above Eastbank Esplanade) and ride to Oaks Park for some good, old-fashioned roller skating. Details here.

8:00 pm: Italian Ice Social Ride
Meet at Food Fight! (SE 12th and Stark) for a ride to Oregon Ice Works, an ice cream cart (with vegan options I'm told) in Sellwood. More info.

Dusk: Bike-In Movie Night/Portland Zine Symposium
This is a fundraiser for next month's 10 annual Portland Zine Symposium. WTFBikes (SE 11th and Clay) is hosting this screening of Pee Wee's Big Adventure and the evening will also feature the 11th edition of "Pedal Power" a local zine by Stumptown Underground dedicated to all things bike. More info here.

Sunday, August 1st

Vancouver Courthouse Crit
This OBRA-sanctioned race is held just a few minutes north of Portland in Vancouver, Washington. Racing starts and 10:30 am and features a tandem and a "Kiddie Crit." Benefits the Washington School for the Blind Foundation. More info here.

8:45 am: PDX Bridges
It is Portland Bridge Fest after all, so what better time to ride to all ten Portland bridges and learn about their history and other interesting factoids? Free and meets at a coffee place in North Portland. Details here.

10:00 am: Bike Tour of Community Gardens
Alberta Coop hosts this biking tour of gardens in Northeast Portland. Get an up-close look at cooperative gardening endeavors. Lunch break in Fernhill Park. More details here.

11:59 pm: College Radio Ride & Dance Party
KPSU is leading this ride which takes off from the final PDXPOPNOW! event. Dancing and good times are expected outcomes. More details here.

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Ali and Evan in 2007.
(Photo © J. Maus)

[Via Eater.com]

The owners of a beloved north Portland eatery, Little Red Bike Cafe, might have shut their doors, but they've opened up a book deal. According to a post on their blog on Monday, owners of the cafe Ali and Evan Jepson-Dohrmann are working with a literary agent on a food memoir. The book will be about food and about the adventures of owning a small cafe in Portland.

The Little Red Bike Cafe opened on N. Lombard street in the summer of 2007 and was an instant favorite. The cafe became known for it's excellent food and local vibe. Ali and Evan gave the place a decidedly bike-oriented feeling, not just in name but by putting a big red bike on the roof and by having a bike-through window. In September, I shared a story about their "Zoobomb sandwich".

Little Red Bike Cafe also held fundraisers for bike-related non-profit groups and carried coffee and other products made and delivered by bike-based businesses. The cafe closed on June 18th after being unable to negotiate a new lease.

Stay in touch with Ali and Evan via their excellent blog or on Twitter.

PBOT wants the legal authority
to reduce speed limits on
neighborhood streets.
(Photo © J. Maus)

With funding-related legislation a non-starter in Salem this coming session, the City of Porltand Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) instead sees an opportunity to work toward major, statewide policy changes that would support its transportation goals.

High atop their list of priorities for the 2011 legislative agenda is a much-anticipated strategy to wrest authority of setting speed limits away from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and give it to local jurisdictions. Currently, ODOT sets speed limits, even on streets owned and managed by cities and/or counties.

Shoshanah Oppenheim, who works on streetcar project management for PBOT, is working on the bureau's legislative strategy. At this month's Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting, she said, "This session is going to be very challenging for any funding opportunities... We're being realistic that making a run for money shouldn't be our number one goal."

"A long-term strategy to improve the safety of our streets and to promote cycling and part of that includes more control... of defining speed limits..."
-- Shoshanah Oppenheim, PBOT

Oppenheim says their legislative package will focus on three main areas; preservation and maintenance of our current roads by going after larger pieces of existing revenue streams and creating new ones (through new fees or fines), improving the safety of the system for all users, and reducing impacts on climate change from the transportation sector.

A key part of Adams' efforts for a safer transportation system is the ability to reduce speeds on neighborhood streets. Slower speeds are absolutely critical to saving lives and creating a comfortable biking environment and Adams has been working on this issue with ODOT for over a year now. With the City about to announce ribbon-cuttings on a host of new bike boulevards (a.k.a. "neighborhood greenways"), Adams has the added, on-the-ground impetus to move on this issue.

In a conversation today, Oppenheim said PBOT has, "A long-term strategy to improve the safety of our streets and to promote cycling and part of that includes more control to the jurisdictions of defining speed limits in certain situations and we're working with ODOT to develop a strategy of what that would be."

Speed limit authority might not be the only thing PBOT looks to change in Salem. At the Bike Advisory Committee meeting earlier this month, Oppenheim refferred to the "antiquated nature of our motor vehicle code" and said that any opportunities to review the current code so "We have better tools for a safe bicycling environment" would be explored.

Oppenheim also made it clear that PBOT would be looking for setting speed limits only in specific, defined circumstances. Instead of a blanket revision to speed limit-setting authority -- which ODOT is unlikely to simply give up easily -- it's more likely that PBOT would look to create a new legal designation for bike boulevards. Then, once bike boulevards are defined in the Oregon Revised Statutes, they could lobby for the legal authority to lower speed limits on such streets.

Currently, PBOT is able to change speed limits, but only after going through a request process with ODOT. Learn more about how ODOT sets speed limits in this BikePortland article from November 2009: Speed limits and ODOT: A primer.

To learn more about the City's 2011 legislative agenda, come to a Community Town Hall on August 2nd at City Hall.

Riding the upper deck of the Steel Bridge.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Just got word from the City of Portland Bureau of Transportation that effective immediately, the gates on the lower deck of the Steel Bridge are closed, making the lower deck of the bridge inaccessible to both biking and walking traffic on both the east and west ends of the bridge.

This is a big deal because the Steel Bridge is the detour route for the Broadway Bridge, which is closed to all vehicles due to streetcar construction.

PBOT spokesperson Cheryl Kuck says the lower deck gates will remain locked through tonight and she doesn't expect them to open until after tomorrow's morning commute. A structures engineer is slated to evaluate the issue at first light. No other details about the nature of the issue is known at this time, but the malfunctioning gates do pose a significant safety hazard.

The upper deck of the bridge is still accessible. There is a "Bikes on Bridge Roadway" sign on the upper deck and people on bikes are allowed to ride in the lane. There is also a narrow sidewalk on each side.

PBOT says, "Pedestrians and bicycles using the narrow walkways on the upper deck are advised to be extra cautious and share them safely." Stay tuned for more information.

UPDATE: As of 12 noon the gates are still closed. Lots of confusion down ther and still no warnin at detour signs.

UPDATE: The gates have been reopened. Here's the statement from PBOT:

The pedestrian gates on the lower deck of the Steel Bridge are now OPEN, making the lower deck of the bridge accessible again to both pedestrians and bicycles on both the east and the west ends of the bridge.

The lower deck gates were closed and locked late Tuesday night due to an operational problem. All four of the automatic gates for the bridge lift were stopping before they were completely closed, leaving a gap of one foot or so. A structures engineer this morning did not find any obvious mechanical issues with the gates adjacent to the bridge lift structure. The problem was then referred to electricians, who determined a problem with the proximity sensors and completed necessary repairs.

Transportation is aware of the poor condition of the three bridge warning/closure signs - one on the west end of the bridge, two on the east end. The signs have been so vandalized that they need to be replaced to be effective. Transportation is beginning the process to replace the signs.

More coverage over on the Hard Drive blog.

Make 'em count!
(Photo © J. Maus)

Metro is coordinating a regional effort to count the number of people using local trails and they need volunteers to help make it happen. The effort is part of the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project and the counts will take place in mid-September.

Here's a excerpt from the documentation project site about why these counts are so important:

One of the greatest challenges facing the bicycle and pedestrian field is the lack of documentation on usage and demand. Without accurate and consistent demand and usage figures, it is difficult to measure the positive benefits of investments in these modes, especially when compared to the other transportation modes such as the private automobile. An answer to this need for data is the National Bicycle & Pedestrian Documentation Project, co-sponsored by and Alta Planning and Design and the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Pedestrian and Bicycle Council. This nationwide effort provides consistent model of data collection and ongoing data for use by planners, governments, and bicycle and pedestrian professionals.

Metro's Associate Regional Trails Planner Robert Spurlock will be coordinating the count effort in the Portland region. Volunteer coordinators have been designated from the cities of Portland, Vancouver, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Tualatin Hills, Clackamas County, Gresham, and Tigard. For more information, get in touch with Spurlock via email at robert[dot]spurlock@oregonmetro[dot]gov or by calling (503) 813-7560.

Equal Footing campaign logo

A partnership of national advocacy organizations, led by North Portland resident and former executive director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, is attempting something that has never been done in America: galvanize a powerful grassroots walking movement.

"Everyone walks, but there is a lack of passion and desire from the public to join walking advocacy groups."
-- Scott Bricker, America Walks

Back in March, 10-year BTA veteran Scott Bricker was hired by America Walks to try and solve the age-old dilemma of getting more people excited about walking advocacy. Unlike the fervent passion, culture, identity and industry that helps drive the bike movement, walking advocates struggle to raise public awareness and excitement for their issues.

Bricker hopes to change all that, but he knows it won't be easy. "Everyone walks, but there is a lack of passion and desire from the public to join walking advocacy groups. As Wendy Landman, Director of Walk Boston put it 'we are the club that everyone belongs to, but nobody joins.'"

Walking to Sunnyside Environmental
School in southeast Portland.
(Photo © J. Maus)

To help his efforts, Bricker has turned to an old friend and colleague, Portland lawyer Ray Thomas (they worked together on bike legislation in Salem for many years). Thomas -- who literally wrote the book on walking laws in Oregon -- understands the crux of the problem at hand. In a guest article that appeared in an America Walks newsletter on July 15th he wrote, "Everyone walks or rolls at some point in their lives. And while all people participate in this activity, few identify themselves as sharing some sort of special bond with other pedestrians."

While I think the existence of a "special bond" between everyone that bikes is often overstated by the media and even by bike advocates themselves, there's no denying it exists and there's no denying its power to connect those who feel it.

Both Thomas and Bricker are convinced that if a powerful walking movement stands any chance of catching on, it needs a strong, national coalition at its core. To help establish that coalition, Bricker has assembled an impressive steering committee and list of campaign advisors. That list includes professionals from a diverse range of backgrounds -- from public health to real estate, biking and public transit. Bricker will launch his campaign at the 'Equal Footing' summit, which will take place at the Pro Walk/Pro Bike Conference on September 16th.

There are implications here for the bike movement. Given its larger influence and greater success on the local and national levels, the bike movement has always been happy to include walking initiatives in its efforts. But if walking is soon able to stand on its own two feet, it would allow bike advocates to create clearer arguments and focus more directly on how to position bicycling as a viable mode of urban transportation in urban areas.

Coming soon to
Oregon high schools!
(Photo © J. Maus)

The Oregon Bicycle Racing Racing Association (OBRA) has announced details of the first-ever High School Cyclocross race series. The new series will consist of five races and will be run under the existing Junior Cyclocross Series, which is in its second year.

OBRA has named seven regional coordinators who are available to answer questions and to help organize High School teams. Prizes will be awarded to the top team, "Best Girl," and "Best Boy" from throughout the state. The series begins in Eugene on September 25th and makes stops in Dayton, Hillsboro, Salem, and possibly Portland (exact venue is TBD).

OBRA director Kenji Sugahara says that the first year goals of this High School series will be to "get the ball rolling" and to hopefully establish "cyclocross clubs" in participating schools. He also hopes that the program will put cyclocross on the radar of principals and other key school administrators.

Cyclocross boosters in Bend have wasted no time getting started. Bend's regional coordinator, Bill Warburton, hosted a meeting last week and has already scheduled their first practice session to take place at Summit High School in mid-August.

Portland based apparel company Castelli USA is one of the sponsors of the series and has offered to provide teams with jerseys at discounted pricing. Other sponsors that have stepped up to support junior and high school cyclocross racing are Pacific Power, Willamette Valley Cycling, Redline Bicycles, Sellwood Cycle Repair, Hammer Products, and Northwest Multisport.

For more information on OBRA's High School Cyclocross series, contact Kenji Sugahara at kenji[at]obra[dot]org and (503) 278-5550. A website for the new program will be built soon.

Bike lanes on SE Holgate.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Following a public meeting last week, Rick Bradford, the man behind a grassroots effort to get PBOT to remove the new buffered bike lanes on SE Holgate Blvd., remains unswayed in his opposition.

Bradford has posted an update on RestoreHolgate.com where he accuses PBOT of spinning the issues and facts at the Thursday night meeting that drew a standing room only crowd at Holgate Baptist Church. Saying the lanes are an "Adams sponsored blunder" (a reference to Portland Mayor Sam Adams) that have been "forced upon" their neighborhood, Bradford also calls into question the baseline data PBOT brought to the meeting.

Here's a snip from RestoreHolgate.com:

With facts and figures that they admitted weren't accurate, they told us of how much safer our street is now. A lot of bike riders as well as automobile drivers found that hard to swallow.

Speaking of hard to swallow, the city reports a bicycle traffic count of 196 bikes per day! Of course, they only counted one day. From my own un-scientific observations, I have never seen anything close to that, on any given day. There must have been a bike parade that day.

At the meeting, PBOT's head traffic safety staffer Mark Lear said their traffic count was done with video cameras. I don't recall which "facts and figures" were admittedly not accurate, but here is the data PBOT says they've collected so far (taken from handouts of PBOT's presentation at the meeting, which you can download here) .

Traffic Speeds (all data reflects change from 2008 to after bike lanes were installed)

– 1,204 fewer cars per day 38-44 mph
– 401 fewer cars per day 44-49 mph
– 60 fewer cars per day 50+ mph
- After controlling for volume changes, the percentage of speeders decreased by 19%.

Traffic Volumes (Daily motor vehicle trips on Holgate at 107th)

- 2008: 15,305
- 2010 (after bike lane installation): 12,762
- 17% reduction

Traffic Crashes

Delay to Corridor Travel Time (using TriMet bus GPS data)

- Travel times for buses both eastbound and westbound on Holgate between 92nd & 122nd increased between 15 to 20 seconds between April 2009 and April 2010.
- Travel times for buses both eastbound and westbound on Powell between the Trimet garage and 122nd Ave increased by less than 15 seconds between April 2009 and April 2010.

PBOT will conduct an analysis of the project over the next six months. In addition the criteria above, PBOT will also evaluate the amount of time delay vehicles experience at a stop sign trying to enter Holgate from a side street. The safety of people on bicycles will also be evaluated based on how many crashes are reported, a survey of people riding in the bike lanes, and overall bike traffic volumes.

Since the stated purpose of this project was to reduce motor vehicle speeds and provide a higher level of comfort for people using bicycles, a reduction in speed will be seen as a key measure of "positive impact." As for motor vehicle volumes, if traffic is diverted from Holgate onto neighborhood streets, that would be seen as a "negative impact." The results of this evaluation will be presented in a neighborhood meeting scheduled for February 2011.

Regardless of the evaluations, for some residents the only solution is to return the street to its previous, four standard vehicle lane configuration. David Lentz, owner of the Lentz Automotive repair shop on the corner of Holgate and 104th, told me Thursday that he'll file a lawsuit against the city -- on the grounds of lost property value -- if the bike lanes remain.

As for Bradford, he's offering this solution:

"Eliminate on-street parking on SE Holgate for the entire length of the bike lane. Move the bike lanes to the shoulder... same width. This eliminates the riders fears of opening car doors, it restores Holgate to is [sic] previous lane configuration.... and we all go home happy."

See previous coverage of the Holgate bike lanes here.

This substandard bridge in SE Portland's
Brooklyn neighborhood would be improved
with TIGER II grant funds.

A partnership between TriMet, Metro, and the cities of Portland and Milwaukie could lead to a series of significant biking and walking improvements along the yet-to-be built Portland to Milwaukie light-rail line. TriMet is the lead applicant in a $13.2 million TIGER II grant request that would include a new multi-use path, a new biking and walking-only bridge in Milwaukie, and several other components along the rail corridor.

The total Portland-Milwaukie light rail project (which got some bad news today with less than expected federal investment) will cost an estimated $1.4 Billion. According to a backgrounder on the project (PDF), the $45.4 million "Portland-Milwaukie Transit Catalyst Project" would take the new MAX rail line "from a state of the art transit corridor to a state of the art multi-modal corridor."

Lake McTighe, project manager for Metro's Active Transportation Partnership who's helping write the grant, says the TriMet project and these multi-modal improvements are a natural fit: "The light-rail transit corridor will already unlock a lot of land-use development. Adding the multi-modal piece bumps that up that much higher." McTighe says they looked at what TriMet was already planning to do and thought, "What are other elements that we can add and really enhance this project?"

Detail of project map. Download PDF of 3-page backgrounder here.

Here's a breakdown of the five big components of this project:

Clinton to the River Multi-Use Path
This new path would make a key connection between dense Southeast Portland neighborhoods and the Springwater Corridor/Eastbank Esplanade trails, MAX stations at OMSI, and the future Willamette River Bridge (which will be transit, biking, and walking only).

Relocation of SE Water Ave
The project would re-align SE Water Ave to better accomodate a comfortable and safe mix of freight, biking, walking, and auto traffic.

Oregon Pacific Railroad and Yard Improvements
Relocation of four steam engines and other improvements to this rail yard would create needed right of way to make the SE Water Ave relocation possible.

Renovation of SE Rhine/Lafayette St Non-Motorized Bridge
The current non-motorized bridge on SE Lafayette between SE 18th and 20th is substandard (see photo above). A new bridge would allow for more comfortable crossing by people on foot and on bicycles.

Kellogg Lake Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge
This would be a new bridge connecting downtown Milwaukie with the soon-to-be completed Trolley Trail.

The US DOT has made $600 million available in this second round of TIGER funding. Metro was shut out of active transportation project funding in the last TIGER go-round, but they've learned lessons they hope will translate to success this time. The pre-application deadline is today. More on TIGER II here.

A new Streetfilm (watch it below) taken during the recent Velo-City Global conference in Copenhagen is like a refuge in a storm.

Here in Portland (and across the country), we still struggle with resentment over bike lanes, a local media that's happy to stir it up, people wanting to ban bikes completely because they're simply in the way, people on bikes who can't be bothered to slow down for other bike traffic, and public transit employees whose actions and words make our streets less safe for people on bikes.

And then there's Copenhagen, and a Streetfilm that shows what it's like through the eyes of North Americans. The video below, put together by the inimitable filmmaker Clarence Eckerson, is longer than their usual fare, but it's worth every second.

Here are the quotes that really stood out for me (emphasis mine):

Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong:

"We could do this fairly easily and fairly inexpensively in just about any U.S. city and the only thing we'd need to do is have the will and the political power to squeeze the cars a bit."

Jeff Mapes, author of Pedaling Revolution:

"Too much in the U.S. there's this feeling of the other; that somebody on the bicycle, that's not me, that's some different kind of creature. And here it's very clear, 'No, the person on the bicycle, that's just me, using a different mode of transportation.'"

Andy Clarke, executive director, League of American Bicyclists:

"We like to say, to put people at ease, that 'Oh, Copenhagen didn't do it overnight and they took 40 years to get where they are today.' We don't don't have the luxury of waiting 40 years to get to that point in U.S. cities, we have to do it a lot more quickly."

Here's the video:

U.S. politicians and high-level bureaucrats: The ball is in your court. How many videos, educational trips and studies of Europe will it take before we start really following their lead?

Looking east on SE Hawthorne Blvd, just before Grand Avenue. Not exactly a place you'd want your kids or your mom to ride through is it?
(Photo © J. Maus)

The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is into their second week of a three week project to grind down and repave SE Hawthorne Boulevard and SE Madison Street from Grand to 12th. The project is part of the same $4.3 million, federal stimulus-funded project that brought a new street surface to NW 23rd.

After receiving a few emails about the riding conditions in the construction zone I decided to roll over myself and have a look. Keep in mind, these stretches of Hawthorne and Madison are two of the busiest bike streets in the entire city.

As expected at around 5:30 pm on a weekday, there was a high volume of bike traffic coming east off the Hawthorne Bridge viaduct. Coming up to Grand Ave, I noticed the familiar bright orange cones and flags of a construction site. I was a bit surprised at how abruptly the bike lane ended and joined with the outer-most vehicle lane. There were no transitional markings leading up to the lane closure and people had to rely on their wits to merge safely over and hope that people in cars noticed them. Another issue was TriMet buses getting over to service a stop situated just beyond the orange cones.

For most people, this isn't a dire safety situation. But I wonder, why must bike traffic be subjected to these conditions, even if it's just temporary? This is a major bike artery. We must make sure it is safe and comfortable to travel through -- by all modes -- even during a construction project.

The HB 2001 transportation funding bill passed in 2009 combined with federal stimulus-funded project, we are seeing historic amounts of road projects. Perhaps it's time for our region to adopt a formal ordinance regarding how to treat bikeways during construction projects. I also think it might be a good idea to educate contractors about bikeway continuity as part of the permitting process.

On a different note, since these two streets are getting repaved, any chance the lanes could be re-striped to give more room to non-motorized traffic (like PBOT did on Williams)? The current configuration is parking lanes on both sides, a 5-foot non-motorized vehicle lane (a.k.a. bike lane), and three vehicle lanes. This street definitely warrants more space for bikes.

Please use this post to share your comments about how the bikeways are being treated as this project continues in the coming weeks. Construction is expected to be completed by August 6th. Check out KeepPortlandMoving.org for updates on this and other projects.

London is the latest big city to get
a public bike-share system, and it
comes with these cool illustrations.

Here's the news that caught our eye this week:

- The outcome of this year's particularly dramatic Tour de France was decided by a mere 39 seconds. Meanwhile, Bend Oregon's very own Chris Horner had a stellar ride, finishing in the top 10 as the highest placing American. Read his final Tour diary entry here.

- In other news, RAGBRAI, the "oldest, longest, and largest bicycle tour in the world" is now underway. In Iowa.

- The federal government may have completely failed to produce a climate bill; but this industry-focused analysis of the "big comeback" of bicycling highlights the mode's transformative potential for a struggling environment and economy.

- A Portlander takes a bicycle ride around New York City and finds the experience and extreme departure from the calm bike paths back home.
- In Brooklyn, a police officer has been charged after hitting a person on a bicycle with his police car, handing the bleeding man a tissue, and driving off. The incident was captured on videotape.

- The Economist takes a look at bike-sharing schemes, highlighting the new one in Mexico City. The latest such system, in London, launches this week.

- The mayor of Los Angeles broke his elbow in a bike crash (he was right hooked), and has since been talking up his city's potential for bicycling.

- Organizers of a Christian music festival in Colorado found themselves under media scrutiny when they banned bicycling and walking to the event. (They say they will reconsider the policy for next year.)

- Stepping far beyond the bicycle bubble for a moment: CNBC has released their 2010 Top States for Business rankings. The top three in the transportation category are Texas, Georgia, and Ohio. Criteria include highway quality and the ease of shipping goods by air, land and water.

- Istanbul is under threat of losing its World Heritage Site status, a potential sanction in part for forging ahead with a major new freeway bridge between its Asia and Europe sides.

- Dan Savage himself deigns to weigh in on Seattle's bicycle-streetcar tracks conflict.

- Slow day at work? Browse these beautiful photos of people on bicycles around the world. Or check out this photo gallery of all the unwieldy loads one Xtracycle owner has proudly hauled on their longtailed steed.

- Saving the best for last, a video: Danish architect Jan Gehl describes his first long distance bicycle ride, when at age 6, he and his family fled German occupation.

My First Ride: Jan Gehl from hyumaf on Vimeo.

Jeff Harwood (far left) gets the win
and the Street Sprints crown.
(Photos © J. Maus)

Portland's Pearl District played host to a rare form of bike racing on Saturday evening when local Ironclad Performance Wear Cycling Team held their first annual Street Sprints competition. The format was simple: a three-block, side-by-side (no drafting) sprint between four racers at a time. The top two from each heat moved on and the bottom two moved to the sidelines to watch. There were separate classes for men, women, and fixed gear racers.

Not a bad way to spend a warm summer evening. Playing it cool before his heat.

The loading docks common to the Pearl's northern industrial district made perfect bleachers for the lines of spectators along the course, and the racers gave them plenty to get excited about.

Jeff Harwood on his way to victory.

There was some talk that this was the "first-ever," officially sanctioned street sprints competition in Portland. But according to Oregon Bicycle Racing Association official Mike Murray, he competed in a similar race back in the mid-1980s. Among his competition was none other than U.S. track racing star Nelson Vails.

Ironclad followed up this event with another first; a criterium race through the streets of downtown Hillsboro. Way to take it to the streets Ironclad!

Fixed gear champ Walton Brush.

Here are the champions of the 2010 Ironclad Street Sprints (80 racers competed):

Men
Jeff Harwood (Ironclad Performance Wear)

Women
Megan Chinburg (Veloforma)

Men Fixed
Walton Brush

Women Fixed
Anna Christiansen (Ironclad Performance Wear)

More photos of the action from Dave Roth and Jose Sandoval. Get more racing information at OBRA.org.

Riding the Fort Vancouver Land Bridge.
(Photo © J. Maus)

What are your plans this weekend? The weather looks to be delightful here in the Portland region. Got any bike adventures in mind?

The Portland Bridge Festival kicked off yesterday. It's sort of the Pedalpalooza of bridges, with lots of fun events planned for the next two weeks. I know a lot of people are heading down to Falls City for the Northwest Trail Alliance's Black Rock Shuttle Day fundraiser. Tonight I might roll downtown and check out the Ironclad Street Sprints in the Pearl District.

The photo above is from the Policymakers Ride I did a few weeks back (still hope to share a recap). That new land bridge trail from the Columbia River over into Fort Vancouver is really cool.

Feel free to use the comments below to share your bike fun, reflect on the week's news, tell us what you're seeing out on the streets... or whatever. See you back here on Monday and enjoy the weekend.

Traffic through the Rose Quarter has been especially heavy due to the Broadway Bridge closure.
(Photos © J. Maus)

It's a been a very busy and hectic week here on BikePortland.org, so I thought I'd share some lighter fare. There are some things about my job that will never get old and always make me feel great. One of them is seeing lots of bike traffic.

With the complete closure of the Broadway Bridge starting this past Monday, the traffic on the Steel Bridge, the Eastbank Esplanade, and through the Rose Quarter Transit Center has been quite a sight to see. I've rolled over there a few times to try and capture it with my camera. The photos don't really do it justice, but they give you some sense of what's happening out there.

Check out the slideshow:

Nearly 200 people packed into
Holgate Baptist Church last night.
(Photo © J. Maus)

If last night's meeting at Holgate Baptist Church was any indication, PBOT has its work cut out for them in selling big bike projects to outer East Portland residents. The Holgate buffered bike lanes have become a lightning rod and many residents that live near them shared their anger over the project with City staffers last night.

"Clearly it wasn't an adequate public involvement process for a project like this ... and the amount of people here tonight definitely demonstrates that. From the City's perspective and from my personal perspective, I apologize for that."
-- Mark Lear, PBOT

But it wasn't all bad news for PBOT. There were positive signs of support for the bike lanes (which were installed last August), even from people who initially opposed them.

The purpose of the meeting was to provide background and traffic data on the project, share potential improvements, and most importantly, hear feedback from residents -- feedback that PBOT admits they should have asked for before the striping was laid down.

The turnout last night -- which I'd estimate at about 200 people with a majority being against the project -- was a clear indication that this has become controversial and that many people in the neighborhood do not feel like the City has heard their concerns. PBOT brought Traffic Safety Program Manager Mark Lear -- one of their top staffers -- in to lead the meeting. One of the first things he did in his introductory address was to offer an apology:

"... Clearly it wasn't an adequate public involvement process for a project like this and I think the feedback we've gotten from the neighbors and the amount of people here tonight definitely demonstrates that. From the City's perspective and from my personal perspective, I apologize for that."

Why don't bikes just use the Springwater?

The City focused on safety and speed reduction in making their case for the lanes. Lear told the crowd that East Portland is "the most challenged" part of town in terms of traffic safety. "Nobody should have to die walking to school, nobody should have to die walking to the bus."

But the safety argument did not sway everyone. There were a number of complaints and criticisms about the project leveled at PBOT staff last night. Here were the most memorable ones:

• Getting out onto Holgate (in a car) from side streets is now much more difficult because people have to wait longer for a break in traffic.
• Putting all the motor vehicle traffic in just one lane (instead of two) is causing premature wear on the pavement.
• Business property values are being negatively impacted.
• The Springwater Trail is just .7 miles away, why can't bikes just use that?
• Having just one motor vehicle lane is causing major back-ups and congestion. One person said, "They've created a traffic jam that we never had before!"
• No one is using the new lanes.
• "TriMet buses have bike racks on them, why can't people just put there bikes on those?!"
• The markings are confusing. One man said, "Taking a right is totally chaotic!"

I talked with several people outside the meeting to learn more about why they were so upset...

RestoreHolgate.com passed out
flyers at the event.

Can you tell me why you're so against these bike lanes?

"I'm not against bike lanes but what they did here is just ridiculous... this meeting is just to pacify us and they're not gonna change anything, we'll just have to live with it. I don't want to see anybody get hurt... but now we've got more pollution because we've got the cars now just sitting in line instead of cutting through."

I know you're upset about the congestion and pollution it causes, but isn't saving lives more important that cars backing up? If it this project prevents people from dying, isn't that a good thing?

"Isn't the poillution gonna kill you too? It's gonna end up killing my trees... look at all those big trees I've got in my yard."

You don't like trees more than people do you?

"Some!" [As in, he does care more about trees than "some" people.]

Are you more upset about the lanes themselves or the process?

"I didn't know anything about this project happening. The letter I got came while they were painting the lanes outside my house!"

You've mentioned a lack of bike traffic in the lanes. Do you think that some day eventually more people will start biking on them?

"No. It will never happen."

I also chatted with Rick Bradford, the guy behind RestoreHolgate.com, the grassroots effort opposing the bike lanes I reported on yesterday.

Bradford thinks Holgate is simply the wrong street for bike lanes like this. "The city has made these things and now they'll do everything they can to prove it will work, rather than say 'Hey, maybe we got the wrong street here.'" He also wanted to make it clear that he's not anti-bike:

"This isn't the cars against the bikes. Everybody I've talked to has said, 'Hey, I'm not against the bike lanes, but it takes me 2-3 times longer to get out onto Holgate now because we've got a parade of cars two blocks long and I sit and wait and finally get out and when I get out on the road, I'm aggravated.' Now you've got an aggravated driver on the road next to bikes..."

Back inside the meeting, there was another exchange that I feel sums up the feelings about both the process and the lanes themselves...

Citizen:

"I feel like you guys came up with your plan and this is just a sales pitch to us. Is there any chance you will take this bike lane out of here? Or is this written in stone and you're just trying to sell it now? ... You mention this safety business and slowing down the traffic... If that's such a wonderful thing why don't we do it on Division, Foster, in fact, get rid of the pavement and let's go back to dirt roads and we'd have no speeders!"

Mark Lear, PBOT:

"You can take my word for it or not, but personally, We're doing the evaluation to make sure that we have a project which works well, if we have a project that doesn't work, than we shouldn't have a bike lane.

I personally feel that all of our busy streets in the city, if it's possible, need to have bike lanes. Does it need to look like the bike lane that we have there today? No. I think there are significant modifications that can be made there.

I've championed hard within the organization [PBOT] that we need to work our butts off inside Transportation to understand the specific transportation needs for East Portland. Again, more people are needlessly dying in East Portland than any other part of town... I'm really committed to having this be the start of the conversation that leads to bicycle and pedestrian facilities that there's a high level of support for. I wouldn't be here tonight making this long of a presentation if I wasn't seriously committed to trying to make this project work."

While the vibe was definitely tense and angry at times (I heard people yell things like "You're just a bunch of professional manipulators!" and "This is a farce!" before storming out of the room), there was also support, most of which mentioned how the new bike lanes had slowed traffic. One young man stood up and said, "I was one of those drag racers [the street was notorious for drag racing]... this works!" Others said they used to be afraid to bike on Holgate, but now they enjoy it.

BTA executive director Rob Sadowsky said his favorite moment was when a nearby resident of 42 years shared here story. "She was initially opposed to the bike lane... but now likes the treatment since it has significantly reduced speeding, crashes and noise in front of her house. I see that as a huge victory for active transportation."

The importance of this project transcends Holgate Avenue. This learning experience for PBOT (both in the communications and engineering around the project) will impact how they approach East Portland for years to come.

On a different note, it's very unfortunate that much of the anger about this project has little to do with the actual bike lanes themselves. From talking to people, it was clear that other factors were driving their sour mood. From a dislike of Mayor Sam Adams (who's closely tied to biking in a lot of people's minds), to "annexation without representation" and scars left by TriMet's recently completed "crime train" MAX line along I-205. It was also telling that two men who were staunchly against this project also shared with me how extremely upset they were about not being able to freely leave their homes in a car during the recent Sunday Parkways event.

One man I spoke with said for many of the elderly residents who showed up last night, "They're just tired of waking up and seeing things change."

PBOT plans to make a few immediate improvements (guidance markings) to help folks navigate around the new lanes. Then, over the next six months, they'll evaluate the performance of the street on a number of criteria and have another meeting to share their findings in February 2011.

-- See more coverage of the Holgate bike lane project in our archives.