Sounds reasonable to me.

Streetfilms has a new video on 20's Plenty for us, a campaign in the U.K. working to make 20 mph the standard speed limit in residential areas. The campaign is catching on quickly, with more and more U.K. cities adopting the policy all the time. Given that PBOT might be considering a legislative fix to wrest greater control of speed limits from ODOT, and the fact that Mayor Sam Adams has already shown an interest in reducing speed limits and has made safety his number one transportation priority, this could be an idea that catches on here in Portland.

The 20's plenty pitch is simple: Lower speeds make for more pleasant places to live, work, and play. Seems like everyone would agree to that. Watch the excellent video to hear how people working on the campaign pitch the idea:

A 20 mph speed limit isn't just fodder for a catchy campaign slogan, its impact on saving lives has been confirmed by major study findings and even the World Health Organization has endorsed 20 mph speed limits. (Learn more about London's success with 20 mph zones in this Streetsblog article.)

PBOT has used the "Effects of speed on stopping distance" chart (see it below) in neighborhood meetings and presentations for at least five years now (I first published it in 2005). It shows that 20 mph is the maximum speed at which someone can operate a motor vehicle and still stop in time to avoid hitting someone...

Effects of Speed on Stopping Distance
- View full size -
(Chart: PBOT)

The Streetfilms piece also reminded me of a law that passed in 2007 but that I've not heard much about since (thanks to reader Robin Dale for bringing it to my attention again). In the 2007 legislative session, State Rep. Carolyn Tomei sponsored a bill (H.B. 2297) that defined a "narrow residential roadway" as any street "not more than 18 feet wide at any point between two intersections or between an intersection and the end of the roadway" and "Not of sufficient width to allow one lane of traffic in each direction." The bill amended Oregon's basic speed rule so that all such roadways could have a maximum speed limit of just 15 mph. Unfortunately, it seems that there aren't many streets that fit that bill and it seems to have had little impact thus far.

Here in Portland, most residential streets have a 25 mph speed limit and many streets which run through highly residential areas (like N. Rosa Parks Way for instance) have speed limits of 35 mph.

One way I can imagine PBOT approaching new speed limit laws and policies is to legally leverage the "neighborhood greenway" concept. Neighborhood greenways are PBOT's new name for bike boulevards, which are "family-friendly," residential streets where people on bicycles and on foot are prioritized. Similar to how Rep. Tomei was able to define "narrow residential roadway," PBOT could define neighborhood greenway in the ORS and then attach a 20 mph speed limit to it in Oregon's basic speed rule. Then, any street officially classified as a neighborhood greenway would automatically have a 20 mph speed limit.

Lower speed limits -- when coupled with smart engineering, focused enforcement, and a bit of marketing -- would do wonders in helping create residential streets where everyone feels safe and welcome.

-- Read more of BikePortland's coverage of this topic by browsing our "speed" story tag.

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Super D!

After several months of jam-packed event calenders this Weekend's light schedule will give you a chance to go on that ride you've been thinking about, revisit your favorite regular events, and for those who have already given up on summer altogether, go shopping for rain gear.

Friday, September 3rd

6:30pm: Vegan Dinner Bike Ride
Meet your fellow deep-rooted vegan enthusiasts and branch out to try new and exciting cuisine. Ride meets at on the Colonel Summers Park greens and heads to a different vegan-friendly restaurant or food cart, followed by a chance to talk chop at an area watering hole.

Saturday, September 4th

8:30am (Returns Monday Evening): Cycle Wild Primitive Bike Camping up the Clackamas
Like to get your hands dirty and your feet wet? Join bike camping pros Cycle Wild on an unsupported group camping trip up the Clackamas river to a primitive (that means no showers, toilets, or cable television) camp spot.  Group meets at 8:30am at the Cleveland Max Station and rides 45 miles to the site.  Read more about the trip on Cycle Wild's Facebook event page and learn all about bike camping at cyclewild.org.

Sunday, September 5th

10:00am: Sandy Ridge Super D
An action-packed downhill cross-country mountain bike race on the Sandy Ridge, the Super D is the main event of a weekend of dirty bike fun just outside of Windell's Camp.  Camping, lodging, and registration information available on the Oregon Super D website.

2:00pm: Bike Polo
Bike polo has been sweeping the country and is popping up in almost every town.  If you have never seen or participated in this great sport come watch or join the gang at Alberta Park that have been playing there every week for over five years.  Bike polo is lots of fun to watch, and even more fun to play, so bring a beater bike if you want to jump in.

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The "Clinton to the River" multi-use
path is part of the $10 million request.
- Larger version here -

A month ago I shared details of the big project TriMet planned to apply for (in close collaboration with Metro and other partners) in hopes of garnering a piece of the $600 million available from the Obama Administration's TIGER II grant program.

The project is now known officially as the "SE Corridor Project." With the application submitted last week, the project partners have unveiled a new website and video to go along with it, making it clear that Metro (they put the application together) has learned lessons from the first round of TIGER grants. Metro applied for four active transportation projects last year, but none of them were among the winners when the awards were announced last April.

Judging by what's on the project website, Metro has gone down a checklist of things that helped Indianapolis win $20.5 million for their Cultural Trail. There's mention of connecting communities, economic and job-producting benefits, local matching funds already lined up, and so on. And the most talked-about part of Indy's application? The video. Now we've got one too...

SE Portland Corridor Project from Mayor Sam Adams on Vimeo.

TriMet, the City of Portland, the City of Milwaukie, the Portland Development Commission and Metro are all signed onto the project and are seeking a total of $10 million from TIGER II grant fund to complete the $12.8 million project.

Learn more about the project's five main components -- which include the "Clinton to the River" multi-use path and two new biking and walking bridges -- at SECorridorProject.com.

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So fresh and so smooth. A portion of the Springwater near SE Luther Street this morning.
(Photos by reader Jonathan Ragsdale)

Adding finishing touches.

A $1.8 million, federally funded project to repave eight miles of the popular Springwater Corridor Trail is almost complete. The project was supposed to be done by now, but record rainfall in June pushed things back a full month.

Portland Parks & Recreation broke the project into four different pieces, three of which are now open and ready for use. The last segment that remains closed for another few weeks is the "Purple Route," a four mile stretch running from SE 128th east to SE Circle Ave (just east of Powell Butte Nature Park). Check the detour map below for the somewhat complicated detour route (or download PDF here).

Lynn Barlow, Portland Parks & Recreation's Eastside Natural Areas Supervisor, says they hope the inconvenience has been worth it. When asked to comment she shared this statement via email:

"For the first time since the Springwater Corridor was opened, Portland Parks & Recreation has been able to secure the funding, through federal stimulus dollars, to repave this very well-used trail. We appreciate the patience of trail users during this process, but we're sure they're going to find the results worth the inconvenience the detours might have caused this summer."

Barlow also says the newly paved trail now features permeable asphalt, fog lines at the edges of the trail, and new wooden sign bollards.

For more on this project, check the Portland Parks website.

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Go carfree on the day that
corresponds to your car color
(mine would be Tuesday).

Here's a interesting new campaign that would feel right at home in Portland. This Saturday, the City of Boulder Colorado will launch Driven to Drive Less, a new program to get people to go one day a week without their car. What's refreshing is that they're going about it in a creative way, by asking people to consider going carfree on a certain day of the week depending on the color of their vehicle. Here's a snip from the campaign website:

"Let’s make a game out of going carless at least once a week. A game that everyone who plays wins. One day a week. That’s 14.3% less congestion, pollution and road rage for Boulder and the rest of the world.

Here’s how it works: Your car’s color corresponds to an assigned car-free day of the week (see chart at right). If that day works with your schedule, then give your car a well-deserved day off, and go forth carless."

I like how they're also using social media to build some community around the "game." The message is simple, the call to action is fun, and the execution is very professional (they hired a solid local creative firm). I feel like more cities should be doing this type of thing.

Read more about the campaign via the Daily Camera newspaper.

Do you think this is a good approach to getting cars off the road and/or raising awareness about how we get around?

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[Unofficial graphic, not created by TriMet.]

Graphic showing location of vehicles just prior to collision.
(Graphic: BikePortland)

There has been a lot of speculation and confusion about the crash involving a TriMet bus and a bicycle on SW 6th and Morrison back on August 12th.

The bus operator turned left prior to the collision and came in contact with Richard Krebs, who was on his bicycle (he suffered serious leg injuries and remains at OHSU getting reconstructive surgery). The Portland Police Bureau issued a citation to Krebs, for failure to obey a traffic control device. The bus operator was not cited.

Photo of the crash scene. The bus in front is the one involved with the crash. Note its angle relative to the left lane it was traveling in.
(Photo: Bill Jackson)

But how exactly did the collision occur? Was Krebs cited for running the light, the "Don't Walk" signal, or the bus's flashing "Yield" signal? What lane was the bus in prior to its left turn? According to an update I just received from TriMet, I can now offer a better answer to those questions.

• Both vehicles were in the left-most lane of SW 6th headed north.
• Krebs was behind the bus "traveling at a high rate of speed" (according to TriMet). (Krebs has also allegedly stated that his brakes malfunctioned).
• Just before making the left turn onto Morrison, the bus veered into the center lane in order to make a wide left turn, which was necessary to clear a MAX train that was stopped on Morrison at the Pioneer Square North station. (TriMet referred to this as a "button hook" turn*.)
• The bus entered the intersection on a green light.
• During the turn, the light changed to yellow.
• The collision occurred on a yellow light.
• Krebs was cited for entering the intersection on a yellow light.

And here's what TriMet's Mary Fetsch says about the bus's turn signal:

"The yield signal on the back of the bus has no bearing in this incident, since it’s only used for pulling back into a travel lane after servicing a stop."

I hope this new information and the graphic above helps to clarify what happened. Given that TriMet won't release the video because of pending court action, more information will likely come out in the weeks and months to come.

UPDATE: *A bus operator in the comments has pointed out that the ODOT Commercial Driver's Manual warns against making the type of jug-handle turn that the bus operator appears to have made. TriMet has said the bus made a "button hook" turn (staying in the lane), but the photos from the scene show that the bus more likely swung into the adjacent lane and made a "jug handle" turn, which the ODOT manual says is "incorrect." Here's the graphic from the manual:

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I noticed a flyer on NE 37th yesterday advertising yet another bike-related business that has cropped up in Portland recently...

Flyer spotted on NE 37th.

According to the SimpleBicycle.com website, this is a new business run by local racer and professional mechanic Jason Pfiefer. He's offering a 4-week bike maintenance course for $300. Classes are limited to two people at a time. Sounds like a good deal, given what an expert Pfiefer is. Here's a snip from his website on his qualifications:

Learn personally from Jason who is a registered Category 2 professional mechanic with USA Cycling (there are less than 15 in the nation at that level of skill and ability). He has worked in bicycle shops for over 23 years, and spent almost 10 years working as a professional mechanic with Shimano America as a mechanic for professional road races.

Learn more about Pfeifer and the classes and services he offers at Simplebicycle.com.

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Temporary bike parking at PGE Park was a hit during a Timbers game last weekend.
(Photo: Jeff Castro/Bikeracker)

As more people use bicycles to get around our city, more businesses are taking notice and bike parking continues to expand and improve. The PGE Park sports complex and the Whole Foods Market in Laurelhurst are the latest locations to unveil bike parking that goes above and beyond what's required.

Temporary parking at PGE Park.
(Photo: Jeff Castro/Bikeracker)

The City of Portland worked with PGE Park on temporary bike parking during Portland Timbers soccer games. PBOT Bicycle Program Specialist Sarah Figliozzi, the woman who's also in charge of the City's on-street bike corral program, helped PGE devise a plan for parking around 100 bikes directly in front of the park's main entrance on SW Morrison. The new bike parking was unveiled back in July and is now in place at all Timbers home games.

PBOT worked with local bike parking provider Bikeracker on the racks and Figliozzi says PGE is considering purchasing their own racks and taking over the management of the bike parking themselves for the 2011 Major League Soccer season. PBOT has no formal event parking program yet, but Figliozzi has published some very helpful information online. The PBOT Event Bicycle Parking page includes the application for street/sidewalk closure permit, bike parking recommendations, and more.

People who arrive by bike are clearly welcome at the Whole Foods in Laurelhurst.
(Photo: Brian Eustis)

Another place in town where some new bike parking will catch your eye is the Whole Foods Market on 28th and E Burnside.

(Photo: Brian Eustis)

Local designer and metal sculptor Matt Cartwright (he created the bike people on the roof of River City Bicycles, among other things) installed their new, covered racks last week. Whole Foods' Marketing and Community Relations Specialist Helen Lee says the racks were "eagerly anticipated" and they went in just in time for a special Bike Day event on Saturday. The event featured free bike repair from Citybikes, giveaways from New Belgium Brewing, live music, and more.

The racks themselves were made using mostly recycled materials and the design incorporates a banana, oranges, and a pineapple. Whole Foods made the racks hard to miss by having them painted orange. There are five staples (space for at least 10 bikes) and a roof overhead to keep bikes dry.

It's great to see these collaborations between the City, businesses, and local artists to make these projects happen, not to mention what they say about respect for people who arrive by bicycle.

-- Browse more stories on this topic on our Bike Parking story archive page

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Richard Krebs' bike rests under the
wheel of a TriMet bus after the
collision on August 12th.
(Photo: Bill Jackson)

TriMet has released an update on the investigation of a collision involving a bus and a bike in downtown Portland on August 12th.

TriMet Communications Director Mary Fetsch says that following a review by the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division, the man operating the bicycle, Richard Krebs, was given a citation for "failure to obey a traffic control device" (ORS 811.265). The bus operator was not cited, but was "provided retraining" according to Fetsch.

Fetsch also adds that the on-board video of the collision is not publicly available yet because, "... it is material evidence that may be used in court in relation to the citation."

According to details of the crash relayed by TriMet and the Police Bureau, here's how the collision occurred.

The man on the bike and the bus operator were headed northbound on SW 6th Ave in the left lane. As they approached SW Morrison (NE corner of Pioneer Courthouse Square), the bus operator swung wide to execute a "buttonhook turn" in order to clear a stopped MAX train that was stopped at the platform on Morrison. The man on the bike, who was on the left side of the bus, then "ran into the side of the bus as it was making the left hand turn." A PPB spokesperson also says that, "The bike rider said his brakes were bad and he went into the intersection."

At the time of the collision, the bus was on a temporary shuttle route due to a MAX train service interruption.

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"If we could have put a solid felony case together against Mr. Hanna, and we tried, we would have gone forward with much stiffer charges... I would have liked to seen felony charges, but at the end of the day, this was the best we could do."
-- Sgt. Todd Davis, Portland Police Bureau

Many people in the community are outraged at the light sentence given to prominent local business man and owner of Mt. Hood Ski Bowl Kirk Hanna for the drunken, 80 mph, hit-and-run he pleaded guilty to last week.

Like any high-profile case like this, there are a lot of moving parts at work; the District Attorney's office, the judge, the defense attorneys, the victim, the police, the defendant, and so on. I'll be looking into the story a bit more in the coming days, but one thing I wanted to share now is the role that the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division played (the Traffic Division handles all our city's hit-and-run cases).

Sargeant Todd Davis has recently taken over some of the duties of ex Traffic Division Lieutenant Bryan Parman. One of those is hit-and-run cases. In my dealings with Davis about this case, he's been clearly frustrated with how it turned out. After reading several comments here on BikePortland that were critical of the handling of this case, Sgt. Davis shared the following statement. It's a window into the high stakes poker game played out between an understaffed police force and a team of high-paid attorneys (emphasis mine):

"If we could have put a solid felony case together against Mr. Hanna, and we tried, we would have gone forward with much stiffer charges.

Before myself and the Traffic Investigations Unit even knew about this case, one of Mr. Hanna's three attorneys came to our office and gave us the keys to the Porsche. They told us where it was parked and also told us we could not search it or tow it without a warrant and that we could not talk to their client.

I sent an investigator out to look at it. He took pictures of it and informed me that it looked like it had struck a bicyclist and by the extent of damage, probably caused serious injury. We still did not have a case to match this to. I called all over the metro area trying to find an agency with a serious or possible fatal hit and run to a bicyclist. With no luck, I started sifting through closed radio calls in our own city. I finally found the case in question, the hit and run to Mr. Skof on Macadam Ave. The call had been taken by Central Precinct officers and the reports were still being processed.

We then wrote a search warrant and towed Mr. Hanna's vehicle. We contacted witnesses and family members. We located surveillance cameras and looked at footage, all trying to place Mr. Hanna in the driver's seat of the Porsche. After everything was exhausted, we couldn't put the case together without an actual confession by Mr. Hanna.

This is where all the legal wrangling with his attorneys and our lone District Attorney started. We basically held our cards close and sent our DA to the table holding only a pair of deuces. The end result was the plea deal you saw last Thursday.

Like I said, I would have liked to seen felony charges, but at the end of the day, this was the best we could do. Sometimes a pair of deuces wins the pot. At the same time, the victim's ability to recover civil damages was protected. We take our cases very seriously here, especially when they involve vulnerable road users. A lot of investigative work went into this, but at the end of the day, this was the best we could do. Had this case gone to trial, there's a good chance we wouldn't have done as well.

I hope that clarifies how we ended up with these charges and the plea agreement."

This statement from Sgt. Davis shows how difficult it can be to build a case that will hold up in court and ultimately hold a defendant accountable for their actions -- especially when very capable defense attorneys are involved.

I'll be looking into other aspects of this case in the coming days. If you have questions or concerns, please share them in the comments below.

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Bike traffic on N. Interstate Ave.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The weekend is upon us. Pull up our excellent and jam-packed Weekend Event Guide and plan out your bike fun.

I've been in Lake Tahoe, California for the past few days (last-minute family thing, I've been writing stories late at night and early morning!), so I won't be participating in all the great events going on... So, as per usual, share your plans and adventures in the comments below.

Have a great weekend.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer

U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer will kick off Interbike in Las Vegas next month. His presence will put advocacy front and center at North America's largest bike trade show. Blumenauer will be joined by Interbike Show Director Andy Tompkins and Bikes Belong Coalition President Tim Blumenthal at a press conference to open the show on September 22nd.

Here's an excerpt from a statement by Interbike:

"The purpose of the press conference is to welcome the industry to Interbike 2010, share information about the industry’s show and its future direction, and hear from Blumenauer and Blumenthal on the state of cycling legislation and future government activity on behalf of bicycling.

Blumenauer’s visit comes at a critical time as the U.S. government continues to work on the next transportation bill, which will set the tone for cycling infrastructure investments during the next six years. The Congressman will outline where bicycling stands, and where it’s going. He will pinpoint what the industry can do to support the cause. Following the press conference, Blumenauer will spend the day at Interbike visiting with the industry."

In addition to his speech to open the show, Blumenauer will be the guest of honor at a BikesPAC fundraising reception hosted by Bikes Belong the night before the press conference.

The press conference will be held Wednesday, September 22, 8:00 a.m. I will be in attendance and will share a full report. This is great news for bike advocates as Blumenauer's presence will help the industry recognize the vital importance of becoming involved in advocacy on the national level.

This week's featured job opening could have you walking the talk (or biking or carpooling the talk) as the Westside Transportation Alliance's Programs representative to Tigard and Tualatin in Washington County. If you want to spread the good word and help create healthier cities and lifestyles through transportation planning, follow the link to learn more and apply.

• Program Manager -- Westside Transportation Alliance

This is a paid listing, so when you apply, please remember to tell them you saw the ad on BikePortland... and good luck to all applicants!

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.

Kirk Hanna hit someone
while driving drunk at speeds
of 80 mph and did not stop.
(Photo: Multnomah County)

Kirk Hanna, owner of Mt. Hood Ski Bowl, real estate developer, and son of carwash magnate Daniel Hanna, and plead guilty to Hit and Run, DUII, and 4th degree Assault in a Multnomah County courtroom on Thursday.

According to Portland Police, Hanna, 49, was driving his Porsche SUV at speeds estimated to be 80 mph when he swerved and struck Robert Skof, ridig a bicycle on SW Macadam Ave, just north of the Sellwood Bridge on May 23rd. Hanna did not stop and witnesses say he sped up when they tried to follow him to get his license plate. The incident occurred at 2:43 am. The victim was transported to a hospital with bleeding and facial lacerations that were not life-threatening.

Kirk Hanna's Porsche Cayenne
SUV showing damage from the
hit-and-run.
(Photo: Portland Police)

Even though he hit a man on a bike at 80 mph while driving drunk and left him for dead on the side of the road, all the charges Hanna plead guilty to today are misdemeanors. He will serve 30 days in jail, lose his license for 90 days, and pay a fine of $1,000. This outcome was part of a carefully manipulated plea deal by Hanna's lawyers. As part of the plea, Hanna has agreed to compensate the victim within one year.

According to KPTV, the judge will allow Hanna to serve his time on the weekends.

Sargeant Todd Davis of the Portland Police Bureau Traffic Division said, "At the Traffic Division we take a dim view of drunk drivers who run down bicyclists and pedestrians."

I'll update this story with more details as I learn more.

New safety device would warn
people when a bus is turning.
(Photos © J. Maus)

In an effort to improve the safety of people walking and bicycling around their buses, TriMet is considering the use of a new product that would emit LED lights and short bursts of sound when a bus makes a turn.

Josh Blanchard, president of Safety Concepts (the company making the device), tells me that the "state of the art device" will prove capable of "drastically reducing accidents between buses, pedestrians and cyclists."

"Having an additional warning couldn't hurt and it would certainly help."
-- Rob Sadowsky, BTA

TriMet is under pressure to improve the safety of their buses after a high profile, double-fatal crash in downtown Portland last April (the family of the victims has recently filed a lawsuit against them). They're also currently investigating a crash earlier this month where a bus turned left across another lane of traffic on the transit mall and ran over a man and his bicycle in a crosswalk on SW Morrison.

Blanchard says the new device is a "passive system" that requires no action, input or additional training from operators. The device works by providing an "unmistakable, unique visual and audible warning/alert system to pedestrians or bicyclists around TriMet's buses during turning maneuvers." Here's a more detailed excerpt taken from the Safety Concepts operations outline:

"This system is designed to alert pedestrians and bicyclists when a bus will be making a left hand turn maneuver. The device uses high intensity LED lights similar to emergency vehicle lights,but smaller, and will be mounted to the front left (drivers side) corner of the bus, which can be seen, from 180 degree angle.

In addition this device also controls a Piezo, which emits short sound bursts for the Visually Impaired. The Piezo will be installed out of site behind the left side of the front bumper. The Control Module activates the LED lights and Piezo.

When the driver activates the left turn signal, the Control Module senses this action and immediately activates LED light(s) and Piezo until the signal has been deactivated. The LED light is shock proof, waterproof and will withstand any outside elements, the riggors [sic] of daily activity, or even during the washing process of the bus. The Piezo has been tested in extreme heat and cold, in both cases the Piezo continued to operate without any loss of sound intensity."

Blanchard confirms that his company has submitted a detailed proposal asking TriMet to install their new device. In an email to BikePortland, he wrote, "Implementation of our device on TriMet's vehicles looks promising, but only time will tell."

BTA Executive Director Rob Sadowsky says they're supportive of any device that would give people on bikes more warning of a bus's intentions. "What often happens with buses and bikes is they do the little dance on the road, and when you're in the middle of the bus, you may or may not see the turn signal depending on where you are at any given time. Having an additional warning couldn't hurt and it would certainly help." Sadowsky hopes if the new device is used, that it's turned on in advance of the turn, not after the turn has already started. "The light and sound by themselves is not enough, it's got to be done in advance of the turn."

While Sadowsky is supportive, he also says the BTA is "very concerned" about buses turning left at all. "Buses need to be able to change lanes to move and flow thru traffic, but left turns themselves are carbon eaters as well as creating an additional safety hazard. The BTA strongly recommends they [TriMet] examines all existing left turns in their system."

TriMet Communications Director Mary Fetsch confirms they have gotten a demonstration of the new device, "But as yet have not made a determination on whether or not to pilot them in our system."

While TriMet reviews the proposal, Blanchard says his company is trying to garner letters of recommendation and support from public agencies, groups, individuals and companies that "share our goal of improving public safety and preventing the kind of accidents which have happened recently."

"He [Christensen] is inciting violence, death threats, essentially begging someone to act violently against another person... Any harm to my son as a result of that language could be construed as a liability on the part of TriMet and on Dan personally."
-- Tom Bennett

The parents of a Paul Higgins, the man who was the subject of the controversial, "Portland! Kill this bicyclist!" blog post written by TriMet bus operator Dan Christensen, feel the situation should have been taken much more seriously.

Higgins' mom, Judy Bennett, wrote about the situation on her blog last Sunday. After reposting the blog post where Christensen detailed his intentions to "exercise the death option" on her son for his erratic riding behavior, Bennett wrote,
"Freaky, right? Makes you question what sort of person is allowed to drive people around our city in a large vehicle. I’m quite a bit more upset than you might be right now, because the bicyclist he is talking about is my son."

Bennett likens Christensen's post to a "a death threat on my child" and says the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office is "chomping at the bit for my boy to press charges so this wingnut can be put behind bars where he belongs." Higgins' father, Tom Bennett has emailed BikePortland in hopes of keeping the issue alive.

"He [Christensen] is inciting violence, death threats, essentially begging someone to act violently against another person... Any harm to my son as a result of that language could be construed as a liability on the part of TriMet and on Dan personally."

TriMet put Christensen on administrative leave for the blog post, and he was back on the job one week later. Citing privacy as this is a personnel matter, TriMet will not discuss what, if any other punishment they gave Christensen.

"It's up to his son. If he [Paul Higgins] comes forward, we'd re-open the investigation and make a charging decision."
-- John Copic, Multnomah County DA's office

Multnomah County DA John Copic confirms that he has discussed the incident (he declined to speak directly to the "chomping at the bit" claim) with Tom Bennett, but unless Paul Higgins (the victim in this case) decides to press charges, there's nothing further the DA's office will do. "It's up to his son. If he [Paul Higgins] comes forward, we'd re-open the investigation and make a charging decision." Copic did not comment directly on how the DA feels about the case.

Mr. Bennett echoes his wife's claims, saying that the DA "feels it's an actionable offense" but that they won't do anything without the consent of Higgins.

As for Higgins, Mr. Bennett says his son is in a "live and let live frame of mind" and just wants it to go away (read our Q & A with him).

Mr. Bennett says he feels this situation is emblematic of larger issues. He was amazed at the "strange way" BikePortland readers reacted to the story. "Instead of indignation at a death threat, all I seem to read is minute analysis of the event, precisely what Paul did (lane splitting or running a red) and endless back and forth about the facts" (comments number nearly 200 and are still coming in). Bennett also claims that the TriMet bus operators union had something to do with their light treatment of Christensen. "TriMet seems to be under the spell/control of the union... I mean, this guy still has a job? Doesn't make sense to me."

In the end, Mr. Bennett understands that his son is his own man and makes his own decisions. "Paul just wants to shake this guy's hand, even though both of his parents have an entirely different view on the situation. At some point your child grows up and takes his own path, even though parental instinct screams otherwise... I am not sure we have much more to say about it.. it's his call."

E-bikes are popping up all
over Portland these days.
(Illustration: Mark Young/Portland Storyboard)

Whether you like them or not, electric bikes have arrived and it looks like they're here to stay. E-bikes can now be found in almost every local bike shop, major manufacturers are adding e-assist to a growing number of urban and cargo bikes, and e-bikes can be spotted among bike traffic more and more. But what about the laws governing their specifications and usage?

This isn't intended to be legal advice, as I'm not a lawyer, but a brief summary of e-bike related law at the federal, state, and local levels.

Sam Hass uses his e-bike to
help pull his friend around.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Federal Law
At the Federal level, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) relegated defining what an e-bike is to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). The CPSC defines a low-speed electric bicycle as:

"... a two- or three-wheeled vehicle with fully operable pedals and an electric motor of less than 750 watts (1 h.p.), whose maximum speed on a paved level surface, when powered solely by such a motor while ridden by an operator who weighs 170 pounds, is less than 20 mph. (Public Law No. 107-319, section 1, 116 Stat. 2776 (2002))"

This law is also known as HR 727 (co-sponsored by Oregon's own Representative Earl Blumenauer). Since this is a CPSC ruling, it only defines what safety requirements are required to sell an electric bicycle; it in no way legislates their usage.

Also at the Federal level, under Title 23, Chapter 2, §217,

(h) Use of Motorized Vehicles.— Motorized vehicles may not be permitted on trails and pedestrian walkways under this section, except for—...
(4) when State or local regulations permit, electric bicycles...

For the purposes of this statute, an electric bicycle is "any bicycle or tricycle with a low-powered electric motor weighing under 100 pounds, with a top motor-powered speed not in excess of 20 miles per hour."

In short, at the federal level there are some restrictions defining e-bikes for the purposes of sales, but the decision to allow e-bikes is specifically delegated to the state or local level.

(Photo © J. Maus)

Oregon State Law
At the state level, e-bikes are touched on by the Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) in several places. First, state law clearly says that e-bikes are legally considered to be bikes:

814.405 - Status of electric assisted bicycle
An electric assisted bicycle shall be considered a bicycle, rather than a motor vehicle, for purposes of the Oregon Vehicle Code, except when otherwise specifically provided by statute.

And here's the Oregon Department of Transportation's (ODOT) definition of an e-bike:

801.258 “Electric assisted bicycle” means a vehicle that:
(1) Is designed to be operated on the ground on wheels;
(2) Has a seat or saddle for use of the rider;
(3) Is designed to travel with not more than three wheels in contact with the ground;
(4) Has both fully operative pedals for human propulsion and an electric motor; and
(5) Is equipped with an electric motor that:
(a) Has a power output of not more than 1,000 watts; and
(b) Is incapable of propelling the vehicle at a speed of greater than 20 miles per hour on level ground.

Although Oregon's watt limitation is higher than the federal limit, Oregon statute largely follows the federal intent. There are some additional e-bike specific statutes:

814.410 Unsafe operation of bicycle on sidewalk
(1) A person commits the offense of unsafe operation of a bicycle on a sidewalk if the person does any of the following:...
(e) Operates an electric assisted bicycle on a sidewalk.

807.020 Exemptions from requirement to have Oregon license or permit...
(14) A person may operate an electric assisted bicycle without a driver license or driver permit if the person is 16 years of age or older.

ODOT's handy pocket guide to
bikes of all types.
-Download PDF-

ODOT has compiled an informational page summarizing the law as it pertains to bikes, e-bikes, pocket bikes, and other vehicles. You can download the PDF here.

Portland City Code
At the local level, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) uses the ODOT definition of e-bikes in determining whether or not e-bikes are legally allowed to use bicycle infrastructure. This ensures consistency at the state and local levels.

Washington State Law (and beyond)
Washington state law is similar to Oregon law, though Washington law further requires wearing a helmet, and requires that the motor not provide additional power above 20 miles per hour. Some other jurisdictions have enacted their own e-bike regulations - for instance, e-bikes are illegal on all streets in New York State, though they are widely used as delivery vehicles in New York City. In Ontario, Canada, they recently completed a three-year test program to determine whether e-bikes could be safely integrated into regular bicycle traffic; their conclusion was to legalize e-bikes, albeit with some additional safety requirements around total weight, braking, and helmet usage.

In practice, e-bikes that are compliant with the above regulations are legally bicycles, and on one you are entitled to the same rights and responsibilities of automobile drivers, as well as other people on bikes. On a typical e-bike frame, 750 or 1,000 watts is going to be excessively powerful; in practice, 250-500 watts is sufficient for most riders. Heavier scooter-inspired e-bikes, legally still e-bikes, may need more power and bump against this limitation, as might e-bikes designed to carry cargo.

The 20 miles per hour is a reasonable speed limit – of course, it's more important to flow safely with traffic than always ride at the legal speed limit. Other countries limit e-bike speeds to 15 miles per hour; these models tend to feel underpowered on US roads. Finally, a restriction against riding on the sidewalk makes a lot of sense, even if you're not on an e-bike.

-- The article was written by Sam Hass, author of pdxebiker, a blog for discussion of electrically assisted bicycling in Portland. For more articles on e-bikes, browse the BikePortland archives.

Cycle Oregon riders riding over
a bridge on the Rogue River.
(Photo © J. Maus)

Cycle Oregon, the marquee bike ride that attacts over 2,000 participants every year, has been named the 2010 Honored Citizen by the Architecture Foundation of Oregon, (AFO) a non-profit organization that "advocates for the enhancement of our built environment, the livability of our communities, and preservation of our rich architectural heritage."

Why is the AFO bestowing its highest honor -- which in the past has gone to the likes of Congressman Earl Blumnenaur and former Oregon Governor and U.S. Senator Mark O. Hatfield -- to a bike ride? Because Cycle Oregon is much more than just a bike ride.

"Cycle Oregon takes riders, mostly from the metro area, into rural Oregon and the Oregon landscape inspires an awful lot of good architecture."
-- Bart Eberwein, board member of the AFO and Cycle Oregon

Executive Director of the AFO Jane Jarret says they selected Cycle Oregon for their "tremendous gifts to the state and to Oregon’s built environment." Through the Cycle Oregon Fund, Cycle Oregon supports the communities it passes through each year not just with the economic boost of a tent city numbering nearly 3,000 riders and volunteers, but in the form of annual grants to help the communities with a variety of projects. Specifically, Jarret mentioned Cycle Oregon funded projects like grange hall improvements in the tiny Wheeler County town of Spray, restoration of the Elgin Opera House, support of the Butte Falls Community Center, and major gifts they've given to preservation of the Historic Columbia River Highway.

"Cycle Oregon is leaving tracks of philanthropy to support infrastructure all across Oregon," Jarret adds, "And here at AFO, we consider all of Oregon’s built environment – bridges, grain elevators, light houses, gardens – important to the livability of our citizenry. We don’t narrow our “architecture” focus to skyscrapers."

Beyond the monetary impacts, longtime board member of both the AFO and Cycle Oregon, Bart Eberwein, says this award also has to do with Cycle Oregon's knack for inspiring people. "Cycle Oregon takes riders, mostly from the metro area, into rural Oregon and the Oregon landscape inspires an awful lot of good architecture. From Belluschi to Frasca [noted architects] they will tell you it is the mountains, the rivers, the woods, etc. that provide design ideas."

Put another way, Eberwein says the award is about the benefits of an urban/rural "conversation." "Cycle Oregon knits together metro and rural on a two-way street - the metro folk bring back ideas and sensibilities; the rural folk get money and respect from our riders."

The AFO will honor Cycle Oregon as their 2010 Honored Citizen at a ceremony on September 28th at the Oregon Convention Center.

Travis Wittwer.
(Photo © J. Maus)

North Portland resident Travis Wittwer loves bike racks and bike parking. That's nothing extraordinary on the surface; I mean, I like bike racks too, and I'm sure many of you appreciate them and even get excited/happy at the sight of an on-street bike corral or a whimsical art rack. But Travis really loves bike racks. He hunts them.

I've known about Travis's interest in bike racks ever since he and friend debuted their hilarious "Wild Creatures" film at Filmed by Bike in 2008. It was a spoof of The Crocodile Hunter but instead of crocs, they hunted bike racks (it was followed up last year with "Rack Attack!"). Since then, his interest in bike racks has not waned. The other day he sent me a Google Map of Portland bike racks, complete with photos and annotations (see it below).

Travis's relationship with racks has clearly reached a newsworthy level, so I decided it was time to ask him a few questions about it...

Why do you have such an interest in bike racks?

One of Travis's favorite racks, at
Sunnyside School in southeast Portland.
(Photo: Travis Wittwer)

"Racks are these silent creatures that hang about in the city. They do not do much and are just there. However, they are a indicator of how well a bike community is doing. You only needs racks if they are being used. Portland has over 4624 bike racks last time I checked. I have seen bike corrals grow and pop up all over the city.

There is nothing fancy about racks. Shear utility. The blandness of racks have spurred some to come up with fun ways to provide a rack, but do so with personality. People walking down the street who see a rack shaped like a coffee cup, or a tooth, or a pair of glasses on the sidewalk smile. The people interact with their city. It is like having art in the living room.

There is also a science to rack placement and I have seen many poorly placed racks: staples turned against the flow of pedestrian traffic; wave racks that put the bike's front wheel too close to the building so they are useless; or racks made out of inferior materials. This appeals to the city planning geek in me.

Racks are quiet, unassuming, useful things. They are almost invisible and often forgotten, but serve our city well."

How long have you been tracking them?

"Racks are these silent creatures... they are a indicator of how well a bike community is doing."

"I have watched bike racks for several years, but really started tracking them with a "Bike Rack" photo group on Flickr two years ago. The goal was to share bike racks and get into discussions on what works and doesn't, share cool ways to achieve a bike rack or bike station, share arty racks. This group even lead to the creation of a group showing Bad Bike Rack use/placement.

I have met several people in Portland, USA, and other countries who share an interest in bike racks and what they symbolize for bike culture."

[Travis's Google Map of Portland bike racks]

View Portland, Oregon Bike Racks in a larger map

What's was your motivation in creating the Google Map of racks? Just a hobby? Or are you really trying to provide a service so people can find them?

"I have a contact that I met through the bike rack group on Flickr whose opinions and observations on racks were serious and informative. He came to visit Portland for the first time this year to see the city and go to Filmed by Bike. In preparation of his arrival, I set up the Google map so he could tour the city a bit, looking at racks. Soon after creating it for him, I enjoyed having the racks in a place where I could see the location to other racks, businesses, and a thumbnail image.

It is just a hobby. A way for me to engage with Portland, people who like bikes, and the way the city runs."

What's next?

Travis's Rack On! design.

"In this age of nearly limitless city data, it would be cool to have an app for racks so people could find the nearest one (not that there is a lack of racks in Portland) or find a particularly interesting shaped one. I thought that there may be other people in the area that would enjoy the project of cataloging racks in Portland. It appears that someone has already gone in and started to organize the racks by "good" or "bad", giving each option a different colored marker.

Anyone can ask for editing rights to the map so that this can be larger than just me and a few others.

In the future, I'd like to see Portland have a bike rack art installation or contest (similar to New York City) that would serve as a way to bring the bike community together. It could be a celebration with a ride, brochure, explanation of bikes in the city, used for information and promotion of bikes.... Perhaps a bike scavenger hunt for Pedalpalooza next year. Perhaps, a cargo bike bike rack... Hmmmm."

Thanks for sharing your interest in racks with us Travis. Good luck with your future hunts and projects. (By the way, Travis is also a cargo bike enthusiast, but that's a subject for another day).

Follow Travis on Twitter @bikenounverb and see more of his bike and bike rack photos on Flickr.

Get a seat at the BAC.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The City of Portland has announced a call for new members of the Bicycle Advisory Committee. The committee, which dates back to the early 1970s, is currently staffed by PBOT Bike Coordinator Roger Geller and its role is to advise the Mayor, PBOT, and all other city bureaus on anything and everything related to bicycling.

A typical BAC meeting might consist of getting the lowdown on an upcoming project that impacts our bikeway system (like a new light rail line or a large development), hearing an update on current and/or future bike projects, and discussing a big picture issue like how to manage traffic concerns on multi-use paths. I've attended countless BAC meetings over the last five years and I have the utmost respect for its work and its members. And, as far as meetings go, many of them are far from boring. In fact, BAC meetings are often held with overflow crowds of interested citizens and other bike-interested folks.

From identifying projects and setting funding priorities, to weighing in on important policy issues, the BAC is where much of the action around bicycling happens in this town. If you're interested in becoming one of its voting members, and helping to make decisions that directly impact bicycling in Portland, you should consider applying for one of the open spots. There are up to 13 members of the committee as well as seven alternatives. Members serve a three-year term and the committee meets on the second Tuesday of each month. (Note: Membership is only necessary for votes (which don't happen very often). This is committee is very inclusive and everyone in attendance is given a chance to speak and join the discussion.)

Applications are due by September 30. Learn more on the BAC website or by contacting Roger Geller at (503) 823-7671 or roger(dot)geller@portlandoregon(dot)gov. Browse past articles about the BAC via our Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee tag.

UPDATE, 3:19 pm: In response to a comment below (and my own curiousity), here is more information about the selection process from PBOT bike planner Denver Igarta:

"Due to attrition over the last few years, the BAC is currently made up of 13 full members and no alternates. The term of all (13) current BAC members is expiring, so 13 full members will be appointed as part of this recruitment as well as at least 7 alternates.

The only functional distinction between full members and alternates is the ability to place a vote. Any current member interested in continuing work on the BAC must reapply. It is unclear how many current members will reapply or be selected, so the total number of slots to be filled by new members this recruitment is unknown at this point."