Welcome to a new week of bike news. Before we get started, let's look back at the noteworthy stories you might have missed last week...

— There was a big debate last week about people who break traffic laws while bicycling. It started with a post on The Atlantic Cities titled, "Cyclists Aren't 'Special,' and They Shouldn't Play by Their Own Rules" and spurred a response from Greater Greater Washington titled, "Cyclists are special and do have their own rules."

— The NY Times weighed in on the "YIMBY versus NIMBY" debates about the launch of bike share in New York City.

— Is it time to lower the legal limit of alcohol intoxication for people operating vehicles? The National Transportation Safety Board thinks so.

— Did you see the great video profile of Portland's Apex Bar? It explains beautifully why a business owner would go out of their way to appeal to people who ride bikes.

— I've been accused of over-reacting in the past when I make a big deal about people who make verbal threats to other road users. Now I'll always point to this story in Colorado, where man who previously complained that people on bikes don't belong on the road was arrested for killing one of them.

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— A coffee shop along the route of the Amgen Tour of California posted a mean-spirited flyer on their door that said (in part): "No coffee for you, silly out of town rich people in spandex. Don't come back!"

— Thanks to a new law in Houston, a person can no longer throw objects from their car with the intent of hitting someone riding a bicycle. The reader that shared this link said, "My sister lives in Houston and gets around by bike. She had no idea it was okay to throw things at cyclists or pedestrians from car windows until now."

— I'm not sure I follow the Wall St. Journal's logic on this one. They say the fall of Lance Armstrong is behind the trend away from bright-colored spandex and toward more subdued and stylish on-the-bike fashion?

— Neighborhood Notes published a great roundup of where to learn to work on your bike and where to ride it in Portland.

— Noted urban planning commentator Richard Florida took a look at the recently released Bike Score numbers and wrote a story about America's most bikeable neighborhoods.

— Bicycling Magazine released a visually compelling piece of online reporting that calls for improvements to helmet technology in order to prevent concussions.

— National Public Radio chimed in on biking during Bike to Work Week. Unfortunately they focused on the dangers of riding to work and even asked the ridiculous question, "Does it make you healthier?"

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The City Club of Portland, a respected local civic institution founded in 1916, will release their comprehensive research study on bicycling in Portland on May 31st. On that same day, bicycling will be the subject of their Friday Forum speaking series (speaker TBD) which will be attended by Portland's movers and shakers at the Governor Hotel in downtown Portland.

"With the release of City Club’s report on bicycle transportation in Portland," says a description of the event on their website, "we’ll answer the question: 'How should we improve our transportation system to optimize choice, efficiency and safety for all modes of transportation?'"

Depending on the timing and political climate, City Club research reports can have a big impact on how local issues are perceived. Recall back in June 2010, when a City Club report on Forest Park came out just a few months before the City released its recommendations on mountain bike access.

In their report, Bicycling in Portland: A Serious Look at Transportation Policy and Priorities, City Club says they'll make specific recommendations for the role bicycling should play in Portland, including specific ridership and infrastructure goals, as well as ideas on how to achieve them.

The Bicycle Transportation Research Committee has taken this project very seriously. They've interviewed many local bike leaders and experts (and at least one blogger), they've studied documents, funding levels, budgets, and so on. I fully expect this report to be a substantive look at how Portland is doing and how we need to improve in the future.

When the City Club's Bicycle Transportation Research Committee got to work on this project last April, we said that, "The report will likely come out right as a new mayor of Portland is settling into office. In addition, the transportation funding ideas they come up with will likely hit at a time when local, regional, and statewide discussions about this very issue are becoming very mature." By the end of May that will certainly be the case. Mayor Hales will likely have selected a new Director of PBOT by that time, and as we saw earlier this week he appears to settling in with regards to transportation policy. Also, there is growing chatter among policy makers at the local, regional, and statewide levels that a new statewide transportation funding package is in the works.

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Will the report be favorable to bicycling? I would be extremely surprised if it wasn't. Bicycling makes sense for Portland. There is not debate about that. The only time bicycling seems controversial, or anything but a good thing for Portland's future is when it's maligned for pageviews or politics. When you take time to research and fully understand the transportation policy context and benefits of bicycling — like it appears City Club's research committee has — there's simply no way to have a negative outlook on it.

Another clue about what we can expect in this report came Wednesday night when I shared my views on bicycling in Portland as part of a City Club-hosted "Civic Salon." Several members of the research committee were at that event, as were several other City Club members. We discussed many different bike-related topics and I shared all my crazy ideas, concerns, and hopes about where things stand. At the end of the event, someone from the committee said, "After hearing you speak tonight, I feel even better about our report." Hopefully that means the report will echo my feelings of the moment: That Portland has a legacy to be proud of but we've let bad PR and politics get in the way of progress for far too long.

I don't expect this City Club report to solve everything, but if my hunch is right it might help us regain some of our mojo.

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"We really do not have a problem with mountain biking at all. In fact, we would affirmatively support mountain bike access on Mt. Hood and we'd love to build allegiances with those folks, but we just don't believe this is the proper place for this development."
— Rhett Lawrence, Conservation Director, Sierra Club (Oregon Chapter)

Plans to build a mountain bike park on Mt. Hood have taken another turn. Yesterday, four non-profit organizations filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) to stop the project. The plaintiffs on the suit are Bark, Friends of Mt. Hood, the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, and the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club.

In the 56-page lawsuit (PDF), that coalition says the area of Mt. Hood where RLK & Company wants to build the Timberline MTB Park is, "ecologically significant" and consists of ,"fragile alpine ecosystems" that feed directly into Still Creek and the west fork of the Salmon River. The plaintiffs also claim that the Forest Service did not adhere to adequate public processes as defined by federal environmental review laws.

The project would build 17 miles of new, lift-assisted mountain bike trails on a 500-600 acre parcel of land (*I originally posted the incorrect acreage). In November of 2012, the Forest Service approved RLK's permit to build the park. In doing so, a USFS rep said he believes that mountain biking at Timberline, "represents yet another new opportunity for play in every season of the year." An appeal of that decision made by an even larger coalition of environmental groups was denied back in March (it's interesting to note that some groups on the original appeal have chosen not to join this new lawsuit).

In a statement (read full text below), Bark's Lori Ann Burd said, "The fragile alpine soils at Timberline are the wrong place for a downhill lift-assisted mountain bike park." Dennis Chaney with Friends of Mt. Hood referred to the project as an "adventure park" and said it would jeopardize Mt. Hood, "... by allowing high-speed downhill biking, races, and more development."

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The Sierra Club's participation in the lawsuit, with their 580,000 members nationwide and 20,000 members in Oregon, is significant. They're walking a very fine line given their history in working with mountain bike advocacy groups on national wilderness policy. In their "Park City Agreement" with the International Mountain Bicycling Association, Sierra Club says they see mountain biking as, "a legitimate form of recreation and transportation on trails, including single track, when and where it is practiced in an environmentally sound and socially responsible manner."

Image from Timberline Mountain Bike Park brochure.

In a statement about the lawsuit, Sierra Club Oregon Conservation Director Rhett Lawrence was careful to not say anything against mountain biking specifically. Their opposition has more to do with the USFS process and a general lack of trust that RLK/Timberline have been — and will be — good land stewards. In an email to BikePortland about the lawsuit, Lawrence explained that, "Though they may not believe it, we really do not have a problem with mountain biking at all. In fact, we would affirmatively support mountain bike access on Mt. Hood and we'd love to build allegiances with those folks, but we just don't believe this is the proper place for this development."

Portland resident Billie Cleek plans to end his Bark membership due to their continued opposition to this project. He contacted us after we shared news of this lawsuit via Twitter yesterday. Cleek is a frequent visitor to Mt. Hood for hiking, snowboarding, and mountain biking. He calls himself a "preservationist" and he wants to see more areas designated as wilderness (which prohibits mountain biking). But "Mt. Hood is not wilderness," he says, "It's a national forest." As such, he thinks it should be used for recreation. "Seventeen miles of single track below one of the lifts at Timberline lodge is not much. Modern trail building techniques result in significantly less run-off than many people realize. The trail system at Sandy Ridge [a few miles down the mountain from Mt. Hood] is a great testament to our ability to build solid trail without significant run-off."

"I have yet to see an explanation from Bark, Friends of Mount Hood, or Sierra Club that makes a strong case against the park; most arguments they are making seem to be based on faulty assumptions and/or fear. I'm more concerned about clear cuts, high grading, and ATV use throughout Mt. Hood National Forest than I am about a small mountain bike park in an already developed section of the mountain," added Cleek.

For more coverage of this issue — including a guest article from Bark explaining their opposition in more detail — browse our Timberline MTB Park story archives.

UPDATE: 2:19 pm: The Executive Director of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association Kenji Sugahara has contacted Sierra Club leadership to express his "disappointment" with their decision. Read his email to Brian Pasko below:

Dear. Mr. Pasko,

On behalf of the 5,000+ members of the Oregon Bicycle Racing Association, I would like to let you know we are very disappointed
with the decision of Sierra Club to join in the lawsuit to stop Timberline Park.

As a progressive who has been a supporter of efforts by the Sierra Club to help the environment (coal trains etc), the lawsuit makes me question whether I should be supporting the Sierra Club. Most importantly the Sierra Club, by joining the lawsuit is damaging relationships that the Sierra Club should be looking to strengthen.

While I appreciate some of the concerns that were brought up by opponents, the work with IMBA ensures that trail building is done in
an environmentally conscious manner.

We request that you immediately withdraw from the lawsuit.

Sincerely,

--
Kenji Sugahara
Executive Director
Oregon Bicycle Racing Association
Phone: 503-278-5550

http://www.obra.org

UPDATE, 2:07 pm: In order to provide additional context to the positions of the plaintiffs in this lawsuit, I have pasted the full text of their press release about it below:

Coalition Files Suit to Protect Fragile Alpine Meadows on Mt. Hood
Destructive Mountain Biking Expansion at Timberline Lodge Threatens Summer Recreation Opportunities, Fish and Wildlife in Sandy River’s Headwaters

May 16, 2013 -- Today Crag Law Center filed a lawsuit on behalf of Friends of Mt. Hood, the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra Club, the Northwest Environmental Defense Center, and Bark challenging the U.S. Forest Service’s (USFS) decision to allow high-impact lift- assisted mountain biking that would harm fragile alpine habitat near Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood. Over one million people visit Mt. Hood annually to climb, hike, ski, fish, bike, and play. Providing recreational opportunities and safeguarding our public land are at the core of the Forest Service’s mission, and the agency has an obligation to reject environmentally destructive development proposals.

“Mountain biking is growing in popularity and we support Forest Service efforts to provide environmentally-responsible, quality recreational opportunities for mountain bikers and other recreationists. However, the fragile alpine soils at Timberline are the wrong place for a downhill lift-assisted mountain bike park,” said Lori Ann Burd with Bark. “The Forest Service has failed to meet its responsibility to the public. Bark has worked with mountain bikers to encourage the Forest Service to convert unused logging roads into trails, but the Forest Service has failed to take action to seize these opportunities. Instead it has approved the construction of 17 miles of new trails in the sensitive headwaters of Still Creek and the West Fork of the Salmon River, leaving us no choice but to go to court to stop this development.”

The area around Timberline Lodge is cherished for summertime recreation such as wildflower viewing in the shadow of Mt. Hood. “Timberline Lodge in the summertime has always been a place to seek peace and quiet, and generations of families have treasured memories of hiking, picnicking, and sightseeing around Timberline,” said Dennis Chaney of Friends of Mt. Hood. “This project would jeopardize this beloved place by allowing high-speed downhill biking, races, and more development that will further degrade this fragile alpine environment. A National Historic Landmark and the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail are not compatible with an adventure park."

Marla Nelson of the Northwest Environmental Defense Center (NEDC) noted: “NEDC opposes this project because it would harm trout, salmon, and the aquatic environment that supports them.” She stated that the project will also:

- Increase sediment in Still Creek and the West Fork of the Salmon River, undercutting the significant investment of time and money in restoring downstream trout and salmon habitat
- Convert vegetation into bare mineral soils and encourage the further spread of noxious weeds
- Disturb wildlife, including elk, which rely on these high alpine meadows during calving season

“Timberline’s master plan to build a new day lodge, a new parking lot, and this mountain bike park was accepted by the Forest Service without adequate consideration of the cumulative effects on this fragile alpine environment,” said Rhett Lawrence, Conservation Director with the Sierra Club. “Timberline has not been able to successfully restore the areas it has already damaged and any new construction would simply add to the area's degradation. The Forest Service needs to engage the public in a meaningful discussion of how to provide for ecologically responsible recreation on our public land, instead of taking more risks with Mt. Hood.”

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We weren't so hot in 1990. Scroll down to see how we're doing now.

It's always interesting to look back and see how bicycling has grown in Portland over the decades.

Back in October 2005 I took some slides from a presentation by PBOT Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller and put together a GIF showing the development of Portland's bicycle infrastructure each year from 1980 to 2012 and beyond. That one's worth another look:

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The GIF above is neat, but it only shows infrastructure. Now I've put together a more up-to-date animation that combines infrastructure with bike mode share. In the 2012 Bicycle Count Report released by PBOT this morning, Geller included several graphics of the bikeway network overlayed with U.S. Census tract data based around a four-mile radius of the Burnside Bridge. When those graphics are put together into a GIF, you see a more compelling visual picture of how cycling has grown in Portland between 1990 and 2011:

Portland Bicycle Commute Mode Split By Census Tract
GIF by BikePortland using graphics created by PBOT

While it's fun and reassuring to see our progress over time — in both system development and ridership numbers — we are growing at a slower rate. There are many people in Portland still waiting for us to complete our network of bike-friendly streets. And until we do, we won't see a huge jump in ridership. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: If that GIF goes too fast to fully comprehend each graphic, I've shared them below for your viewing pleasure (click to enlarge):

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Hang out with Don Kruger at
his farm on Sauvie Island
this Sunday.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Before you finalize all your weekend riding plans, I wanted to highlight three events that deserve your attention.

Tomorrow is the American Lung Association's big annual Reach the Beach ride. It's the 23rd year for this popular event that takes folks from several starting points out to the finish line at Cape Kiwanda (south of Tillamook). There are 100, 80, 55, and 28-mile options leaving from Portland, Newberg, Amity, and Grand Ronde respectively. If you're doing the ride, have fun and good luck! If you're biking or driving on the route, expect to find thousands of people sharing the road with you.

On Sunday (5/19), bike racers and riders of all persuasions will head out to Sauvie Island for the Kruger's Kermesse Farm Crit. This unique event features a fun mix of terrain that will have something for riders of all abilities. It all happens at Kruger's Farm, which is a great place to bring the family and hang out with friends. For a fun day, ride out to the event via the St. Johns Bridge and Highway 30 (where traffic is much more pleasant on the weekends).

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On your way out (or to) the Kermesse, swing by Kenton Cycle Repair (2020 N McClellan) for their Huge Swap Meet and Grand Opening. Bring your bike stuff to sell and get a table for just $10.

Feel free to plug other events and/or share your plans in the comments...

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It just keeps growing, and growing, and...
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

In a report released this morning, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) says bicycle traffic counts for 2012 were up 3.3 percent over 2011 levels. These counts, which have been conducted annually since 1991, provide an important barometer for how many people are riding bikes in Portland. In addition to bike traffic volumes, the counts also tally gender and helmet usage. PBOT uses a mix of automated "hose" counts as well as manual counts by staff and volunteers. For the 2012 counts, volunteers manually counted 38,500 daily bicycle trips across a record 216 locations throughout the city — which PBOT says translates into more than 190,000 daily bicycle trips once the two-hour peak period counts are extrapolated out.

Here's the summary of 2012's numbers (taken directly from the report):

• Bicycle use in Portland continued its two decade long upward trend.
• 2012 bicycle counts showed a citywide 3.3 percent annual growth compared to the same locations counted in 2011.
• Bicycle counts showed a one-year decline in both NW and SW Portland.
• Bicycle traffic on Portland’s five principal bicycle-friendly bridges (Broadway, Steel, Burnside, Morrison and Hawthorne bridges) showed the highest number of bicycle trips since annual counts began in 2000/2001.
• Of 216 locations counted, 69 (32 percent) had daily bicycle traffic of more than 1000 trips.
• Since the 2000/2001 counts, the overall trend in bicycle traffic was up 211 percent; more than a tripling in use.
• Helmet use remained at historic high levels, with 80 percent of all people wearing their helmet.
• Helmet use is highest in SW Portland (90 percent) and North Portland (83 percent) and lowest in East Portland (63 percent). Helmet use in 2012 continued to be more prevalent among female riders (86 percent) than for male riders (77 percent).
• Female riders represented 31 percent of bicyclists citywide, remaining essentially unchanged since 2003.

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Of Portland's seven districts, northeast and east Portland showed the largest ridership increases over 2011 with a 9.3% and 11% increase respectively. On the flip-side, northwest and southwest (not including the central city) Portland showed a 5.7% and 6.6% decrease in ridership.

2012 Non-Bridge Bicycle Counts Compared with Prior Years

Another highlight of this year's count report are daily bike trip counts for the Hawthorne Bridge which gives us our best sense of how seasonal weather changes impact bike ridership. The chart below shows the daily 2012 counts compared to summer time peaks from 2009, 2007, 2005 and 2003. "While the graph demonstrates the drop in bicycle use associated with the seasons," writes the report's authors, "it also demonstrates that winter bicycle use in 2012 was generally higher than were the summertime peaks from 2005."

Daily Hawthorne Bridge Counts: January 1 2012-December 31 2012
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2012 was the first time PBOT has included count data from the Morrison Bridge. When it went in, the County (who owns/manages the span) and PBOT hoped the Morrison would alleviate the bike traffic crunch on the Hawthorne. So far, it seems to be underperforming. The Morrison had just 860 daily bicycle trips in 2012 compared to 8,136 daily trips on the Hawthorne. The Broadway Bridge was second to Hawthorne with 4,432 daily trips followed by the Steel with 3,311 and the Burnside with 2,055.

PBOT uses these counts to measure performance toward their goal of "making the bicycle an integral part of daily life in Portland" (they also rely on U.S. Census and City Auditor data).

Take a closer look at the numbers by delving into the full report here (PDF).

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The great bike-related job opportunities keep coming in. We had a diverse selection of Job Listings posted this past week. Check them out via the links below...

• Bike Mechanic - Sunset Cycles
• Policy and Government Affairs Manager - Cascade Bicycle Club
• Manufacturing Materials Processor - Chris King Precision Components
• Team Member - Universal Cycles

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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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ODOT's org chart.

I came across something interesting while perusing some Oregon Transportation Commission meeting materials: the 2012 ODOT Sustainability Progress Report (PDF). The report covers a number of things; from how much paper the agency uses to the amount of greenhouse gases being emitted by their vehicle fleet. But the part that caught my eye was the section titled "Work Force Diversity". It was an analysis about the demographics of ODOT's 4,521 employees.

Here's how the report's authors introduced the section:

ODOT must have a fully skilled, competent and diverse workforce to carry out its mission. As the number of retirements increase, ODOT must recruit employees with diverse backgrounds, retain the expertise of experienced employees, and develop employee skills to meet new challenges to the agency and the transportation system.

That sounds reasonable. Then I saw the statistical breakdown: 63% male, 90% white non-hispanic and 56% over the age of 50.

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The report noted that the workforce demographics didn't change much in 2012; but it did say that, "there are signs of an aging workforce as seen in a decrease in the percentage of employees under 35 years of age, and an increase for those 50 years and older."

As for racial diversity, the authors pointed out that employee demographics represent just "a piece of the diversity story at ODOT" and that many employees go through "training, conferences, and educational opportunities on diversity and cultural competency." 351 ODOT employees attended a diversity conference last year and ODOT has an internal course titled, "Building Intercultural Competency" which "aims to improve the ability of ODOT staff to interact effectively with people of different cultures." 2,673 ODOT staffers have taken the course so far.

The demographics of those who plan, develop and implement our transportation system matters. Age, race, and gender are major topics of discussion in the transportation advocacy world right now. I wonder how the demographics break down at the Portland Bureau of Transportation and other regional transportation agencies.

What do you think about ODOT's workforce demographics?

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Lance Marcus died Tuesday night
while driving on SW Barbur Blvd.
(Photo: Facebook profile)

45 year-old Lance Marcus died on Tuesday night after driving his car into a power pole on SW Barbur Blvd near Miles Street. The Portland Police report that Marcus was driving "at a high rate of speed" before he hit the pole.

In October of 2011, just a few tenths of a mile north of where Marcus died, 25-year old Nisha Rana was also killed when police say she "failed to negotiate a curve" while driving "at a very high rate of speed."

Back in 2010, just one mile north of those tragedies, 28 year-old Caleb Pruitt was also driving "at a high rate of speed" (according to the police) when he rounded a corner on SW Barbur Blvd near the Town and Country Apartments and collided with 26 year-old Angela Burke. Burke was walking her bicycle at the time and was attempting to cross the street.

Barbur Blvd is notorious in Portland transportation circles. It's one of the City's High Crash Corridors and it has been subject of hopeful planning documents and neighborhood activism for years. However, despite this attention, it remains a classic, high-speed arterial where people continue to drive too fast and people continue to get hurt and killed. A few weeks ago a new "Friends of Barbur" group came together to try and hasten improvements. Here's what they wrote on their website:

Few streets in Portland have received some much planning and attention yet so few improvements. From The Barbur Streetscape Plan, The Barbur Concept Plan. and The Southwest Corridor Plan Barbur has been through several public processes yet it remains one of the most dangerous high crash corridors in Portland and is a barrier for walking and bicycling movement in throughout Southwest Portland.

As the fatality on Tuesday reminds us, Barbur is also a safety hazard for people in cars because its design encourages speed and, as we all know from Traffic Safety 101, speed kills (either the person doing it or unlucky bystanders).

"The time has come for a serious and earnest discussion with the community regarding traffic safety on Barbur Blvd."
— Roger Averbeck, Southwest Neighborhoods Inc Transportation Committee

Roger Averbeck is a veteran of transportation activism in southwest Portland. Through his membership on the Southwest Neighborhoods Inc. Transportation Committee, he volunteers on many advisory committees and goes to so many planning meetings he probably works more for the city than some of their own employees. After hearing about the death of Lance Marcus, Averbeck emailed dozens of PBOT staff and nearly 50 of his personal contacts last night.

"Unfortunately, there was another fatal car crash on Barbur Blvd last evening," Averbeck wrote. "The time has come for a serious and earnest discussion with the community regarding traffic safety on Barbur Blvd, including the consideration of a lane diet, and safety improvements for all modes."

A rendering by Owen Walz of what SW Barbur Blvd could look like where it passes over the SW Vermont St bridge.
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Averbeck also noted the irony that Tuesday's crash happened just one block from an ODOT's SW Barbur Blvd Newbury & Vermont Street Bridge Rehabilitation Project. That's the project that has spurred a renewed push for a road diet on Barbur. Road diets are proven to reduce speeding and collisions and analysis shows a lane reconfiguration would not bring auto traffic to a grinding halt.

If this were a PBOT owned and managed facility, I have little doubt a road diet project would already be underway. But ODOT owns and manages these outer segments of Barbur Blvd, and they have so far been unwilling to take strong steps forward with it. The road diet idea is currently being discussed as part of the SW Corridor Plan; but advocates like Averbeck know planning processes like that work on timelines measured in decades.

"While I appreciate the consideration of future improvements that might occur as result of high capacity transit in in the SW Corridor 15-20 years from now," Averbeck wrote in his email. "this is too long to wait. Critical safety improvements, that were recommendations in the 2011 High Crash Corridor Study, and increased law enforcement are needed now, not in 2028."

Averbeck is calling for a meeting between ODOT, Metro, the City of Portland and southwest Portland community members, to discuss funding and implementation of safety improvements on Barbur. Hopefully this meeting takes place and hopefully it results in action. Stay tuned.

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Portland Mayor Charlie Hales crossing E Burnside at 16th as a decoy in a police enforcement action this morning.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

After playing the role of decoy in a crosswalk enforcement mission this morning, Portland Mayor Charlie Hales has firmly cemented safety as his top transportation priority. Under the watchful eye of about eight motorcycle officers with the Portland Police Bureau's Traffic Division and with several TV news cameras rolling, Hales put himself in the middle of morning rush hour traffic on East Burnside at 16th.

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Luckily for Hales, the intersection (a key north-south route for biking and walking traffic that's just a few blocks from a school) was recently upgraded with crosswalk striping, median islands, and caution signage.

Prior to these improvements, people trying to cross Burnside at 16th by bike or on foot took a significant risk. This morning, not only did Hales have engineering on his side, he also enjoyed nearly perfect behavior from road users due to the gaggle of onlookers, PBOT staff, police, and news media that had gathered on the corners. There were a few stops made by the officers, but not many. And for what it's worth, they were only issuing warnings today. One of the officers said they plan to return next week for another "enforcement mission" and they won't be so forgiving.

This is less than half of the crowd that made this morning's event far from a surprise.

Between crossings, I asked Hales what he thought of the new crossing treatment. "I think this reinforces that a really clear and legible crossing really does make a difference," he said. "I think even after the show departs from this intersection, the clarity of what has been done here will help a lot."

"It's personal. It's a serious community problem, and I've become more fervent about it than I was even six months ago."
— Mayor Charlie Hales on traffic safety

It's important to note how Hales has evolved — politically and personally — on the transportation issue. He ran for Mayor by promising to make road maintenance his top priority. "Transportation choices and bikes and all the other things that we're doing might have to be deferred a bit while we catch up on maintenance," he told KATU after winning the election in November. Hales based this in part on the huge maintenance backlog we have; but it was also a way to draw a contrast to former mayor Sam Adams. Adams was arguably the most safety-oriented transportation bureau commissioner Portland has ever had. One high-level PBOT staffer once referred to him as "our transportation safety mayor." Adams took a political risk by spending money on traffic safety-related projects at the expense of more traditionally auto-centric paving and capacity-related projects.

Now, in light of a rash of fatal collisions, Hales talks a lot more about safety and a lot less about maintenance. In a PBOT press release about this morning's crosswalk action, Hales stated, "Safety is the top priority of our transportation system."

This morning during a short interview, I asked Hales about how he's evolved on the topic of traffic safety. He pointed out that Portland has suffered from 15 traffic deaths so far this year. "We're off to a really bad start... And a bunch of them were pedestrians." He mentioned Morgan Maynard-Cook, the five year-old girl from east Portland that died trying to cross a street at the end of April. And then he shared that a woman killed while walking on Beaverton Hillsdale-Highway back in December, 27 year-old Mara Rosanne Forsythe-Crane, was the daughter of a personal friend.

"So it's personal. It's a serious community problem, and I've become more fervent about it than I was even six months ago."

Hales' change of tune on this topic has already impacted city policy. Just over a month after Morgan Maynard-Cook died, he held a press conference to announce that he would restore funding to a sidewalk project on SE 136th (funding that was yanked by Hales' hand-picked, road maintenance-centric PBOT Director Toby Widmer).

Hales with PPB Traffic Division Captain David Hendrie (and PBOT spokesman Dylan Rivera).

Asked about the policy implications of his safety focus, Hales said, "It reinforces the importance of traffic enforcement in the Police Bureau." When it comes to the ongoing city budget negotiations, Hales said he's "Trying to maintain a level of enforcement effort in the Traffic Division so they can be out here educating and penalizing as appropriate."

"And obviously," he continued, "we want to make sure PBOT continues to invest in these type of improvements systematically around the city. We've got hundreds of intersections that still need this kind of treatment."

Learn more about PBOT's traffic safety programs at their Traffic Safety Resources page. You can also read past coverage of crosswalk enforcement actions

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The Historic Columbia River Highway is a bicycling gem.
And it just keeps getting better.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

This guest article was written by ODOT's Region 1 Transit and Active Transportation Liaison Jessica Horning and ODOT's Historic Columbia River Highway project coordinator Kristen Stallman.

The Historic Columbia River Highway is one of Oregon’s most popular and scenic destinations regardless of your preferred mode of travel. The 73-mile route from Troutdale to The Dalles provides amazing views of the best the Columbia River Gorge has to offer, from waterfalls to windswept high plains. The highway was constructed in 1913 with a maximum 5 percent grade, making it an ideal route for a long distance bike ride. The Historic Highway is also a designated scenic byway, making it a popular shared route for motorists and bicyclists alike.

In 2013, the Historic Highway will see improvements that will make this scenic gem more accessible, with more opportunities for visitors to enjoy the Gorge by foot, bike, and car.

The Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory Committee and the Friends of the Historic Columbia River Highway have joined together to advocate for the completion of the State Trail by 2016, the 100th anniversary of the Historic Highway.

On May 24th, the section of the Historic Highway between Larch Mountain Road and Latourell Falls will reopen after being closed to all traffic (including people on bikes and foot) sporadically through the winter while repairs were made to the Crown Point Viaduct around Vista House. The Historic Highway will be open with no traffic restrictions for Memorial Day weekend (May 24-27) and then periodic lane closures will resume until repairs are completed in mid-June. These closures may cause delays for all users and result in the highway being more crowded than usual, so please plan ahead and be alert and courteous when sharing the road.

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(Photo: ODOT)

Narrow and winding sections of roadway contribute to the Historic Highway’s charm, but can also lead to tension between users, especially during the peak summer months. This spring ODOT will install Share the Road signs in several locations along the Historic Highway between the Sandy River and Vista House to alert drivers to the presence of cyclists. This road is a precious resource that is shared by many users and it is important that we are all respectful and considerate to one another. ODOT is also working with local communities and organizations to increase understanding of proper road-sharing behavior:

• Motorists should pass cyclists with care when it is safe to do so, and be patient in areas where topography, debris, or the narrow roadway makes it safer for cyclists to ride in the center of the lane.
• Cyclists should ride to the right and single-file when traffic approaches and allow motorists to pass when the road is wide enough to safely do so.
• ODOT will be installing “Share the Road” signs at several locations on the Historic Highway and is exploring ways to improve bicycle wayfinding signage.

ODOT is investing in making the Historic Highway an even better place to ride by reconnecting severed sections of the Historic Highway via the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail. Eleven miles of the Historic Highway are currently preserved as a State Trail for exclusive hiking/biking use. On Saturday, Sept. 14, 2013, ODOT will celebrate the grand opening of an additional 1.6-mile section of trail connecting John B. Yeon State Park in Warrendale to the existing restored Historic Highway State Trail at Moffett Creek Bridge that travels to Cascade Locks. Federal funding has been secured to design and construct another gap in the State Trail between Warren Creek and Lindsey Creek in 2015. Another 2.1 mile section of trail connecting Wyeth State Park to Lindsey Creek State Park (across Shellrock Mountain) is currently being considered for funding through ODOT’s 2016-18 State Transportation Improvement Program.

Map by ODOT, click to enlarge.

The McCord Creek Bridge and a new 1.6 mile section of the Historic Highway State Trail will open this summer. This connection will close the "missing link" and allow people to travel via bicycle from Troutdale to Cascade Locks without having to ride on I-84.

McCord Bridge Trail.
(Photo: ODOT)

Once complete, the Historic Highway State Trail will connect communities along the Gorge to many of Oregon’s underdeveloped State Parks. As trail construction continues, a world-class cycling route is being developed in partnership with these small towns by developing relevant mapping and enhancing tourism amenities to cater to the cycling market. In order to share initial successes and the positive economic impact of Historic Highway and State Trail, ODOT produced the film, One Great Road, Many Great Economic Benefits.

At ODOT, we're excited about the progress on the Historic Highway. Thanks for your patience during construction and we hope to see a lot of you out on your bikes enjoying this state treasure very soon.

Learn more about the Historic Columbia River Highway on ODOT's website. You can also browse our archives for past coverage.

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Seattle resident Jan Heine is a very respected figure in the bicycling world. As editor of Bicycle Quarterly, a magazine that delves deeply into bicycle design and randonneuring, he has a large and loyal following. So when he published a lengthy blog post yesterday that was highly critical of the "worrisome trend" in the U.S. of building and advocating for cycle tracks and other types of physically separated bikeways — I wasn't surprised at the heated debate it stirred up (both in his comment section and on Twitter when I shared the link).

Heine has touched a nerve on one of the the most heated debates in the bicycling world: Should we create separation (which is the outlook held by almost every major bike advocacy organization) similar to the great bike cities of northern Europe; or should we focus on educating people how to "take the lane" and maintain the push for "vehicular cycling" wherein people on bikes learn to share lanes with those of us in cars. (Or better yet, as some have pointed out in comments below, we should combine the best aspects of the two approaches.)

In his blog post, he explains his position in thorough detail and several photographs of a protected bike lane (I'm not sure of its location, but it's clearly in the U.S.). Here are a few excerpts (which I share with concern for lack of context and I recommend reading his entire post):

"At first sight, separate bike paths seem appealing. You are away from cars, riding by yourself...

Unfortunately, this idyllic view hides some very real dangers.

To understand bicycle safety, it is important to look at the actual, rather than perceived, dangers. The danger of being hit from behind or being “clipped” by a car passing too close is very small. It accounts for less than 5% of car-bike accidents.

Most accidents involving bikes and cars occur at intersections...

This is the greatest danger for cyclists: being overlooked in traffic. Since drivers usually scan the road for cars, cyclists are safest if they ride where drivers look for cars. To be safe, cyclists must be an equal part of traffic.

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Heine's greatest concern is one shared by a lot of critics of separated bikeways: that they decrease visibility, lead to more collisions, erode riders' right to the road, and lead to a false sense of security.

Pointing to data from Berlin, Heine is convinced that separated bikeways lead to more collisions: "On streets with frequent intersections, separate paths only make cycling less safe. I wish those who advocate for them would look at the data and stop asking for facilities that will cause more accidents."

If separated bikeways are so bad, why do they exist in all of the best biking cities in the world? Here's how he explains that:

"Having lived in Europe, I believe that cycling there is successful in spite of (and not because of) the bike paths. It may help to know that separate bike paths originally were not introduced to make cycling better, but to clear the road for cars (by the car-obsessed Nazis in Germany). For that reason, cyclists were required by law to use the bike path, whether it was well-designed or not. Other European countries quickly followed this “innovation.” It spread to yet more countries when Germany invaded much of Europe during World War II."

Heine's post has garnered a lot of support and a lot of opposition with strong feelings on both sides. It shows that, while separated bikeways have come to dominate the U.S. bike advocacy vision — there remains support for a more vehicular cycling approach.

The League of American Bicyclists knows this all too well. After years of internecine wrangling within their board, ardent vehicular cycling advocates only recently realized the League would never stray from a promotion of separated facilities. Given that, they've moved on and have created IAmTraffic.org to promote their vision.

While I know many people disagree strongly with Heine's perspective, I think it's important for advocates and activists to realize, acknowledge, and respect it. Is there a way to meld these visions? Or is this battle of perspectives destined to persist? Will promotion of separated facilities lead to a loss of "rights to the road" for people on bicycles?

Read Jan Heine's post: Bike to Work 3: Separate or Equal?.

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The epic 2007 Bridge Pedal bottleneck at the Ross Island Bridge.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Registration opened yesterday for the 18th annual Bridge Pedal ride. Organizers have unveiled a few new features to the ride this year, including — for the first time ever — registration caps to keep the size of the rides to manageable levels.

As far back as 2005 (which is as far as my archives go), Bridge Pedal has been plagued by massive crowds and bottlenecks. Before the 2006 event, a special meeting of stakeholders was called to help solve issues related to the crowds. In 2007, the ride turned into more of a walk as thousands of people were stalled and forced to walk due to a bottleneck at the Ross Island Bridge. That debacle garnered a front page headline in The Oregonian.

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This year, Bridge Pedal owner and chief organizer Rick Bauman has placed registration caps for each of the five rides (and the "Stride"). The 10, eight, and six-bridge rides will be limited to 5,000 people each. The "Kids Pedal", a three-mile ride only for little ones, is limited to 1,000 participants and the "Fremont Express", a 6:00 am ride for faster riders is capped at 1,500. Bauman says he doesn't expect to turn many people away since these caps are set close to the number of registrants they've had in the past several years.

Here's more from Bridge Pedal:

To help ensure all Providence Bridge Pedal bicyclists have a safe, enjoyable ride, there will be limits this year on the number of participants in each event. This will help minimize congestion on the ride, allowing everybody to complete the ride within the event's time limits.

Crowding always has been a problem at Providence Bridge Pedal. We are experimenting this year with generous limits on the number of participants in each event to help ensure that everybody has a fun, safe ride. In addition, all rides need to be complete by certain times before our permits expire.

The ride is set for Sunday, August 11th. Learn more and register at BridgePedal.com.

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Local frame builders Travis Cooper (left) and Joshua Bryant will
share their craft with the public at Velo Cult.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Since they moved to Portland from San Diego just over one year ago, Velo Cult Bike Shop & Tavern has proven that the old rules don't apply when it comes to what a bike shop should be. Now, the shop that's known just as much for parties as they are for products has announced the opening of a public frame building studio.

That's right. A full-fledged studio where local craftsmen weld steel tubes into bicycle frames and shop visitors can watch every step of the process while they enjoy a cold beer (from one of 14 taps), get their bike repaired, or pick up some new parts. I've heard shop owner Sky Boyer talk about this for months and this Friday is the big launch party.

So far, two builders have agreed to ply their craft for the public: Joshua Bryant of Cycles J Bryant and Travis Cooper of Cooper Cycles (both builders are from the 1515 SE Ankeny shop I profiled back in February).

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While he realizes it might not lead to the highest levels of productivity, Bryant says he's excited to give this a try. "I'll be able to come out and say hi when I've got a moment or two and want to chat with folks. It's exciting and possibly great exposure as a result of being so accessible... I'm also just a little bit crazy enough to think this is somehow a good idea."

The viewing area in progress. Visitors will peer through these windows into the studio.
(Photo: Velo Cult)

For Sky, this is an opportunity to embrace something he loves — custom made steel frames — while also helping up-and-coming local builders get some much-needed exposure. To learn more, I emailed Sky a few questions...

What exactly is this "frame building studio"?
We built a nice area for frame builders to work and for customer to watch. There is a counter top with bar stools where you can watch the builders through glass. Kind of like watching glass blowers. The frame builders will be operating their own businesses so I have no say in what they do. Both builders do mostly lugged brazing on randonneur style frames. There's room for more in the future. The idea is to have frame builders in this space on shifts so that all times there's someone for customers to watch. I've always been a big supporter of frame builders because I know how hard that business is. My reasoning for doing this is first and foremost for my customers and secondly so that the builders can get exposure.

Velo Cult owner Sky Boyer.

Why would a bike shop and tavern have such a thing?
Velo Cult is really my home away from home. My concept with the shop is to do what I would want to see in a shop. Frankly, watching frame builders is fun. Watching anybody build or fix is fun. At least it is to me. I feel that customers would likely feel the same for the most part. Have a beer and watch frame builders, sounds like a good afternoon to me.

Won't it be annoying for the builders to have a bunch of people looking over their shoulders?
It will take a certain type of frame builder for sure. Being in a fish bowl has it's drawbacks. The reasoning for doing this is worth it to some though. Most (pretty much all) frame builders are buried in their caves and don't see the light of day until they crawl out and go to a custom frame show. At those shows they get photographed. It's a lucky day when they can sell a frame at a frame show, really they just get exposure from dozens of blogs and hundreds of individuals with Facebook accounts. In this setting they will be behind glass and hopefully a hundred people a day will take photos and promote their brands.

What are your goals for this? How do you think it will help your business and/or shop community?
I would like to have more people riding custom steel bikes. I know I won't make any money on people buying these custom bikes but still, it's promotion for good frames. I'd like to see the frame builders get popular beyond their wildest expectations. It would be great if people found this to be a source of good entertainment and perhaps I could sell a beer or two. As for community, I hope that this and other things we do will help to boost up the Hollywood District which I feel it's high time for. Hollywood district has some cool things happening now and I hope to be a solid part of that.

The official launch party for the frame building studio is set for this Friday (May 17th) at 7:00 pm.

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ECHOS Communications, a marketing agency based in Sausalito, California with deep roots in the cycling industry and San Francisco-based Chrome Industries, announced this morning that they've launched the Urban Cycling Hall of Fame. The mission of the UCHOF is to "celebrate the culture of urban cycling and showcase the history and people shaping the modern urban bike movement."

"We felt it was important that somebody take this moment and recognize the people who got us where we're at today," said Chrome President Steve McCallion during an interview with BikePortland last month (I'll share more from that interview next week).

Here's more from the official announcement:

"UCHOF pays tribute to those individuals who have contributed significantly to the urban cycling culture and draws attention to the influence urban cycling has had in popular culture through events, products and legendary triumphs of influential cyclists. UCHOF’s mission in the first year is to collect the artifacts and stories of urban cyclists to create the Collections that will tell the story of urban cycling and educate the public on urban cycling culture. At it’s core UCHOF was born from the desire to unite riders and gather collectibles to tell the story of where we came from and who helped us get here"

The UCHOF will recognize three categories of inductees: "the Riders", the "Organizers", and "the Makers" and they've put out an open call to the public for nominations. Here's how they define each of the categories:

Riders are recognized heroes who have earned respect from a local to global level. Organizers are the masterminds who work behind the scenes of legendary events that play a pivotal role in the cycling culture. Makers celebrate the true artisans of our time and are those who have proven their excellence and add value to the community we live and ride in.

The first class of inductees will be selected by a committee that includes photographer/blogger John "Prolly" Watson, Olympic track cycling silver medalist (and former New York City messenger) Nelson Vails and noted messengers Kevin "Squid" Bolger, Christina Peck, Austin Horse, and Andy White. Inductees will be announced at an award ceremony during the Interbike trade show in Las Vegas this September.

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Similar to other hall of fames, in addition to members the UCHOF will also include a collection of artifacts "that define urban bike culture." The Collections will premiere at Interbike and will be housed permanently in San Francisco; but portions of the Collections will travel to Chrome's retail stores. Anyone can submit to the Collections via an online form and Chrome will also scour the country this summer in their 1976 GMC motor home dubbed "Chrome One" (which will be piloted by none other than Amanda Sundvor, a former 21st Avenue Bicycles employee and manager of Chrome's Portland store).

The UCHOF has Portland roots, not just because of our obvious contributions to urban cycling, but because Portland resident Billy Sinkford (a.k.a. "Souphorse") spearheaded the endeavor. I sat down with Sinkford (a former messenger himself) and Chrome's McCallion last month to learn more about the UCHOF. Sinkford says he realizes urban cycling "means a lot of different things to a lot of different people," but for him it's about, "those who live by the bike in an urban environment." McCallion adds that the UCHOF will also include advocates and "people that are proponents of more bikes in the city."

It will be excited to see how the UCHOF develops in the coming year. One key aspect of its success will be participation from people like you. If you have stories, nominees, or actual artifacts of urban cycling you'd like to share with the UCHOF, check out their website to learn how to get involved. You can also follow the UCHOF on Instagram and Twitter at @UrbanCyclingHOF.

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Everywhere we turn these days it seems there are signs that bicycling means business. Whether it's impacts to tourism, property values, sales receipts, or economic and urban development — the case is very strong. Another major component of the "bikes mean business" mantra relates directly to how having a bike-friendly workplace contributes to the bottom line. Simply put, a bike-friendly workplace can have a significant impact to the physical and financial well-being of businesses and their employees.

At the Portland Employers Bike Summit this Friday, executives, building managers, and HR personnel will get the information and inspiration they need to take advantage of the growing movement to make workplaces more attractive to bicycling and low-car employees.

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After a Keynote Presentation by Mia Birk of Alta Bicycle Share (among other things), there will be expert workshops, a Q & A breakout session, and then a post-event group ride and bike parking and bike facility tour. Here's a look at the workshops:

Building a Business Case for Biking Investments

Bicycling is good for the bottom line. Hear from the ranks of executives, HR personnel and building managers how encouraging bicycling has become part of doing business in Portland. Walk away with tools and actions to make your workplace more bike-friendly.

Low Car Commute Benefits

There’s more to commute benefits than bike parking or a free TriMet pass. What benefits haven’t you considered? How can you sell them to your colleagues? Three employers of different sizes will explain how they’ve used holistic commute programs to build company-wide support for every sort of low-car commuting, sometimes at little cost.

The Bike Commute Challenge and Beyond: Getting Coworkers Fired-Up about Biking

You don't have to reinvent the wheel to get your coworkers excited about biking. The BTA's Bike Commute Challenge and existing organized team rides provide great opportunities for both team-building and making bicycling part of your workplace's culture and identity. Leave this workshop empowered with fun ideas, a great list of resources, and success stories you can use at your workplace whatever your position or budget.

Building a Bike Commuting Team Inside Your Company

Form an in-house bike commuter team among company employees to promote bike commuting, advocate for improved bike facilities, and educate colleagues on key aspects of bike commuting.

The event is sponsored by Regence Oregon Health Insurance and partners include the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the Lloyd Transportation Management Association, Portland Afoot, and the Portland Bureau of Transportation. You can still RSVP for the event online.

Portland Employers Bike Summit
Friday, May 17th from 1:00 to 4:00 pm
100 SW Market – Sisters Conference Room
RSVP online

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Detail of proposed sign. See larger image below.

Responding to concerns about poor quality bike access on two narrow bridges on SW Barbur Blvd, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has proposed a new flashing sign that would warn road users about the presence of bicycle traffic. The new sign is being considered as part of the $5 million Newbury & Vermont Street Bridge Rehabilitation Project.

ODOT announced the new sign at an open house for the project last night and they've updated their project website with a graphic of the proposed sign. They are currently asking for feedback as to whether or not it would be worth installing. The plan would be to install four signs total — two per bridge and one in each direction. They come with an automatic sensor, which means the lights would flash without someone on a bike having to stop and push a button. ODOT says this would be the first sign of its kind on any highway or bridge in the entire state.

Here's a larger version of the conceptual design of the sign released by ODOT:

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Currently, the bike lane stops completely and the road narrows where SW Barbur Blvd goes over the Newbury and Vermont street bridges. This situation, along with the repaving of the road that will come with this bridge rehab project, spurred citizen activists and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) back in January to urge ODOT to grab this opportunity to do a road diet and add bike lanes to the Barbur bridges. ODOT said a road diet would be beyond the scope of this project and instead they referred the idea to the SW Corridor planning process (where it's currently being considered).

Despite ODOT's reluctance to move forward with the road diet, citizen advocates continue to push the idea. Last week the newly formed Friends of Barbur group met for the first time to outline steps to make the road diet a reality. "Few streets in Portland have received some much planning and attention yet so few improvements," says the group's website.

One veteran transportation activist from southwest Portland says the signs are appreciated, they won't solve the core safety issues. "While the flashing warning signs proposed will be helpful, ODOT continues to fall far short in addressing the fundamental safety issues on Barbur between Naito and Terwilliger."

ODOT says the four signs would cost about $80,000 and they could be moved and used at other locations if future projects (like a road diet) were implemented. For more information, visit the project website.

If you have feedback about this proposal, please tell ODOT what you think. Contact Jilayne Jordan via email at Jilayne.Jordan@odot.state.or.us.

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Smashed window at Chrome store.
(Photo: Chrome Industries)

Thieves smashed the large front window of the Chrome Industries store at 425 SW 10th Avenue in Portland in the wee hours of Monday morning.

According to Store Manager Lilly Eidsness, they broke the glass and "grabbed whatever they could reach." In this case that was five bags — which were hand-sewn custom bags made by in-house seamstress Lara Kessler. The total value of all the bags is $630 and the broken window is estimated to cost $1,000 to replace. Chrome is open for business while the window is being replaced.

The custom bags were one-of-a-kind, which leaves Eidsness hopeful they will catch someone's eye and end up being recovered (see photo below). Below is a photo of the stolen bags followed by a description of each one:

The three bags on the left are the custom stolen items.
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The all grey bag all the way on the left is custom made and one of a kind.

There may be similar but much older Chrome bags of the Orange/ White, but this one was made custom as a right shoulder which is unique and one of a kind. (The majority of our bags are made to sit on the left shoulder across the body)

There are similar but older/ used Navy/ Yellow bags in the city. However this bag was also made custom in the store and has a reflective stripe along the bottom of the bag that can be seen in the photo. It also has a black logo on the buckle that make this unique and one of a kind.

Eidsness says Portland Police found some evidence of the theft around the corner from the store; but there are no solid leads thus far.

Chrome's Portland store opened just about one year ago. This is their first break-in; but it's hardly the first smash-and-grab we've reported on in this area. Just around the corner from Chrome, West End Bikes was one of several bike shops in the area hit by the "window pane bandit" back in 2011.

Eidsness says she's already contacted other stores that sell bags and similar items and encourages anyone with information to contact her at (503) 719-4693.

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Photo taken last week at the Go By Bike shop under the Aerial Tram. "Only" 175 bikes parked that day.
(Photo: Kiel Johnson)

What started as a mobile bike shop operated out of a small trailer near the Portland Aerial Tram in the summer of 2011 has turned into one of the largest daily bike valet services in the country. One day last week, Go By Bike bike shop owner Kiel Johnson recorded a whopping, one-day record of 198 bike parking customers.

Kiel Johnson (blue shirt) delivers cycling
service with a smile.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

I asked Johnson to share more about how his valet service is filling a necessary niche in the South Waterfront and he shared the following stats:

• Our daily average over the year is 132 bikes per day
• In the past 13 months we have parked 28,859 bikes
• 60% of users are female and 40% are male
• We've had zero bike thefts in valet or surrounding area while we have been there

While Johnson gives credit to the bike-friendly road infrastructure in the South Waterfront, he says the key to popularity has been the creation of a welcoming space.

"We have shown that one of the ways to drastically increase the number of people riding bicycles," Johnson wrote to us via email, "is not only to focus on building comfortable infrastructure but also building a vibrant community place." Johnson sees himself and his four employees not just as valet attendants and bike mechanics, but as ambassadors for bicycling. Their goal is to make bicycling easy enough for everyone to try. "I hope that we can become that excited guy in the office who encourages his co-workers to ride a bike; except for an entire hospital and university."

Being highly visible is also a powerful marketing tool. "The bike valet is in such a prominent and open place that it shows people bicycling is something that lots of other people do and they can do as well."

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Located directly under the Aerial Tram, just north of the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Center for Health & Healing, the sea of bicycles and the big red "Go By Bike" sign are impossible to miss for the thousands of people who visit the South Waterfront each day. In fact, one day earlier this month, Congressman Earl Blumenauer stopped by unannounced while giving his colleague (and member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee), Illinois Democrat Cheri Bustos, a tour:

Two members of the U.S. House of Representatives — Earl Blumenauer and Cheri Bustos — stopped by unannounced last week
(Photo: Kiel Johnson)

Johnson found inspiration for new ideas on a recent trip to the Netherlands, where he said there's, "a bike valet at every train station as well as many shopping areas." As we reported last year, Johnson has come up with some cool (yet very inexpensive) technology to streamline the valet service. They've got a custom app where customers can swipe their OHSU badge to sign in and out of the valet (non-badge holders are also welcome).

Go By Bike operates under contract with OHSU. OHSU fully funds the bike valet (which is offered for free) and it's technically part of Portland Aerial Tram operations. OHSU's Transportation Options Coordinator John Landolfe says the partnership has paid big dividends, "For significantly less than the cost of a bike cage of similar capacity, we’ve been able to create a secure experience for 200 or more riders as well as a few full time jobs."

Landolfe loves that the valet can be easily moved and then re-assembled in the event of construction or tram maintenance (something you couldn't do with a fixed bike parking facility). He also says the Go By Bike valet and parking services is a "great hub of transportation equity" which has customers from all walks of life including students, patients, doctors, office workers and housekeepers.

Landolfe thinks this model should be replicated all over the country. He's been invited to speak about OHSU's bike parking operations at the annual International Parking Institute conference in Florida next week.

Johnson's next big idea is a bike share system for apartments and businesses which he hopes to have available by June. He also hopes to expand the valet service to other locations. "We are much cheaper and I believe do much more good than the half-million dollar bicycle parking facilities being built."

Learn more at GoByBikePDX.com.

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Cover of report.

A report released today by Transportation for America and the OSPIRG Foundation calls on government agencies to "re-assess transportation policies" in light of continued statistical evidence that Americans are driving less.

"The slowdown in driving is likely to continue," reads A New Direction: Our Changing Relationship with Driving and the Implications for America’s Future, "Baby Boomers are moving out of the phase in their life when they do the most commuting, while driving-averse Millennials [people born between 1983 and 2000] move into that phase. These demographic changes will likely keep driving down for decades."

For years now, some transportation watchers have pointed to a decrease in the number of miles driven. While some see this as a major trend that requires a paradigm shift in our approach to transportation projects and policies, others see it as merely a statistical blip that will return to normal levels once the economy rebounds or young people get over the fad. However, as the number of miles driven in the U.S. heads down for the eighth straight year, this trend is becoming more difficult to ignore. Major cultural factors have permanently shifted and vehicle miles traveled has continued to decline even as GDP per capita goes up.

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Here's more from the report:

"The average American currently drives no more miles than at the end of President Clinton’s first term... The Millennial generation is leading the change in transportation trends. 16 to 34-year-olds drove a whopping 23 percent fewer miles on average in 2009 than in 2001— the greatest decline in driving of any age group."

Here's a chart from the report's executive summary showing different scenarios of future travel growth:

Despite these trends, major highway projects are still being planned and funded based on assumptions based on an ever-increasing amount of auto traffic. We've seen this phenomenon play out in a major way by Columbia River Crossing supporters. They say future traffic will cripple Interstate 5 unless billions are spent to increase capacity. They also base toll revenue to pay for the project on assumptions of major increases in auto use well into the future. However, the stats paint a much different picture, as detailed in the excellent, Dude, Where are My Cars? series published by Sightline. And, as the report points out, even the federal government assumes a return to a steady increase in driving with official forecasts that are based on an increase of 44% to 67% in miles driven by 2040.

When I interviewed Oregon Department of Transportation Director Matt Garrett last year, he hinted that the driving decline it might simply be a phenomenon driven by trend-prone young people. Here's how Garrett replied when I asked if he thinks driving levels might go back up:

"Well it could. Is it just a quick hit? Or is it truly a trend? ... If it's a trend that will demand a different calculus as we come to the table. The issue is, how long? Does that trend sustain as they get older? Maybe. I mean, there are generational issues, there's no question about it. I know my daughter is happy with her bus pass, but as she gets a little older will that shift?"

Based on this detailed report, it indeed seems like a trend that must be met with a "different calculus" from ODOT and other agencies.

4America has clear motivations with their report. They've lobbied congress for years to stop investing in new highways and widening projects and instead put money into rebuilding existing roads and making them more accessible for walking and biking. This change in driving trends, says the report, will lead to toll roads being "less financially viable," a reduction in traffic congestion, and "Many highway expansion projects will start to look like wasteful boondoggles," while modes of transport that are increase in use — like bicycling and public transit — will be a smarter investment.

As Oregon readies for a major transportation funding package in 2015, the data and trends detailed in this report could play a large role in shaping the arguments for a new approach.

Learn more and download the report at OSPIRGFoundation.org.

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