The Tim O'Donnell Memorial Fund will be donated to the BTA for a "Campaign of Respect and Awareness".

As part of the closing-down ceremony of the Oregon House, Rep. Tobias Read (on bike, a key ally of bicycling during this session) presented House Speaker Jeff Merkley with a new bicycle and helmet.
Hopefully Rep. Merkley (at left) will enjoy riding it this summer!
Read more at the Oregonian's politics blog.
Photo of Read courtesy Rep. Read's [...]

Another bicycle safety bill moves forward.

It's time we step up, so that at the 2009 VeloCity conference, people from around the world will be talking about Portland as an international leader. Otherwise, we'll get left in the dust by cities who truly take bicycling seriously.

Last Friday I was honored to join Senator Floyd Prozanksi and Representative Tobias Read at a signing ceremony for SB 789, Oregon's Share the Road License Plate bill.

A few clips from the weekend.
Eugene Register-Guard coverage of bicycle bills, including our HB 3314 on Vulnerable Roadway Users.
Salem Statesman-Journal article about HB 3314
And the Oregonian coverage of conflicts between bicyclists and drivers on rural roads, an issue we've addressed both with HB 3314 and our passing distance bill, a version of which, SB 108, [...]

For those who have long admired the bamboo bike in the window of the downtown Portland Bike Gallery store, the LA Times has this story about a possible project to bring bamboo bikes to Ghana, as well as using the bikes for triathalons and getting around town.
The star? A dog gnawing on bamboo.

While I've been at a family reunion / 8oth birthday party weekend, the Legislature has been busy working to further increase traffic and bicycle safety. On Saturday a variety legislators spoke at an impromptu bike rally; SB 1058, a vehicular homicide bill, was introduced.
SB 1058 is a late-session effort to further strengthen Oregon's laws that [...]

KATU News picked up the AP story of free green bikes available on the streets of Waldport, OR. As someone who was involved in an orange bikes program in Corvallis back in the mid-1990s, and inspired by the yellow bike program in Portland a few years earlier, which was inspired by the free white bikes [...]

Apologies to those who may try to reach the BTA June 22nd and only get ringing, ringing. The move, the move!
Our phones will be back up as soon as possible. In the meantime, try e-mailing us and have a great weekend!