Join Metro staff and partners at one of three open houses this week to discuss options for the Tonquin Trail, a multi-use regional trail that will connect natural areas, neighborhoods, schools, and transit in Wilsonville, Tualatin and Sherwood.
Click the map to enlarge.
At each open house [...]
Before this week, did you know how to prepare for a commute in eighteen degree weather? Portlanders have learned tough (and in some cases, painful) lessons this week about walking and biking in winter conditions. (Hint: double gloves don't help if they're not windproof.)
Learn how to avoid these mistakes [...]
"Hey Carl! I read this story in the paper/heard this thing on the radio/saw this bit on TV about Portland and bikes." I hear this from friends scattered all over the country quite frequently. I'm sure that this morning's National Public Radio story about Portland's Cargo Bike craze will' [...]
On Wednesday of this week BTA Advocacy Manager Michelle Poyourow and City of Portland Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller were interviewed on the monthly KBOO Bike Show.
Bike show hosts Tori Bortman and Sara Stout asked the pair for their perspectives on the draft Portland [...]
The BTA needs skilled mechanics to help with basic bike maintenance and repair for our Bike Safety Education fleet. Donate your time and skills and help us teach bike safety education to over 5,000 kids around Oregon.
BSE Fleet Maintenance
Saturday December 19th
10:00 am - 2:00 pm
NE 21st and [...]
Learn from a diverse panel of experts from the bicycle, marketing, business, and creative industries at an AMA lunch discussion on connections between Portland's bicycle culture, bike businesses, and green marketing. The event is hosted by the American Marketing Association, Oregon Chapter.
Marketing to Portland's Bike Culture
Tuesday, December 8
[...]
Donate to the BTA through the Willamette Week Give!Guide before December 15 to be entered in a special drawing at our Annual Meeting in Portland.
We're giving away three pairs of tickets to Cirque de Soleil and a Timbuk2 bag from TeamEstrogen.com. Anyone who donates through the Give!Guide' [...]
Eugene residents: take action to preserve an important bicycle connection between Eugene's most heavily used bike route and the scenic riverfront bike path.
Ask the city of Eugene to deny the University of Oregon's request to construct a large research building and parking lot along the Willamette River, and help [...]
The BTA has asked Portland to identify more funding for biking and walking to build out the vision in the the Bike Master Plan. We've asked residents to attend Portland Plan workshops and demand more funding for active transportation.
But what does "more funding" really mean?
It means pedestrian crossings, stormwater' [...]
One of the questions that city staff asks at the interactive Portland Plan Workshops says, "What are you doing now to address climate change? What more could you do? What could the public agencies do to help businesses and residents?"
We say it's time for public agencies to show they're committed' [...]
Why waste more time and scarce transportation funds cutting elements one by one from an unpopular plan that we can't afford? Join grassroots opposition group Stop the CRC! on December 4 at the CRC Project Sponsors' Council meeting to demand that we start over with a smarter project [...]
Nominate your favorite route as an Oregon Scenic Bikeway and inspire people to experience the best of Oregon's natural beauty from the seat of a bicycle, now and for future generations!
Follow these signs to experience' [...]
Message from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance Board of Directors:
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) Board Chair Mary Roberts announced today the need for a change of leadership at the BTA and that Scott Bricker has left his post as Executive Director.
Bricker served in several capacities since joining the BTA in 1998, [...]
Last week the staff of the Columbia River Crossing proposed cuts to the project, in the name of reducing its total cost and thereby improving its chances of being built.
A map of the proposed freight and [...]
Members are invited to join the BTA Board of Directors and staff for our Annual Meeting in Portland on December 15.
Tuesday, December 15th
5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Lucky Labrador Beer Hall
1945 NW Quimby, Portland, OR 97209
The Annual Meeting is an opportunity to meet our members, share information about [...]
We've all heard someone say "We've been doing it this way for longer than I can remember."
The BTA's Volunteer Saturday has that legacy status for many of us: every month we pack the office with a dozen or more volunteers and we stuff envelopes with reminder [...]
Are there any questions or concerns that are keeping you off your bike this winter? Or are your riding but would like to learn more? The BTA and partners are presenting three opportunities this week in Portland, whether your top questions are about winter riding skills, laws, or gear.
Wednesday, November [...]
On Thursday, November 19 Vancouver BC professor Gordon Price will give a free lecture on the effective integration of transportation in high-density urban environments with an emphasis on land use. Price is a former Vancouver City Councilor and current professor of urban development and planning at Simon Fraser University and [...]
When Portland released its visionary Bike Plan for 2030 with the goal of creating a world class bike city, the BTA commended the city for its dedication to sustainability and pursuit of innovation in bicycle planning. However, we also cautioned that "even the greatest plan will achieve little without" [...]
In August of this year the BTA asked for feedback from members and the public to help us plan for bike advocacy and organizational growth in the future. Thanks to over 2,000 people who responded we have data on a wide range of advocacy and education topics, bicyclists' perceptions, and' [...]
Transportation advocates and professionals in the mid-Willamette Valley have three opportunities to attend upcoming workshops on reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions, presented by the Oregon Environmental Council.
Photo by Ryan Snyder / www.pedbikeimages.org
Salem
December 4, 1:00 - 5:45 pm
Hosted by [...]
The Oregon Walk + Bike Newsletter with poster contest winners is now available! Click the image to enlarge for online viewing, or download a PDF version.
[...]
On Saturday amid heavy rains and flash flood warnings, the BTA, Oregon Department of Transportation, TriMet, and a handful of dedicated East County residents turned out to celebrate the official reopening of the I-205 multi-use path.
Clackamas County Commission Chair Lynn Peterson, ODOT Region 1 Director Jason [...]
Do you commute on the East Bank Esplanade? For the next several weeks trail users will be sharing the cantilevered metal walkway north of the Morrison Bridge while the adjacent concrete pathway undergoes investigation and repair. Be prepared to slow down, watch out for construction vehicles, and share a more [...]
Today, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance joined together with Environment Washington, Environment Oregon, the Coalition for a Livable Future and Upstream Public Health to ask that planning for a new Columbia River Crossing be restarted, and quickly.
From the joint media release:
[...]
The BTA is saddened to learn of the death of a man riding a bicycle near the University of Portland early Wednesday morning. We extend our deep condolences to the family and friends of the person killed, whose identity has not yet been determined or released by the Portland Police [...]
Congratulations to Lofani, 5th grader at Astor K-8 in Portland, for winning this year's poster contest! Lofani's artwork will be featured on the official promotional poster for Walk + Bike Day in 2010.
"The Great Walk!"
Lofani, 5th Grade, Astor Elementary
Hundreds of students from all over Oregon [...]
Yesterday staff from the City of Vancouver announced to local stakeholders that they would be recommending continuous bike lanes on 39th St. (from Lincoln Ave. to P St.) as part of a Safety Improvement Project.
Click to download [...]
New Seasons Market announced this week that it will adjust the design of the new store on Hawthorne to avoid negatively impacting an adjacent bicycle boulevard. The decision is based on findings from an independt traffic study to determine whether a vehicle access ramp to the 39-space rooftop parking lot [...]
If you live or ride near the Salem-Keizer area, here's a great opportunity to learn how to advocate for bike- and pedestrian-friendly transportation and land use policies. Join Environment Oregon and 1000 Friends of Oregon for a workshop on "Activism 101: Building a Livable Salem-Keizer" (it's happening tomorrow!).
Click [...]
Join the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), TriMet and elected officials on a twilight bike ride along ODOT’s new & improved I-205 path.
Saturday, November 7, 4:00 pm
Lents Town Center to Clackamas Town Center
Please RSVP if you plan to attend (so [...]
The City of Portland's proposed Bicycle Plan for 2030 has been released for public comment.
This twenty-year plan lays out a vision for the city's future as a place where active, sustainable transportation is safe and easy to access for all residents.
The proposed new bicycle policy for the city is to [...]
This Saturday, October 24th, is 350: An International Day of Climate Action. People from all over the world will be taking a stand to "get global action on the worst crisis humans have ever faced," and you can join them and the crowd at Pioneer Square in Portland, from [...]
Last month Metro invited the public to submit comments on the draft 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). The plan lays out goals and outcomes-based processes for addressing climate change, connecting affordable housing with transportation options, creating more opportunities for healthy and active living, and addressing equity and environmental issues.
However, [...]
There are still two more chances to help the BTA at one of the cutest volunteer opportunities of the year: the Kiddie Kross race at Cross Crusade. This Sunday and next, we need volunteers to help kids climb over the barriers and hand out ribbons at the finish line.
Join the BTA on Friday for monthly Kidical Mass! This is a chance for families to take their kids on the road in a safe group, to practice road-riding skills and enjoy the company of other young bicyclists.
[...]
The Columbia Gorge communities of Hood River, White Salmon and Bingen have been described as "one town…separated by the river." The only bridge connecting them is off-limits to people on bikes or on foot, causing growing frustrating among area residents, businesses and elected officials who want to improve community [...]
This Tuesday, October 20, the BTA will be giving an American Sign Language-interpreted All-Weather Bike Commuting workshop. More info can be found at [bta4bikes.org].
If you can't join us, here's a short list of my favorite all-weather biking tips:
1. Keep a plastic bag stuffed under the rails on the [...]
Participating workplaces: 1240
Participating riders: 11,118
Miles biked: 1,244,718
Scott Bricker of the BTA presents the Brian Reynolds Distance Award to Chris Bell of ODOT
Last night at an awards party at [...]
Long-term residential bicycle parking is scarce in Portland. Residents of condo, apartment and dormitory buildings have to squeeze their bikes in through back doors, lock them to utility pipes, hang them on fences, dirty up carpets, scratch elevator walls, or just leave them outside to (eventually) get stolen.
[...] In the weeks since the Portland Bureau of Transportation installed new buffered bike lanes on SW Stark and Oak Streets downtown, I have heard a number of my friends and acquaintances recount with glee the first time they came across them. They followed a wave of green stoplights and [...]
Thousands of Oregon kids walked and biked to school this morning in celebration of International Walk + Bike to School Day, joining an international movement to encourage children to be more active. Almost 200 schools in Oregon signed up to participate this year, including 65 schools in Portland, 29 in [...]
On Tuesday, the Portland Police Bureau released a training video that was shown to all officers at "roll call" meetings during the month of September. The video is a "refresher" for officers on bike-related laws and the City of Portland's policies pertaining to bicycling encouragement, education and enforcement.
The BTA' [...]
A hearty thank you to the more than 11,000 people who rode their bikes to work and logged their trips for this September's Bike Commute Challenge. We will be announcing our winners at an awards ceremony at Portland City Hall this Thursday, October 8, at 6:15, and posting all results [...]
14 years since I have been on a bike.
Some time in the last three years…
As a walker I have watched many bikers whiz by. I wonder where they live, who they are and where they work. I don’t really have any biker friends and haven’t regularly ridden a [...]
According to the Walk + Bike Ambassadors here at the BTA, the best part about teaching bike safety education courses is the community ride on the last day. Kids get to celebrate successfully completing the course by going on a fun ride through their neighborhood with their instructors and [...]
Ernie feels much safer with good lights and reflectors! (Photo by Mark Scott)
Oregon law states that in low-visibility conditions, cyclists must have a front white light visible from 500 feet and a rear red [...]
Jim Robinson of the American Property Management Team and David Cook of the Kaiser Permanente Team at the Lloyd TMA's Breakfast for Bicyclists
[...]
Joe Fortino of the 1,000 Friends of Oregon Team
Have you biked to work this month? Make sure to log your trips on the Bike Commute Challenge website. And if your friends or coworkers haven't gotten around to' [...]
Photo by Don Boucher
Don Boucher of the Mid-Valley Newspapers team rides by this Linn County pasture on his commute.
[...]
In case you didn't guess from the giant library card in the photo, these bikers are on the Multnomah County Library' [...]
Is your school participating in Walk + Bike to School Day on October 7th? Help strengthen the Safe Routes to School “Dear Congress†campaign by incorporating a letter writing or drawing activity into the day's activities. This is an important opportunity to generate thousands of letters from people in' [...]
The Executive Council for Active Transportation, with support from Metro and the German Marshall Fund, is offering this three-day Transatlantic Active Transportation Workshop to anyone interested in hearing perspectives from Europe on active transportation in the region.
Delegates from Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Brussels, and Lyon, France [...]
Every year, International Walk + Bike to School Day gives schools a chance to emphasize the importance of a healthy, nutritious diet in addition to physical activity. Health authorities, educators and parents are spending increasingly more time working to raise awareness about good nutrition for kids at school and at [...]
Valdez Bravo of the Portland VA Medical Center Team takes a break on his commute to spend some quality time with [...]
Team Ecos has been celebrating and encouraging their bike commuters during the Bike Commute Challenge by posting two commuter profiles in their office each week.
Here's one they shared with us from Eric Braddock.
How long have you been a bike commuter? Three full' [...]
After years of concerns over speeding traffic on SW Capitol Hill Road in Portland, neighbors were recently delighted to hear from Mayor Sam Adams that a speed-bump project to slow traffic would be fast-tracked (thanks to some federal stimulus dollars). Once the bumps are in, SW Capitol Hill will be [...]
Join us at McMenamin's Market Street Pub in Portland on Monday, September 28 from 5 to 11 pm to celebrate!
- Birthdays, half birthdays and quarter birthdays
- Anniversaries, weddings, graduations, and anything else on a Hallmark card
- The fact that all those miles logged during the Bike Commute Challenge' [...]
ODOT is planning improvements to the I-205 path and wants your input.
Take this quick survey and help them prioritize those improvements.
[...]The BTA is gearing up to get muddy at Cross Crusade this year, starting with the premier race at Alpenrose on October 4. We'll be handing out gifts to anyone who wears their BTA or BCC t-shirt to the race, and we're offering special perks to new members [...]
Many SW Portland residents that we hear from cite the Barbur bridges as THE factor that keeps them from biking down Barbur to work. At each bridge, bicyclists have to merge with very fast-moving auto traffic, and this often results in dangerous, scary close calls or hostile treatment of bicyclists [...]
Monday's rush hours commuters approaching the Hawthorne Bridge from SW Madison were greeted with the calming harp music of Halley the Harpist. This was only the first indication that something special was happening. Representatives from the BTA, Willamette Pedestrian Coalition, Portland Bureau of Transportation and other community members [...]
Native American Youth and Family Center Team
This team's captain says, "this team is pure inspiration. Our agency is located off of 52nd and Columbia Blvd. In order to bike into work everyday, my team members face a very challenging commute" [...]
Montclair Elementary Team, Beaverton School District
Send your Bike Commute Challenge team photo to stephanie[at]bta4bikes[dot]org
[...]
OSU Library Team, Corvallis
The OSU library staff recreate an historic photo from their archives. For more fun juxtapositions of historic images of biking on campus and new images of library staff commuting, check out their whole set.
[...]
A Convenient Cycle mobile bike shop on the East Bank Esplanade in Portland
This September is a great time to be a bike commuter. Besides the prize drawings and bike shop discounts available to [...]
New Seasons Store Support Team Captain, Ann Dodds
Why do Ann Dodds' coworkers think she's the best Bike Commute Challenge Team Captain ever?
"Rain, snow, sleet or shine, Ann shows us all that it can be done without too much" [...]
Jennifer Langlois of Sussman Shank LLP, Portland
Bike to work, and then to the farmers market!
Send your bike commute photo to stephanie[at]bta4bikes[dot]org
[...]
Bike advocacy in Hood River has picked up of late thanks to the Hood River Valley Residents' Committee and local partners.
Photo courtesy of HRVRC.
One of the first issues the HRVRC is tackling is bike access to the Hood River Bridge.' [...]
International Walk and Bike to School Day is October 7th, and every day we’re getting closer to reaching our goal of registering 180 Oregon schools. There is no limit on the number of schools that may register (the more the better!) but only the first 180 will receive a [...]
True or False:
-Bicyclists must stop for yellow lights.
-Child passengers on bikes are not required to wear helmets.
-Bicyclists must have front and rear lights during "limited visibility conditions."
-It is a Class D violation to operate a bicycle without a saddle.
(answers after the jump)
The Bike Commute Challenge is a great time to highlight the various ways employers can support and encourage their employees, clients, and customers to arrive by bike. One of the most practical and visible places to begin such an audit is to take a look at what bike parking [...]
From our Vancouver correspondents:
On Monday September 14th there will be a very important meeting regarding bike lanes on 39th Street. Please consider attending to lend your support.
Here's what 39th St. looks like today:
View Larger Map
Lincoln Neighborhood Association Meeting
Monday, September 14th, 7:00 pm
Lincoln Elementary School, [...]
On Saturday, September 12, from 11:30 am til the last train of the night, the Green Line MAX will be open and free to the public.
At the same time, a section of the newly-rebuilt I-205 bike path will be open, from the Springwater Corridor to the north (including a [...]
Team Zanthus, Portland OR
Team Zanthus is in a hot competition with two other downtown market research firms. They are a small team with big hearts.
Send your Bike Commute Challenge team photo to stephanie[at]bta4bikes[dot]org
[...]
The other day we warned people about MAX trains and how you can't always assume that you'll get your bike on one, particularly during rush hour. The same is true for some buses at some times.
Buses only have two bike racks on the front of [...]
Bowdoin College student Greg Conyers spent the summer working with Oregon bicycle attorney Ray Thomas to make the Bicyclists' Rights in Oregon video series, featuring six bicycle laws. According to Greg, the goal for the videos was to help viewers make a connection between what's written in the books [...]
Two Turtles: On a recent rainy day, OFB Team Member, Rosie, poses under team mascot, Sherman.
For the last few years Oregon Food Bank has enjoyed the Bike Commute Challenge. This [...]
This summer the Northwest Health Foundation informed the BTA that it would be supporting our initiative to expand biking and walking advocacy to local communities with an $82,000 two-year grant.
This grant will help fund a new BTA advocacy position. This statewide advocate will develop [...]
Photo by David Sexton
David Sexton of Team Fiserv in Corvallis sent in this photo from earlier this year taken during his daily commute on the bike trail between Corvallis and Philomath.
Send your bike commute photo to stephanie[at]bta4bikes[dot]org
[...]
All BTA members are invited to attend our second Advocacy Forum on "Bikes and Transit" with TriMet staff and BTA members, staff and board. We would like to get your input as we formulate our advocacy goals and strategies around bike and transit integration.
BTA Advocacy Forum: [...]
In a phone call with the City of Tigard engineer leading the reconstruction of Burnham St. last week, we got the good news that the city plans to add "sharrows" to the pavement once it is complete!
[...]
If you'd like to get involved with grassroots opposition to the CRC and learn more about healthy alternatives for our region, don't miss these upcoming opportunities to volunteer with Stop the CRC! They need help tabling at the Muddy Boot Organic Festival all weekend, and the Vancouver Peace & [...]
Congratulations to EasyStreet Online Services, the first and only official Bike Friendly Business in Beaverton. Like the League of American Bicyclists' Bike Friendly Communities program, the Bike Friendly Business program recognizes employers' efforts to encourage bike commuting at the workplace and offers resources and assistance for businesses to [...]
This must be how parents feel on the first day of school or at the first soccer game: proud but nervous, heart beating fast, wondering if their kids measure up.
Today was my mom's first ever bike commute day, and she was awesome. Now I get to pay her back for' [...]
Ah, it is Bike Commute Challenge season again and how sweet it is. The blistering heat of the summer is beginning to fade into the cool weather of fall. By the end of it the leaves will have changed, and fun will have been had by all…
…and then [...]
Photo courtesy of WNET.ORG/Tim Tyler
Bikes and mass-transit make a great combination, especially in the Portland Metro area where TriMet provides space for bikes on all their buses and trains for free. Metro-area recreational cyclists make the most of this privilege by using MAX to get them [...]
Can you remember how you got to work last week?
Just because it's already started doesn't mean you can't still sign up for the Bike Commute Challenge and log last week's trips. Think back to those [...]
City of Tigard Team
Send your team photo to stephanie[at]bta4bikes[dot]org
[...]
Photo by Chris Brown
Chris Brown of the ODOT-Salem Area team notes that experiencing a sky like this is "definitely inspiration to ride."
Send your bike commute photo to stephanie[at]bta4bikes[dot]org
[...]Many of us might find that while it's easy enough to bike from home to work and from work back home, we have other travel needs during the day that make bike commuting seem like less of an option.
If you live or work in Portland, that's where Zipcar comes in. [...]
The Federal Safe Routes to School program is up for reauthorization as part of the next surface transportation bill, and now is the time to urge Congress to grow and enhance the Federal Safe Routes to School program.
Join the Safe Routes to School "Dear Congress" Campaign and write a [...]
Oregon bicycle and pedestrian attorney Ray Thomas and Bowdoin student Greg Conyers teamed up this summer to produce Bicyclists' Rights in Oregon, a series of six short videos featuring bicycle law. As they put the finishing touches on those videos, the minds behind Doored Again! have released another lighthearted' [...]
Dawn Kowalewski
Dawn is logging miles for Klarquist Sparkman LLP, Portland, OR.
Send your bike commute photo to stephanie[at]bta4bikes[dot]org
[...]The bad news: the CRC and its accompanying bike/ped facilities (whether they're stunningly world-class or just plain lousy) won't be built for 7 to 10 years - if it gets built at all.
The good news: the City of Vancouver, in partnership with ODOT and the BTA, is proposing [...]
[...]
