My cap doesn’t lie. (Erin Bailie – BikePortland)
Our route.
My husband and I recently took advantage of the weather and went for a “fun ride” – that is, a ride without a specific timeline or destination in mind. I’d call it a recreational ride, but the distinction between commuting and recreating is a blurry line and I don’t want to enforce a false dichotomy. Our plan followed our typical formula for a weekend outing: see something neat (the trails at Powell Butte) and eat something tasty (lunch at the Mercado carts in Foster-Powell). The dose of vitamin D from the sunny skies was an added bonus.
During the ride, my husband and I marveled at the many different types of infrastructure we encountered, and the nuances between them.
Our ride started in our neighborhood, Sullivan’s Gulch. We zig-zagged on neighborhood greenways through Laurelhurst, North Tabor and Montavilla neighborhoods. In Montavilla, we transitioned from greenways to our second mode, a designated bike lane on East Burnside, where the MAX tracks occupy the center of the road.
E Burnside
Springwater
Trails await!Several bike lane miles later, we encountered our third mode: the unpaved trails of Powell Butte. The giant park map at the entrance and easy-to-spot trail markers made it easy to ensure we stayed on trails where bicycles were allowed.
We exited the park and made our way to the fourth mode: the Springwater Trail, a multi-use path set apart from vehicle traffic. After a few miles on the Springwater, we turned onto Foster Street and found our fifth mode: a stroad which has a bike lane frequently interrupted by cones and debris. While on Foster, we stopped at Portland Mercado to enjoy lunch from the food carts there. After leaving Foster, we traced Neighborhood Greenways through Foster-Powell, South Tabor, Richmond, and Sunnyside to make our way back home.
Over lunch, my husband and I discussed the different modes we had encountered that day. His favorite was East Burnside, when we rode in a bike lane alongside auto traffic and the MAX. I was genuinely surprised – we had ridden our gravel bikes so we could enjoy trails, and I expected him to say Powell Butte! He shared that riding alongside the MAX reminded him of riding in Europe, and that the auto traffic on Burnside was a lot more tolerable than, say, Foster.
Often we had to ride in between the painted white lines to avoid cones or debris in the lane.
Cruising past traffic on Foster Street.As I reflected on my own favorite, I was surprised by my own answer – I found riding the Springwater most enjoyable. There was plenty of space to share the path with pedestrians and other cyclists. As we entered the Springwater, I remembered comments from BikePortland readers about encampments along the trail, but I never felt threatened or obstructed by those who live along the path.
Though Powell Butte was a welcome break from pavement, the shared-use trails were crowded with folks eager to get out in the rare February sunshine. I found myself stopping and starting often to yield to hikers. Next time, I’ll plan to ride there on a weeknight… or I’ll just bring my hiking shoes and leave the bike at the park entrance.
For both my husband and I, riding along Foster was the least-favorite part of the route. The bike lane was often blocked by cones, and it wasn’t clear if the cones were placed by PBOT or local businesses. But, Foster redeemed itself in one key way: at several points, the cars around us were caught up in a traffic jam while we had the bike lane completely free for travel.
One my favorite things about moving to Portland has been getting to know the places around me as I fill in my mental map. The breadth of bike infrastructure makes it possible to do this on two wheels. What’s your favorite type of infrastructure to ride on?
— Read previous New to Portland posts here.
