BTA Launches Safe Bicycling Series
Posted by: ScottAug 22 2006, 11:31 am
So you are riding your bike this summer, riding it more, riding it often. Or you are starting to ride for the fist time, perhaps you’ve signed up for the Bike Commute Challenge. You want to brush up on your cycling skills, enjoy yourself, be comfortable, and look cool.
For the next month the BTA will publish a series of blog posts to cover basic safe riding concepts. We will cover the following basic topic areas:
> Predictability – keys to basic traffic operations
> Skill Building – on-bike actions that will increase safety and ease
> Daily Riding Basics – finding your route, gear, family riding, support networks, etc.
> Fashion – not the bane of cyclists anymore
The BTA looks forward to sharing our diverse perspectives on these topics. Our staff includes a team of certified Cycling Instructors, youth program educators, urban planners, and newbie cyclists.
Please let us know what you want to hear about and we’ll try and cover it.
Thanks for doing this. I hope a Portland-specific question is OK for this series.
As a relative bike newbie who just moved to Portland and wants to make biking a bigger part of my life, I want to know which routes around downtown and the east side have the least car traffic. Yes, I have Tri Met's bike maps, which are quite helpful, but sometimes I need to go places where it'd take me out of my way to use a street (e.g. Broadway or 14th) with a bike lane. So when I have to choose among routes that are shared with cars, it'd be great to know which ones are safest (and maybe those that aren't so steep, too). I'm sure you veteran pdx bikers have favorite routes that don't appear on the maps.
I'd also like to know some nice nearby recreational rides suitable for newbies, i.e. not too steep and under, say, 25 miles roundtrip. If there are resources that provide this info (I already know about Shift and bikeportland), please post those.
I'm looking forward to the series!
Aug 22 2006 at 12:50 pmDo you have Metro's "Bike There" map and the new City of Portland pocket map? Those two are the best. Also check Bike Portland's link, http://bikeportland.org/resources/links/#maps .
As for recreational routes, I like to ride city routes, like low-traffic routes to Mt. Tabor and Council Crest. There are books around. For more info email chris@bta4bikes.org
Aug 22 2006 at 1:26 pmI would just like to know what is wrong with people.I have had numerous run in with these idots they throw things at me ,call me names and spit,on a couple of occasions I belive they have shot at me. or at a mininum thrown fireworks . I am enraged by the recnt assault on cyclist,this is battery,this is attemted murder, I hope the zoobomber will be O
Aug 22 2006 at 9:14 pmI would just like to know what is wrong with people.I have had numerous run in with these idots they throw things at me ,call me names and spit,on a couple of occasions I belive they have shot at me. or at a mininum thrown fireworks . I am enraged by the recnt assault on cyclist,this is battery,this is attemted murder, I hope the zoobomber will be Ok the Dr that was run off the road GOD BLESS
Aug 22 2006 at 9:15 pmIf anything, we need to raise the mis-awareness that BIKE PATH's are safe. I have had my closest calls not on the streets but on the bike paths. Idiots in power scooters, dogs with 20 foot leases and bike path crosswalks that are disregarded by many motorists. My suggestion is that these crosswalks (the ones linked to bike paths, like the I-205 bike path) that receive high bike traffic need something extra. While speed bumps on Division street would never make it, I think BLUE paint hash marks or something to signal drivers that this is a "high traffic" bike crossing is needed. I'd like to know if there are any plans to increase SAFETY in these corridors?
Aug 23 2006 at 9:36 amWhile I can't really state what is "wrong with people", I would like to say that every bicycle route has its own postives and negatives. Multi-paths, for example, are great because there is limited to no car traffic. But, many paths have hazerdous street crossing and we are trying to fix them. Trail congestion is another emerging issue. We support wide, robust trails, even two trails - one for walkers and one for rollers.
The BTA is promoting a low-trafffic bicycle boulevard program where bicyclists would not have to use Division Street, but the low-traffic routes like Lincoln-Harrison or Clinton. Keep watch on our Blog about this campaign.
Aug 23 2006 at 10:35 amChris: thanks for your reply. Yes, I do have the maps you mentioned, and they've been a great help in finding bike paths. I guess what I'm looking for is info on the streets that don't have bike paths — which ones are lower traffic? which are safer? I've also used the BiCycle trip planner, and that's often but not always helpful in this regard.
You mention the low traffic routes to Mt. Tabor and Council Crest, and that's exactly what I mean. I'd love to see those routes marked on a map. I did ride up to Tabor on an ExchangeCycle ride, and the route they picked was great, but I don't think I could have figured it out myself on my first try — there were plenty of turns and it wasn't the most direct route. But it was a joy to ride.
So, I'd like to see maps that give low-traffic routes to such places, both recreational and practical. It'd help us newbies a lot to take advantage of the vast experience you pdx bike vets have accumulated.
Anyway, I'll send an email to the address you noted and see what resources are already available. Thanks!
Aug 23 2006 at 12:02 pm