PDX Transit » Biking

Take the dog for a walk

Bailey — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:17:51 +0000

I saw the Walky Dog Hands Free Bicycle Leash on amazon this morning and thought some of you might find it interesting. It should be especially handy if you tend to take your dog along during treks around PDX. It also includes a 5 LED helmet light so that you can go ‘hands free’!.

Read more abou the Bicycle leash here.

National Walk To School Day

Amsterdam: Bike Capital of the world

Bailey — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 16:31:24 +0000

Portland is touting itself as the bike capital of the United States. So how does it compare to the bike capital of the world, Amerstdam?

"Amsterdam is truly a bicycle city, with every road containing bike lines – and even some with traffic lights aimed only at bicycle riders. Amsterdam has become a bike city for a couple of reasons: First, it's almost entirely flat; and second, many of the brick-paved roads and bridges are so narrow that they seem uniquely suited to bike and scooter traffic."

Good news for bikers in Portland

pdxwriter — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:55:29 +0000

If you are an active biker living in Portland, here is some good news for you. Projects are under way for building a network of biking trails which will be completed though only by 2198. The residents of Washington county, however, do not have to wait that long. They have some bike-friendly facilities like "

• A raised bike path along U.S. 26 from Sylvan to Cedar Hills

• A five-mile off-road trail through Hillsboro's Dawson Creek Corporate Park

• A bike-pedestrian bridge across the Tualatin River, connecting Durham, Tualatin and Tigard

• 250 secure bike-parking spots to be installed this fall at the Sunset and Beaverton transit centers with $1 million in federal stimulus money." Read more at http://www.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/index.ssf/2009/08/betterbiking_projects_range_fr.html

Love = Volkswagen Jetta TDI sedan

pdxwriter — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:46:50 +0000

The 2009 Volkswagen Jetta TDI sedan, with its four-cylinder turbocharged diesel, 140-horsepower engine, offers a spirited drive. Though it offers plenty of torque and acceleration, it averages only 36 miles per gallon in the city and 42 mpg on the highway, which is as good as many subcompacts and gas-electric hybrid cars.

THe TDI does this all while retaining the excitement of a sports vehicle. It also offers the benefit of adhering to California?s strict emissions-control rules. Added to that, it?s fun to drive and reasonably priced at $21,990.

Volkswagen “Twin Drive” hybrid slated for 2010

Promoting alternate transportation at work

pdxwriter — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 17:42:21 +0000

The high price of gasoline and increasing congestion on the roads make it more attractive for workers to look for alternate means of transport. There are a number of incentives and promotions employers can use to encourage alternate forms of transportation to the office. Some are as simple as having a designated place for bike parking or holding a party for employees in which they are connected with others in their zip code. Other ways employers can influence there employees decision includes providing bus or MAX passes as a perk, walking clubs, rideshare programs, designated parking spots for carpoolers, having flexible work hours to cut down on commuting, or providing changing rooms for those who walk or cycle to the workplace.

A Collapsible Car for City Driving

Bailey — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 18:02:59 +0000

The next time you can't find a parking space downtown, wouldn't it be nice to fold up your car and take it with you? MIT Developers are planning a collapsible car for city driving in their research labs.

Of course, you'll have to wait several years before this becomes a reality but at least its becoming more feasible. Click here for the full story at cnet.com.

Click here to view photos of the City Car.

Cycling Fatalities Mount

Dan — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 23:11:08 +0000

On October 11th, cyclist Tracey Sparling died when she was run over and crushed by a cement truck. Just eleven days later, Bike Gallery employee and bike racer Brett Jarolimek, was killed when he collided with a garbage truck and was pulled under the vehicle's wheels. In both instances the cyclists apparently were obeying the rules of the road, and the tragedies have bike activists hollering for a Call To Action.

Clearly, something must be done. It is unacceptable for a City that has long been lauded as one of the most bike friendly in the nation to have avoidable fatalities such as these. The Bicycle Transportation Alliance executivce director, Scott Bricker, has already had multiple meetings with Transportation Commissioner Sam Adams, and discussed possible City-wide improvements such as "bike boxes" at intersections which would allow for bicycles to be in front of traffic turning right instead of blindly to the side, as well as seperate traffic lights for cyclists.

Whatever is done, it should be done quickly. We cannot continue to allow Portland cyclists to die when there is anything at all that can be done to prevent tragedies like these from happening in the future.

Rent-To-Go Bicycles

Dan — Sat, 13 Oct 2007 06:50:44 +0000

Portland could soon see up to 500 new bicycles on the streets, but these machines will be a little different than most bikes out there now – they'd be rentals. Transportation Commissioner (and Mayoral candidate) Sam Adams is pushing for a new program that would put a fleet of rental cycles, for public use, out on the streets within a year. If the idea comes to fruition, the bicycles would be set up at kiosks around the city, and could be used for short trips from point to point anywhere a kiosk might be located. The plan is generating some buzz, and has already proved to be somewhat successful in Paris, and trials of similar programs have been in place in Washington, D.C. and San Francisco since May.

This bicycle rental plan will not come without cost, however, and the revenue to pay for it may end up coming from The City allowing expanded advertising in public spaces. While not the most ideal of ways to generate funds to those who dislike Clear Channel and other giant advertising conglomerates, the alternative being considered is a City-wide subsidy.

More research has yet to be done on how self-sufficient the program might be before any revenue generating plans are set in stone. Any way it's cut, this plan will prove to be another notch in Portland's belt of bike-friendly programs. For more information, read the article in the Portland Tribune.

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Planet Bike Beamer 3 LED Bicycle Light with Quick Cam Bracket Mount
Price: $16.49

Enjoy The Last Ride Of The Season

Dan — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 11:26:54 +0000

The 5th Annual Harvest Century bicycle ride kicks off this Sunday, October 7th, and this year's ride is definitely one not to be missed. Starting and ending in Champoeg State Park, south of Portland in St. Paul, the ride will have 42, 75, and 102 mile loops, for cyclists of all levels. Each route will have challenging climbs and rapid descents, and on all the routes riders will get beautifully scenic views of the Willamette Valley in early autumn, as they pass through the Chehalem Mountain foothills. The longer routes will go further to the west and into the Yamhill Valley, even as far out as Forest Grove.

Day-of registration for the ride is $45 dollars, which covers the cost of all the rider support the cyclists will need. At the finish line of the ride, all the participants will be able to enjoy food provided by Taco del Mar, beers from Rogue Ales, and the musical stylings of the bands Back Porch Revival and The Mighty Filberts. Excess proceeds raised by the ride will go to support Community Vision.

For more information on the event, start and finish times, and detailed route descriptions, check out the Harvest Century website. Enjoy the ride!

National Walk To School Day

Dan — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 04:37:28 +0000

October 3rd is National Walk To School Day, and parents all over the country are being encouraged to ditch the car for one morning and either walk their kids to school, or let the kids walk themselves. Here in Portland, it won't be any different. Ever trying to retain our status as a leader in being 'Green', the City has implemented a project called the Safe Routes To School Program. Started several years ago, the 'SR2S', as it's called, attempts to plan out safe walking and biking paths from neighborhoods to area schools, with the goal of reducing already dense morning traffic around the City, as well as promoting physical activity in a youth population that is seeing a rising obesity problem.

The Safe Routes To School Program is one of a number of forward looking, pollution reducing programs run by the Portland Office of Transportation. In addition to finding safe routes for children to walk to school, the program also aims to provide route information to other areas children might frequent on foot, like libraries and parks. The program is also looking to make improvements on existing pathways and major intersections on the most heavily used routes, and it is doing its best to make maps of these routes available for families.

More information on the Safe Routes To School Program can be found at the Portland Office of Transportation.