Cycling News & Blog Articles

(Photo: State of Oregon)

Approximate location of project.

McKenzie Pass is a hallowed route for many cyclists. The 38 miles of Highway 242 between Sisters and Belknap Springs is some of the best riding not just in Oregon, but anywhere in the world. Already enshrined as an official State Scenic Bikeway, the Oregon Department of Transportation wants to make it even better for bicycle riders.

Earlier this month, ODOT began the McKenzie Highway Pavement preservation project. Using a $4.1 million grant from the FHWA’s Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP), ODOT will pave about 15 miles of the route — from the a few miles west of the Dee Wright Observatory down to junction with Highway 20 in Sisters.

People on bikes love smoother pavement on scenic roads like this because it allows them to descend with more confidence and climb with more efficiency. But there’s more to this project than just better pavement that will benefit cyclists: ODOT also plans to rebuild the shoulders, replace/repair safety signage (some of which targets cyclists) throughout the corridor, build new bathrooms at Cold Springs Campground and Dee Wright Observatory, install bicycle parking at the observatory, and add more turnouts and interpretive panels along the route.

New bikes on the showroom at Trek Bicycle Store. (Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The amount of revenue collected by the State of Oregon from the bicycle excise tax was over $1 million for the first time ever in 2022. And the total amount of new bikes sold in the state have returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Those are two insights we can glean from Oregon Department of Revenue data that has been kept since the bike tax went into effect on January 1st, 2018.

The bike tax was a part of House Bill 2017, the landmark, $5.3 billion transportation package passed by the Oregon Legislature in 2017. In addition to funding projects like freeway expansion megaprojects, rural transit systems, and Safe Routes to Schools infrastructure, the bill included a bevy of new fees to begin the Oregon Department of Transportation’s transition away from the withering gas tax. Vehicle registrations went up, car dealerships had to pay a new “privilege tax” (0.5% on the retail price of any taxable car or truck sold in Oregon), and bicycle riders were dinged $15 at the register for each new bike purchased. The tax applies to bikes priced $200 or more.

BikePortland last took a look at the numbers about two years ago and requested the latest figures from the Department of Revenue.

This 2013 photo shows why some riders might opt to use the path adjacent to SW Terwilliger instead of the unprotected bike lanes. (Jonathan Maus – BikePortland)

Terwilliger Parkway is an iconic Portland bike route. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the winding road with interesting inclines is shrouded in lush greenery and offers memorable views of the Willamette River. For some it’s a route to and from southwest neighborhoods into downtown Portland, and for others it’s a perfect warm-up to challenging, hilltop destinations in the west hills like Council Crest Park.

The same attraction Terwilliger has for bike riders, it also has for walkers and runners. A sidewalk gives people a perfect way to experience the parkway on foot.

But a nonprofit that oversees the parkway, Friends of Terwilliger, says these two users have come into more conflict in recent years and with spring and summer approaching, they reached out to BikePortland in hopes of sending a message: “Please use the bike lanes that are clearly marked on the road if you are part of a group of cyclists.”

Friends of Terwiller board member Robin Vesey first contacted BikePortland last year when she began to hear reports of what she refers to as “organized groups of cyclists” using the pedestrian path and not yielding to people on foot. She says bike riders, especially those riding together in a group, should use the striped bike lanes on the roadway.

What better way to mark Easter than with a Kidical Mass ride? (Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The clouds should break just in time for the weekend, so make sure to take full advantage by checking out one of the fun rides below…

BIPOC Dig Day – 8:30 am at Rocky Point Central Trailhead (Scappoose)
Join Warpaint Mag in partnership with NW Trail Alliance on this exciting trail-building project that will result in the Portland area’s first POC (person of color) designed and built mountain bike trail. More info here.

Arleta Triangle Square Winter Work Party – 10:00 am in the Plaza (SE)
Roll out to SE 72nd and Woodstock to spruce up this awesome carfree neighborhod plaza so it’s ready for all the spring and summer fun. Organizers will supply gloves, tools, and warm drinks. You just need a smile and a willingness to help the neighborhood. More info here.

Memorial Ride for David Bentley – 1:00 pm at Waterfront Park – Japanese American Historical Plaza (SW)
Friends and safe streets activists will come together to remember David Bentley, the man who was killed last month in the bike lane on SE Belmont. There will be a ghost bike installation at the scene of the crash at the end of the ride. More info here.

As transportation advocates of all stripes gird for what’s going to be a very intense session of the Oregon Legislature next year, there’s a new report that I think should required reading: Oregon in Motion: The development and impacts of HB 2017 and recommendations for a 2025 transportation package (PDF).

As the title says, all eyes are on 2025 because lawmakers are expected to craft and (try to) pass another massive spending and policy plan, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the $5.3 billion package passed in 2017. The importance of this moment needs to be understood — that’s why I asked the report’s author, Cassie Wilson, to join me for an interview.

Cassie Wilson (Allison Barr/Allison Barr Media)

Cassie is a disability rights and transportation advocate who you might recall from our profile of her in 2022. This past legislative session, Cassie was a legislative aide for the Oregon House of Representatives. She wrote the Oregon in Motion report as an intern with nonprofit land-use and environmental advocacy group, 1000 Friends of Oregon.

The 60-page report is an excellent, insider’s look at the sausage-making that led to HB 2017, what that package did (and didn’t do), and what Oregon’s next big funding bill should include. And that’s just the start of what you can learn by reading it. I loved the sections with quotes from activists and insiders who were on the front lines in 2017.

Just some of last week’s crowd on the Gorges Beer Co patio. (Jonathan Maus – BikePortland)

I hope you’ll consider joining us at Bike Happy Hour tomorrow (Weds, 3/27). I realize it’s Spring Break and lots of folks are not on their normal schedules, but BHH will continue on as per usual. And we’ve got a great night planned!

As you might have seen on Instagram this week, BHH regular “Lady Max” Nash is bringing her kit and caboodle of craftyness to share with all of us. Max and her Flat Tire Creations have made several appearances at BHH over the past year and you might have seen her really cool, holiday-inspired creations. Max has a knack for turning old inner-tubes into beautiful things and she’s got a special craft planned for us this week.

Name cards have become a cherished tradition at BHH and Max will be helping folks create cool lanyards that keep yours conveniently displayed around your neck in style (see below). And of course as Max often does, there will be lots of opportunities to add additional flare. Max says, “You decide the length, whether to hole-punch with hearts/stars/flowers or not, and which clip color and style you want (5 to choose from).” She’ll have bike charms available for a few bucks. It’s free to take part in craft night and Max has a pay-what-you-can system with a $10 recommended fee to keep things rolling.

Max has tons of fun ideas for bicycle-inspired art and accessories, so stay tuned for more craft night announcements.

Looking south toward Division. (Photos: Jonathan Maus – BikePortland)

Mische’s plan.

On Monday, April 1st, the Portland Parks & Recreation bureau will realize a 113-year-old vision when they open a new southern entrance to Mt. Tabor Park. 

The year was 1911 when a plan for Mt. Tabor was drawn up by Emmanuel Mische, who worked for the Olmsted landscape architecture firm and went on to become superintendent of Portland Parks. Mische’s plan shows a “Maple Entrance” between what is now Southeast Division Street and SE Lincoln.

Fast forward to the Mt. Tabor Park Master Plan, which was updated in 2008, and we see a fully fleshed-out concept drawing for the path that will open next week. All that was missing was funding. When voters approved a $68 million Parks bond measure in 2014, planning for the new path began in earnest.

In a week of strong comments, Charley’s stood out for its even tone and thoughtful analysis. Writing in response to last week’s post about the political tightrope the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) walks because of unexpected revenue windfalls, Charley broadened his critique beyond PCEF to include a certain type of ballot measure.

This comment is so polished, it’s almost as if Charley was angling for Comment of the Week. And you know something? that’s OK. Put some effort into it, write a short op-ed, that’s what we’re here for.

Here’s what Charley wrote:

PCEF is one example of a taxing and funding policy that has been used to fund popular ideas, but has some real flaws. In short, it would be nice if we could actually direct our local governments’ funding priorities, rather than create these easily mismanaged, bespoke funding mechanisms!

Welcome to the week. Hope you are able to enjoy “spring break” even though it doesn’t feel that spring-y out right now.

Here’s what our community has been talking about for the past seven days…

‘Hell on earth’: It was striking to me how similar the anti-urban cycling arguments are in Paris to the ones we hear in America. (The Telegraph)

Trails momentum: A new US DOT program funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will give a boost to carfree path projects nationwide — it’s just a shame that so far only $45 million is on offer. (Associated Press)

Henderson’s bike was found in the bike lane on this section of SW Alder just east of 3rd Ave.

40-year-old Johnathan Henderson moved to Portland four years ago and spent most of his time riding his beloved singlespeed “fixie” on downtown streets — filling one delivery order after another. Around 9:30 pm on March 12th, he was involved in a collision with the driver of a Land Rover SUV near the intersection of Southwest Alder and 3rd. The impact with the SUV knocked Henderson to the ground and he was taken to the hospital in a coma. He died on March 18th at 3:02 pm.

Police have yet to release an update about the death or details of the crash (their initial statement is here), but BikePortland has learned that Henderson’s bike came to rest in the bike lane on Alder just east of the SW 3rd. The SUV was stopped in the left-most lane. This section of Alder is known to be stressful because it’s a de facto on-ramp to I-5 via the Morrison Bridge. SW 3rd is one-way southbound and Alder is one-way eastbound.

While police continue their investigation, Henderson’s family and friends are reeling at their loss. His family — who he hadn’t seen for many years — arrived from out of state to be around his bed at the hospital. His close friend and neighbor, Filly, is managing Henderson’s belongings and memorial details.

“He was really my big brother,” Filly shared with me in a phone call a few minutes ago, struggling to speak through the sadness.

When David Robinson launched the Ladds 500 in 2016, he had no idea it would become a phenomenon. I mean, who would want to ride 500 laps (about 100 miles) around Ladd Circle Park? Even Robinson’s self-deprecating slogan, “Let’s do something stupid!” didn’t seem like the best way to attract the masses.

But over the years, this event has become a favorite on Portland’s bike fun calendar. As the first big event of the year, it’s much more than a ride and it has blossomed into a community gathering where friends are eager to meet after a long, dark winter. Last year about 400 people crowded into the park (a planted roundabout where eight streets come together) and now Robinson is feeling the growing pains of success.

Organizer David Robinson at last year’s Ladds 500. (Jonathan Maus – BikePortland)

As an all-volunteer event, costs for things like porta-potties and the permit have traditionally been offset by a few community sponsors and from sales of commemorative patches and stickers. As crowd have swelled, however, so too have expenses. More people means more sanitation facilities are needed and the cost of the event permit has tripled since 2020 and now sets him back about $1,200 — about a quarter of the total event budget.

“Demands have continued to scale from a financial perspective,” Robinson shared in a conversation with BikePortland Thursday. “I keep getting more [porta-potties] every year and then the lines are still halfway across the circle. I’ll need about 6-8 this year at $250 each. It adds up and the big hole in my pocket was scary going into this year.”

From PCEF website

The Portland Clean Energy Fund Committee is walking a tightrope: If they play too hard-to-get when it comes to opening up revenue from their corporate tax earnings to City of Portland bureaus, they risk stoking the ire of City Commissioner Rene Gonzalez who is desperate for bureau funding and is poised to refashion the tax and refer it to voters for a complete overhaul to get it. But if the committee compromises too much with Gonzalez and City Hall, they risk alienating the powerful sea of nonprofit groups who helped pass the policy and support it wholeheartedly in its current form.

PCEF was passed by voters in 2018 as a 1%  tax imposed on large retailers with $1 billion in national revenue and $500,000 in revenue in Portland. It aims to invest in climate change-related projects that will benefit low-income and Portlanders of color who are on the front lines of extreme weather and other climate threats. So far the fund has been a boon to bicycling and has dedicated $80 million to an e-bike purchase subsidy and other programs. It’s also helped save the PBOT budget thanks to a $112 million injection into the transportation budget from Commissioner Carmen Rubio (who oversees the fund through the Bureau of Planning & Sustainability).

But there’s still money to spend. Thanks to a spike in corporate profits and a delay in tax filings after the pandemic, the fund has amassed a huge sum — an estimated $540 million — beyond projections. That has left PCEF’s coffers swelling just as the City of Portland’s coffers are nearly empty. That dynamic has set up a tug-of-war around how the money should be spent and who controls the pursestrings. Gonzalez wants the money for police and fire bureau needs and Rubio is going after the interest to fund Portland Street Response — neither of which have a connection to climate change.

You never know what you’ll see at the Worst Day of the Year ride. (Jonathan Maus – BikePortland)

This week’s Event Guide is sponsored by the Worst Day of the Year Ride, one of Portland’s iconic group rides that is sure to brighten your mood with all types of creative and zany costumes and silly folks inside them. Register and learn more here.

Have fun out there!

Volcano Ride 2 – 6:45 pm at Irving Park (NE)
This ride will get to the center of your heart, where the magma flows inside of you. Led by NakedHearts:PDX will lead this “meditative” ride. More info here.

Dead Freeways Ride – 10:00 am at Wallace Park (NW)
Join local historian and Zinester’s Guide to Portland author, Shawn Granton for his annual exploration and discussion of freeway fights of yore. You’ll ride to locations where freeways were prevented and where they were ripped out. More info here. – Cancelled.