Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams: BLOG: Whew! Give Your Comments on Providence Bridge Pedal 2005

BLOG: Whew! Give Your Comments on Providence Bridge Pedal 2005

Sam Adams

With more riders than ever, the Providence Bridge Pedal 2005 was (almost too) successful this year!

On the Fremont Bridge for most of the event, the Portland Office of Transportation (PDOT), Transportation Options group and I handed out bike tire reflectors (everyone needs one!) and citywide bike maps. Thanks 'Options' crew for your great work!

For the first time since 1996, riders were able to bicycle across all 10 of Portland's Willamette River bridges, from the Sellwood to the St. Johns.

Most people I talked to said they were having a great time. But I also know there were some prolonged bicycle bottlenecks along the route.

We’d also like to hear from any auto drivers if the bridge closure/restriction information we disseminated was clear and adequate.

To put on a massive event like the Providence Bridge Pedal it takes a group effort of the City of Portland, Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and sponsors like Providence Health System, KINK FM, and Fox 12.

So, this is your chance - tell us how we can make 2006 better. Give us all your compliments, complaints, and ideas. Have at it!

Thanks for the fun. See you next year on the Fremont Bridge!

Sam

Posted by Sam Adams on August 14, 2005
(98) Comments | Permalink | TrackBack (1)
Filed Under Blog, Front Page, Transportation

Comments by site visitors

Great morning for a ride. Hoorah!

Posted by: Notorious J.E.S. | Aug 14, 2005 7:27:27 PM

Thanks to all the staff and volunteers for the hard work put in on the pedal. It is a great event.

Unforetunatley, we stopped after 3 bridges this year because we were spending so much time walking in crowds and very little time riding.

Much of the back-up on the I-5 bridge seemed to be from a city staffer (no offense) and a giant salmon standing in the middle handing out stickers. Perhaps they could be off to the side?

Also, there was a huge back-up right after the Ross Island bridge. It seems someone put the first potty stop on the right accross a line of 'live traffic." Perhaps not the best planning? There were also long lines for the first couple of potties. Maybe more of them in parking lots or on the I-5 bridge would help?

Maybe the ride is just a victim of it's own success.....I'll definately be taking an earlier start time if I do go again.

Thanks again and best of luck trying to keep folks moving next year.

Posted by: a pdx rider | Aug 15, 2005 8:51:48 AM

Great to see you out there Sam! This was my first experience with Bridge Pedal. Sure there were bottlenecks, but I don't go into a ride like this thinking of setting any personal records for speed. The point of the ride for me is to soak up new perspectives on the city, side-by-side with fellow cyclists. I loved the bottlenecks because it gave me time to geek out on all the cool bikes and meet some interesting people.

I do think that all volunteers at intersections should have better route signs and at least a megaphone!

Here's my post on BikePortland.org if you're interested.

Posted by: Jonathan Maus | Aug 15, 2005 9:43:21 AM

Though I did not work the event this year I was downtown for some office work and walked through Pioneer Place Mall after getting a bite to eat before going home and I heard the following comments from some mall workers.

These folks mentioned that all the activity was a suprise to them on their way to work that morning. Not being cyclists, they either missed or overlooked any press or info on routes into downtown being closed or affected for their commute that morning.

I thought perhaps more outreach to the downtown retail business open on Sunday would help. Flyers or something given to retail employers AND employees scheduled to work Sunday morning, as well as posting signs in the parking garages the few weekends before might help. Also, would it be possible to have the big electric reader boards up on the bridges or routes into downtown up for the weekend before, and maybe the two days before the event? This, while proably too expensive, may help alert those downtown workers who do not cycle, or read the newspaper, of the delays they might anticipate getting into work that morning.

Unfortunately not all residents of the Metro area do read the newspaper and if they do, they may overlook an article on cycling, or the bridgepedal assuming it does not affect or concern them.

Parking availability was also limited for retail workers that morning and that was a suprise to them also.

The second type of comment I heard was from participants and cyclists who said there was no information in the bridgepedal packet about how to get to the start, downtown, by MAX or bus. This does seem like a big oversidght, but I think that promoting that option would severely tax the system and perhaps that's why they don't promote it. Maybe next year there could be a note about using TriMet is an easy way to get downtown on most days but the large number of rider/participants could tax the system so have a back up plan. A map of the bike routes leading to downtown from the inner city may help as well in promoting more folks to ride to the start without driving their downtown.

Thanks.

Posted by: Barbara Plummer | Aug 15, 2005 9:52:42 AM

Thanks to all for organizing the bridge pedal. This was a first for our family, we only made it through 4 bridges of the 6 bridge ride primarily because of the walking.

The Markham bridge was a disaster! 25min or so of inching along. Any minor upgrade or narrowing of the course led to such congested traffic that we either had to walk or be super-paranoid vigilant for all the other riders compressed against us. Frankly, we would have enjoyed more pedaling during the bridge pedal.

Recommendations:
remember that the course capacity is only as much as its biggest bottleneck. Pay attention to that when narrowing lanes or planning for uphill sections that slow riders.

Also, the map might remind riders to maintain relative position when getting to inclines.

Lastly, if you plan to have such a large ride in the future, you will need to be more disciplined in how you start people onto the course. More dramatic, and enforced staggering of groups will ne needed.

Posted by: RobA | Aug 15, 2005 10:52:01 AM

In general I'm happy to attribute many of the bottlenecks to the large turnout, but I do want to single out the one on the St. John's bridge. I think it just wasn't safe to try to squeeze the bikes in with a lane of traffic in each direction. Ideally we would have closed the whole bridge, but for sure no more than one auto lane should have been left open.

Posted by: Chris Smith | Aug 15, 2005 11:45:44 AM

Previous years of the Bridge Pedal were better than this year. If you're going to have roughly 18,000 people in an event, someone needs to know how to manage crowds/traffic. I didn't see one Bridge Pedal worker/volunteer on the Marquam Bridge doing anything to help manage the congestion. They were just standing around and actually getting in the way of the bicyclists walking through. At other locations, rather than having clear signs directing people where to go, there were workers/volunteers yelling at the bicyclists which way to turn. Some of the bicyclists couldn't hear them which just caused more confusion.

I signed up for the 8 Bridge ride, but once I started the ride, decided to do only the 6 Bridge ride. I was spending so much time and attention dealing with the crowded conditions that I wasn't really enjoying the ride the way I have in the past.

Right now, I don't have any desire to do the Bridge Pedal again. Maybe I'll change my mind by the time it rolls around next year...

By the way, one improvement I saw this year was the registration area at the Bridge Pedal Expo was better managed and organized. That was great.

Posted by: Cate Ryan | Aug 15, 2005 11:55:22 AM

This was my first bridge pedal, and I have to say, I had a great deal of fun. I certainly plan to do it next year, and hope that all ten bridges will be open to us.

Most of the areas I could see improvement made are related to conjestion. For instance, trying to cram all of the cyclists down the Sellwood multi-use path or on the sidewalk of the Hawthorne Bridge are things that probably shouldn't be done again. Though the car free zones are convenient, the fact is that they really weren't made to accomodate the number of riders we had, and created problems for other users of the paths.

Also, better reinforcement of the guidelines of the ride are needed. Something that created a big problem for me was the fact that several people in large groups chose to ride side-by-side in a wolfpack prevented others from going around them safely, even though the rules (printed on the PASSPORT) stated group riders whould form single-file groups. Riders wishing to go faster (like me) found we had to jump outside the cones to get around some of these packs, and even when the entire road was closed to cars, we still had trouble getting past these groups.

Lastly, I agree that at certain sections, better signage is needed. Though the volunteers were great about pointing people in the right direction in the areas that diverged (ie @ OMSI with the Sellwood/Ross Island divide or at Union Station with the Broadway/finish line divide), sometimes we couldn't hear them completely and had to guess which was the right way. Either better signs or alternate routes to these locales is needed for next time.

But, overall, the pedal was fun, and I'll do it again.

Posted by: Bryan | Aug 15, 2005 12:06:59 PM

So I started the comments, and I'll just say "aye" to many of these. This was actually my first year of the Pedal, and I was very suprised at how much we had to stop/walk. We did not expect to ride fast, but I was doing this with a 5 year old, and the walks got tiring.

So ...
1) If this continues to be this popular, some things are going have to be redone. The Ross Island tie up was due to the bridge having 3 or 4 lanes open. Much better to close the whole right two lanes and use the whole south side of the bridge for 2-way traffic. Or heresy? Perhaps keep the Ross Island and the Morrison as two open car bridges and just keep the others completely closed?

2) The Markham is a problem. I think all of the events on the bridge are cool but the *really* tie things up. I think the events need to be moved farther along the bridge and volunteers need to shuttle people to the sides if they are planning on stopping.

3) Yes, folks (including Cmmr Sam) just can't stand in the middle of a bridge on a crowded event like this handing out stuff. Got to get to the sides.

4) Many more staggered starts will be necessary, over a longer period of time. We started in "line" at our designated 8:30 time (actually at 8:20) and did not cross the "start" line until 9:15.

It's tough to manage a big event like this, but I think it can be done.

Posted by: paul | Aug 15, 2005 12:11:09 PM

This year was our 10th Bridge Pedal and was the favorite route thus far - fewer sharp turns to steep uphills to contend with. Thanks for all the work everyone puts into this. It's a great event!

We did the 10-bridge ride, starting at 6:30am and experienced the usual (and expected) log jams (Springwater, mainly). I expected traffic to ease up when we hit Macadam, but it didn't. Perhaps dedicating the two northbound lanes to cyclists (and do contra flow on the southbound) might have helped spread out the traffic.

We were bummed to have missed the turnoff to the Hawthorne Bridge, and thus missed it and the Ross Island. No biggie (we rode the Hawthorne twice, getting to and from the event), but maybe a sign or volunteer directing traffic at that turnoff?

It was confusing to have the different routes merge and intersect (North Macadam, the Morrison/Marquam freeway exit).

I heard from a coworker that the later start times encountered a serious traffic jam on the Marquam - waits of 30+ minutes to get off the bridge.
Why no UofP rest stop this year? That site is so much nicer than the parking lot (or driveway or whatever it was). Why not have the Fremont rest stop be on the bridge? Everyone's going to stop there anyway.

Posted by: Hanna Nelson | Aug 15, 2005 12:17:45 PM

Heyla,

I'd have to give a lot of "me too" to the above comments, but I actually do have one previously unidentified observation to express.

First thing first - I really appreciate the opportunity this ride presents to see our beautiful city from some really amazing views. There are a ton of volunteers who make this happen, and they all deserve a big shout out for their wonderful patience, time and effort.

Now onto the slightly less positive side. My husband and I have done this race quite a few years, and enjoyed it every year. Although I loved the idea that there were three separate rides, one of the nastier side effects of this appears to have been the number of accidents we got to witness (I honestly can’t count how many we saw because it felt like we were constantly dodging people going down, or picking them up). Many of the accidents appeared significant (four or more) domino tangles of people and bikes that didn't help the experience of the ride or of the amount of walking endured. Now, I'm not sure if it's because of poor timing (all rides crammed on the same bridges at once); the variety of skill ranges all packed in at the same time, or the general confusion (as people tried to work out where to be); or some bizarre combination of all of the above.

However, this year had by far the most (and some of the worst) accidents I've seen in the past 5 years. This left a bit of a bad taste in some people's mind. I know I spent some time afterwards (while acquiring much sugar and caffeine) explaining to people who had this year’s ride as their first experience, that it normally isn't this dangerous or chaotic. Since I’m providing the feedback I suppose I also need to offer some suggestions… I agree with the idea of more staggering between the rides; perhaps even routing them in such a way that the different length rides only see the other jersey’s going the other way on roads, etc?

Lastly, I saw a ridiculous number of people who chose to ride helmet-less; or were doing unsafe manoeuvres to avoid having to slow down behind others. Not surprisingly, many of these were involved in accidents. Perhaps we should provide some authority to people to pull people out of the ride who aren’t adhering to ride rules? While I love the fact that the ride has grown incredibly in numbers, I would hate to see yet more people hurt because some people just don’t want to play well with others in a group environment.

Once again, I want to thank all those who make this event possible. Even with the mishaps experienced this year, it’s such an amazing way to explore the city and so much fun to be surrounded by so many cyclists. Keep on Biking!!!

Posted by: Shawna | Aug 15, 2005 12:35:59 PM

Overall it was a wonderful experience and I greatly appreciate all the work and effort it took to put this together. There were far more positives than negatives but I believe the purpose of a blog like this is to make the experience even better in the future, so I'll probably focus more on the negatives?

We did the 10-bridge first and then went through again with the 8-bridgers. The 10-bridge ride (leaving at 6:30) went very well with little or no down-time resulting from bottlenecks, courteous riders that understood basic stuff like riding on the right, passing on the left, etc. Lots of bananas and snack bars with plenty of water and juices to wash them down.

So, with that said.....

I haven't seen anybody else posting this, but we had a horrible time finding water or anything at all to drink on the second ride! There were still tables and tables of bananas but they were all out of water by the time we got there the second time and we were absolutely parched by the heat and when we did find two places that had solitary water dispensers, the line was 20 minutes long.

The Ross Island bridge was very scary the second time through. A huge mass of bicyclists squeezed tight into the two west-bound lanes while two lines of oncoming traffic whizzed by in the opposite direction at alarmingly high speeds only inches from the bicyclists.

Its been said several times so far but it deserves being repeated that a lot of the bottlenecks were artificially and unnecessarily created by such things as juggling acts and bands in the middle of the bridge. Its great to have entertainment available but it took 20 breezeless minutes in the sun to get from one end to the other. I'd have happily given up the entertainment for a little better traffic flow. There were a lot of other places along the route beside on top of the bridges where entertainment and its revelers could have enjoyed it without blocking the bicyclists.

Severt

Posted by: Severt | Aug 15, 2005 1:15:05 PM

I had a great time at the Bridge Pedal, though to be fair it's been quite a while since I had a bad time while out riding. I was also riding a fixie, which converted the bottlenecks from a walking tour to an extended practice session for track-standing.

On the other hand, while the music and freebies on the bridges were cool, they worsened the natural slowdown. Moving the "festival" areas onto areas adjoining the surface street portions of the route (i.e., next to the water and bathroom stops) might help to keep traffic moving across the bridges.

Second, I agree with everyone who has called for the volunteers to be equipped with megaphones. There were times when I'd hear two or more slightly different versions of the directions within no more than a couple of hundred feet, as each volunteer could only reach some of the passing riders. Amplification would allow one speaker to reach all the cyclists within a block or so of the route.

Finally, I think that the staggering could be done a bit differently. Instead of varying start times exclusively by number of bridges to be crossed, why not offer seperate "fast" and "social" start times, so that those interested in doing a quick zip through all the bridges could get safely ahead and out of the way of those more interested in the sights.

Especially later in the day, I saw (and even experienced) far too many near-misses when faster riders (usually handling themselves quite responsibly, which was why they were only near misses, not collisions) were cut off abruptly by someone swerving or stopping abruptly.

I think it's wonderful that people can bring their whole family out to see the city by bike, but it makes for a dangerous mix when you have pacelines of spandex-clad avocational riders moving through them. The route along Hwy 30 to the St. Johns was a perfect example of this -- I saw people swerving into the open traffic lanes to avoid hitting a cyclist in front of them a number of times.

Posted by: Lennon Day-Reynolds | Aug 15, 2005 1:55:45 PM

I really needed to get from E to W Portland, besides I5 South what wer my options. Next year if we could leave one non-freeway bridge in the center of town open for cars, please.

Posted by: Steve | Aug 15, 2005 3:31:48 PM

I second the suggestion to divide experienced and inexperienced riders. This was my first Bridge Pedal, and I had no idea it would be so crowded. As an experienced distance cyclist on a road bike, I would gladly have gotten up a half-hour earlier for a more peaceful, safer ride.

I started at 7am on the 10 bridge ride, and got caught in several long backups. I also struggled to keep my cool while moseying behind or around wavering children and other slow riders who weren't staying to the right. A lot of them didn't move over in response to "Passing on your left!" and seemed to resent that I wanted to go faster than they did. I understand that a lot of people aren't comfortable enough on bikes to move over when asked - I just don't feel safe riding amongst them.

On the long approach to St. Johns, the problem was particularly severe because we were using the left side of the road. Some of the inexperienced cyclists were hugging the curb, even though it was on the left, and other slower riders were properly on the right. I spent part of the time moving slowly, part of the time pleading with people to let me pass on the left, and part of the time slaloming carefully through the middle. None were satisfactory or comfortable solutions.

I appreciate the huge effort to put this ride together, and the huge number of volunteers who stood in the sun yelling themselves hoarse to help the riders go in the right direction. The views were spectacular. It was great to see just how many cyclists there are in this town. However, unless something changes to make the ride safer for faster riders, I won't be participating in the Bridge Pedal again.

Sonia

Posted by: Sonia | Aug 15, 2005 3:45:52 PM

This was my second Pedal, and the ride is like nothing I've ever experienced. It's family fun for all. Being up on the Fremont and Marquam is awesome. I love it!

BUT, the ride itself wasn't as great as it could be. Maybe Bridge Pedal organizers can do more training for participants on biking tips and traveling with others. It is dangerous to bike around that many people, especially with kids in tow or with little kids biking alone.

Some pointers that may be handy during some "training" (sessions at the Expo, online tutorials, or brochures to accompany every registration packet) could maybe include suggestions like:
- slower traffic keep right and pass on the left
- tips on how to switch gears when going uphill instead of just hopping off the bike

Also, it would help if there could be designated areas for bikes to keep moving, like a center lane for thru travel and side areas for pictures or vendor booths.

In some areas, directions weren't clear and volunteers weren't clear. I think the megaphone suggestion is a good one. On my way from the Fremont to the St. Johns, I felt lost. Granted, I think we were running a little late so volunteers may have started to leave, but there were still many others around me who were trying to find how to get to the St. Johns. Once over the St. Johns, I also felt lost and we couldn't find our way back onto the route.

I like the idea of offering "fast" and "slower" rides, so different paces can be accomodated together. It's sort of like the "fast" and "slow" lanes at the pool.

Posted by: olivia | Aug 15, 2005 3:50:01 PM

I agree with many of the above comments. We've done the BP 8 years. It's a HUGE amount of work and I generally commend the volunteers.

A couple of negative comments:
1. The start. Not having wristbands by 15-min interval time meant a lot of later start people showed up at earlier times and crammed in. The volunteers didn't do start/stop waves like they have in the past. The "15+ mph" early start time was also missing. These factors all contributed to the bottlenecks, especially at the narrow entry to the path. Allowing people to ride/walk in the opposite direction on the path didn't help.

2. We were in the batch of 10-bridge riders who got mis-directed and didn't get to ride Hawthorne or Ross Isl. No biggie, cuz we ride Hawthorne to/from the ride anyway. BUT...there were a few disappointed folks.

3. The bottlenck on Marquam was the worst ever. Course monitors do need to keep a free-flowing lane open somewhere. Ditto for Fremont. (thanks for the reflector, Sam!!!)

4. Rude riders. It seems that a lot of folks forgot their "on yer lefts" when passing. Or the guy bombing down I-5 completely out of control, pinging his bell yelling "Clear Out!!!"

5. Rude pedestrians. What was with the joggers on St. Johns who were pushing cyclists and their bikes if they were stopped on the sidewalk?

6. Loss of the "family rate" for registration. It used to be, if you had 4 "adults", you could register as a group for the price of 3. With teens and their friends riding with us, it is getting expensive.

I wonder if the Nation's Second Largest Community Ride needs to cap riders at 15,000 or so. With the number of riders, striders etc, our group commented that this was the least fun and most "near misses" we'd had on the ride in the 8 years we'd done it.

Posted by: Anne | Aug 15, 2005 4:05:09 PM

Sure, I basically agree with all the comments made so far: it was fun, I had a good time, but it was just too many people for the course, and the Marquam in particular was...pretty terrible.

I'd like to make a different kind of suggestion, though. As I biked down to the starting line, it was such a pleasure to be out and about with all of our newfound biking friends who came out of the woodwork for just this event. And then at the end, I guess you could go to the Bite...but I bet a lot of people just went back home. I'd love to see downtown merchants get excited about the fact that 20,000 people were in their downtown on a Sunday morning and offer cyclists some way to stick around, spend money, and enjoy the morning. How about different businesses all over downtown, the Pearl, Northwest, and, heck, the whole city offering discounts or freebies or other fun things to people who show up on a bike with a Bridge Pedal bib? I would have loved to do an early-bird BP themed breakfast somewhere, or make some new friends while eating lunch afterwards...it seems like a missed opportunity to let all those hungry customers go back home.

Posted by: Jessica Roberts | Aug 15, 2005 4:40:29 PM

I agree with Jessica (see above). It kind of felt that once the pedal was finished, so was our purpose downtown. And while we were admitted into the Bite for free, it really wasn't an atmosphere designed for sitting down relaxing after a 3 hr ride.

But the consequences of that might be a greater demand from drivers and businesses for more auto lanes open during the pedal as the employees from these shops would need to get to work. Just something to think about, I guess.

Posted by: Bryan | Aug 15, 2005 5:17:56 PM

Hi Sam,
Thanks for helping put on a great event. I think the ride could run much smoother if you staggered start times based on speed and riding experience. Amateur and professional cyclists should not be bumping into Mom's with tag-a-longs and kids in bike trailers. Hard core cyclists could start at 5:30-6:30, slower cyclists from 6:30-7:30, and families, kids, bike trailers from 7:30 -8:00. I think it would elminate potential safety problems, and the bottlenecks that plagued this year's ride.

Posted by: Sheila Hamilton | Aug 15, 2005 5:32:57 PM

I've beening doing the Providence Bridge Pedal for at least 5 years now. And, I've always thought it was a great and innovative event for Portland--an event that most large cities would not sponsor due to the constraints on major transportation routes. And, it does cause a problem with cars, but for only one day out of 365. Cars rule the road the other 364 days. The Bridge Pedal is not only a fundraiser for Providence's charities and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance--it's an event that allows us to reflect on our health, our transportation choices, and the much needed empathy that makes a community a respectful community.

As for rider suggestions: I'd recommend modifying the staggered starting. Have the riders qualify their riding experience. Experienced riders start early; moderates right after; followed by beginners and families with children under 12. The trouble I witnessed was fast riders mixed with slow riders--always a problem. Sure people won't always report an accurate rating, but most people will. Additionally, eliminate the overlap of courses--10 bridge riders crossing over the 8 bridge rider's route is just asking for trouble.

I'm looking forward to 2006!

Posted by: Brian Harriman | Aug 15, 2005 5:33:49 PM

A good portion of the jobs downtown are service industry related and most of us folks work Sundays. With all of the spring and summer runs and the bike events, it can be very difficult to get to work even if you are aware of the event. I can see and support the fun and importance of these events, but some kind of plan needs to be implemented to ease the headache most of us "Salts of the Earth" have getting to work.

Posted by: Roger Garland | Aug 15, 2005 5:38:51 PM

It was my second Bridge Petal. The route was poorly planned. I left the VERY crowded Springwater Corridor and rode off on my own. Between 8:30 and 9:30 AM the Burnside, Fremont, and St. Johns were nearly empty - as opposed to the southern bridges which were jammed. I would recommend that you look into setting up multiple start places and extend the start times out. Safety was really compromised by putting so many bicycles into the same area all at once.

Posted by: Ethan Dunham | Aug 15, 2005 5:42:03 PM

I love the bridge pedal and have participated every year, including the midsummernight's ride, except this year. Though I didn't ride, I wanted to thank you Sam for incorporating this immediate feedback mechanism. The degree to which you've embraced technology to reach out to your constituents is a role model to your fellow commissioners. Congratulations!

Posted by: Perry | Aug 15, 2005 5:51:04 PM

I'm glad the event was a success. Unfortunately, due to events beyond anyone's control, I had to be moving through various parts of the city during the event, in a car, and frequently got blocked or had to negotiate an alternate route - not a problem, except that I agree with a comment from earlier, that the St Johns bridge was pretty bad. I don't know that closing the bridge to cars is possible given the limited choices available - but one thing that DEFINATELY needs to be enforced next year: Bikes need to stay in the bike-designated lane(s) - as it was, people were all over the place. And on a narrow bridge, that's just not a good plan.

Posted by: Brian Wilson | Aug 15, 2005 6:00:40 PM

I want to give a big smooch to all the volunteers who put a lot of time in to the ride, and props to Sam for being out after being in the Woodstock picnic dunk tank the day before.

I felt a tad disappointed in myself for feeling misanthropic during the ride - getting frustrated with oblivious riders poking along on the left side, the infernal wait at the Springwater Corridor trailhead and the Marquam. Last year, my first event, seemed a lot smoother. I was also riding with my sweetheart at the time, which I'm sure improved my general world view.

The suggestions about earlier start times for the speed demons are spot-on, as are moving the entertainment to a different place.

The reality is that BP is a community event and not a race, and I have to say that when cyclists put on lycra, their patience for others seems to wick quicker than perspiration. I left feeling I needed to do more corrective behavior as the event planners.

The fact that Portland wins the Best Cycling City in the U.S. award every year is one of the many reasons that I love this place.

Posted by: Steve Hoyt | Aug 15, 2005 6:47:44 PM

I want to give a big smooch to all the volunteers who put a lot of time in to the ride, and props to Sam for being out after being in the Woodstock picnic dunk tank the day before.

The suggestions about earlier start times for the speed demons are spot-on, as are moving the entertainment to a different place.

The fact that Portland wins the Best Cycling City in the U.S. award every year is one of the many reasons that I love this place.

Posted by: Steve Hoyt | Aug 15, 2005 6:49:17 PM

Our family loved the ride! Great to see Sam.

He should be in the middle of the bridge. Go Sam!

The bottlenecks were a drag but hey, you do something with 20,000 people and it's normal to have some waiting. We used the time to compliment our fellow travelers on their creative outfits/headgear and mingle a bit.

Calvin (10) - says it was fun but would like more places where bikers can get sprayed by hoses. (Thanks to the kind folks by U of P).

Maybe there should be a clearly marked lane for photo-takers and minglers on the Marq/Fremont and a thru lane for the people who don't understand how to get the fun out of a "fun" ride.

This is a great event and a wonderful opportunity to take back the bridges from the cars!

Posted by: gretchen hollands | Aug 15, 2005 7:00:14 PM

Sam....this was my 3rd year. 20,000 plus riders...I loved it. However....a number of things need to happen to improve the ride for everyone. 1. Better signage. 2. Earlier start time. Stronger stagger times.....3. trying to cram thousands of cyclists througth a narrow gate to ride on the Springwater Corridor...was a mess, long, long wait...people were getting very frustrated.

I am not sure who plans the routes...I suggest that Providence hire a professional cycling event team and let them work on future Bridge Pedals.

I will return next year...it is a great community building event and showcases alternative ways to transport oneself rather than an auto.

Keep up the great work....Lisa and I support you 100%

Will Wiebe

Posted by: Will Wiebe | Aug 15, 2005 9:00:51 PM

I just wanted to post another thanks for all the hard work that goes into putting on the Bridge Pedal. Yes, there were some problems this year, but those were greatly outweighed by all of the positives. It's hard to complain about an event that is so wonderful. I'm sure the organizers will take a look at this year's event and make next year's even better.

I hope they don't ever limit the number of riders -- the spirit of the event is enhanced the more people who participate. I'm sure they'll figure out a way to accommodate as many people as want to participate, whether that means more staggered starting times, fewer bottlenecks or something else.

Thanks again to everybody for this wonderful event!

Posted by: Andrew | Aug 15, 2005 9:32:15 PM

OK, everyoe, repeat after me;

"It's a ride, not a race. It's a ride, not a race. It's a ride, not a race..."

I saw some insane behavior on the part of experienced cyclists who saw the day as an opportunity to behave as rudely as the car drivers they find so infuriating.

People: kids are kids - not obstacles for you to zip around. Better behavior by all riders -- especially the "experienced" ones -- would make this a better event for all.

You wanna race? Enter the Criterion. Save the BP for the rest of us...

Posted by: Brian | Aug 15, 2005 9:55:11 PM

Having been involved in volunteer-driven events in the past, I know the challenges. That said, after ten years I would have expected a better experience. I did the 35 mile course with my son and friend for the first time yesterday. Notes about my experience:

Online registration was easy, but lack of clear signage on site or people identified to help made orientation tough: where to go to pick up vests, start point, etc. It was a mess (I understand it was a very large turn-out, but you anticipated that, too).

Bottlenecks: Not sure what to do about waiting 25 minutes in line at the Springwater Corridor and Marquam Bridge, but that was a drag.

Bathrooms: a big problem, not enough along the way and long lines

Water: where was it on a hot day? This was a big problem, too? No problem getting root beer, but where’s the water? I counted only two places: in the beginning, when you didn’t really need it and at the St. John’s bridge.

Very little signage. Having people in the middle of the road shouting occasionally wasn't very effective. Better to have them hold up large placards--this way 10 bridge, this way 8 bridge, etc. My son and I got separated at the end of the Fremont Bridge because we were told to take two different routes! It took me 30 minutes to find him. Volunteers were not always very helpful...they seem to hot to care.

Lastly, I would have been happy to pay $5 – 7 more and get a T-shirt.

Not sure if I would do it again. Cool idea but could have been better executed on many levels.

Posted by: Leo MacLeod | Aug 15, 2005 10:29:31 PM

Sam! Fantastic job - and kudos to all of the volunteers.

This was my first BP, and for the most part, it was a fantastic experience. I'm in the middle of the road on experience - not quite a hard core biker, but starting to do the commuting thing by bike and getting better at it. So I can understand both the people who wanted to have a nice, relaxing bike ride with the family, as well as those who wanted a chance to really let loose on bridges normally dominated by cars.

The Marquam bridge was pretty intolerable, almost to the point of ruining the whole experience. However, the entire south half of the trip was pretty slow. I might suggest the addition of "fast lanes", where a lane or two of a bridge or a wide street is sectioned off just for the serious riders. It might cut down on frustration on the part of the hard core cyclists, and still allow slower riders to enjoy themselves at whatever pace they choose.

I think I'll give it another try next year, only I'll be one of the first to show up to try and beat the crowds. Frustrations aside, that was quite an event to put together... bravo!

Posted by: James Terwilliger | Aug 16, 2005 1:09:51 AM

Another great event, but as many previous posters have said, there were two conspicuous bottlenecks: the Marquam Bridge, and the entrance to the Springwater Corridor. Since many people are going to stop on the bridge anyway to take pictures, it makes no sense to compound the problem with additional distractors up there - put the bananas, drinks, and other handout stuff somewhere else, and designate a thru-lane for the non-photographers. It's not as easy to suggest a Springwater fix, except to do a better job staggering start times and get the fast riders to start first. And make the corridor one-way for the duration of the Bridge Pedal - there was one cyclist we passed who happened to be going the opposite direction. But it was a marvelous event, and all who worked on it are to be congratulated. Please, never limit participation.

Posted by: Robert Jordan | Aug 16, 2005 6:51:13 AM

I have ridden in the Bridge Pedal for several years. I have to admit, this one was the worst experience for me. I did not enjoy the 30 minute "shuffle 2 inches forward, bang knee against pedal again because the person in front of just stopped cold dead" over the Marquam Bridge. I am not a racer by any means, and I stopped to take pictures on almost every bridge (but only in safe areas like the sidewalks). That brings up a point. LOTS of "faster" riders were hopping up on the sidewalk to get around the bottlenecks. Hey, I understand it was slow, but the folks up there on the sidewalk are either trying to walk their bikes or take pictures and keep out of the lane of traffic. And yes, there were a couple times I needed to hop off my bike to walk it, and I stayed as far over to the right as humanly possible, with all the other folks doing the same thing. Running out of water happened for us too. We had friends doing the 10 bridge ride who had 3 water bottles on their bike, and still *flirted* with heat exhaustion because there was no water available by the time they got to those areas. There needed to be better signage along the route - even just arrows painted in the appropriate vest colors would have been an improvement. Ugh! Those vests......nothing good can be said about those vests, except the color. Were they fitting those vests to a child? People who are more on the plus size (like me) were not pleased with the fit of the vest. I saw one person who got around this by pinning the vest to the back of shirt - wish I had thought of that! I'm seriously thinking about whether I'll ride again next year. The Marquam bridge was so much better in 2004.

Posted by: Rachel | Aug 16, 2005 6:57:56 AM

That was the best Bridge Pedal ever!!! I did not mind the few bottlenecks. I wish the roads were always that crowded with bicycles. Super job to all the volunteers. I only wish more riders were thanking the volunteers as we passed by. Keep it up your efforts are definitely worth it.

Sincerely,

Monty

Posted by: Montgomery | Aug 16, 2005 8:07:16 AM

Thanks Sam for the opportunity for feedback!

This was my third year doing the BP and I was very excited about being able to cross all ten bridges this time.

In response to the vests... I actually loved them, I just wished more people had the side with the bridges on their back. I enjoyed being able to determine what bridge was next, etc by looking at the other cyclists.

The Springwater Corridor log jam... I was expecting the bottlenecks on the Marquam and Freemont bridges, but the long backup just a few minutes into the ride was a bit unnecessary. As I waited in the long line, I wondered if it wouldn't have been possible to start the 10-bridge ride at the beginning of the Corridor?

For those of us occasional riders, I think the trek out to St. Johns and back was a bit exhausting. Is it just me, or was it uphill both ways? Maybe going north on the east side (as we did the last couple years) and south on the west side would make it easier for non-hardcore bikers.

We had the same problem with water, we ran out and found no place to get more, until near the end of the ride. We were one of several people who had to stop off at a gas station on the way to the St. Johns and buy something to drink.

It didn't feel like we spent as much time riding through downtown as we did the past couple years. I think it's nice to go through downtown as part of the ride.

At route intersections, there needed to be more signs, rather than relying on volunteers to shout out directions fast and loud enough for everyone to hear. However, I think it would be better to have fewer of those places you go through twice. It just made things a bit confusing.

All that said, we do love the bridge pedal and will continue to do it every year. Thanks to everyone who works so hard to pull it off and to all those volunteers who stood out in the heat all morning.

Posted by: Jim | Aug 16, 2005 8:09:09 AM

Would it make sense to have two mostly non-overlapping Bridge Pedal routes for bicyclists to choose from? You could include some of the ten bridges in one route and the rest in the other. Have one 10-15 mile ride for people who ride 5-10 miles/hour and one 25-40 mile route for people who ride faster.

This would obviously mean more work for Bridge Pedal organizers and volunteers, but it would reduce the number of bicyclists on each route and the frustration of people riding at different speeds and with different bicycling skills. People could ride both routes if they wanted, or the same route multiple times, but they would need to accomodate the pace of each route.

Posted by: Isabelle | Aug 16, 2005 8:29:29 AM

I live at 5238 N Emerson Drive, just off Greeley. Although there were road blocks at Emerson, the volunteer and police officers posted nearby helped me to get across Greeley. Even if they hadn't, I think this event is so important to our community and what's a few hours on a Sunday morning? I'm happy to be inconvenienced for something that contributes to health, recreation and social goals in our community.

My 14 year old son did the 38 mile ride. This is a kid who does not normally participate in community events, let alone physical activity.

Posted by: Vaune Albanese | Aug 16, 2005 8:34:15 AM

This was the first BP for my husband and I. I can't imagine how challenging it must be to put on an event of this size! We had a great time and can't wait to do it again next year.

Would love to see the vendors, water, meet-n-greet, entertainment type things way off to the side (not in the middle of a bridge) - or maybe in a big shaded field about 1/2 way through the ride? A place where families can take a break, get a bite, get some water, use the bathroom...but not be creating a bottleneck on the road.

The volunteers and organizers did a great job!! I am so proud to live in a City that puts on an event like this! Kudos to all.

Posted by: Michele | Aug 16, 2005 9:12:23 AM

A couple things... First, Heartfelt congrats to all the participants! What a great event for a serious cause! Second, I live on the route (SW Lincoln to be exact), and have lived here for the past two years. This is the only residential building on the street. The city has never notified residents here of road closures, specifically SW Lincoln, or the immediate intersection, SW 4th. I really appreciate that cause of the pedal, but if the city would start notifying residents of closures there'd be a lot less animosity in this neck of the woods. Plus, it'd be safer for the pedalers because there would be fewer cars trying to enter/exit the route.

Posted by: Ryan Schowen | Aug 16, 2005 9:15:32 AM

One more thing: what is with rude riders? I'm not really into the bike culture, but I'm not anti-bike either. I was watching riders from my balcony, which is immediately over Lincoln, and I was amazed at the amount of rude people. Maybe it was all the other confusion and frustration of the day, but they really weren't helping us welcome them into our neighborhood (especially when we're stuck inside our apartments for 5+ hours when the road is closed). Perhaps something on rider decorum next year? Just a thought

Posted by: Ryan Schowen | Aug 16, 2005 9:29:53 AM

The bridge pedal is, in my opinion, one of the most amazing things this city has to offer. Seeing so many bikes on the road is excellent! The picture it paints of Portland as a city that loves it cyclists is wonderful.
However, I believe that the safety of 20,000 participants was compromised by a desire to only have car traffic inhibited for half a day. The decision to cram all the start times early (and not well staggered) so that cars could get there bridges back by lunch time sent very mixed messages to me about Portland's real commitment to cyclist in the city.
I have heard people say, "Bikes take the bridges one day out of the year." But in reality the bikes were only given (in several cases a small section of ) the bridges for half a day.
We aren't asking for much--Just one day where we can ride together as a community of cyclists safely.

Posted by: Julie P. | Aug 16, 2005 10:18:22 AM

Posted by: Julie P. | Aug 16, 2005 10:19:22 AM

I rode the BP the first year, in 1996, with the fast lycra crowd. Then after a couple more years I stopped because the crowds were too large. This year my whole family rode, and my kids thought it was a blast! They didn't care that the ride was partly a walk, and that we couldn't get water after the halfway point. I did care, and I was relieved that my kids didn't crash and burn like so many others. I agree with the comments about transforming the BP into more of a bike ride and festival than a serious ride. Segregate the serious riders and have them leave early - maybe even have an actual race - long before the crowds descend; get downtown merchants involved and incorporate more of a street fair atmosphere at some of the central locations; and consider awarding prizes for the best-decorated bike, or the most creative family riding arrangement (I saw a family of four on one tandem - cool!).

Posted by: Jennie | Aug 16, 2005 10:21:12 AM

The bridge pedal is, in my opinion, one of the most amazing things this city has to offer. Seeing so many bikes on the road is excellent! The picture it paints of Portland as a city that loves it cyclists is wonderful.
However, I believe that the safety of 20,000 participants was compromised by a desire to only have car traffic inhibited for half a day. The decision to cram all the start times early (and not well staggered) so that cars could get their bridges back by lunch time sent very mixed messages to me about Portland's real commitment to cyclist in the city.
I have heard people say, "Bikes take the bridges one day out of the year." But in reality the bikes were only given (in several cases a small section of ) the bridges for half a day.
We aren't asking for much--Just one day where we can ride together as a community of cyclists safely.

Posted by: Julie P. | Aug 16, 2005 10:21:36 AM

The bridge pedal is, in my opinion, one of the most amazing things this city has to offer. Seeing so many bikes on the road is excellent! The picture it paints of Portland as a city that loves it cyclists is wonderful.
However, I believe that the safety of 20,000 participants was compromised by a desire to only have car traffic inhibited for half a day. The decision to cram all the start times early (and not well staggered) so that cars could get their bridges back by lunch time sent very mixed messages to me about Portland's real commitment to cyclist in the city.
I have heard people say, "Bikes take the bridges one day out of the year." But in reality the bikes were only given (in several cases a small section of ) the bridges for half a day.
We aren't asking for much--Just one day where we can ride together as a community of cyclists safely.

Posted by: Julie P. | Aug 16, 2005 10:23:16 AM

To whom it may concern, although I am happy to contribute to this cause and am grateful that you provide the opportunity to do so, I do want to express my disappointment in this years ride. It was extremely crowded and we had to "walk" our bikes over nearly every bridge. This was not my idea of the bridge "ride", it has not been this way in the past, and due to that...I will not sign up again unless there are some changes made.

I had encouraged 3 friends to attend, and by the time we -walked- over the 3rd or 4th bridge, they had decided to leave the ride, as did I. We rode home....we did not finish, it was complete madness.

Our suggestion for next year ~ create a ride that is strictly for families and there kids. The crowded unsafe aspect was clearly the children and families doing this ride....give them a separate start time/route - whatever. We in no way wanted to race, the intention was to enjoy a leisurely ride over the bridges of Portland, and instead, it was a frustrating, unsafe experience.

Thank you for your time.
Jen

Posted by: Jen | Aug 16, 2005 10:26:51 AM

I know the Bridge Pedal has become a big event, but it must be reined in some. Restricting access on all the downtown bridges for a few hours may not seem like a big deal, but it is chaos for anyone in business. We spend a lot of time warning our customers and employees about how to get around and then the Friday before the event the route changes again. A couple of hundred phone calls later we bring people up to speed...again.

A street is not open for cars if it is blocked off. Many people do not know that they need to ask to get around the barracades. Either a street is open or it is closed. We have a terrible time getting product, clients, and employees across Naito to the boat. Every year it is the same....uninformed volunteers protecting the cyclists from pedestrians. Our morning cruises really suffer because people do not want to hassle with blocked roads.

Sam,I know you want Portland to expand its use of bicycles, but please do not close down all the bridges again. We already have a lousy economy and bridge pedal is not helping. Keep the city moving and leave a couple of bridges fully functioning. Do not change the route the last week as it defeats the limited outreach that is already happening. If a street is barracaded do not count it as being open...it isnt. Downtown has enough of an image problem with shootings, high parking rates, aggressive pan handling, we do not need to make it impossible to get around in a car too. Remember...we have spent over a billion dollars on light rail and have added many miles of bike lanes, but over 90% of all trips still happen in a car. Keep cars moving at all times...as our economy relies on mobility. See you at Pagenat. Dan Yates, President Portland Spirit

Posted by: Dan Yates | Aug 16, 2005 11:11:16 AM

I've been on BP before, and those rides were fun. This was more like an evacuation of all cyclists from PDX. Not fun. I think I spent as much time walking as riding. No water to be found, though I heard there was water. Saw too many crashes and near misses.

won't be back next year if its anything like this year.

Posted by: WES | Aug 16, 2005 11:34:13 AM

A summary:
Too many people, not enough organization. While it's a beautiful event for a worthy cause and I know it's a huge effort to organize it, it just didn't flow this year.
Suggestions: Have a route/time for family ride. So many little ones unattended by their parents, and in great danger. How about keeping the festivities off the bridges and having a through-lane for those who want to ride and a stop for sight-seeing section.
And the cars, buses and cyclists all on the road together led to chaos.
For one day, to have it all stop and let the cyclists enjoy the roads and bridges is beautiful. But the bottle-necks that led to pushing our bikes for hours, accidents with children, and lack of knowledge from the volunteers for critical information (I bled for a good 30 mintues before I found First Aid and each volunteer I asked sent me in a different direction) made this event not very successful, for everyone I have talked with will not do it again unless we hear in advance about the positive changes that will be made for next year.
We were informed each ride would take an approximate amount of time. Something each participant should account for with regard to water and pit-stops. But when we are told 1-3 hours to complete the course and it takes that long just to push bikes over 3 bridges, we can no longer be prepared. Thanks for your sincere consideration.

Posted by: Michele | Aug 16, 2005 11:55:02 AM

First up, it's a great event. It's nice to see people giving bikes a higher priority than cars for a change; and I can't believe for a second that businesses are going to go bankrupt because of three quiet hours on a Sunday morning! Events like this are what will prevent 90% of trips still needlessly being done by car...

How to improve it?
#1: Don't go down the Springwater Trail. Trying to get 5000+ cyclists down a path three bikes wide within 45 minutes is ridiculous. Hence, a 20-30 minute wait, which resulted in the 10-bridgers arriving at the Ross Island / Marquam / Broadway bridges at the same time as the shorter rides, and causing or aggrevating all of the subsequent bottlenecks. Either find an alternative route down to Sellwood, or do that bit last when the riders are more spread out instead of right at the start (since it's also the one bit that doesn't involve closing roads off to traffic).

#2: Water. The first place to fill up a waterbottle was at the rest stop between the Broadway and Freemont Bridges, almost 15 miles into the ride. And even then, it wasn't normal water, just bottled 'vitamin water' - if you wanted pure water you had to wait until the St Johns rest stop (which apparently ran out as well later on - I wasn't near the back of the pack). There should be places to fill a waterbottle every 5 miles - tap water is fine.

#3: Next year, can you give out free coffee at the start please!

Posted by: Stu | Aug 16, 2005 12:05:51 PM

Responding to Dan Yates, President of Portland Spirit: How about a cruise for post-ride biyclists next year? It seems like it would be great for bicyclists and great publicity for Portland Spirit. (Kind of like the Blues Cruises that were part of the Blues Festival.)

Posted by: Sophie | Aug 16, 2005 12:16:51 PM

I always look forward to the Bridge Pedal, but decided after trying the 10 bridge ride this year that if I do it again, I'll try the shorter ride just for fun (or the stride, I guess). It took me 2 hours to get through the first 12 miles due to the crowds. The worst bottlenecks were at the Springwater trail and then at the entrance to the bridges. Even at the entrance to St. Johns, which I expected would be more experienced riders, folks were pulled over at the top of the hill blocking the right turn onto the bridge.
Things that might help next year:
1) Creating wider "lookee loo" areas on bridges for people to pull over.
2) Creating "slower" and "faster" lanes on the ramps up to the bridges. I think a lot of inexperienced riders had trouble downshifting and just started walking their bikes once any incline appeared.
3)Avoid Springwater trail! Or have riders reach it further into the ride when they may be naturally more spread out. It's lovely, but a huge bottleneck.
4) Consider a family ride with a different route than the other rides (Hawthorne, esplanades, bike path on the steele bridge?)

Thanks for helping to make this wonderful Portland event possible. Hopefully we can make it better next year!

Posted by: Amy | Aug 16, 2005 1:06:17 PM

whew is right. what an amazing turnout. i've been on the last 7 of 10 bridge pedals, and i've never seen anything like it. i think next year, i'm going to try to start at 6.30 or earlier to beat the crowds.

anyway.

i don't think that it was a great idea to use the springwater trail right up front. it was crazy crowded, and lead to some amazing delays.

similarly, the ross island bridge was way too crowded to squeeze everyone into a single lane, which lead to folks taking both lanes (which made some trimet riders pretty steamed).

i wish that folks would self-select and ride to the right more if they were going slower than ~10mph. i don't expect to bomb it at 28mph for all or even some of the ride, but it would be nice to not have to practice my trackstanding abilities constantly. perhaps doing a 'riders who can ride faster than 15mph start at 6.30' requirement would be a good way to go. i like the celebration, but walking across every hill and bridge was a bit too slow for me.

i will say, though, that it's an amazing tradition. thanks for keeping it going!

Posted by: todd greco | Aug 16, 2005 2:15:57 PM

Commissioner Adams-

The Bridge Pedal... Wow! That's the way the world SHOULD BE!

I read the article on Monday where you were quoted saying that you can't commute by bike because you need a car during the workday.

That's why you and your staff should sign up for Flexcar. You'll never -- even if you have 4 appointments in the suburbs -- need to drive a personal vehicle to work again.

Personal appointments? Bill the trip to your personal Flexcar account. Work-related appointments? Bill the trip to the City's Flexcar account.

Before you know it, your car will be gathering dust in your garage...

If you need an application, let me know.

Steve Gutmann
Flexcar
steve.gutmann@flexcar.com

Posted by: Steve Gutmann | Aug 16, 2005 2:20:25 PM

here's some nice shots that my buddy dave took during the ride:
http://www.foveate.com/yashica/index.html

Posted by: todd greco | Aug 16, 2005 2:48:33 PM

I echo the comments on this site - something needs to be done to relieve the bottlenecks at the Start line and over some of the more popular bridges. After waiting 30 minutes to start the ride and experiencing the traffic jam on the Marquam bridge for 30 minutes, I missed the 11 a.m. cutoff to ride the St. Johns bridge. I had to find my own path to catch up w/ the rest of the St. Johns riders. I've riden other Bridge Pedals and never experienced this kind of crowding.

The main thing that struck me on the ride was the complete lack of diversity. At a $20 price point for adults, and $10 for children 12 and under, this ride could be a significant expense for a middle class family. Wouldn't it be great if lower income youth had the same opportunity to ride the Bridge Pedal?

Posted by: bikerchick | Aug 16, 2005 2:59:04 PM

while we love biking, this year's ride was way toooo
big!!! I rode with three others on the long ride, but
we were given bad directions, and ended up at the
finish line after only 20 miles--and alot of other
people were there with us in the same situation.

my wife rode with three other friends. someone ran
into her, causing a spill and minor injuries, and they
also had to literally walk across two of the bridges.

as much as I love the idea of bridepedal, neither of
us will do it again. too many riders, too many rude
riders, too dangerous with riders who don't practice
good etiquette on the road.

back to the drawing boards for crowd control.

thanks for your sponsorship.

Posted by: Peter Schmidt | Aug 16, 2005 3:01:42 PM

Traffic was a little bit of a hassle, but a great event. We can cope.

Posted by: Jeff Heatherington | Aug 16, 2005 3:02:47 PM

If they can donate more than the pathetic 50k to charity it would be a great event and worth shutting the entire east side to west side down for half the day. But at 50k they can pass the hat and get that kind of money. If the city is going to shut down the promoter should make sure they raise a min amount that is worthy of an entire community being involved.

By the way does anyone read these comments. We never hear any feedback.

Sam its an entire city, let's make sure the charities get real money worthy of an entire city. Let's not make some promoter rich on the backs of bikers and drivers.

Posted by: Tim Phillips | Aug 16, 2005 3:03:26 PM

Sam,

I suspect this is supposed to be an insider public relations hit for two-wheelers types but thought you wouldn't mind a comment from a pedestrian (in both senses of the word) citizen. As an inveterate walker I consider bicyclists in Portland to be as great a hazard as motorists because they completely ignore traffic rules, especially at crosswalks.

I know that us foot-powered folks don't carry the political clout of the mechanized hordes of bicyclers but we're even more vulnerable, so give us a thought now and then too.

Having gotten that off my chest, I think the Bridge Pedal is terrific and encourage you to keep it up. Its one of those things that define Portland in a good way.

Posted by: Clyde Doctor | Aug 16, 2005 3:04:14 PM

We need to celebrate and support all bike riders! Their safety is essential and they provide leadership and healthy energy towards reducing the use of fossil fuels. Continued success to those willing and able to ride. Thanks.

Posted by: E. Ann Hinds | Aug 16, 2005 3:04:58 PM

Commissioner Adams,

I wasn't involved in the Bridge Pedal myself, but I think it's great you are asking for feedback. Your email reminded me that I've been meaning to write you a note about the traffic safety coordinating council. We really appreciate the interest you've shown in traffic safety. It means a lot you took the effort to come by the meeting the other evening; it shows you really care about the issues we are discussing.

It's a genuine pleasure to work with Mark Lear and Dakota Inyoswan. They've carefully put together a broad coalition of parties interested in traffic safety, and it's exciting to be included in the process. You are fortunate to have such good people at PDOT.

I'm always happy to talk about the justice system, the challenges we face and our willingness to work with city government and the community in general. Please let me know if I can ever be of any assistance.

Posted by: Steven A. Todd | Aug 16, 2005 3:05:34 PM

Great job of identifying the issues for working poor people in our community in the article from Asian Reporter, Sam. It’s wonderful to see you “get it!”

Posted by: Susan Stoltenberg | Aug 16, 2005 3:06:31 PM

Hi, Sam, I wasn't there for BridgePedal, but I am SO proud of Portland for being a beacon of light on the subjest of alternative transportation. I'm visiting NJ right now, where gas has risen to $2.79 a gallon (at some pumps). It's heartening to see that so many Portlanders are committed to riding thier bikes. And, your participation just makes it even better. Thank you for your good leadership!!!

Posted by: Joanne Oleksiak | Aug 16, 2005 3:07:08 PM

Sam Adams;
I've told you many times how thrilled I am with the work you are doing.
Thank you for being at both the Woodstock picnic, as well as the
amazing work on the Freemont Bridge. i believe the ride was amazing.
There were a couple of bottlenecks at OMSI. Some of us who know
Portland simply took neighboring streets. The Marquam bridge is one
area where it was definately too crowded. I would suggest spacing the
booths farther apart to allow dawdlers to relax on the side of the
bridge. Another idea would be to print prominantly on the ride booklet
that faster riders should stay on the left and slower riders on the
right.
I also want to help you. I brought my little folding table up to the
Marquam bridge and handed out BTA/CCC/Trans Options literature. I
would be happy to bring along my trailer and do this at any event where
these organizations don't have the staff to cover (I'm thinking of
farmer's markets, street fairs, etc). Feel free to let me know of any
events which are not yet covered. (PSU and SE Coop

Posted by: Bike Photo | Aug 16, 2005 3:08:28 PM

Sam,

I hope this gives you some momentum to complete the City's bike network! If there are safe, clear routes who knows how many folks will ride bikes! I worked on the Tillamook project in the mid-90's and still there are NO signs telling cyclists or motorists that it is a "Bike Boulevard.!" Let's get those new bike route signs up now!

Posted by: Lenny Anderson | Aug 16, 2005 3:09:22 PM

This was my first year riding the Bridge Pedal. In theory a great event, and given all the people, the organizers/volunteers did a great job! However, its not an event I'm likely not to do again because of all the bottlenecks and safety concerns. I personally witnessed 4 different accidents, which I just barely missed being a part of. My group decided not to finish our route because our nerves were shot! I agree that this cycling event isn't about speed, and that in general everyone should be riding at a fairly slow pace... However saftey is a major concern when there are so many inexperienced riders in such a tight pack. The problem may be addressed by sticking to staggered start times with a limited number of people in each wave, limiting the number of participants- or expanding the hours of the event, and having a designated start time for participants with children. Bridge Pedal is a great community event and hopefully next year it will be a bit more undercontrol, so that everyone can enjoy the experience! Thank you for the opportunity to voice our concerns!

Posted by: Christine Hurst | Aug 16, 2005 4:16:10 PM

Pros:
- ten bridges - woohoo!
- friendly and enthusiastic volunteers
- some very helpful vols
- excellent treatment of metal grates

Cons:
- some bad/non directions from vols
- too crowded for the first 5 miles
- US30 was not open in time
- User going the wrong way in Oaks Bottom. Yikes!
- once again, we routed peds right in front of speeding bikes. Yikes! This time it was on the Fremont.

Suggestions:
- Include the Vista Bridge. The ride needs a hill.
- Find a way to sort out the fast long riders from the slow long riders early in the ride. I recommend going over the Vista Bridge first as a way of doing this, then down 23rd, Westover, 25th, and St Helens Rd to St Johns.

Posted by: Graham Ross | Aug 16, 2005 4:51:27 PM

i absolutely love bridge pedal. i love showing pictures to friends in other parts of the country. so many bikes in one place - united for just a short time. it is crazy beautiful!

i agree with comments about bottlenecks and feel certain that next year will be better. definitely lots of signs asking slower folks to move to the right are needed. and definitely moving all the vendors to one side of the bridges instead of all over the place.

although it might seem horrible to some, i also agree with rides for folks 12 and older. on the same rides, parents with tag-a-longs should also be excluded. not a popular view, but so be it. so often parents are so focused on their children that they forget that there are other people around trying to use the same resources. i saw several parents with tag-a-longs simply stop in the middle of all the traffic to take care of their child. it would only take a few seconds to pull over to the side. to be clear, i think there should be multiple rides - 6, 8, 10-bridge - without children not just the 10.

i found traffic control by some of the volunteers to be bizarre. at one point after the ross island where cars had two of four lanes, volunteers were yelling in the third lane for us to stay in the one lane. one lane for all the cyclists and one lane for the volunteers to stand?

how about public service announcements on all the radio stations and local news broadcasts reminding folks of the event so people can plan ahead? not just the day before but several announcements at different times - 2 weeks before, 1 week before and everyday 5 days before. i understand the frustration of some and this might help to better inform people. also the mercury, williamette week, the oregonian and the tribune could run announcements as well. as part of the community, this would be a great service. nothing fancy or longwinded, just short and informative.

i absolutely agree with the idea of downtown merchants getting in on the event. what's the saying - if you can't beat 'em...? just for one day, one glorious day, let cyclists be the majority. merchants could enjoy the event as well and increase their business by embracing the event not dreading it. brunch and lunch specials all over downtown would be fun. coupons for small discounts, a scavenger hunt type of idea or stamp cards if you visit certain stores to get a prize would be great. maybe a coupon book or something could be sponsored by the merchants and a copy could be included in every registration packet? that's 20,000 potential customers that can be reached.

maybe concerts in the parks could be coordinated for bridge pedal? a free concert in the west park blocks and in the east park blocks. lots of shade and places for tired cyclists to gather and enjoy our beautiful downtown.

i realize that tri-met has financial issues and there are no free rides (ooo that was bad), but how about expanding the fareless square significantly for the benefit of bridge pedal to encourage people to bus-it downtown?

love the idea that someone posted for more socioeconomic diversity. $20.00 can be a great deal of money for some families. nike, adidas and other large local companies could sponsor groups by contacting the community cycling center and other cycling organizations.

portland is an amazing place to live and bridge pedal is one of the reasons.

thanks for the opportunity to share ideas and for reading this.

Posted by: dianne | Aug 16, 2005 7:28:17 PM

Truely a great response.

Providence must either make great logistical improvements, or they will have to provide free medical care for those injured. Mixing bicyclists of various levels in too small an area is asking for crashes.

1. Must have wave starts. Fastest cyclists leave first, e.g., elite competitive. Then fast, then moderate.

2. Course changes, Spring Water Corridor can maybe handle hundreds, certainly not thousands.

3. Must have more staggered starting times. First start, just before 6am.
If you go to July, daybreak is even earlier.

Posted by: Alan Bacharach | Aug 16, 2005 8:26:14 PM

in my earlier posting, i fogot to mention that i hope the number of cyclists registered is not limited. instead i hope that the event can be re-engineered to handle the increased interest. it is an amazing event!

Posted by: dianne | Aug 16, 2005 10:40:37 PM

Great fun and good route, but too many people. Should be limited to 15k, and there should be ride officials on the big bridges guiding stopping riders to the side and providing thru riders a clear lane. Some literature should be included about riding safety in the registration packet. Like slow rider to the right and only pass on the left, many accidents could be avoided. Great event 7 years in a row for me and my family.

Posted by: Kip Aszman | Aug 17, 2005 9:07:07 AM

Sam,

Great cause....but a royal pain. It took over an hour to return from east side church. Especially St Johns Bridge -streets leading into it were totally clogged and had poor signage. no 4 way stops.... It took 35 min. just to move 9 blocks; we have a lot more work for you all to do...,

Posted by: Bill Findlay | Aug 17, 2005 9:16:38 AM

Great ride as always, but... all the bottlenecks were a bit troublesome. Also the confusion at merge points.

Suggestions (perhaps duplicates; I didn't have time to read all of the above):

1. Make signs. Big signs. Signs that direct traffic flow through bottle necks and merge points. Counting on volunteer to shout directions doesn't work.

2. Have designated traffic lanes on the Marquam and Fremont bridge with no stopping allowed. Mark these clearly with traffic cones and signs. Focus entertainment and information booths away from the traffic lanes.

3. Designate a corps of volunteers to focus on traffic control, especially on the Marquam and Fremont.

Posted by: Himself | Aug 17, 2005 10:47:20 AM

We relied on the posted information that the Fremont top level would re-open at 11:30 a.m. It took us 30 extra minutes to get home to NW Portland because there was no guidance on how to detour around that blockage. The event obviously lasted much longer than it was supposed to and the traffic backup on I-5 was extreme.

Posted by: Allan | Aug 17, 2005 2:29:22 PM

Overall, a very successful and pleasant and fun experience. My second time, but first over St. Johns. Bottlenecks were not too bad from my position. Trains are inevitable. A woman volunteer was trying to stop bikers on St. Helens Road, but really needed a big old stop sign she could hold up because the bikers could not see her signalling to stop. Bottleneck near Ross Island bridge because red riders had to cross over yellow riders? Maybe we could have been forewarned and we could all work our way through it ahead of time and be in the correct side of the road. Why were we biking on the left of St. Helens Road? This seems dangerous. Many participants were rude and risked others lives and biked on the wrong side of the cones. This warning needs to go in your passport or some place prominent. But omigosh I had such a great time. I hope the opportunity to do this never ends. It is a great community feeling.
Carry on, great job.

Posted by: Shawn | Aug 17, 2005 5:25:24 PM

Posted by: Shawn Westaway | Aug 17, 2005 5:26:46 PM

Great day for a ride! Loved the music on the 405 bridge - especially that band Kukuva - they rocked!

Posted by: Tyler Stephens | Aug 17, 2005 7:03:22 PM

Last year was much better than this year. But I am confident the organizers will see the mistakes made and won't let it happen again next year.

Posted by: Larry Synclair | Aug 18, 2005 6:38:57 AM

Its a great way to showcase not only Portland and its beauty, but also showcase your personality and the culture of who we are. We all know we are not a LA, Dallas, or even Denver--we are distinct, and closing the bridges for a cycling event reflects our ethos! Congrats to both the organizers and the volunteers for a great event!

Posted by: Randy Miller | Aug 18, 2005 10:26:28 AM

From my perspective the day was a great success. The view of Portland from the tops of freeway bridges is great. It was a lot of fun despite the bottlenecks. With 20,000 people you have to expect bottlenecks. If you don't want them, get in shape and do the longer rides. I'm wondering if limiting the age of riders would be a good idea. Some of the bottlenecks I saw were caused by families who were trying to ride side by side to keep everyone going. Also, younger kids tended to weave back and forth and many riders gave them a lot of space. In some locations, some lanes were just not big enough for the number of riders. The Broadway bridge was one spot. Also, having booths and displays on the Marquam bridge really caused bottlenecks.

The money is for a good cause. Perhaps raising the fee will reduce the numbers a little bit and provide some relief that way.

All in all, I would do whatever it takes to continue it. It is one of he most positive, fun events in Portland

Posted by: Marylin Rush | Aug 18, 2005 1:59:46 PM

Sam,
Please pull out a map and review the course, as it winds past Montgomery Park. Notice that nice wooded 5400 acre park with 29 miles of pathways open to bicycles, the place known as Forest Park? Rick Bauman, the great guy who organizes the Bridge Pedal, and I had a great idea for this 10th Anniversary Bridge Pedal: a Forest Park Loop! Yep, a limited amount of riders would take a left from NW Vaughan on to NW 26th, then hang a right on to Thruman and ride the 1 mile to the Thurman Gate. This is by far the most popular entrance to the park. I'm sure you've eard of the complaints from those friendly folks at the top of Thurman and the street parking there on weekday evenings!
The riders would ride Leif Erickson 6.3 miles to Saltzman Rd., turn right and cruise down to St Helens Rd. and join in with the regular riders. Our reasoning for this loop? As a Board Member for the Portland United Mountain Pedalers,www.pumpclub.org ,we recently produced a new map with the fine help of the Friends of Forest Park, Portland Parks and RECREATION and the Mamzamas. This new map is to educate the local cyclists as to which trails ARE open to cyclists. Our goal for having the 'Forest Park Loop' of the Bridge Pedal was to show riders how easy the climb from the NW 28th area really is, and that doing so will help eleviate the parking problems at the top.
Do you want to know what the Parks and RECREATION Dept. said? 'Sorry, there are no bicycle events allowed in any city park that is not held on a paved pathway.' Have you ever been on Leif Erickson? It's a gravel ROAD, what kind of damage is a group of cyclists going to do to the surface? They allow marathons to run on that road AND they allow running events on Wildwood!!!!!!
If you would like some help acheiving 'Platinum Status' for PDX, somethng has to be done to allow a place for mountain bikers to ride their bikes in a setting they prefer, singletrack type trails, not gravel roads. We should not have to get in our cars, drive 1 to 2 hours just to enjoy the kind of trail experience that could be easily created in Forest Park.
As the Western Oregon Representative of the International Mountain Bicycling Association, I would like to meet with both you and Mr. Saltzman, and see what can be done about satisfying this pent up demand for real mountain bike recreation in the Portland area. Trust me, the 4+ miles in Powell Butte and the gravel roads in Forest Park are not enough. With 55 bike shops in town, selling more mountain bikes EVERY DAY, it's time we moved forward.

Thank You for your time.

Posted by: Roger W. Louton | Aug 18, 2005 9:18:31 PM

My role in this whole thing was that of a volunteer. Perhaps I am a minority here, but I do not feel that the volunteers were adequately briefed, either before or on the morning of the event.

Before the ride even started, my two fellow volunteers had to deal with a LOT of angry car drivers, who claimed The Oregonian published a different closing time for the eastbound lane of the Sellwood Bridge. We did not know which bridge(s) to direct them to. There were even two cars that got so angry (seriously, take a chill pill!) that they busted past the barricades and drove down the bridge into the oncoming lane of traffic, at a very dangerous speed to those of us who were standing, unprotected, on the bridge. Once the police finally arrived (6am), their perceived "authority" (even though they had little more information than we did) made people a lot less vitriolic, even as the morning car traffic, and the backup, started to increase.

I did not receive any information beforehand, except where to check in, and when. My entire volunteer briefing, then, consisted of, "Put on a T-shirt and safety vest, tell people to turn that way to get on the bridge, oh--and make sure people don't cross over the cones into the car lane." Sounded easy enough. My two fellow volunteers took the direction-pointing station, and I got to monitor the entire bridge for cone-crossers!

To be honest, percentage-wise, there weren't that many cone-crossers. However, when they appeared, they were always about one hundred feet in front of me, probably out of audible reach. As cyclists moved across the bridge, there were a number of logjams due to the slow riders and "lookie loos," but having not been instructed to traffic this problem (and I knew it was a problem), I usually couldn't do much about it. There were also people who crossed over to the rail on the other side of the bridge to get that *perfect* photo of their friends. Not a good idea on that side of the Sellwood!

Mainly, I just didn't want to see and have to assist with an accident. Fortunately there was only one near-miss that I saw, and only one group who sarcastically heckled me for being concerned about their safety. Generally everyone was in good spirits, and I would say at least one hundred people said "thanks for volunteering!" or gave me a high-five as they rode by.

Getting back to the point--as a volunteer, I'd have been much more effective if I were given more detailed information before the event about what specific duties I would need to perform (traffic control of cars and bikes, possible first aid), accurate bridge closure information, a cell phone number for our area's volunteer coordinator, etc.. Maybe the police could have shown up sooner too, so untrained volunteers weren't getting spewed on with insults right after checking in.

Although I am a bike commuter, I have only ever heard horror stories about the Bridge Pedal. I volunteered in order to scope it out for the future. Due to my observations, I will likely not be participating in the future. Regardless, I think it's absolutely essential for our city to have this event, and I would advocate for full closure of particular bridges, even though that might fuel the hatred that some already have for cyclists.

Thank you, Sam Adams, for your progressive actions thus far in your term. Helping cyclists to achieve Platinum status, attempting to understand the local low-wage job scene, and by being out. You are my new local government hero!

Posted by: Heather Andrews | Aug 19, 2005 10:32:54 PM

Why aren't the Bridge Pedal people asking for feedback? Why is Sam Adams doing this for them? Have they ever asked for feedback? Some of the problems that became blatently obvious this year have been problems in the past.

After putting on BP for ten years, it's surprising that they still have so many issues to resolve. Other places know how to do this successfully (e.g. the New York City marathon has 52,000 runners).

If Portland wants to put on a large-scale ride, Providence needs to hire someone who knows how to do it.

Posted by: Elizabeth | Aug 20, 2005 1:22:01 PM

A number of people have suggested having staggered start times based on bicyclists' speeds, but that won't address the issue of bicyclists who ride the route(s) more than once.

Many of the fast bicyclists already start the ride in the first wave (6:30 start time, this year). They ride the course once at a fast pace, and then ride the course again when it's full of slower riders. The challenge to ride it fast is more difficult the second time, but they're determined and skilled cyclists.

The problem isn't necessarily the start times, it's allowing a wide-range of paces to occur at the same time in the same place.

Posted by: Holly | Aug 20, 2005 1:55:39 PM

I first of all did not participate in the bridge pedal but to all of you who did Awesome job and maybe I'll be out there with you in the future

Posted by: Sherrie | Aug 20, 2005 4:09:55 PM

Good Evening Commissioner Adams-

Know that Multco Commissioner Maria is participating in a gathering at Sellwood Bridge on the 29th...hope to see you there. Missed this year's record crowds, but know that I am a prior years' participant and that this native is on board for future rides across the bridges.

Can we look for you at this year's Hood to Coast relay? another alternative to driving!? I am running the third legs, but would be thrilled to hear you were anywhere on the route encouraging folks along their way.

You are doing a great job so far.

Thank you,

Darrell Gossett

Posted by: Darrell Gossett | Aug 22, 2005 12:06:54 PM

Sam
Re: bike travel emphasis/

Just a general comment.

As someone who drives around town a lot, I think it would be a really good idea to begin a very visible sponsorship of traffic safety training for bike riders.

One example of why: Many of our streets in East Portland and Northeast have bike lanes which are painted on streets near intersections and/or turn lanes. It means that cars wishing to turn right have to turn through painted bike lanes which were not present in previous blocks. The area around Emanuel Hospital in NE and 122nd in East Portland are especially dangerous in my view.

When the vehicular lane requires a turn across the marked bike lane, how should drivers handle it. Am I expected to cue up until the bike has cleared the intersection? If so, shouldn't there be some signal by the bike rider about his/her intentions at the intersection. Am I expected to get to the far right of the street in this situation even though where these marked bike lanes are present, the far right edge is often marked for parking, not vehicular travel.

I am most concerned because if I make a mistake, the bike rider will be the one who is injured. In car to car mistakes, the odds are better - or worse depending on your view - that you as a driver are equally at risk of harm.

I think if bikes mean to co-exist with cars on very busy streets, they need to be regulated just as cars are, with some testing of bike rider knowledge of the rules of the road.

If that is being done right now by any arm of government, I am not aware of it. If it isn't, why not?

I think we have to be very careful trying to retrofit European lifestyles on people in this country. One of the problems around cars is that we have always used cars as symbols of our general independence, I think, and not just for travel. Changing the habits of drivers to allow sharing of the streets and roads needs to be done carefully, and also needs to be done with a healthy caution for bike riders about the difference between policy and practice.

When I was riding bikes in my younger years, the rules were that you always rode facing traffic so you could see what those unthinking and/or arrogant drivers were going to do. The rule was in place so you could save your own life and not rely on drivers in cars to do the right thing.

I think that is still a good instinct and needs to be brought back into the current coexistence model by educating both bike riders and drivers about what they need to do about avoiding conflicts between cars and bikes.

Thanks for the opportunity to comment.

Bonny

Posted by: Bonny McKnight | Aug 22, 2005 12:07:49 PM

Never “too successful”! With the price of gas, limited resource of petro. and with air pollution perhaps more “weekender-riders” found another mode of transportation for short trips around town to their liking.

Keep up the good work in all facets of your work for the city.

Pat Young and Fern Wilgus

Posted by: Pat Young | Aug 22, 2005 1:22:28 PM

Responding to Dan Yates, President of Portland Spirit: I appreciate the frustration of dealing with the inconvenience of closed streets and bridges, but please understand that this is ONE DAY out of the whole year. One day that the streets are not dominated by the 90% of people that you say prefer to drive cars.

I drive a car, ride a scooter, or ride my bike, depending upon the weather and my mood. The city and the streets belong to everyone, and clearly the 20,000 people who rode in the Bridge Pedal are interested in many facets of Portland transportation.

20,000 people riding bikes is not just an inconvenience to you, but a potential opportunity. I applaud all the people who stuck it out on the ride, and sympathize with all the frustration as well, but I agree that if anything the Bridge Pedal should be BIGGER.

The divisiveness between cyclists and pedestrians and cars and businesses is reaching a boiling point in Portland, and I, for one, would like to see the city step up to its obligations as a bike-friendly city. All the bike lanes in the world don't make up for the attitude that this city has developed toward cyclists-- be they commuters, hammerheads, or recreational riders.

Posted by: Scout | Aug 22, 2005 4:29:18 PM

Bonny, in regard to your comment that "When I was riding bikes in my younger years, the rules were that you always rode facing traffic so you could see what those unthinking and/or arrogant drivers were going to do...I think that is still a good instinct," I know that many folks were taught to do this as kids, but accident statistics have overwhelmingly shown that biking against traffic significantly increases your chance of being in a crash with a car, and your chances of that crash being a serious one. That's why it's really important that we spread the word: bike with traffic! It's much safer.

Posted by: Jessica Roberts | Aug 23, 2005 10:05:15 AM

Hello Sam and Staff -

How I long for the early days of the Pedal; I'm afraid the event, as wonderful as it is, has gotten too big for it's britches. Not that I dislike big events (I've run Bay to Breakers in San Francisco with over 100,000 people, and it's a blast!). But, the carrying capacity of the Bridge Pedal course has been exceeded. The "bottlenecks" are not just pinch points, but occur over much of the 13 mile course, which contains the most zig-zaggy kids, tag-along-bikes, etc. I watched a kid slide across the plywood on the first bridge, but escaped with only minor road rash and hopped right back on. Unless you arrive before 7:00am and take the long route, potentially dangerous crowding is the rule rather than the exception. The only suggestion I could make is to have the event for two days (not the same weekend), and allow people to sign up for only one of the days. It's a wonderful, unique Portland event; let's do what we can to reduce the tediousness of the journey and put the fun back into it.

Posted by: Greg Wolley | Aug 29, 2005 11:16:07 AM

Like many other riders, I bailed after 6 bridges. Too much congestion, too little riding; too much walking; too many merges with different stages; too many undisciplined/rude riders; too little fun.

I did the first ride in 1996 and looked forward to doing all 10 bridges this year, but 20,000 riders is just too much -- especially when so many of the bridges were crammed with promotional stuff. Design the ride so it is a ride and put the promotional stuff (and porta-potties) off the route, and definitely off the bridges.

Posted by: Brooks Koenig | Aug 31, 2005 1:30:20 PM

OK, by now you've probably heard enough, both pro and con, about the Bridge Pedal. We've waited this long to offer our input so any negative comments would have a chance to be more moderate. First of all, the food was a wonderful improvement over last years candy and cookies, and the route well guarded by the police and volunteers. Thanks. What we didn't like (ready?) was the interminable and intolerable wait on the approach to the Marquam Bridge and at the entrance to the
Springwater Trail. Although the trail was a seemingly great idea, funneling some 15,000 bikers onto a 2 biker path was a disaster. Live and learn, eh? Planning aside, it raises the question as to whether there should be a limit on the number or participants. We understand that you want to make the ride available to all who want to participate, but the quality of this year's ride was seriously impacted by sheer numbers. Also, the choice of rest stops was not good. Nan and I had to settle for a cement curb as a resting place. Did the U of P kick us out? But still it was a good ride. Thanks for all your efforts and your continuing good work in promoting the ease and safety of bicycling in PDX.

Posted by: Forrest & Nan Jennings-LeRoy | Sep 28, 2005 2:10:27 PM

i like your blog. it is a very interesting one. coin world magazine: http://interactive.usc.edu/members/students/2005/09/carcassonne.php , coin world magazine

Posted by: tyler jones | Sep 29, 2005 1:19:00 AM

Very nice ride!

Posted by: casey@sbate.com | Nov 1, 2005 4:17:31 PM

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