Jonathan Maus at bikeportland.org has an informative editorial up regarding road funding. He points out, that according to the Federal Highway Administration, "92% of the funds for local roads (the ones where people ride bikes the most) come from property, income, and sales taxes — which everyone pays for." The BTA continues to advocate that more funding at all levels of government go toward creating and improving facilities to make cycling safe, convenient, and accessible.

So if someone asks you the question, "Should cyclists pay a road tax?" answer, "We do," and then let them know what you'd like to see improved with your tax dollars.

If all that daytime bicycle riding leaves you wondering what the city looks like at night, it's time you signed up for The Night Ride on July 11.

Want a sneak peek at the competition for Best Costume? Julie is coming all the way from Idaho with her fanciest PJs! Not sure about staying up past your bedtime? Talk to Levi, age 6, about being adventurous!

Hula hoop troupe at the Night Ride '08. See more photos from last year's ride.

The ride will take you past hot fire dancers and mysteries at every turn as you head to a special outdoor bike-in screening of short bicycle movies from the wildly popular Filmed by Bike festival. Creeping through the night, you'll travel along the Peninsula Crossing Trail on your way to the disco party rest stop where you can be a wallflower or strut your stuff on the dance floor - fueled by a gigantic array of all the best candies. And the fun keeps going as you cruise right back to where you started - to the Portland train station for a midnight all-you-can-eat doughnut feast and live music from Zimba Marimba.

It all kicks off with the resounding drums of the Last Regiment of Syncopated Drummers. There are prizes for the best costumes and decorated bikes, so don't be shy and come dressed to impress.

All 3,000 riders will receive glow necklaces to ward off vampires along the way.

Don't miss the chance to stay up late with your kids and embark on a moonlit bike adventure. More info + online registration at www.TheNightRide.com

The House and Senate passed HB 3271 late Thursday, aiming to hold suspended drivers responsible if they cause death or serious injury. Any driver who causes the death of or serious injury to another road user while continuing to drive after having been suspended or revoked for a prior criminal conviction could be charged with a Class C felony.

The new crime was added to another bill in the Senate Judiciary Committee through the efforts of Sen. Prozanski after the BTA met with him to ask that he move key provisions of the Vehicular Homicide bill (HB 3399). Sen. Prozanski worked closely with Rep. Barker, chair of the House Judiciary Committee, to develop the amendments to HB 3271 which had already passed in the House and was under consideration in Sen. Prozanski's committee.

Sen. Prozanski suited up for the legislator bike ride at this year's Oregon Bike Summit. Photo by Jonathan Maus/BikePortland.org

While the bill is not as broad in its applicability to habitually dangerous drivers as we had hoped, we do believe that the establishment of the crime of Aggravated Driving While Suspended or Revoked represents an important step forward in holding these drivers responsible for their actions. We appreciate the leadership of Sen. Prozanski and the cooperation of Rep Barker in passing HB 3271. They have also agreed to continue to work on these issues during the interim and we look forward to continuing to work with them to explore other ways to make the roads safer for bicyclists and other road users and to hold drivers responsible for the harm that they cause.

Construction crews have started working on seven miles of the I-205 multi-use path between SE Foster Road and Gladstone in Clackamas County. The additional lighting will enhance safety for path users and encourage more people to walk and bike to transit.

Lighting crews at work.

ODOT and TriMet are funding the project with $3.8 million in federal stimulus money. ODOT's share of the funding ($2.5 million) had been identified on the list we shared back in February of Oregon bike/ped projects expected to receive stimulus funding. TriMet will dedicate the remaining $1.3 million.

According to TriMet's website, the project creates two dozen jobs, prevents six layoffs and calls five people back to work.

The path next to the new MAX Green Line is expected to be completed by the September 12 opening.

This morning Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) and Willamette Pedestrian Coalition (WPC) volunteers greeted morning cyclists on the Steel Bridge with smiles and free bike bells. Summer is here, and that means more people biking and walking on our community's streets and pathways. The bike bells are specifically a reminder to cyclists that the law requires them to give an audible signal when passing pedestrians. The broader message: no matter what mode of transportation we’re using, let’s all give each other some room to breathe.

A morning cyclist trys out his new bike bell.

This morning’s bike bell giveaway was accompanied by a press conference to kick off this summer’s Eye to Eye campaign outreach. The Eye to Eye campaign serves as a banner over messages of what all road users can do to be safe. Scott Bricker of the BTA reminded cyclists to give pedestrians and other cyclists an audible signal and plenty of space while passing.

Other speakers pointed to other times and places when different kinds of road users intersect. Fred Hansen, General Manager of TriMet stated that it is critical for cyclists and bus operators to make eye contact on shared routes. Stephanie Routh of the WPC reminded everyone that every intersection is a crosswalk, whether there are lines painted or not.

The mood at this morning’s event was positive. While bicycle usage in the City of Portland has shown a double-digit increase each of the last four years, the crash rate for all modes has been going down. In 2008 the City of Portland had the lowest number of traffic crashes and fatalities on record, and everyone wants to see that trend continue.

As more people take advantage of summer weather to get out their bike or their walking shoes, to get some fresh air, get healthy, and enjoy our city, it’s important that all of us give each other some room to breathe. Whether you’re driving or cycling, that might mean slowing down, increasing passing distance, using turn signals, and for cyclists, using bells or verbal signals when passing.

Other Eye to Eye campaign efforts scheduled for this summer include family bike safety trainings at Sunday Parkways and the Providence Bridge Pedal Health Expo, a bike light education and enforcement campaign with the Portland Police Bureau, the launch of Eye to Eye transit ads on ten TriMet buses, and on-site trainings for professional drivers and commuters at their workplaces. There is also an Eye to Eye PSA on the internet and in Eugene movie theaters and television markets. You can view the PSA, take the Eye to Eye Pledge, and see this summer's calendar of events at SeeingEyetoEye.org.

TriMet General Manager, Fred Hansen, with an example of the Eye to Eye bus ad to his right

Just before the Oregon Senate voted Tuesday in favor of a bill that will regulate where, when and why we can use cell phones on the road, Senator Jackie Dingfelder (D-Portland) received a message on her iPhone. Dingfelder supported the bill, so when her husband read the BTA blog post about Andrey Yarbrough, a Bend cyclist who was seriously injured in a crash earlier this month, he shot her a quick message with a link to the article.

The BTA took no official position on HB 2377, but we referenced it in last week's post because the driver involved in the crash told investigators that he was distracted by his cell phone when he drifted into the bike lane and struck Yarbrough. Dingfelder included the story in her floor speech just before voting for the bill, and her husband forwarded the message to us later that afternoon.

It seems like a good moment to reflect on the role of mobile communication technology in our experiences as cyclists and roadway users, and to remember that the cycling community has a large network of friends and foes tuning into our blogs, Twitter feeds and Facebook status updates.

You can listen to an archived audio file of Tuesday's Senate Chamber session below. Skip ahead to minute 52:00 to hear Sen. Ginny Burdick's entertaining introduction to the bill; Sen. Dingfelder speaks at minute 57:00.

http://www.leg.state.or.us/listn/archive/archive.2009s/SENATE-200906231259.ram

For the past year and a half we’ve been working on Neighborhood Navigators. Neighborhood Navigators is a k-8 curriculum program that builds student knowledge related to transportation choices and safety. Navigating Neighborhoods starts in kindergarten practicing safe pedestrian behavior and goes through the grade levels with reasons why people should walk and bike more, including personal and environmental health and community design. The curriculum reinforces safe pedestrian behavior throughout the lessons and encourages age-appropriate knowledge and skill practice through 8th grade. All lessons are aligned with Oregon State Benchmarks.

We have just finished pilot testing the three sections of the curriculum in 6 cities throughout Oregon hitting rural, urban and suburban locations. It will be ready for distribution at the 2nd Annual National Safe Routes to School Conference here in Portland August 19-21. Ask Lynne if you’d like more information.

One of the pilot teachers from Oakland, Oregon, had such great success with her sixth grade class, “You would have loved to see the kids presenting their proposed traffic changes to the mayor, city councilors, school board members, and superintendent last Thursday. The response was awesome and the students received great feedback and suggestions from the community leaders. We already have answers to some of our questions and the kids are ready to start shoveling gravel.”

With this response to their work with Neighborhood Navigators the class went on to apply for a Northwest Health Foundation Physical Activity and Nutrition grant. The students wrote most of the narrative, did the research on bike racks, worked with a contractor to estimate the labor for a bike/walk path, and took photos of problem areas. Teacher Susan Derry said: “I'm really proud of them. I think we'll end up accomplishing some of their plans somehow.”

But wait there’s more! I just heard that their grant proposal was accepted! “The Northwest Health Foundation decided to fund our "bike/walk" trail proposal.” It’s amazing what a group of passionate students can accomplish. Way to go, students at Lincoln Middle School!

Other pilot teachers and their schools were: Sarah Boadway at Mid Valley Elementary in Odell, Gigi Sims at Franklin Elementary in Corvallis, Kevin Burt at Seven Oaks Middle School, Lola Hagman at Madras Middle School in Madras, Greg Clarkson at Buckman Elementary in Portland and of course, Susan Derry at Lincoln Middle School in Oakland. Thank you teachers, you are all awesome!!

The Columbia River Crossing is holding two open houses this week in Portland and Vancouver. Learn more and provide feedback about the project’s recent developments in the following areas:

Light rail alignment and station locations
Bridge type and design
Pedestrian and bicycle facilities
Interchange design
Finance and tolling

Tuesday, June 23, 2009
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Jantzen Beach SuperCenter, Community Room
(across from the food court)
1405 N Jantzen Beach Center, Portland, OR

Wednesday, June 24
5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay, River Rooms
100 Columbia Street, Vancouver, WA

All events are accessible by transit. Plan your trip:
C-TRAN: www.C-Tran.com or 360-695-0123
TriMet: www.trimet.org or 503-238-RIDE

This Thursday, June 25, 6:00-8:00 pm, the BTA will be offering a chance for budding and seasoned transportation advocates to come around the table, learn concrete strategies for effective advocacy, and identify next steps to take for an issue you care about. We will introduce tools for analyzing current conditions, setting goals, addressing different audiences, and navigating public decision-making processes.

Bring in mind a specific issue you care about that you'd like to focus on during the training. It could be anything from improving the safety of an intersection in your neighborhood, to getting bike safety into the curriculum of your child's school, to making a new connection in the city's bikeways network.

Please RSVP to stephanie[at]bta4bikes[dot]org so we know how many chairs to pull out, and feel free bring your dinner. Workshop is at the BTA office, 233 NW 5th Ave.

This Sunday marks the first of the three summer Sunday Parkways events hosted by the City of Portland. If last year's event was any indication, there will be loads of families out walking, biking, and enjoying safe, car-free neighborhood streets.

Sunday Parkways is a great opportunity for families who don't have a lot of experience biking on our city's streets to try it out for the first time. To make the most out of this opportunity, the BTA, Safer Routes to School, and Bridge Pedal Inc. are offering a free training to youth and their families to be "Ready Riders" for other summer rides, like the Providence Bridge Pedal on August 9th.

Youth of any age (when accompanied by an adult) can go through the hour-long training that includes helmet-fitting, bike safety checks, and safe riding skill drills, along with a short ride along the Sunday Parkways route. Bikes and helmets will be provided for those without them. Trainings will be offered on the hour (or more often if popular enough!) all day long.

Come find the BTA and our Ready Rider partners at North Portland's Peninsula Park by the tennis courts, this Sunday, June 21, any time between 9 am and 4 pm. We'll be running the same training at the other Sunday Parkways events and at the Providence Bridge Pedal Health Expo as well. Bridge Pedal is partnering in these efforts because this year's 6- bridge ride is free to riders 15-years-old and younger when accompanied by an adult.