As a Bostonian who grew up surrounded by "the Big Dig," , the concept of "contract savings" (i.e. contracts coming in under budget) is mindboggling. More impressive, still, is how Portland City Council has chosen to deal with contract savings on their "big pipe" project.

Today City Council expressed support for devoting some of the contract savings to a Green Streets plan. This plan, jointly implemented by the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) and the Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), would build street features that manage stormwater while also improving conditions for bicyclists and pedestrians. By managing stormwater, these features keep polutants out of our rivers and reduce costly wear on our sewer system. By narrowing neighborhood streets at strategic points, they slow motor vehicle traffic and shorten crossing distances for pedestrians.

Here is an informative video about Green Streets.

While this plan doesn't pay for signals or any street project unrelated to wastewater management, it provides the Bicycle Plan for 2030 with a significant kickstart.

Here is what I had to say at today's hearing:

Mayor and Commissioners, thank you for your time today.

My name is Carl Larson, representing the Bicycle Transportation Alliance. The BTA's advocacy team is in Washington, DC right now attending the National Bike Summit. They're representing this city and state on a national stage and working to create new sources of federal active transportation funding to match what cities like Portland are beginning to invest at a local level. They are also being fawned over by lobbyists from all over the country who look to Portland for inspiration and leadership.

They get jetlag and a videotaped welcome from Lance Armstrong. I get to testify in front of the people who are to thank for Portland's status, not just as the talk of the National Bike Summit but as a leader in eco-friendly design and all-around livability. Your leadership has made this city a model for bicyclists and bioswale fanatics alike.

Portland is a leader and you are Portland's leaders. Thank you all for your leadership.

Thanks, especially, to you, Commissioner Saltzman. Your proactive efforts to insure that The Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 gets funded and built have brought us to where we are today.

Today, in the form of The Green Streets proposal, we have a commitment from Mayor Adams "kick start" that plan and stormwater management plans with an impressive $20M.

Portland is at its best making the most of limited tax monies and this proposal sets an example for all city government by dedicating contract savings towards future savings.

We are pleased to have been assured by Mayor Adams' staff that this proposal does not come at the expense of vital watershed investments.

You have identified a way to make the most of existing funds and existing streets to make our citizens and our ecosystem healthier and better-connected.

Smart and creative funding like this will produce a return on investment that typical road projects never will. Green Streets investments keep citizens out of harm's way and pollutants out of our rivers.

The BTA thanks you, Mayor Adams, for proposing the Green Streets initiative and we urge city council to see this proposal not just as curbs and sewers but as a key to maintaining Portland's national reputation as a city committed to the health of its residents and natural environment.

Thank you.

The BTA is grateful to Commissioner Saltzman for leading the charge to get the Bike Plan for 2030 funded and to Mayor Adams for introducing this forward-thinking proposal. We also thank BES for their willingness to share their savings with PBOT. Their spirit of collaboration is admirable.

City Council will vote on the green street proposal next week. Tell them how much you appreciate their support.

Elementary and middle schools in Oregon are invited to register online for the Walk + Bike Challenge, a friendly competition that encourages students and families to use safe, active transportation to and from school during the month of May.

Click here to register your school online and create a user account.

Once you've created an account, we'll send you the coordinator packet with the Walk + Bike student scorecard, results tally sheet for school coordinators, and promotional flyer.

The packet also includes:

• Best practices for planning a successful and sustainable Walk + Bike event;
• Tips for engaging the media with four simple messages and a sample op-ed:
• PLUS, the first 80 schools to register will receive a FREE package of incentives including stickers, temporary tattoos and ribbons.

Register today!

New for 2010
We've made it easier for elementary and middle school coordinators to submit results online and manage their school's Walk + Bike account through our website, www.walknbike.org.

The event kicks off May 1, ends May 31, and culminates with a special Walk + Bike to Baseball celebration event at PGE Park in Portland on June 11. Event participants and winners will be recognized on field, and the overall winner will throw out the first pitch of the Beavers baseball game.

Coming soon: Top 5 reasons to register your school for Walk + Bike Challenge Month: Words of wisdom from past school coordinators.

Questions? Email Margaux or call 503-226-0676 x28.

During the past few months, hundreds of community members have rallied at City Hall, attended Community Budget Hearings, and written to City Council in support of the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030. Together, we asked City Council to take critical first steps beyond adopting the plan to identify new funding and build the entire Portland Bike Network. Because we came together with a strong collective voice, we were successful in getting City Council to find additional funding for the Bike Plan that wasn't previously identified.

The National Center for Safe Routes to School is now accepting applications for $1,000 mini-grants from organizations and groups with creative ideas that support safe walking and bicycling to school and youth-focused activities for elementary and middle schools. Applications are due by April 7, 2010.

More details from the National Center for Safe Routes to School:

Successful applications will focus on either (a) increasing safe walking and/or bicycling to school, or (b) improving the safety of students already walking and/or bicycling to school. Mini-grant activities may also explore a variety of issues related to SRTS, including physical activity and environmental benefits, distracted driving, personal safety, integrating children with disabilities and community building. Mini-grant activities with high levels of age-appropriate student engagement are encouraged.

Eligible mini-grant activities must occur at elementary or middle schools. These schools must either be (a) starting new safe walking/bicycling activities, or (b) expanding existing safe walking/bicycling activities. Activities funded by the mini-grants should have the potential for continued impacts.

Example eligible activities include, but are not limited to, the following:

* Students encouraging peers/parents to find opportunities to walk or bicycle to school.
* Students working to increase safe driving in school zones and neighborhoods. Issues addressed could include speeding, cell phone usage, texting, etc.
* Students developing and/or promoting school or district policies which are supportive of safe walking and bicycling to school.
* Students of all abilities working together to identify and resolve safe walking/bicycling accessibility issues.
* Students and teachers working together to integrate walking and bicycling into the general curriculum (math, social studies, English, science, etc.).
* Students connecting the choice to walk/bicycle with better health or with helping the environment.

Click here for more information about mini-grant eligible activities and to view and download the call for applications and instructions. Applications are due by April 7, 2010 and grant recipients will be announced by May 26.

People who live or bike in Washington County are invited to attend a neighborhood open house on Tuesday, March 30 to discuss proposed improvements, including bike lanes, planned for NW Bethany Boulevard between NW Bronson Drive and West Union Road.

Tell the county and project team that bike lanes are a critical part of the plan to make this important connector street safer for all users.

The proposed project will widen NW Bethany Boulevard to five lanes (two travel lanes in each direction and a center turn lane), with safety and intersection improvements, bike lanes and sidewalks. Other improvements include roadway lighting, a new storm drainage system, and limited landscaping.

What: Neighborhood Open House
When: Tuesday, March 30, 5:30 - 7:30 pm
Where: Oak Hills Elementary School, 2625 NW 153rd Ave, Beaverton

Section of NW Bethany scheduled for bike lanes, sidewalks, and more improvements.

If you want to get more involved in the project, there's also an opportunity to join the Project Focus Group. Here are more details from Washington County:

As part of the project’s public involvement process, a Project Focus Group (PFG) will be formed. The PFG will consist of local residents and business owners who want to be involved in the project and assist the project management design team in the design of the project.

It is anticipated that the PFG will meet on a monthly basis for approximately 6 to 8 months at a mutually agreed time and location. If interested, a short application form will be available at the open house or on the project website.

For further information please contact:

Matthew Costigan, Sr Project Manager
503-846-7800 phone
503-846-7810 fax

Or access the project website: http://www.whpacific/bethanyblvd

On March 18, join the Westside Transportation Alliance (WTA) staff, members, and special guests at WTA's Annual Meeting. Featured speakers include Kaiser Permanente's Dr. Philip Wu, Washington County Commissioner Dick Schouten and Metro Senior Policy Advisor Andy Cotugno. Here's more from WTA:

How does what we build and where we build influence transportation choices, opportunities for physical activity, fuel consumption and Green House Gas emissions? The Westside Transportation Alliance (WTA) will explore this question at our annual meeting on Thursday, March 18.

Featured speakers include Dr. Philip Wu, Pediatric Lead for Weight Management and Community Health at Kaiser Permanente, Washington County Commissioner Dick Schouten and Andy Cotugno, Metro Senior Policy Advisor. The group will present the results of a recent Transportation Research Board study on the community and environmental impacts of the built environment and compare the findings with local models. Mr. Cotugno was a member of the TRB study committee producing the report: Driving and the Built Environment.

Thursday, March 18
7:45 to 9:45 a.m. (Program starts promptly at 8:00 a.m.)
Coldwell Banker Building at the Beaverton Round
12725 SW Millikan Way, #390
Beaverton, OR 97005

Take Max to Beaverton Central Max Station or park in the garage on Millikan Way. The entrance to the building faces the Max station.

Join us for a complimentary continental breakfast and good company.
RSVP to Pete@wta-tma.org

Finding information about what is going on about bikes in Eugene just got easier. Two new bike blogs have recently been launched to provide Eugene and Springfield residents information about bike issues in their community WeBikeEugene and Eugene Cycles have started to help fill residents (and onlookers) in on what is going on in the Emerald City.

Snapshot of WeBikeEugene.org, new source of Eugene bike advocacy news.

WeBikeEugene is a collaborative effort by a group advocates to provide information on all things cycling. This blog is a one-stop shop for articles, calendar events, links to local advocacy efforts, and resources that empower individuals to take action on issues.

Eugene Cycles is the effort by the Eugene Weekly newspaper to better report on bicycling issues. This blog focuses more on getting the story behind the city's efforts for making Eugene a better place to bike.

Check out these new blogs and get yourself informed on the great things that are happening in the Eugene area.

Oregon Representative Earl Blumenauer (lifelong Portland resident) introduced the Active Community Transportation Act, H.R. 4722, on March 3rd. The bill is also known as the ACT Act is a revolutionary piece of proposed legislation. The bill would create a competitive grant program where communities compete for $2 billion (that's right, BILLION) to help make their communities better for walking and biking by building out their pedestrian and bicycle networks.

BTA advocates Susan Peithman and Gerik Kransky will join 700+ bicycle advocates in Washington, D.C. next week for the National Bike Summit, where the ACT Act is sure to be a major topic of discussion. The attendees of the National Bike Summit are going to advocate to their respective Senators and Representatives to support the ACT Act.

The Alliance for Walking & Biking has made it possible for people outside of Washington to help lobby the bill. The Virtual Lobby Day is everyone's opportunity to take action on the ACT act and demonstrate the need for such legislation.

More details from the Alliance for Walking & Biking below:

TAKE ACTION
Given the timing of the bill's release, we have a unique opportunity to conduct a Virtual Lobby Day and present a strong and unified voice on Capitol Hill, Thursday, March 11th. In conjunction with the National Bike Summit we ask that you call your representative next Thursday at the same time that over 700 Summit participants will have in-person meetings in congressional offices.

TALKING POINTS
Please call your representatives on March 11th to ask them to co-sponsor H.R.4722: "The Active Community Transportation Act."
Tell Them:

• Bicycling and walking are part of the solution. Half of all trips in the United States are three miles or less, yet the majority of these short trips are made by car. Shifting more of these short trips to biking and walking would not only reduce congestion, air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, and our dependence on oil, but will also improve physical activity, safety, and livability.
• Investing in bicycling and walking infrastructure works. Commuting by bicycle has increased 43 percent since 2000 - and by 69 percent in designated Bicycle Friendly Communities that have invested in infrastructure improvements.
• Please co-sponsor the Active Community Transportation Act (H.R.4722).

Bonus: Watch Earl speak up for his hometown from the House floor in response to an anti-Portland article from Newsweek columnist George Will in May 2009.

You have until March 31 to nominate your bike hero for an Alice Award, but why wait? Read about the people and groups who have already been nominated, and get inspired to nominate someone (or several someones) today.

List as of March 2, 2010:

Alix Land
Bend's Community BikeShed
Bike Temple
Bud Rice
Ian Stude
Jim "K'Tesh" Parsons
Jonathan Maus, BikePortland.org*
Lake Strongheart McTighe
Matt Arnold
Michael Wetter
Michelle Poyourow
Nan Stark
Paul Adkins
Portland Sunday Parkways Team (Linda Ginenthal, Rich Cassidy and Janis McDonald)

* Former winner - not eligible to win again.

Alice Land

Alix Land had always been a recreational bike rider, but she really got into the sport when she saw her friend and neighbor, Brian Reynolds, training for Reach the Beach back in 2003. As it turned out, Brian had a very rare form of cancer that had gone to his lungs. She was so impressed by his positive attitude and what appeared to be his effortless, but substantial, fundraising that she took it as a personal challenge to do the same. Alix has been riding in Reach the Beach ever since, and has raised over $10,000 in the years she’s been riding. Last year she was the top fundraiser for Reach the Beach.

Bend's Community BikeShed

A little over a year ago, Bend’s Community BikeShed (BCB) began as a service-learning project for the Heart of Oregon Corps. The BCB has now developed into a community-wide program that serves the needs of the homeless, low-income individuals, and anyone who wants to learn how to repair and maintain their own bicycle. The program is staffed entirely by dedicated volunteers and operates under the umbrella of Bend's nonprofit Community Center. The BCB provides bike valet services for local events, provides skills training for youth, maintains the fleet of bikes used for Safe Routes to School education, resells refurbished bikes and provides free bike vouchers to partner agencies, and conducts repairs on-site at area homeless shelters in addition to accepting walk-in clients three days a week.

Bike Temple

We have Shift for bike fun, BikePortland for news, and the BTA for activism - the Bike Temple blends all three in an accepting, constructive, positive, and belief-based group that can bring in old and young, funnists and activists, fierce believers and the bike-curious. The Bike Temple has grown from an idea to a ride and now to a physical space where people gather for Thanksgiving dinner, indoor minibike cyclocross, and a free wrenchit shop. These folks really want to make biking a better place. With their fingers in the alternative activism of transcon PDX and huge support to the BTA's Build It rally, their money is where their mouth is and where the rubber meets the road.

Bud Rice

Bud Rice has spent thousands of hours leading hundreds of bike rides around the Portland Metro area. He has done this consistently, over many years, under the auspices of the Portland Wheelmen Touring Club, although membership in the club has never been a prerequisite to join any of the rides. His routes vary, and he seems to have an internal GPS for figuring the best way to get somewhere by bike. The rides therefore attract a lot of new riders, or people getting back into the activity. He deserves to be recognized for his many years of service, helping ease riders into the sport.

Ian Stude

Ian is the guiding hand behind PSU's bike program, which has seen massive success in the past couple years in cutting the number of students who drive alone to campus from from 44 percent in 1997 to 25 percent in 2009. Stude pushed the university to invest in biking, leading to the unveiling of a new, much-expanded campus bike co-op this year and $200,000 in new bike parking. Plus, he's an awesome, diligent guy and a good story teller.

Jim Parsons

Jim lives in Beaverton and is passionately involved in bike advocacy work throughout the region, including Beaverton, Tigard, Tualatin and Portland. He is a reliable attendee of Bicycle Advisory Committee and city meetings in each of the above-mentioned cities, providing important input to policy makers about bike safety issues and bringing attention to troublesome spots along bike routes. City maintenance crews can count on Jim to let them know when an unsafe storm grate or pothole is likely to eat a bike wheel, when an overgrown tree needs pruning, or when a section of the road needs repainting or repaving.

Jonathan Maus

Bikeportland.org is nationally and internationally relevant and powerful in the active transportation environment that continues to see an increase in the number of groups and movements. While it is unifying, the online blog has enhanced the cycling community and has created a forum where everyone can join in and voice their opinion too.

Lake Strongheart McTighe

Lake spearheads the Active Transportation program at Metro. She has worked tirelessly to raise the awareness of active transportation as an important component of the overall transportation system. She has taken the Blue Ribbon Committee for Trails and built it into a strong advocacy group of business and community leaders. In 2009, Lake was the project lead for Metro's TIGER grant program, which sought $98 million in federal funding to build bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in Hillsboro, N/NE Portland, Clackamas County, and a trail that will someday reach Mt. Hood.

A mother of one who has not owned a car for years, Lake is a passionate advocate for healthier communities and for a more balanced transportation system.

Matt Arnold

Matt has been a member of the City's Bicycle Advisory Committee for a number of years and currently serves as chair. In his professional work as an urban planner, he travels throughout Oregon and the US to make sure his projects respect the unique needs of bicyclists and pedestrians. He has been part of critical transportation projects throughout the City of Portland, Of course, he is also a committed bicycle commuter, bicycling into work througout the year - rain or shine. In the year he organized the Bicycle Commute Challenge at SERA Architects, the organization had over 90% participation and logged more than 75% of their daily commute trips by bike. Not bad for an organization of over 90 people!

Michael Wetter

Mike conceived of the Metro Council's Blue Ribbon Committee for trails and wrote the successful grant applications to the Marshall Fund Trans-Atlantic Partnership and the Oregon Community Foundation, which enabled a team of Portland area officials to make an inspection trip of bike facilities in Copenhagen and Amsterdam and then a reciprocal team of Europeans to visit Portland to coach us. Mike is also the prime mover behind the Intertwine, the new organizational coalition promoting the region's system of parks, trails and natural areas. Without his inspiration and steady effort, these two significant Metro Council initiatives would not have gotten going.

Michelle Poyourow

Michelle is a talented and charismatic advocate whose work as an advocate and educator at the BTA has had a sweeping impact on the bike community in Portland and in Oregon. Over the past five years, Michelle has shared her collaborative spirit and passion for bicycling and bike-friendly communities, her extensive and unmatched knowledge about bike advocacy issues ranging from infastructure to safety and enforcement to education and encouragement, and her unique grasp of the political landscape to become a credible and convincing presence with any audience. In February, at Michelle's urging, hundreds of grassroots advocates, business leaders, families, daily commuters, mildly curious commuteres, engineers, police officers even people who "don't care about bikes" rallied City Council to adopt and fund the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030. She was also recently recognized as Honorary Portland Police Officer!

Nan Stark

Nan Stark has used her bike as her main means of transportation fromt SE 54th to her job as a city planner in downtown Portland for the past 15 years (at least). Along with her full-time job at the City she is an active member of CISPES, (Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador). She has lived and worked in El Salvador ensuring the people a fair election. Every week she rides her bike to take care of her two granddaughters. Nan walks the walk of sustainability.

Paul Adkins

Over the past three years Paul has helped to redefine the bike advocacy movement in Eugene. Paul served as GEARs Board President during a transition that could have been very contentious as Eugene Bicycle Coalition and the Greater Eugene Area Riders club merged into one. His strong vision of what an advocacy and recreational organization could do with greater strength in numbers and better effectiveness with vision and goals brought an important energy to the effort.

Portland Sunday Parkways Team

In 2008, Linda Ginenthal, Rich Cassidy and Janis McDonald brought the first successful Sunday Parkways to the United States. In conjunction with the International Car Free Conference, 15,000 north Portland residents walked, strolled, rollerbladed and, of course, biked 6 miles of streets open to people and closed to cars. Following this outstanding success, three Sunday Parkways in north, northeast and southeast Portland neighborhoods with 15,000, 22,000, and 25,000 fun-loving, active participants were planned and executed in 2009. The program continues to grow with five events planned in 2010. Ginenthal, Cassidy and McDonald work with the City of Portland Transportation Options Division.

Now that the Bicycle Plan for 2030 has been adopted, it needs to be funded in order to get built.

The City of Portland is seeking input on their proposed 2010-2011 budget by holding Community Budget Forums all over the city. On Monday there was a forum on the West side. Tonight there will be a forum in Southeast.

Saturday there will be a forum in Northeast Portland and that's where we've decided to focus our comments.

Community Budget Forum
Saturday, March 6th, 1:00-3:30 PM
IRCO Community Space
10301 NE Glisan St.

Remember, this isn't as simple as saying "yes" or "no" to bikes. These forums are an opportunity to make clear that health, livability, affordability, and environmental conditions all benefit from increased bike use and that active transportation can fit nicely into many budget priorities.

Portland Bicycle Tours has posted a ride to the forum on the Shift list. Read more here.

Please fill out the city's online survey about the budget before attending. It's in two parts and the second part really starts to address budget priorities. It's pretty easy but budget 15 minutes for the whole thing.

See you Saturday!