Bicycles

Shop owner Wakefield Gregg
set up the sting.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

A bike stolen from The eBike Store on N. Vancouver and Alberta two years ago has been recovered thanks to some citizen sleuthing and a sting operation by the Beaverton Police Department.

The shop's owner, Wakefield Gregg, checks Craigslist for stolen bikes everyday. His persistence paid off on Friday when he saw a listing that looked very suspicious. It turns out that the bike, an eZee Sprint worth $2,000, was a limited edition aqua blue color. "It helps that the bike was one of 10 made in the aqua blue color, and was the only one imported to the Pacific Northwest," said Gregg.

Since the listing was in Beaverton, Gregg contacted the Beaverton PD to coordinate a meeting with the seller in the hopes of getting the bike back.

Security camera footage showing
the thief smashing and grabbing
the bike.

Gregg and shop employee Chad Keele set up a meeting on Saturday with the Craigslist poster. Two Beaverton PD officers accompanied them and hid in the bushes nearby while Keele took the bike on a test ride and verified its serial number. Once Keele was certain the bike was theirs, he signaled the cops and they moved in.

It turns out that the sellers of the bike weren't the original thieves. They bought from a garage sale about a year ago, Gregg says, and decided to sell it only after realizing they couldn't afford to replace the battery (it was stolen without one). In the end, Gregg gave them $150 for the bike, which is what they said they bought it for.

The Beaverton PD now hope that new information from the sellers will lead them to the thieves responsible for the smash-and-grab at The eBike Store back in 2010.

"My daily routine of checking Craigslist paid off," said Gregg, and he also has some advice for everyone who wants to increase their chances of recovering a stolen bike. "This whole process has reinforced to me the importance of writing down the serial number of bikes. If you have a bike stolen, it's impossible to recover it without it."

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This drawing shows how the left-side cycle track idea would look just north of Broadway. (Note the left-side cycle track with a bike passing lane in the upper left.)
(Image: PBOT/Alta Planning)

At a stakeholder advisory committee meeting of the North Williams Traffic Operations Safety Project today, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) unveiled four new options to address traffic safety on the street.

The top-ranking option — the one that project manager Ellen Vanderslice said does the most to address the top outcomes adopted by the SAC at their meeting last week — is a left-side cycle track and one motor vehicle lane on Williams between Broadway and Killingsworth.

Today is the first time this 26-member advisory committee has even considered design options for the street since the entire process was put on pause and re-organized back in June of last year.

PBOT's "Option 1" (see cross-section drawing below) would separate bike traffic on Williams from auto traffic by using an auto parking lane as a buffer. The cross-section being proposed would include one, 14-foot standard vehicle lane, two 8-feet auto parking lanes, and 10 feet for bicycles. Some of the drawings unveiled today show two separate lanes for bikes in order to allow bicycle riders to pass each other.

Here's a cross-section of Option 1 when a parking lane is present:

And when no parking lane is present:

Option 1 would do away with one of the major problems on Williams — the bus-bike conflict that occurs when buses service stops in the bike lane. Below is how PBOT and project consultants from Alta Planning have determined that it stacks up against the SAC's adopted outcomes:

If you're concerned about how you would turn right while bicycling on the left side of the street, see the drawing below for how PBOT would treat intersections...

Also under Option 1, PBOT would remove the notorious (and annoying) median at N. Graham that pinches traffic...

(For further reading about the left-side option, see our post about it from April 2011.)

The left-side cycle track option (note: PBOT says they have a "very general" definition of cycle track and that it means basically any type of facility that affords bike traffic significant separation from auto traffic) was just one of four options unveiled today.

Option 2A would be a right-side buffered bike lane with one standard travel lane between Broadway and Killingsworth. Option 2B is very similar to 2A but it would return to two standard lanes and a standard width bike lane between Graham and Skidmore (the most highly developed/highest traffic segments of the street).

Here's the cross-section of the right-side buffered bike lane with one standard lane...

Option 3 would leave the street with the same configuration it has today.

All four options also include "spot improvements" like curb extensions (to improve visibility for people trying to cross), rapid flash beacons (crosswalk lights that flash when someone is present), new curb ramps, and so on. Vanderslice also shared today that PBOT is already working with developers to find funding for a new traffic signal at Williams and Cook. That signal is seen as crucial in achieving the desired safety outcomes in this project, but at $250,000 or more it is too expensive to pay for through this specific project (which has only about $370,000 total).

It's also important to note that, according to Vanderslice, none of the new options would require significant reductions in parking capacity.

Today was just an unveiling of the options and a starting point for the committee to discuss concerns and next steps. Another meeting is set for March 6th.

There is certain to be a vigorous discussion of the options before the SAC makes its final recommendation to PBOT. Already at today's meeting, you could sense the anxiety among the various stakeholders.

Even before the options were unveiled, Susan Peithman with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) shared a recent personal experience. For the first time ever, she shared, she saw a young woman on a bicycle get hit by someone driving a car. It happened right in front of her eyes and Peithman was the first person on the scene. She wanted her fellow SAC members to keep that incident in mind.

Immediately after Peithman spoke, the assistant pastor at Life Change Christian Center (located on Williams), Jarrell Waddell, shared his concerns. Waddell said the spate of new development on Williams only exacerbates his concerns about auto parking capacity.

Toward the end of the discussion, Matt Hennessee, the senior pastor at Vancouver Ave. 1st Baptist Church said, "I'm glad we're not making a decision today. We need time to reflect on everything."

PDF downloads
— The four of the options unveiled today
— Overview of how each option would look on the various segments of Williams.

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Detail of Broadway St. bike parking concept.
(Sketches by Bob Foster/
Robert Foster Architects)

As we've mentioned before, the City of Beaverton is working to make SW Broadway Street safer and more pleasant for people on foot and on bikes. They held an open house in early February and last week Mayor Denny Doyle was available for questions about the project at a neighborhood meeting.

Engineers are refining design elements and the city has a series of concept drawings showing what the new Broadway could look like. There's an open house planned for March 5th and planners say they're specifically looking for feedback on how bike parking should be set up.

Emily Picha, Associate Planner on the Broadway redesign project, contacted me to share a series of sketches showing what Broadway could look like when the project is finished. Two of the sketches showing bike parking are below and the rest are available in an online gallery.

Examples of possible "street furniture" on Broadway include bike racks, trees, benches, and art. Current sidewalks along Broadway don't have space for bike racks or other "street furniture."

Picha says feedback from the public is crucial at this phase of the project, as the city considers how to configure bicycle parking on the street. Although way-finding signage isn't in scope for the current phase of Broadway's redesign, she says the city is already collecting information on where signs would be helpful in the future. Here's more from Picha...

"We are specifically looking at adding bike parking and potentially a bike corral (depending on feedback from the public). We are also considering way-finding for pedestrians and cyclists in a later phase of this project to show the safe routes around the area."

If you can't make it to the next project open house on March 5th you can still submit feedback electronically through an online form or by sending an email to project planners.

The next open house for the Broadway redesign is scheduled for 6pm on March 5th at the Beaverton History Center. Send any questions or feedback to Emily Picha (epicha [at] BeavertonOregon [dot] gov) or Liz Jones (ljones [at] BeavertonOregon [dot] gov).

— Browse more of our Washington County coverage here.

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The new path will drop into forested areas near I-84 and will also connect with an existing US Forest Service trail.

A Federal Highway Administration grant is allowing the Oregon Department of Transportation to get started on a new path for walking and bicycling in the Columbia River Gorge.

Work began earlier this month on a new, 1.6-mile section of the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail between John B. Yeon State Park and Moffett Creek. When complete, ODOT says the trail will allow people on bicycles to travel on "a scenic path" between Troutdale and Cascade Locks without using the shoulder of I-84. I

The new path will also incorporate a picnic and rest area with restored views of Beacon Rock and will connect U.S. Forest Service Trail 400 with the Elowah Falls hiking trail.

The $2.1 million project is part of $19.5 million in FHWA grants awarded to Oregon by the FHWA last August.

The grant came from the FHWA's "Public Lands Highways Discretionary Program" which was established by Congress in 1930 with the intent to, "improve access to and within the Federal lands of the nation."

The program, which has been a part of every transportation bill since, would no longer exist if the House Republicans are able to pass their transportation bill (H.R. 7). The PLHD Program, along with many others like Safe Routes to School, would be eliminated as a way to "consolidate" and focus Highway Trust Fund spending solely to the Interstate Highway System and bridge projects.

This new section of trail will be completed in early fall of 2013.

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The bicycle involved in one of two
collisions on SW 185th Street in Aloha yesterday.
(Photos: Wash. Co. Sheriff's Office)

"On Monday, February 20, 2012, Sheriff's deputies were very busy dealing with crashes involving vehicles vs. pedestrians and bicycles." That's the opening line of a Washington County Sheriff's Office statement sent to the media yesterday. It came after there were three collisions involving vulnerable road users in Washington County that happened within a two-hour time span.

Since I've covered this beat, I don't recall ever seeing a police press statement with three separate incidents so close to each other.

This bike belongs to Gordon Douglas.

The first collision happened at around 4:30 in Raleigh Hills (about 6 miles southwest of downtown Portland) in the intersection of SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and SW Scholls Ferry Road. According to police, a woman was walking "lawfully in the intersection" on a "Walk" signal when a person driving a car turned right on a red light. The woman suffered non-life-threatening injuries and the person driving the car was cited for "Failure to Yield to a Pedestrian."

Francisco Luna-Flores
(Photo: Washington Co.
Sheriff's Office)

Then about one hour later, six miles to the east in Aloha, officers responded to the intersection of SW 185th and Blanton. They found a 46-year-old woman with serious injuries who claimed a man driving a black SUV turned left into her path as she rode north on 185th. The man struck her and then sped away. A Washington County Sheriff's Deputy found the vehicle and later arrested a man in an apartment complex a few blocks away. 51-year-old Francisco Luna-Flores said he "panicked and left the scene." He has been charged with "Felony Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (hit and run)."

Then a half hour later, just 1/2 mile up the road, a man suffered life-threatening injuries after he rode his bike into the street at the intersection of SW 185th and Pheasant Lane. Witnesses told deputies that the man, 45-year-old Gordon J. Douglas of Aloha, was riding down the sidewalk and "suddenly turned left and rode straight into traffic." The deputies found the person who was driving the car to not have any fault and they that alchohol consumption by Mr. Douglas played a factor in the collision. Douglas remains in the hospital.

"I don't think I could put a reason on it. It's just bad circumstances and timing."
— Sgt. David Thompson, Washington Co. Sheriff's Office

Sgt. David Thompson with the Washington County Sheriff's Office concurred that it's "unusual" to have this many collisions in such a short amount of time. He didn't think there was any specific factor that contributed to them. The weather wasn't any worse than it normally is, he said. "I don't think I could put a reason on it. It's just bad circumstances and timing."

Sgt. Thompson said that the street where two of the collisions occurred, SW 185th, is a "major thoroughfare." It has 5 lanes and a 45 mph posted speed limit. "It's fast," said Thompson, "And where it crosses TV [Tualatin Valley] Hwy, that's a huge intersection."

The huge arterial streets that define Washington County certainly play a role; but, as the story we published just previous to this one shows, so too does low quality and inadequate access for people who walk and bike.

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Bike access seems to have been an
afterthought on this bridge over the
Tualatin River on 99W.
(Photos: Jim "K'tesh" Parsons)

Back in December, amid smiles and celebrations at the groundbreaking for the Sellwood Bridge project, our roving West Side correspondent Jim Parsons reflected at the poor state bridge access on many Washington County roads.

With design drawings of the enviable biking and walking lanes slated for the Sellwood Bridge fresh in his mind, he fired off one of his trademark emails to his usual coterie of advocates, bureaucrats, and policymakers. The subject line read: "Bridge Improvements needed in Washington County."

Parsons documented six bridges in particular he felt "could use some work." Below are his images and his comments on each of them:

99W has four bridges that need help... There's this one crossing the Tualatin River eastbound (Narrow, narrow, and narrow (and poor signage))...

and then the westbound crossing of the Tualatin River (Narrow, bad signage, questionable approaches)...

The Rock Creek bridge is unpleasant for cyclists... (no ramp up to the sidewalk, fast traffic frequently squeezing us)...

and Tigard Viaduct bike/ped/ADA access is narrow and frequently choked by vegetation

In Beaverton, we have the bridge over Beaverton Creek (SW Hall between the MAX tracks and Performance Bikes) which is narrow and has ice/snow/vegetation issues.

And let's not forget this gem on SW Canyon (Beaverton), we have the bridge located between Video Only and BurgerVille

This wheelchairist (two photos up) couldn't make it across this "sidewalk" to get to the crosswalk at SW Lombard. He ended up crossing mid-block...

Parsons' past campaigns to replace dangerous storm drains, re-stripe bike lanes, cut back vegetation on paths, and other things, have been met with a surprising frequency of success. Here's to hoping he can raise enough attention to these bridge access issues to get some improvements to them as well.

— Live or ride in Washington County? Check our past coverage of that part of the region here.

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Tom LaBonty
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland

Portland-based filmmaker Joe Biel (Cantankerous Titles) has released the trailer of his latest project: a documentary about cargo bike builder Tom LaBonty titled One Less Truck.

LaBonty is the 41-year old tinkerer (and baggage handler at PDX Airport by day) who builds affordable cargo bikes (they start at around $500 if you provide the frame) from used parts in his garage in the Lents neighborhood. When we profiled him back in August 2009, he was just starting to make a name for himself around town. Now, thanks to his website, his Flickr photostream, and Craigslist, he's built and sold 55 bikes to customers around the country.

There's a lot to love about LaBonty's story, and I'm thrilled that Biel has taken the time to tell it. One Less Truck is just one piece of Biel's Cycling Shorts, a collection of short documentaries he's put together into a DVD.

Watch the trailer below...

One Less Truck trailer from Cantankerous Titles on Vimeo.

For more LaBonty, peruse a slideshow I put together a few years ago...

Next up for Biel is the second edition of the "Dinner on Bikes" tour. He'll join chef Joshua Ploeg and writer/bike activist Elly Blue for a two month adventure to far-flung towns and cities where they'll dish up equal servings of bikes, vegan food, and DIY activism in a series of informal events.

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The "Magnic," (L) and the Gotham Bicycle Defense light.

In a place like Portland where darkness covers commutes for several months a year, two projects currently seeking funding via Kickstarter — a theft-resistant bike light and a wireless dynamo light — are well worth your consideration.

I shudder to think how much money I've lost in stolen bike lights over the years. That's why the new anti-theft light from Gotham Bicycle Defense (love that name) caught my eye. The light locks onto your bars and its designers say "no tool from a hardware store can remove it." It's also waterproof, and it's shaped like a revolver for good measure. Watch the video below and you won't be surprised that this project has already gone way over it's funding goal...

And then, perhaps an even more exciting bike light breakthrough, is the "Magnic" light from Germany. Hub-dynamo powered lights are becoming standard issue on serious city bikes these days, but they require a wire from the light into the dynamo. Not only are wires a nuisance, but dynamo hubs are heavy and they don't roll as freely as standard hubs.

The tech geniuses behind the Magnic Light have figured out a way to use the movement of the spinning wheel to power a crazy-bright beam. Watch the video below to see for yourself how cool this is.

It will be interesting to see if either of these products ends up being widely available and/or to see if major bike light manufacturers like Planet Bike license the technology.

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Secure bike parking might become an
employer-provided perk in San Fancisco.
(Photo: Will Vanlue/BikePortland)

Here's the news and other cool stuff that caught our eyes this past week...

- Have you seen the "Magnic Light" over on Kickstarter? It looks to us like it could revolutionize the bike lighting world. It's a wireless dynamo that's super bright. Check it out.

- Tea Party members are pushing hard to eliminate federal funding for public transit and bike facilities under the notion that transportation projects are part of a plot by the United Nations to "herd citizens toward cities."

- 87-year-old retired Oregon State professor Bill Brown died from his injuries last week after a woman driving a car struck him as he rode his recumbent trike on January 9th.

- This new GPS bike theft tracker looks very promising because it conceals itself in the headtube.

- The fight over Project Park West is heating back up after anti-bicycle-lane group Neighbors for Better Bike Lanes appealed a ruling which threw out a challenge to the wildly popular cycle track.

- A man in Bristol, U.K. was been jailed for using a motor vehicle "as a weapon" to attack another man on a bicycle.

- Centenarian Robert Marchand set the first-ever track record for his age group. Marchand said he didn't set out on his track bike to create the record but instead "just wanted to do something for [his] 100th birthday."

- Green bike lanes will be disappearing from a Los Angeles street after it was discovered the pavement markings interfere with the filming of car commercials and other location shoots.

- One mother in Arkansas faces a year in prison and a $1,000 fine for forcing her son to walk to school after the child was suspended from riding the bus.

-The Bay Area Air Quality Management District issued a Request for Proposal for a bike sharing pilot program to be launched on July 1st.

- School Board members in Imperial Beach, California voted 3-2 to maintain their current policy of labeling biking to school as a "dangerous activity."

- New Zealand Cycle Classic Tour director Jorge Sandoval feels riding without a helmet in New Zealand is not a "sensible option" adding, "I only wear helmets because all drivers here are idiots."

- A rapid transit line in the Philippines lifted its ban on folding bicycles after citizens advocated for the change.

- Employers in downtown San Francisco may soon be required to provide bike parking for their employees.

- Bill Walsh tackles the assumption that "normal people aren't bike commuters."

- Protesters are planning a "human chain" to block the first installment of the World Naked Bike Ride in Tauranga, New Zealand.

- Two pedestrians were killed in Chicago by a man driving a car at 80-90 mph in a 30 mph zone.

- Residents of Savannah, Georgia are seeing the benefits of a "road diet" after the first of six projects to create neighborhood bike lanes was completed on Price Street.

- Officials in Bordeaux released a concept for a new combination scooter and bicycle.

- Bicycling magazine released the results of their reader survey which found 50% of men and 58% of women would rather give up sex than cycling.

- And finally, there's a new book coming out from Bike Snob NYC. Check out the hilarious promo video below:

Did you find something interesting that should be in next week's Monday Roundup? Drop us a line. For more great links from around the web, follow us on Twitter @BikePortland.

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Competitors in the Chariot Wars — including the eventual champions on the left — making their way around the course.

Yesterday under the Fremont Bridge — amid smoke bombs, firecrackers, and all manner of projectiles — the Ben Hurt Chariot Wars once again proved to be an epic spectacle.

The event is part of Zoobomb's ninth annual Mini Bike Winter, a three day fest that takes mini-bikes to places only the fun-loving and creative crew from Zoobomb can.

Prior to the day's action, a few hundred people amassed in North Portland for a brunch (fresh made hash browns and bacon) and socializing. It was a larger crowd than I recall from past years, with a healthy contingent from L.A.'s Midnight Ridazz club as well as "Team Salt" from Salt Lake City, Utah, a vanful of Canadians and the "Dead Babies" from Seattle. Portland bike clubs were of course represented too. "The Dropouts," "North Freak," and of course our gracious hosts, the Zoobombers.

Hamster Ball pilots Twitch (L) and Zane.

There were a lot hugs and smiles. In addition to the annual Dead Baby Downhill in Seattle and Freak Bike Fall (also held here in Portland), Mini Bike Winter is one of the largest mini/freak bike gatherings on the calendar, and it's as much a time for friends to re-connect as it is a bike competition (if not more so).

On that note, I ran into an old acquaintance and a key figure in Portland's freak bike scene, David "Chops" Darby. After helping start (along with club co-founder deadbuny) the Dropout Bike Club and a bike-based landscaping service, David has been living in southern Oregon for the past few years. Now he's back, and not sure how long he'll stick around (he's living in an RV, so he's mobile). Standing on the edge of the crowd, looking in, David seemed very content to be back among his old friends and proud that he'd started something that has flourished in his absence.

David Darby, a.k.a. "Chops"

When it was time to roll out to the Chariot Wars (the location is always a closely held secret), the large parade of riders — mini-bikes pulling chariots to double-stacked tall bikes — filled an entire lane for several blocks of of N. Mississippi Ave.

The endpoint of the ride and the grounds on which the Wars would be fought was a expansive paved area at the Union Pacific Railroad yards under the east side of the Fremont Bridge (just below N. Interstate Ave.).

Team SALT and their chariot (as in Salt Lake City, Utah).

Once everyone had assembled, the day's emcee, "Dutch" (who is one part of last year's winning team "Bear Force One") explained the rules. Basically, anything goes. "But remember we're all friends here," Dutch said, and then he added they main rule: "You're out when you are disconnected from your chariot."

There were about 6, two-man chariot teams on the battlefield, and one wrecking ball — a.k.a. the Hamster Ball. The Hamster Ball is two BMX bikes welded together and wrapped in metal tubing. The pilots pedal hard, slam their front brakes, do a complete rotation, land back on their wheels and continue on. In yesterday's Chariot Wars though, they were just there to create havoc (they weren't official competitors).

Here are some of the competitors...

And there was plenty of havoc.

Right as the action started, the Hamster Ball claimed its first victim. A side impact knocked the wheel off of the chariot piloted by Guardrail and Don Jon. Despite their trailer missing a wheel, these heroic gladiators not only pressed on; they outlasted everyone else to claim the Chariot War trophy.

En route to victory, Guardrail and Don John survived thick smoke, explosions, flying cans of beer, and a blood-thirsty — yet very appreciative — crowds...

Don John (L) and Guardrail victorious despite losing a wheel on their chariot in the opening minutes.

With this much unsanctioned fun, we knew the police were never far away. Sure enough, as the Sprockettes assembled to perform, several PPB patrol cars and UPRR security guards rolled up. After what looked from afar like civil conversations with several organizers, the authorities sat back. By the time the Sprockettes began dancing, they had pulled out their cell phone cameras and seemed to be enjoying it as much as the rest of us...

There was a reporter for the Associated Press covering the event (I'll share the link once the story is publsihed). As things wrapped up, he interviewed me, looking for help to put what he'd just witnessed into some sort of context that the American public would understand. Seeing this outpouring of grassroots and creative energy for the first time, the reporter was clearly excited. And, remembering my own first time, I was excited for him.

"This is amazing! It really deserves more than one story." he commented. "Yeah," I replied, "Tell me about it."

— Browse more images in the gallery.

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An average of over 18,000
trips are made by bike over
Portland's four main downtown
bridges every day.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

PBOT released their 2011 Bicycle Counts Report today (PDF). The numbers show that overall there were 6.4 percent more trips made by bike citywide in 2011 compared to 2010. On new neighborhood greenways, the jump in ridership was even greater. At the 11 newly-developed neighborhood greenways (a.k.a. bike boulevards), PBOT recorded a jump of 61 percent.

The Going Street neighborhood greenway saw a particularly large spike with a daily count of 1,585 bicycle trips at NE Going and 9th last year compared to 1,040 daily bicycle trips in 2010.

Overall, bike traffic in Portland is up 219% since 2001. In addition to trip data, the counts also shed light on the gender split (big news on that below), reported collisions, helmet use, and seasonal averages over time.

On the four main downtown bridges — the Broadway, Steel, Burnside and Hawthorne — bicycle trips were up 3.8 percent. In 2011, there were a record 18,257 daily bicycle trips over those four bridges which accounts for over 15 percent of all vehicle traffic (and that's with an 18 percent drop on the Broadway due to streetcar project related detours and closures). The busiest bridge is the Hawthorne, which has an average of 8,044 daily bike trips. The Steel Bridge follows with 3,703 average daily trips.

Starting in 2010, PBOT counted bicycle traffic on the Hawthorne Bridge throughout the year — not just in the warm, dry summer months of July through September that the rest of their counts are taken in. This means they can now offer a detailed comparison of summer and winter counts.

According to the 2011 report, the amount of bike trips taken on the Hawthorne Bridge during October 2011, 6,662, is more than the summer counts in 2007. The 4,401 trips taken in December of last year are equal to the summer counts in 2004. This means that each year, people who ride in Portland are getting tougher and more people are riding throughout the cold and wet months!

When it comes to the gender split, the overall male/female counts increased a paltry 0.2 percent between 2010 and 2011. Overall in 2011, 31.4 percent of people counted on bikes were women. The number of women on bikes is highest in northeast Portland (35 percent) and lowest in east Portland (19 percent). The count location with the lowest number of women riders was SW Barbur and Capitol Blvd where they represented just 7 percent of the total number counted.

There was one location where PBOT recorded more female than male riders. Of the 260 average daily bike trips at N. Failing and Missouri, 58 percent were women.

The highest non-bridge location counted in 2011 was SE Harrison and Ladd Circle with 3,600 average daily trips.

More riders than ever were recorded as wearing helmets. Citywide, 80 percent of people counted wore them, that's up 3 percent over 2010.

PBOT also tracks collision data; but because they rely on state DMV records, the numbers lag one year behind the bike counts and are hard to extrapolate too much from. That being said, the number of reported collisions has not gone up for the third year in a row. There were 321 reported collisions involving bicycles in 2010, that's up from 287 in 2009 and 265 in 2008. PBOT officials say the rising number is a result of the Portland Police Bureau investigating more bicycle collisions and that it is not "representative of changes in actual crash activity within the city."

Geek out to all the stats and graphs in the full report here (PDF, includes counts from previous years).

*Below is section on count methodology taken from the report:

Bicycle counts are conducted by volunteers and City of Portland staff, who visually count and then record passing bicycles at street corners and on bridges during two-hour time slots called a “peak period.” In the last ten years, PBOT added several automatic bicycle counters on bridges and trails. These counters provide a more complete picture of the ebb and flow of bicycle traffic over the course of the day and throughout the year.

For visual counts, volunteers record counts for each direction during peak periods at a location and report the number to PBOT staff. A 24-hour average bicycle count for the location is calculated by multiplying the recorded peak period count by five. This is a standard traffic engineering calculation that has been validated by comparing extrapolated visual counts with comparable results from automated counters.
Prior to 2008 the majority of counts were concentrated in the center of the city. Since then, PBOT has worked to increase the total number of count locations and expand the locations across the city, with extra focus on adding locations in Southwest and East Portland. In 2008, there were 121 locations and in 2011 there were 156.

To determine year-on-year percentage change in counts, PBOT staff compare only those locations and their count totals that were recorded for both years. New locations and the total counts recorded at them are not compared to previous years’ totals.

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Bikes welcome here?
(Google streetview)

ODOT Region 1 Manager Jason Tell says a recent collision has led to an internal assessment of bike safety on the St. Johns Bridge and he has directed his staff to do something about it.

In a phone call today, Tell said ODOT will install new signs on the bridge to make people driving cars more aware of people operating bicycles in the roadway. "From a motorists perspective, I think we can do more to raise awareness that cyclists are in the road... since it's a legal use there," said Tell.

"This would be an easy, low-cost fix. If it helps bring that awareness, than it's something we should do."
— Jason Tell, ODOT Region 1 Manager

Currently, the bridge has only one sign in each direction related to bicycles. They consist of a bicycle symbol and words "On Bridge Roadway." However, even Tell admits they could be located more effectively. He said ODOT will move the existing signs to a more visible spot and they will look at adding additional signage to the middle of the bridge span (in both directions) instead of just at the entrances.

"The bottom line is, we can do more."

The bridge is a gateway to
a lot of great biking routes.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

In addition to new and more effectively placed signs, Tell said they will explore adding new pavement markings to the roadway. These would most likely be sharrows. When ODOT made the fateful decision to configure the bridge without adequate bike access when it was rehabbed in 2005, sharrows were not an option. Sharrows were not officially adopted by the Federal Highway Administration until 2009.

When we discussed sharrows today, Tell said, "I'm willing to explore them... New guidance from MUTCD [the FHWA's Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Design] opens up options."

Back in 2006, our friend (and former transportation planner for City of Vancouver) Todd Boulanger envisioned what sharrows on the St. Johns Bridge might look like...

(Images by Todd Boulanger/2005)

Perhaps six years later we'll see those images become reality.

ODOT engineers are currently working on these improvements and Tell says whatever they implement will be done by this spring. "This would be an easy, low-cost fix," he said, "If it helps bring that awareness, than it's something we should do."

While sharrows and more signs aren't the ultimate solution, Tell seems to realize that this could be just a first step to re-opening the dialogue about bike access on this beautiful and iconic bridge. ODOT was a much a different agency seven years ago (Tell wasn't the regional manager back then) and I hope they embrace this opportunity to transform the St. Johns Bridge from a symbol of their past indifference to bike access into a symbol of their new — and future — commitment to it.

Stay tuned.

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He's pumped!
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

After a thorough evaluation process that included in-person interviews, a questionnaire and ride-along with all three major candidates, political action committee Bike Walk Vote has announced their endorsement of Jefferson Smith for Portland mayor.

Bike Walk Vote co-chair Evan Manvel said today in a phone interview that Smith's "Commitment, record, and leadership on equity as well as his focus on not spending all of our money on new infrastructure and highways," are key things that stood out for them. Manvel also cited Smith's work to "engage the whole city and work with non-traditional power brokers" as traits that were important to their choice.

"We encourage Portlanders who care about biking, walking, and transit to support Jefferson Smith, who has great vision and a commitment to a city that works for everyone," added co-chair Peter Welte in a press release.

The group's policy co-chair Heidi Guenin (who works with Upstream Public Health), said Smith's focus on "funding equity for historically underserved neighborhoods," reflects the type of vision the group shares.

Smith is also the only candidate who has taken a skeptical stance on the controversial Columbia River Crossing highway expansion project. (Read more about Smith's stance on that project and other issues in our interview.)

Manvel said given the strength of the candidates it was difficult to choose between Smith and Charlie Hales (a former City of Portland Transportation Commissioner who oversaw our first bike lane and helped set streetcar in motion). In their press release, Bike Walk Vote gave a "special acknowledgement" to Hales, whom they said, "made a commendably strong impression."

However, in the end, Hales' stance on the CRC hurt him. "Hales has been sort of in the middle on the CRC," said Manvel, "While Jeff has continued to ask tough questions." (It's worth noting that Manvel is an outspoken critic of the CRC project and has reported about it extensively for the Blue Oregon blog.)

As for Eileen Brady, Manvel said, "We think she's got a positive outlook as far as walking and biking go... But her reluctance to increase investment in local transportation was at odds with what we were hoping for and her general support for the CRC was also a disappointment." Brady's stance on funding (she was the only candidate that did not propose a new funding stream for transportation at a recent debate, saying PBOT should instead look for internal efficiencies), the group said in a statement, is "putting her at odds with Portland's vision for a healthy, sustainable city."

To make their decision, Bike Walk Vote conducted face-to-face interviews, compared responses to a questionnaire, evaluated their performances at the active transportation debate earlier this month at PSU, and did a "rolling interview" where members joined each candidate for a bike commute.

Bike Walk Vote's December 4th kickoff party drew over 100 people and was co-emceed by U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer and Multnomah County Commission Chair Jeff Cogen. With their endorsement decision made, the group now plans to mobilize the community in support of Smith.

Back in January, Smith also earned the endorsement of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME).

— Learn more at BikeWalkVote.org and browse our Race for Mayor 2012 story archives.

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PBOT's SmartTrips program is
among the cuts.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The City of Portland's Transportation Options Division — the group behind such popular programs as Sunday Parkways and SmartTrips — no longer exists as a stand-alone section of PBOT. The consolidation of Options into a new "Active Transportation" group within PBOT's org chart — and the $350,000 cut that comes with it — is just one of the steps being taken to tighten operations and cut over $15 million in their ongoing discretionary budget.

Sunday Parkways and Neighborhood Greenways are also slated for significant cuts and 27 current PBOT employees will lose their jobs (most of the positions are labor/maintenance workers).

As we've been reporting for months, PBOT faces an unprecedented budget crisis and Options is just one casualty of several major reforms being carried out by bureau director Tom Miller.

"We reluctantly support the adoption of this proposed budget - though we do agonize over its outcomes."
— Letter from PBOT Budget Advisory Committee

The elimination of the Options division is coupled with a 25 percent reduction in the SmartTrips marketing program that aims to reduce drive-alone trips (it will now reach 6,000 fewer Portland households), and the elimination of 2.5 positions (1 program manager and 1.5 "transportation demand management" specialist positions).
PBOT will still do the major programs Options was responsible for, but they'll happen with fewer staff and funding resources and they'll happen under the new Active Transportation umbrella (which will be managed by Dan Bower, a veteran and solid PBOT staffer who understands the importance of bicycling).

PBOT's requested budget also includes cuts in Sunday Parkways. PBOT plans to reduce the City's investment in Sunday Parkways by $50,000 to a total of $120,000 — that's a 38 percent decrease over last year. The five events planned for this year will cost $494,000. To make up the difference, Parkways organizers will have to rely on more private sponsorships than ever. But, according to an ominous note in the budget document, more private support might not be enough to keep the program going at its current level:

"If a greater percentage of program costs are either not available for reduction (e.g. police overtime), or picked up by private contributors, a size or scope reduction maybe necessary for the Summer 2013 program year for Sunday Parkways."

PBOT's vaunted Neighborhood Greenways program also didn't survive unscathed. PBOT will cut the program to the tune of $150,000 a year. That cut amounts to a reduction of 1.5 miles of new bike boulevards each year.

But wait, there's more.

Other cuts that will impact bicycling conditions throughout the city include a $50,000 cut in bike lane cleaning. PBOT will reduce scheduled bike lane cleaning services from 600 to 420 miles per year (and will rely citizen complaints even more than they do now). If you rely ride on the shoulders of arterial streets that don't have bike lanes (like Sandy Blvd), PBOT is slashing the cleaning budget on those streets by $300,000.

And, for those of you that sometimes rely on sidewalks to get around the neighborhood, you'll notice fewer ADA curb ramps being installed. To save $1,000,000, PBOT will construct 300 fewer curb ramps than they did last year (from 700 to 400 per year) and they'll lay off six crew members.

These cuts are not pretty; but things listed above are minor when compared to the 27 current PBOT employees to who be laid-off and the ongoing uncertainty and transportation funding crisis that still looms.

In response to the bureau's official budget request, the PBOT Budget Advisory Committee (which is made up of citizen and labor union representatives and advocates — including a rep from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance) issued a letter to Mayor Adams and City Commissioners. The BAC supports the budget (except labor reps who did not sign on to the letter due to the job cuts), but does so with strong reservations. Their main critique reflects on a directive by Mayor Adams set at the outset of budget talks: That no ideas for new revenue would be entertained.

"If council is unwilling to entertain new revenue to aid PBOT," the BAC letter reads, "we reluctantly support the adoption of this proposed budget - though we do agonize over its outcomes."

— The budget process is far from over. The Mayor takes each bureau's request and folds them into his own budget. There are community budget forums planned for March and you can share your feedback online.

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This week we had two great opportunities at local bike shops posted to our Job Listings. Check out all the details in the links below...

• Seasonal Bicycle Mechanic — Citybikes Worker-owned Coop
• Bike Mechanic — Bike Gallery - Lake Oswego

For a complete list of available jobs, click here. If you'd like more information about the BikePortland Job Listings, contact us, or visit the Job Listings page.

You can sign up for all the latest job listings via RSS, email, or by following us on Twitter.

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No more left turns from SW Condor onto Terwilliger and no more left turns off of Terwilliger onto Condor.
(Photos: Armando Luna)

Remember Kathleen Dailey? She's the Multnomah County Judge who was seriously injured after someone operating a car didn't see her and turned into her path as she pedaled into work on SW Terwilliger Blvd back in August. The collision left Dailey with serious injuries and it left PBOT with a lot to think about.

The person in the car was attempting to turn left (south) onto Terwilliger from SW Condor, a small sidestreet. The poor visibility, the curves of Terwilliger, and the speed of traffic (both bike and car) at the intersection created dangerous conditions. One month later, PBOT took action and added new striping and signage to warn people of the presence of bicycles.

Apparently PBOT felt paint and signs weren't enough. They have now installed plastic bollards in the middle of the intersection to prohibit left turns. Bureau spokesman Dan Anderson says the intersection has "a history of bike crashes" and that this is just a temporary median.

The median will be installed for a month and monitored. PBOT wants to make sure the local Homestead Neighborhood Association is O.K. with how the changes impact neighborhood cut-through traffic. Anderson says the City will make a final decision about whether or not to keep the median after the neighborhood's April meeting.

Below are a few more photos sent in by reader Armando Luna...

Looking north on Terwilliger (Condor comes up on the right)...

Looking south on the east side of Terwilliger...

On the west side of Terwilliger, looking south...

And a set-back view from up the hill looking east at the intersection...

It seems like PBOT is using these plastic, "candlestick" bollards more frequently these days. I think that's great, since they are much cheaper and more feasible to install than hard concrete/curbs. But, like we've seen NW Lovejoy and in other locations, these bollards are only as effective as the glue that holds them to the ground. Hopefully these new ones on Terwilliger hold up to the abuse.

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Screengrab of Mercury article.

PBOT's North Williams Traffic Operations Safety Project is heating up again — both the public process and the public spotlight.

The project found its way onto the cover of this week's edition of The Portland Mercury. Reporter Sarah Mirk took a historical look at the Albina neighborhood and, given its history of racism and development, she arrived at the conclusion that the project is "Not about the bikes."

Here's a key quote in Mirk's story that I think sums up feelings of some people in the community. It comes from Midge Purcell, policy director of the Urban League of Portland (a non-profit that advocates for African Americans):

"The City of Portland's policies want to encourage increased cycling and environmental friendliness," she continues. "That's all very well and good. But when people feel that those values are imposed upon them, especially when there's been all the other historic impositions on the community, then it really does become about a lot more than just putting in a bicycle lane. In a lot of ways, this is a real test. To see whether some of the lessons have been learned from previous projects where the outcomes have been really, really poor."

Bicycling Magazine also has a freelancer working on a story about the project. I've been in contact with him and last week went on a ride with the reporter, stakeholder advisory committee (SAC) member Michelle DePass, and PBOT project manager Ellen Vanderslice (who by the way is retiring on April 27th).

(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Speaking of outcomes for this project, the project's SAC adopted their "Top Ten Outcomes and Measures" at a meeting on February 7th. Having the entire, 26-member SAC agree to a set of outcomes is a key tool the group will use to evaluate potential engineering solutions.

Interestingly, while concerns about motor vehicle parking capacity and increased congestion have been a part of opposition toward reducing the street to one standard vehicle lane, none of the outcomes related to those issues were adopted onto the top ten list.

Previous drafts of the outcomes list included items such as: "Motor vehicle congestion in the corridor is not significantly increased," "Average travel times for motor vehicles during peak hours is not significantly increased," and "The supply of on-street motor vehicle parking in the project corridor is maintained."

If any of those outcomes would have been adopted, it would have constrained the SACs ability to recommend certain solutions — especially a solution that included less road space for motor vehicles. Instead, the adopted outcomes set the stage for a SAC recommendation that favors safety of humans over convenience of private vehicle travel.

Here is a list of the top ten desired outcomes:

• Increase convenient pedestrian opportunities to safely cross Williams
• Mitigate conflicts between all modes
• Reduce motor vehicle speeds
• Improve visibility of pedestrians
• Reduce the risk of cyclists being struck by opening vehicle doors
• Create opportunities for people bicycling to pass other cyclists without entering the motor vehicle travel lane
• Manage conflict between bus and bicycle operations
• Reduce all crashes in the N Williams corridor
• Maintain or improve ease of transitions bicyclists making turns
• Maintain access and operability for TriMet LIFT vehicles and private lift‐equipped vans

The SAC is just days away from putting some actual engineering designs through their filter of outcomes. Speaking at the PBOT Bicycle Advisory Committee on Tuesday, City Traffic Engineer Rob Burchfield said he plans to share four "conceptual options for improvements" with the SAC this week.

"The goal is to bring the process to a close before the end of the fiscal year [June 30th]."
— Rob Burchfield, PBOT

The SAC has met monthly since February 2011 (except for July, when the process took a one month breather), but, with the process having dragged on for over a year, the pace is set to quicken. PBOT has announced four extra meetings between now and April 3rd, "In the interest of developing a recommendation... by the summer construction season."

Whatever recommendation the SAC comes up with, whether or not there's enough money to pay for them remains to be seen. As Mirk reported in The Mercury article, the entire budget for the project is only $370,000 and 25 percent of it has already gone toward planning and public involvement. That leaves $277,500 for a two mile long project that is likely to include a mix of new paint striping, signage, and crosswalks. New traffic signals have been discussed, but at about $200-250,000 a piece, they are unlikely to be feasible with limited funding.

With money extremely tight at PBOT right now, the agency says they need this process to come to a close before the end of the fiscal year (June 30th). That warning is likely due to a lack of confidence that the money would continue to be available in next year's budget.

Some have speculated that new development — especially the New Seasons Market — might come with new money in the form of System Development Charges (SDCs). SDCs are fees paid by developers to off-set impacts their new buildings have on the transportation system. However, PBOT told the SAC at their last meeting that SDCs won't be available for this project (it's complicated, something about it not being on an already-adopted City Council list and about the Eastside Streetcar and Milwaukie Light Rail projects already sucking up all the available SDC funds).

The SAC meets again this coming Tuesday where, after months of long-winded (yet important) debates about process and principles, they'll finally be ready to roll up their sleeves and get to work deciding what actual changes to implement. I have a feeling there are some contentious discussions ahead. Just like there were back in May 2011, there are still strong feelings on both sides of the one-lane debate.

Hopefully this time around, given the expanded process and stronger involvement of all parties, the discussion will result in a positive outcome. Stay tuned.

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These guys could only be headed to
one thing... Mini Bike Winter!
(Photo © J. Maus)

Zoobomb's big annual event, Mini Bike Winter, starts tonight. Now in its ninth year, the four-day event promises a mix of performances, parties, and pure fun that is sure to help ease your winter doldrums.

This year, in addition to usual favorites like the "Ben Hurt Chariot Wars" (just what they sound like, only crazier and with more smoke and blood), the "Mini Bike Winter Olympics" (which includes "bike bowling" (see below) a launch into the Willamette known as the "Cupcake Challenge" and more) and the "Badass Challenge" (a race to climb up the hill to Washington Park on a 16-inch bike), the event includes a special screening of "Bike Smut," a collection of short bike movies.

Before I share more about Bike Smut... Check out the video below of the Bike Bowling action up at Mt. Tabor last year (video by Paul Jeffery)..

Bike Smut is a film fest organized by Portland's very own purveyor of pedal-powered porn, Phil Sano. Just back from a globe-trotting tour Sano mixes cycling and sexuality by showcasing short, erotic, bicycle-inspired films By his estimation, Sano and his crew have traveled over 44,000 miles in the past 12 months — shocking and awing audiences from Spain to San Francisco.

You can catch Bike Smut at the Clinton Street Theater (2522 SE Clinton) tomorrow (2/17) at 6:30 pm.

As always, all the Mini Bike Winter festivities are free.

Check out the full slate of Mini Bike Winter events and details at Zoobomb.net and stay tuned photos and coverage from all the fun. Browse past coverage at our Mini Bike Winter tag.

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From Ford website.

I was happy this morning to find a statement from U.S. DOT Secretary Ray LaHood's office that his war on distracted driving now includes new regulations for automakers. The proposals come as President Obama's just-released transportation budget includes $330 million to combat the problem.

For the past few years, I've been disturbed at the trend to turn cars into one big gadget. Automakers, scared that their vehicles can't compete with consumers' growing adoration of smartphones and other devices, now offer all sorts of phone-like conveniences on-board. The result? More distraction, more crashes, more deaths and injuries.

The auto industry's commitment to safety inside their cars (with airbags, crumple-zones, and so on) while people outside their cars are at ever greater risk, was a troubling gap. (When automakers employ "Infotainment Systems Engineers," like Ford does, that should raise a red flag.)

In a statement this morning, the USDOT said the proposed regulations, "would encourage manufacturers to develop 'less distracting' in-vehicle electronic devices." The new regulations wouldn't impose penalties on automakers — these would be "voluntary guidelines" — but it's a start toward raising awareness that the automakers should play a larger role in the fight against distracted driving.

The guidelines, which have been issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), are just the first first phase of what officials say will be an ongoing effort aimed at the auto industry. The key principle in the guidelines is that car manufacturers should ensure the technology in vehicles are, "less likely to distract the driver with tasks not directly relevant to safely operating the vehicle, or cause undue distraction by engaging the driver’s eyes or hands for more than a very limited duration while driving."

You can view the entire set of guidelines and background info via this USDOT document (PDF).

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Detail of trail map.

Since it opened in 2009, the Sandy Ridge Trail System — located about 40 miles east of downtown Portland (map) at the foot of Mt. Hood — has grown by leaps and bounds (or should I say by drops and berms) in both popularity and in sheer miles of fun trails to ride. The International Mountain Bicycling Association calls is "one of most extensive purpose-built, mountain-bike specific trail systems on public land in the United States."

To keep it that way, partners on the project have launched an online survey to gauge user feedback.

The trail system is a partnership between IMBA, the Bureau of Land Management, and the Portland-based non-profit Northwest Trail Alliance. They've got big plans for 2012 that include facility improvements such as construction of a new paved parking lot, restrooms and a picnic area at the trailhead. The trail building will continue as well, with three new segments in the hopper (including a beginner loop around the trailhead) that will boost the total system to 14 miles of biking bliss.

To make sure they're on the right track, and to hear from users, the partners want to hear your feedback. They've launched an online survey to gauge user opinions and hear what the next steps for the area should be.

If you've ridden out at Sandy Ridge, take a few minutes to fill out the survey. Learn more about the trail system on the official BLM website.

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