Cycling News & Blog Articles

(Photo on the left is looking westbound toward Vernonia and Knott Street on final piece of Crown Z trail. On the right is view from Holce Trailhead looking east. Photos by Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

It’s been a rough week and we’ve still got several days before the air clears and we can take a full breath again. So as we roll into the weekend I want to share some very good news: On a ride last weekend I discovered that it’s now possible to ride the entire Crown Zellerbach Trail from Scappoose to Vernonia.

Purchased by Columbia County in 2004, the Crown Z (also known as the CZ) has seen many upgrades over the years. Millions have been invested to build bridges, adds signs, and develop parking and trailhead facilities. But even with a host of major recent improvements there was still a dead-end at the western end of the trail where the route went through private property. It left a tantalizingly short, 2.5 mile gap between the Wilark Trailhead and Knott Street in Vernonia. The detour around this gap was about seven miles on a mostly narrow highway with little to no space to ride on the shoulder. This gap prevented many people from taking the Crown Z all the way to Vernonia where the Banks-Vernonia Trail starts and provides another 20-plus miles of off-street riding pleasure.

Linking these two 20-mile routes has been the dream of many for a long time. Now it has come true!

In the latest sign of evolution in the transportation advocacy world, Portland-based nonprofit Oregon Walks has named Don’t Shoot PDX as a winner of one of their ‘2020 Oregon Walkstar’ awards.

Don’t Shoot PDX formed in 2014 in response to the police shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. The group has been on the frontlines of Portland’s protests against racial justice. In June they filed a lawsuit against the City of Portland over the use of tear gas against people protesting in the street*.

Oregon Walks Executive Director Jess Thompson shared in an interview this morning that the award is just the latest example of how her organization is changing. “Oregon Walks is working to listen and understand what safety in the right-of-way looks like and feels like to a wider base of people,” she said. “We’ve tried to expand away from just transportation policy and really look at what the experience of walking is like for a wide variety of people.”

In a typical year, early September is one of the best times for riding. The heat of summer is behind us, the cold of winter is yet to come. Cycle Oregon usually holds their annual “Classic” ride the second week of this month precisely for this reason. (The ride was cancelled this year due to Covid-19 and it’s crazy to think it would have been cancelled due to the fires even if the virus didn’t exist.)

But obviously this is no typical year.

First the pandemic squashed group riding completely. And now the smoke from dozens of fires throughout our state has pushed air quality into unhealthy levels. Nearly all the great places just beyond Portland city limits where we love to ride are either closed or have been burned. That makes me incredibly sad. But if you only ride bikes for fun consider yourself very lucky. Some don’t have a choice. Their bike is the only way to get around.

We know some of you who read this have lost your homes and/or businesses. Others have had to flee fast-moving flames. My heart goes out to everyone struggling in this moment. Hang in there. Things will get better. I hear there’s rain in the forecast for early next week.

The good news is there are finally enough things going on to warrant a Weekend Event Guide. The bad news is, things are bleak right now on many fronts. I hope you’re doing OK.

I also hope the forecast is true and we get some rain at the start of next week. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, conditions can change quickly so please use your best judgment before heading out and watch local media channels for air quality notices and evacuation orders.

Friday, September 11th

90s Alt Rock Heroes Bike Ride – 7:00 pm at Laurelhurst Park (SE)
Teenage Dirtbag Bike Club presents an end of summer mobile music dance party ride that will pay homage to 90s alt rock classics. More info here.

It’s a big day for Portland’s transportation system. Last night the transportation bureau flipped the switch on a long-awaited Biketown expansion.

The Biketown app is now fully upgraded and 500 electric bikes are ready to be rented and currently spread over the expanded, 32 square-mile service area. And since Biketown’s operator Motivate Inc. is owned by ride-hailing juggernaut Lyft, the bikes can also be rented via the Lyft app (which also offers excellent public transit info).

I grabbed one of the new bikes from a station on Northeast Killingsworth this morning and gave it a test ride.

Portland’s much-ballyhooed all-electric fleet of new bike share bikes will launch on Wednesday.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation just made the official announcement and will host a press conference tomorrow in east Portland.

As we reported back in July this expansion comes with a host of changes — most notably a widely expanded service area, higher prices, and of course zippy new bikes that have been completely redesigned.

Martin Weiner was 81 years young when he was hit and seriously injured by the driver of a car while biking on the I-205 path this past Thursday.

Over the weekend several of Martin’s friends contacted me to share the terrible news that he died in the hospital on Sunday. This collision hasn’t been reported anywhere else and I’m still awaiting a response from the Portland Police Bureau to confirm the details.

According to Martin’s friends the collision happened where the I-205 path crosses Southeast Market Street. It’s a relatively low-volume crossing that’s marked with a crosswalk and a few caution signs (see below). The posted speed limit is 25 mph and a source with direct knowledge of the collision has told us the driver was going around 40 mph. Martin was biking north and was in the crosswalk when he was struck by a driver headed west on Market. Martin’s friend Davis Te Selle says police responded and were in contact with driver.

Welcome to the week.

Here are the most noteworthy items we came across in the past eight days.

Dijon Kizzee: Los Angeles police said a bicycle code violation is what prompted an altercation that ended up with them shooting and killing a Black man named Dijon Kizzee. It’s just the latest tragic example of how police enforcement of traffic laws is highly biased against Black people and it has renewed calls for taking traffic enforcement responsibilities out of police hands.

Neighbors against freeways: The Eliot Neighborhood has published strong opposition to the I-5 Rose Quarter project based on historical research that lays bare the evil of 1950s freeway builders and implores current leaders from doubling down on their mistakes.

Three new jobs for your perusal.

Do it!

Learn more about each one via the links below…

– Bike Mechanic/Electric Technician – Nomad Cycles

– Mechanic – Community Cycling Center

The massive, pro-Trump caravan of car and truck drivers that rampaged through downtown Portland last Saturday is poised to return. On Monday, organizers plan to “rally for our President” and honor Aaron Danielson, the man who was shot and killed in one of the many altercations that took place during the chaotic event six days ago.

By now everyone has seen the videos that clearly show illegal and reckless behavior from many participants. Despite all the menacing driving, blatant non-compliance with traffic laws, and using weapons and bear mace on bystanders, the Portland Police Bureau didn’t do much about it. At a press conference the next day Portland Police Bureau Chief Chuck Lovell made it clear they didn’t have a plan to address the automotive onslaught — beyond asking drivers to avoid downtown (although videos showed officers making no attempt to stand in their way).

Lovell said his officers were stretched too thin, that inserting them between opposing crowds is “not operationally feasible,” and slashing vehicle tires (something his officers have done many times at other protests) was also not possible.

How to safely integrate bus and bike traffic on the same street has been a challenge for the City of Portland for many years. When bus operators service curbside stops, they often encroach into the bicycle traffic lane, cutting off riders and starting a “dangerous dance”.

Curbside bus stops also require bus operators to swerve out — and then back into — other lanes. And because so many people fail to yield to the bus, this causes travel time delays for transit users.

The solution is to put the bus stop out in the roadway so that the bus driver doesn’t have to swerve at all. These are called “floating bus islands” and now the Portland Bureau of Transportation has a way of installing them that’s relative cheap and simple. In fact, the new bus islands snap together like Lego bricks.

“Black-Centered Spaces for Community and Business in Albina,” is the name of a project that won the Portland Bureau of Transportation a $25,000 grant.

PBOT was one of 10 agencies nationwide to earn a Streets for Pandemic Response and Recovery grant from the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO), a nonprofit that works with over 80 member cities in North America. NACTO says the money should, “Provide health services information to residents, create space for safe mobility, and bolster local economies.” The winners were announced on August 25th.

According to a PBOT spokesperson, they plan to partner with the Soul District Business Association, Self Enhancement Inc., and Albina Vision Trust and use the money to supplement their Frontline Communities Partnership Program which helps organizations respond to the Covid-19 crisis. PBOT has $50,000 allocated for that program and plans to award it in $10,000 chunks. The funds will also help create new public street art in north Portland.

“We plan to provide resources to businesses in the Albina neighborhood as they create physically distant spaces for business activities,” PBOT says. “We expect this to include funds to support Healthy Businesses installation with outdoor space for business activity in the area.” The grant will specifically help BIPOC-owned business in the Albina neighborhood, “To design and build open spaces that will allow for safe shopping and eating, while incorporating public art and youth programming into the design of the spaces.”

Police say a person died while using a street in Portland early this morning.

According to a Portland Police Bureau statement the collision happened at about 2:30 am this morning (Friday) at the intersection of NE Couch and 9th.

Here’s the PPB version of events:

“The pedestrian appears to have been walking a bicycle in the roadway when a vehicle travelling westbound on Northeast Couch struck the pedestrian. The driver of the vehicle and witnesses remained at the scene. There were no citations or arrests.”

The Portland Bureau of Transportation recently put the finishing touches on two new neighborhood greenways in east Portland. Known as the “130s” and the “HOP,” the projects add nearly seven miles of “low-stress, family-friendly” bike routes to a part of town that desperately needs them.

I rode both of them last week to get a closer look.

The 130s

The 130s is so named because it follows a north-south route that generally stays within a few blocks of 130th (if you’re new here, this naming convention applies to lots of greenways). It starts at SE Foster Road and goes about five miles north to I-84. PBOT began construction in summer 2019 and just finished up this year. The route alternates between 128th, 129th, 130th, and 132nd — all of which have been updated with speed bumps, 20 mph signs, sharrows, crossing upgrades at major streets, and so on.

Car runs over bicycle, police arrive to investigate pic.twitter.com/0TQ7AO6JYH

— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 30, 2020

Amid the chaos of the pro-Trump “Cruise Rally” on Saturday August 29th, video emerged from journalist Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) that showed a bicycle lodged under the front axle of a BMW SUV. Now the owner of the bicycle is seeking justice and needs witnesses to come forward.

The footage shocked many who saw it because the worst outcome was feared: That a person was seriously injured in the collision. Fortunately the bike’s owner was walking the bike prior to the collision.

According to a lawyer working with the victim, the motor vehicle driver attempted to flee the scene before they realized they were dragging a bicycle.

Sometime this month the City of Portland will unleash a major upgrade and expansion of the Biketown bike share system. And while the bikes will be the same color and the general concept of the system will remain the same, there are some key changes you should know about.

Take all the credit
In the current system users can receive a $1 credit for returning bikes to certain stations. But you can’t take it with you. PBOT wants everyone to know that your current bonus credits won’t transfer to the new system. You’ll need to use existing credits by September 8th or they’ll be gone forever.

Note that if you put funds into your account with a credit/debit card, those will transfer to your new account. Speaking of new accounts…

App udpates
Along with the expansion, there will be a big update to the Biketown app that goes live as soon as the new system is launched. To ride the new bikes you’ll need to update this app (if you have automatic updates turned on in settings you’ll be all set). Another way to use the system is via the Lyft app (Lyft owns Motivate, the company that operates Biketown). You can rent Biketown bikes in the Lyft app by clicking the “bike” icon at the bottom of the app.

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has just taken the rare step of closing down its own advisory committee in favor of a new one that will consist of mostly hand-picked members. It’s the latest twist in ODOT’s effort to resuscitate the highly controversial, $800 million I-5 Rose Quarter mega-project that’s been on life support for months.

While ODOT says the move is an effort, “To intentionally center voices of the Black community,” it also allows them to avoid difficult questions from skeptical and frustrated committee members, one of whom had already resigned and several others who planned to follow suit.

In a statement released today, ODOT said the 25-member Community Advisory Committee (CAC) will be shut down in favor of a “board of individuals with historic ties to Albina.” Albina is the neighborhood where thousands of Black people lived before ODOT destroyed their homes with the initial construction of Interstate 5.

In an email today, an ODOT spokesperson said the change comes, “In response to input from the Black community, the Community Advisory Committee and our partners we are taking action to intentionally center voices of the Black community and those who have experienced historic harm from the construction of I-5.”

Maurice Henderson has been nominated for a seat on the Oregon Transportation Commission, the powerful, five-member body that oversees the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown announced the appointment on Monday.

Henderson served as assistant director at the Portland Bureau of Transportation for 19 months between April 2015 and October of 2016. He then spent a similar amount of time as chief of staff to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler before being hired as Chief Operating Officer by TriMet in July 2018 where he worked for eight months. Henderson has been director of government partnerships at micromobility company Bird since February 2019.

Henderson, who currently lives in Bend, will take over as Deschutes County representative in place of Martin Callery whose term is expiring.

Multnomah County is putting finishing touches on the new courthouse building next to the Hawthorne Bridge and the $325 million project included a big change to the bike lane on SW Madison.

Instead of a standard, unprotected bike lane, bicycle users now ride up on a raised path adjacent to the sidewalk. The new bike lane is grade-separated from other lanes and is colored green. There are yellow plastic wands and pavement markings to help designate the cycling space from the walking space. The bike lane returns to the roadway level just as you approach the Naito Parkway on-ramp to cross onto the bridge deck.

The video below shows a handlebar-view of the new bike lane from 1st to the bridge:

A golden opportunity to create safe space on Hawthorne Boulevard for bicycle users might be slipping away. That’s the feeling of many local advocates following the release of a draft report yesterday by the Portland Bureau of Transportation on the SE Hawthorne Pave and Paint project.

Since we shared news of this project back in January there’s been a hope that bike lanes could finally be coming to one of Portland’s marquee main streets. There’s strong grassroots support for dedicated cycling space and back in May nearly 60 business owners said they’d support bike lanes.

Since Hawthorne is slated to be repaved from 24th to 50th, PBOT has a clean slate to replace the existing lane striping with something new. Currently this section of Hawthorne west of Cesar E Chavez Blvd (39th) has six lanes — four general traffic lanes and two lanes used to park cars. East of Cesar E Chavez Blvd, the road has five lanes — two for general traffic, one center turn lane, and two car parking lanes.