Sam Seeks Platinum
Tom Miller
I remember the day clearly. As Sam's campaign manager during the general election, I encouraged him to attend a meeting at city hall with Andy Clarke, Executive Director of the League of American Bicyclists, a national bicycle advocacy organization. Though he had served as the mayor's chief of staff for awhile, his responsibilities were such that he hadn't had much exposure to Portland's unique bike culture. By example, the mayor had never led the Office of Transportation.
So, I reasoned that he ought to check out this group of bike interests for some insight into a piece of local culture with which he hadn't had much interaction. After all, bike commuters constitute a meaningful part of that daily ebb and flow that makes Portland Portland. Sam and I attended, and there's Andy to talk about all the great things Portland has done to achieve "gold" status from the League. "Portland is one of just four cities in the country to achieve our highest honor yet," Andy explained. (Corvallis, Boulder, and Palo Alto for those keeping score.) Portlanders being Portlanders, attendees patiently waited for Andy to stop and immediately barraged him with questions about how Portland can achieve the next level: PLATINUM.
Well, Andy wasn't entirely sure. The League has never awarded Platinum. But he'd give it some thought and get back to us. Later, Sam and I were headed back to the campaign office when I asked him for his thoughts on the meeting. "If I win, we're going for Platinum. Freight interests need to understand that more people on bikes reduces congestion which benefits them. Bike advocates need to understand that freight movement is an integral part of the local economy. In the end, there is no 'either/or' and we're gonna chase Platinum and prove that in the process."
So there you have it. To date, Sam has had two exploratory meetings with leaders in the bike community. The plan is still in its infancy, but rest assured you'll hear more on this topic from the elected official who says, "We're going for Platinum."
Posted by Tom Miller on June 16, 2005
(14) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (2)
Filed Under Livability & Environment, Our Initiatives, Transportation
Comments by site visitors
I should mention that Boulder, CO is determined to beat us to the first Platinum city. They have something like 14% of all trips made by bicycle already, while Portland (depending on how/when/where you count) has something around 5%. That's going to be our biggest challenge, and one that will bring with it greater rewards than Platinum desgination if--or rather, when--we succeed: getting more people on bikes, more of the time.
Readers, I challenge you: what trips do you make now by car that you could make by bike? How about making that change for just one trip in the coming week? Could you keep doing it? If everyone in Portland committed to even just one trip by bike instead of car per week, we'd really get somewhere.
Posted by: Jessica Roberts | Jun 24, 2005 1:08:51 PM
So did Andy or the League of American Bicyclists ever get back to you on what it takes to be a Platinum level city?
Posted by: David Ross | Jun 24, 2005 2:30:39 PM
anyone building a list of people who want to help w the platinum project? sign me up.
Posted by: Jeff | Jun 24, 2005 3:19:44 PM
After talking with Greg Raisman at the Office of Transportation about how expensive and difficult infrastructure changes are...it seems to me that getting more people on bikes is the easy part.
Budgets, politics, civil engineering..that sounds like the hard part to me.
Posted by: Jonathan Maus | Jun 24, 2005 3:19:49 PM
Sam & Tom-
Good to see you both at the recent Bike Gallery event. In pursuing platinum for PDX, here's a high-visibility, high-impact infrastructure idea: www.biketree.com.
Putting BikeTrees at some of Portland's MAX stations (and maybe along the Downtown Mall?) would:
- increase the "capture area" of suburban MAX stations by giving cyclists (e.g. people who live w/in a mile or two of every line) a dry & secure place to store their bikes on a Biketree(s) at every MAX platform.
- Keep more bikes off of the MAX, where riders often gripe about "greasy bike chains," especially during rush hour.
- reduce the amount of MAX platform space dedicated to bike lockers. (Biketrees have a tiny footprint, but store up to 12 bikes each)
- make it easier for MAX/cyclists to commute to/from the suburbs by combining the MAX with a bike ride -- either at the beginning or at the end of their commute..
- add a piece of high-profile visual infrastrucure highlighting Portland's commitment to bicycles/bicycling.
- help extend the "bike culture" out to the suburbs.
This seems like a natural for the next round of MTIP... What do you think?
Posted by: Steve Gutmann | Jun 27, 2005 10:51:13 AM
steve - these things are CRAZY thanks for turning me onto the idea. do you have any experience w them?
folks should check out the movie about bike trees here http://www.biketree.com/aboutbt.htm
Posted by: Jeff | Jun 27, 2005 11:42:18 AM
Here's an editorial from the June 21st Corvallis Gazette Times. Looks like an interstate rivalry is brewing...
http://doiop.com/platinumeditorial
Posted by: Jonathan Maus | Jun 27, 2005 9:34:09 PM
Steve, I see that part of the Bike Tree concept is bike sharing. This would seem like a critical component to reduce bikes on MAX. Is FlexCar going to provide this service?
Personally, I'd rather find a way to put more bikes on the OUTSIDE of vehicles (in addition to bike sharing). My commute trip involves biking to the Pearl to get on the 96, then biking from the end of the line to my office in Wilsonville. Most days both bike racks on the bus fill up at the point of origin for the bus!
Posted by: Chris Smith | Jun 28, 2005 7:55:35 AM
Commissioner;
There are numerous ways in which to encourage cycling in Portland. One is safe connections. I would be interested in a forum on improving access across Powell Blvd. Another inexpensive connection project is the proposed bikeway along Sullivan's Gulch (I-84) http://www.pdx.edu/profiles/4746/
Finally Alta planning has been successful at shared lane markings when bike lanes aren't feasible.
http://www.bicycle.sfgov.org/site/uploadedfiles/dpt/bike/Bike_Plan/Shared%20Lane%20Marking%20Full%20Report-052404.pdf
Hundreds of good ideas exist. We need only implement them.
Posted by: Aaron | Jun 28, 2005 10:08:42 PM
I recently noticed an amazing infrastructure development on NE Mississippi that I sure hope will continued elsewhere. Adjacent to a popular coffee shop, one full parking space has been converted into a sizable bike parking area. I am not sure exactly what the capacity is, but when you see ten bikes locked in a space normally occupied by a single car (usually single occupancy), it really reinforces the fact that bicycles DO play an important part in easing congestion. Rewarding them with secure off-sidewalk parking seems like a pretty fair exchange (for starters).
Posted by: Ethan Jewett | Jun 29, 2005 7:56:59 PM
Ethan, I'm glad you like that bike parking project on N Mississippi. It came out of the hard work of neighborhood advocates and business owners, visionary city employees, and BTA staff. Best of all, it was very inexpensive, and so successful other businesses in that district want one.
For those of you who haven't seen it yet, it's a car parking space converted into a high-capacity bike parking area.
I see on-street bike parking like this as a real complement to some of our best neighborhood business districts that still, unfortunately, suffer from woefully inadequate pedestrian and bike facilities. For example, the crowded sidewalks on SE Belmont and SE Hawthorne are always full of bikes blocking the sidewalk--not that it's our fault, because where else are we supposed to park?
It would be a great way to enhance the bike- and pedestrian-friendliness of the district to help get bikes off the sidewalk while still welcoming bicyclists to the district by providing good, dedicated parking.
Since the number of cars that can park in districts like that is limited, helping more people walk and bike to businesses supports local merchants as well as helping people lead active lifestyles and choose environmentally-friendly modes.
My dream is to have bike parking areas like this all over the city. I imagine one outside of the Laurelhurst theater, another outside of the Bagdad theater, one on Alberta, several downtown (not to appear movie-obsessed, but how about outside of Fox Tower?), Sellwood...the possibilities are endless, and at about $5000 a pop (cheap for a transportation investment) they're very doable.
Posted by: Jessica Roberts | Jun 30, 2005 4:04:48 PM
From the comments above one would think no one drives a car in Portland. As one of the posts above notes, only 5% of trips are by bike (and I'm not sure that's not optimistic.)Is Sam going to work equally for those of us who drive cars? That would be the other 95% of us.
Posted by: Don Sparks | Jul 15, 2005 12:04:45 AM
Don,
Working for bikes is working for cars. Platinum designation for our city is not so much about expanded infrastructure as it is about increasing the number of trips made by bike. Increasing this number frees up road capacity, easing the burdens that increased car and freight trips (from increased population) mean for our region.
Not to mention, the entire region is facing deterioriating roads, need for greater capacity for freight and others and, of course, very limited funds to build/rebuild. Building more roads are then costlier and tougher than expanding options for travel. So, until we get a higher gas tax--our states large source for transportation funds--or Portland gets a higher share of its gas tax from the state (I think we get about $0.64 on the dollar) or greater federal funds for transportation make it here, we are looking at some tough choices ahead.
Getting folks to think about biking more is a cheap way of stemming this issue--and decreasing emissions--but it certainly isn't going to solve it. Sam managed to free up $1 million for decreasing the backlog on our unimproved streets, but I am quickly learning that this is a small dent in a very large backlog.
Posted by: Jesse Beason | Jul 17, 2005 1:43:33 PM
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Tom,
Great to run into you and Sam at the recent Kids Pedal event. There's no doubt we live in America's most bike-crazy town. The diversity and energy in our bike community is truly inspiring and I look forward to helping with the Platinum effort any way I can.
Let me know if you'd like to meet up for a ride sometime.
--Jonathan Maus
Posted by: Jonathan Maus | Jun 23, 2005 11:31:51 PM