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Be Safe Out There
Today’s Portland Tribune features an article titled Walk, ride at your peril reporting about the nine pedestrian and cyclist fatalities this year so far. So today’s question is: are these just a statistical blip, or are there systematic issues going on involving the transportation system, or behavioral changes by drivers, pedestrians or cyclists?
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Bicycling in Downtown Portland: How to Make it Better?
For over a decade, bicycle planners have been grappling with various concepts for how to make it easier to bicycle downtown. It is a consistent complaint of potential cyclists throughout the region that downtown is a frightening place for cyclists. A recent Bicycle Transportation Alliance member survey revealed dozens of suggestions, some contradicting each other,…
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The Two C’s of Cycling
A constant issue and challenge in Portland is improving roadway conditions to make bicycling safer. I believe experienced — and even moderately skilled cyclists — could, through our own behaviors and over time, dramatically improve the traffic safety of city streets. We can do this, in part, by changing motorist’s and cyclist’s expectations of how…
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St. Johns Bridge Plan Ignores Chance to Reconnect
Editor’s Note: This appeared as an opinion piece today on Oregon Live with a summary in the printed edition of the O. We’re cross-posting it here to allow a little more exposure and discussion. Portland’s Willamette River bridges connect east and west, north and south, uniting neighborhoods into one great city. Visitors marvel at the…
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Why Doesn’t “Share the Sidewalk” Work?
America is an entitlement society. Unlike European – or even more strikingly, Asian culture – we don’t share. We don’t cooperate. Every special interest group has their own identity and expects their own separate but equal facility. Non-transport example: look at how Portland solved the dogs in parks problem. Not by getting dog owners and…