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General: All about Portland, OR

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    Since there is a thread on Copenhagen, Portland,OR deserves it's own tribute. I've been visiting PDX at least 2x a month in the last 10 years (on business+pleasure). My wife and I even considered moving there but San Diego has the best weather for bicycling all year round. So to start here are 2 videos from Streetfilms.com:

    PORTLAND: Celebrating America's Most Livable City

    Lessons from Portland (The Defeat of the Mt. Hood Freeway)
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    I've ridden in Portland. Overall, it was a good experience. I took the Springwater Corridor trail from one end to the other, was great. I was able to go all the way through the city on bike path, at least coming in from Mt Hood. They also hold the Providence Bridge Pedal, the largest community ride in the country. I rode with about 9000 other cyclists on closed off streets and freeways. Lots of fun. I'll be visiting again, this time doing more riding around the city as a part of my 2011 Oregon US 99 tour. I took photos of some of their bicycle facilities, I'll try and post them.
    • CommentAuthormarkphilips
    • CommentTimeDec 14th 2009 edited
     
    I stumbled on the 2006 Providence Bridge Pedal... I was in Vancouver,BC earlier that week for work but I brought my BikeFriday folding bike (in a suitcase) to ride at Stanley Park. Enroute to San Diego I stopped by Portland to visit another customer (and resolve a robotics technical issue). It was a Friday, and they had a pre-ride party/expo at the DoubleTree in downtown. So I signed up for the ride. Ten bridges, one day, with 12,000 to 15,000 riders road that weekend. I have not seen so many diverse cyclists. The view from one bridge to the other was amazing; cyclists were covering the whole length of bridges. From a far they looked like ants. The beauty of this ride is that the majority of the roads and bridges were CLOSED to traffic. Unlike San Diego's organized bike rides, the streets were still open to car traffic.

    Click on this link to see what happens when Cyclists take the Freeway by Storm. It's a different kind of traffic jam; the one that has more interaction between people. See how much more people can fit on a highway.
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    I was there for the PBP, 11 bridge ride, this year. It really was amazing, especially from the Fremont Bridge, seeing EVERY bridge with cyclists. Some of the photos are on my bicycle tour page. Bicycle boxes were another thing I noticed used there. I can see many places that it would be helpful here, but there just aren't enough cyclists to warrant them yet. I was lucky to have been there to ride in that. It was the day I was in town, at the end of my tour. Follow <a href="http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/5240">this link</a> to see some of those photos.
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      CommentAuthordanarel
    • CommentTimeDec 17th 2009
     
    i just got back from Portland. I actually didnt like it. Riding was okay, but they have lights and stops every 5 seconds. lots of bike lanes, that was nice, but winter weather is terrible and far to much rain.

    made me happy to be from San Diego.
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    For me, it isn't so much the facilities for cyclists, it is the attitude at the government level. When I saw signs, large and with a flashing amber light, that told people driving to watch for, and yield to, bicycles, I knew I was in a different place. Here, the only thing close in San Diego tell people on bicycles to watch for cars, with no easy way to cross. That is what I want to see here. We have a long ways to go for that. Read bikeportland.org, it is a very good local site on cycling there. The Oregonian, online at least, has a bicycling section with lots of stories. The Union-Tribune doesn't.
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    danarel:i just got back from Portland. I actually didnt like it. Riding was okay, but they have lights and stops every 5 seconds. lots of bike lanes, that was nice, but winter weather is terrible and far to much rain. made me happy to be from San Diego.


    Visiting Portland beginning November and althoughout the Winter may not be the best time for cycling. You've got to get acclimated and used to the change in seasons. I for one like to go there in the summer or the fall.

    I agree with Mike that the awareness level for cyclists on the road is much higher than in any state.

    But on the other hand, I agree with you that we are very fortunate to be living in San Diego. We have all year round to ride/drive our bikes. ;-)
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    It wasn't just in Portland though that I saw things that were done differently. ODOT even paved over the rumble strips along I-84 where bicycles had to take the freeway, especially where it got narrow. I was truly amazed at the steps that were taken for bicycles. Not always the best facilities, but a long ways from ours.
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      CommentAuthorVelo Cult
    • CommentTimeFeb 9th 2010
     
    awesome. thanks for posting that photo. San Diegan's need to see images like this to keep them on the right track. it CAN happen here.
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    Portland has Powells.

    There's almost enough reason to move right there ...
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      CommentAuthorVelo Cult
    • CommentTimeFeb 9th 2010
     
    im no book work but Powell's is incredible.
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    I get lost inside Powell's bookstore... Just around the corner is the Powell's engineering bookstore...
    And nearby is Whole Foods, several short blocks is REI, about a mile or two up the hill is.....Peace and Quiet from
    The busy city. Is it called Washington Park where the Zoo, Botanical and Rose Garden is located...

    But then again...they have this wet weather that we're having more than I would like...
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      CommentAuthorKathy
    • CommentTimeFeb 10th 2010
     
    http://www.activelivingresearch.org/files/ALR2010Conf_PlenaryAbstract_Gotschi.pdf
    an amazing new study from Portland trying to figure out if bicycle facility and encouragement money gets a good return on investment. I don't want to spoil the ending for anyone, but IT DOES, big time. :-)

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