McKenzie Pass open to bikes!
I did this with my family last spring and the kids loved it. It’s a big climb and can get pretty cold, but it’s one of a kind.
http://bikeportland.org/2013/05/02/ride-mckenzie-pass-carfree-while-you-can-86254
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A group of Sheldon High School students are taking the task of improving the bike parking at their school into their own hands. Tired of bicycle racks that date back to the 1960′s that do nothing to secure bikes by today’s standards the students have started a fundraising campaign aimed at totally revamping the bike parking area at their school. Filled with mostly old “wheel-bender” racks the students hope to update the parking to more modern “inverted-U” or staple style racks that allow two points of contact and more locking options with modern u-lock systems. Isaac, one of the students leading the effort, says that students covet the few wave style racks that are in the parking area and they often fill up first. He also says that several bikes have been stolen from the parking area, often because students use cable locks since u-locks don’t work or they only lock the front wheel which is then easily removed and the rest of the bike simply wheeled away. The students hope that this first phase of funding will allow them to purchase 17 new racks to demonstrate the improved parking area and then move on to eventually fund 70 racks total to update the whole school parking with bike parking that is up to city code as well as more secure and inviting. To help these students out pledge on their Citizinvestor site (like Kickstarter you aren’t charged unless they reach their goal) then spread the word! Council on International Educational Exchange seeks host families for international high school students. Some information on a few of the great students is below. More information is available at www.ciee.org/host or from Rebecca Amodeo, CIEE Local Coordinator for Lane County, Oregon at 541-632-3328. Rabea is a 16 year old girl from Germany. “I would describe myself as an open-minded, creative, sometimes a little bit shy but very sympathetic girl.” Rabea enjoys dancing, playing the piano, singing and she likes to go on bike rides and go skiing with her family. Rabea also likes to volunteer and has performed concerts in retirement homes and tutored younger students. She has worked at both a local radio station and a TV station and she would like to pursue a career in journalism. At her new school, Rabea would be interested in joining a cheerleading squad, a drama club and singing in a choir. Rabea has one twin brother and two cats. Ines is a 16 year old girl from Spain. “I am a very active person, I love singing all kinds of music…I am very open-minded, responsible, funny and above all an extroverted person.” She enjoys sports, especially cycling, hiking, soccer, and volleyball. She also likes movies, animals, and spending time with friends. Ines would like to join choir, debate club, or a science club at her American high school. She is an only child. Ines also studies French. She is excited to share her culture and experience American culture. If you’re not going to the Active Transportation Summit in Salem next Wednesday (or if you’re dashing home fast), here’s an opportunity to hear a good speaker address “Eight Steps to a Walkable, Wealthier, Healthier City”. Wednesday, April 24 Social Hour starts at 5 p.m., the lecture at 5:30 p.m.
Bascom-Tykeson Room, Eugene Public LIbrary
On April 24th at 5:30 pm, the Oregon Chapter of the American Planning Association, the Oregon DOT’s Transportation and Growth Management Program, and the City of Eugene are hosting Mr. Tumlin as he makes a local stop on a statewide speaker series. Mr. Tumlin is a Principal<http://www.nelsonnygaard.com/Content/About-Us-Principals.htm> at Nelson/Nygaard, where he has led several award winning projects, and he is the author of the 2012 publication Sustainable Transportation Planning: Tools for Creating Vibrant, Healthy, and Resilient Communities. The title of his Eugene lecture is Eight Steps to a Walkable, Wealthier, Healthier City. Please save help spread the word – see the attached flyer! – with your members, colleagues, students, or associated networks. Lastly, if any organization would like to assist by sponsoring refreshments, advertising, etc., please call me and we can work out details. Sponsors are invited to table at the library prior to and after the seminar. Thanks for spreading the word across our community! Update: We received a response from the city. Click the “more” link to see it and keep writing e-mails. I received important this e-mail from a WBE reader:
Additionally:
E-mail the project manager Katie Martwitz here, and Eugene Public Works here. The project fact sheet is here.  Is that door about to open & knock us into the bus behind us?! UPDATE: The Appeal hearing has been moved to Thursday, May 9th 2-3pm at 859 Willamette Street, Suite 500 (the Buford Room). An appeal has been filed with the City of Eugene in response to the Administrative Order to remove some car parking on 18th Avenue (on the south side from Friendly Street to Van Buren Street and on the north side from Van Buren Street to Polk Street). That is the section of 18th that has car parking on both sides and bike lanes that range from 3-5 feet IN the door zone. For those who have ridden it you know it’s a sketchy, uncomfortable, and unsafe area to ride. Of the whole stretch of 18th that has bike lanes (all the way from Agate to Willow Creek) this is the only section that is like this. There are small sections west of City View and between Alder and Agate that have parking on one side and the rest of 18th has bike lanes, 2 travel lanes, and a center turn lane. The existing lane configuration places 2 travel lanes, 2 bike lanes, and 2 parking lanes within 42′. As a result, all of the existing lanes are substandard width. Existing parking lanes are often less than 7′, bike lanes at or below 4′ and travel lanes are less than 11′. The proposed striping layout would widen parking lanes (8′), bike lanes (6′) and travel lanes (11′). Here is the layout of the existing road in one section (click to make larger). Near Jackson the parking lane is 7′ and the bike lane is only 3′:
And here is the proposed change for that section. Note the near doubling of the bike lane width and the removal of car parking on the south side. There will still be a bike lane in the door zone but at least the bike lane will be much wider as well as the parking lane AND the travel lane, making for a lot more breathing room and a lot safer and more comfortable biking in this stretch of 18th Ave.  Yikes- tight squeeze Now, because of the appeal there will be a hearing held on Thursday, April 18th at 3:30pm at 859 Willamette Street, Suite 500 (the Buford Room). It also means that people should submit testimony on why this is an important change for the city to take. There are three options for submitting testimony:
Overall it’s unfortunate that there even needs to be this kind of process for something that should be standard practice. Why does the city have to provide parking for private vehicles on public streets and do so over public safety? Shouldn’t there be standard policies that the city follows that increases public safety and equal transportation options over extra parking spaces? There are a couple other administrative orders out right now for other parking removal that would make room for safer bike lanes (with potential for appeals) and we’ll try and keep you posted on those as well. Now go write that e-mail to the hearing’s official. Heck yea R-G! A great article that says what we already know. The comments offer some great insight into the opposition as well. Things like “bikes cause more pollution because cars have to slow down and wait for them.” Wowzers… Bicyclists aren’t free riders | Opinion | The Register-Guard | Eugene, Oregon.  Tree Planting by Bike What a great way to welcome the Spring; plant trees by bike with Friends of Trees! Eugene-Springfield Neighborhoods Planting and Bike Planting One team will plant trees by bike. Please let us know if you have a bike trailer to bring or want to join the bike team. Call or email Erik at: 541-632-3683 or eugene@friendsoftrees.org.
Completing the Alder Signature Bikeway in Eugene, OR – Intersection with 19th
(This is a re-post from: http://schlossb.tumblr.com/) Alder Street in Eugene is a bicycle backbone connecting a good portion of south Eugene, the University of Oregon, the extensive river path system, and downtown commercial areas. The corridor is very busy with bicycles at all times of days and night. It truly is a signature corridor that should inspire more like it around the community. It is about to be repaved from 19th -24th. But, it is still incomplete (!) and I have three suggestions to complete the Alder Signature Bikeway, including two moderate decisions, one easy decision, and one category of tweaks. This post will focus on a moderate re-design of the intersection of Alder and 19th to make it more consistent with the Alder Signature Bikeway. Quick peak: this proposal reverses the stop signs to allow throughput of bicycles on Alder and eliminates the southbound automobile left turn from Alder onto 19th. Here is the basic context:
Dress up in your “Saturday Best” and go for a ride! Who says biking has to be about spandex and funny shoes?! Dress up and have some fun! Put on your fancy clothes and go for a bike ride, cause, why not?! Join us this Saturday (March 16th) 11am at Monroe Park. We’ll be ending up at Noisette Bakery for a fancy treat at the end.
Here’s more information about upcoming family friendly rides too. If you’d like to get our monthly reminder email that gives all the details of the rides you can subscribe here. |
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