This was the year I fell in love with black eyed peas. (The food. Already loved the band.) They have a wonderful flavor, almost smoky, even without bacon or ham. Earlier this last summer we put them in a salad with feta and spinach. So so good.
Continue reading "Hoppin’ John" »
Please welcome Hank Shaw as he shares a Southern favorite, collard greens! ~Elise
I grew up with a healthy affection for sauteed greens: Bright, vibrant, spiked with garlic and red pepper and maybe a little citrus at the end. This was how greens were supposed to be served—alive, vigorous and most of all, emerald green. So you can imagine my shock when I first encountered Southern-style collard greens.
Continue reading "Southern Style Collard Greens" »
Welcome to the world’s most amped up tomato juice cocktail–the Bloody Mary.
It’s the ultimate weekend brunch drink. It’s also a famous hangover cure, though the benefits are due mostly to electrolyte replenishment coming from the liquid, salt, and natural sugar in the main ingredients—tomato juice, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce. The vodka? My guess is drinking more vodka isn’t going to help anyone’s hangover much. Though who knows?
The Bloody Mary is one of my favorite drinks of all time, though usually I limit the vodka to one ounce (I’m a lightweight, don’t judge!), or leave it out all together for a Virgin Mary.
My version of this drink includes the basics that you would expect—tomato juice, lemon juice, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper—and a few subtle twists.
Continue reading "Bloody Mary" »
Pot roast is such a comforting, all-American dish; you almost don’t want to mess with it.
Almost.
When you add North African ingredients such as turmeric, ginger, cumin and coriander, along with pomegranate juice (for a little sweetness), you end up with something new, a bit exotic, and altogether fantastic!
Continue reading "Moroccan Pot Roast" »
Welcome to 2018! Our contributor Summer Miller is back to share her meal plans for the month of January. To start us off on the right foot, she has a few thoughts to share on New Year’s resolutions, healthy eating, and what this all means to her.
A few years ago, I found the remnants of a New Year’s Resolution list tucked into the folds of an old notebook stashed in the bottom drawer of an even older desk. The list was written nearly a decade prior, and I realized I’d been trying to lose the same 10 pounds for years.
From that moment on, I changed the way I looked at resolutions. Rather than jotting down a list of goals I’d hope to accomplish, lose 10 lbs., be on Oprah etc., I wrote down a list of words or phrases that represent who I wanted to become.
Continue reading "Meal Plan for January Week 1" »
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
Giving your bathroom a new look for the upcoming new year is a great way to indulge yourself after the busy schedule you’ve had during the holidays. But before you proceed on your plans, here are some pointers to consider:
Image Source: Flickr
Consider how long you won’t be able to use the bathroom
“How long does a bathroom renovation take?” Many people are surprised when they hear that a quality bathroom renovation takes about four weeks. Renovation shows are not reality!
Many people don’t have a spare bathroom they can use while the renovation takes place. If that’s the case for you, plan ahead. Hire a portable toilet or shower from a reputable builder, join a nearby gym (there are often free trials you can take advantage of) or consider renting elsewhere for a month while the job is done. None of these are ideal, but if you’re going to build a bathroom to last 20 to 30 years, that month of inconvenience will quickly be forgotten when you step inside Source: Houzz
Don’t forget to update the fixtures
No renovation is complete without remodeling or repairing fixtures and features, which could very well make a separate checklist themselves: shower, bathtub, toilet, bidet, sink, faucets and shower heads. You should also update or repair your mirrors and shower doors. You can also change the look of your bathroom very easily by changing out door handles, drawer pulls and the hardware for your shower doors. If you have the budget a new set of shower doors can completely change the look of your room. Source: Freshome
Order fixtures ahead of time
Regardless of whether you are buying from a high-street store or a high-end brand, factor in delivery times. Big name manufacturers might take three or four weeks to deliver, while luxury brands can take around eight weeks. Any custom products will take longer so give yourself plenty of wriggle room to avoid having contractors twiddling their thumbs on site. Source: IdealHome
Check out the latest trends in bathroom fixtures when you visit our site today!
Contact:
Perfect Bath
Phone: Toll Free 1-866-843-1641
Calgary, Alberta
Email: info@perfectbath.com
The post 3 Things to Know About Before Remodeling Your Bathroom appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.
Whew! It’s taken me a couple of weeks to get it together to write this post — I battled the flu and had to get through the holidays first–but I finally went through my photos from Morocco and I’m so excited to share some tidbits about my trip with you all. So first things first — about the trip: Jason and I were invited by the Kingdom of Morocco (I know, FANCY!) to come to Morocco on a trade tour. We were invited specifically by the Maison de l’Artisan (House of The Artisans) and the Ministry of Tourism. The point of the trade tour was to build relationships between designers in the U.S. and the artisans in Morocco. We were invited to a trade show called Minyadina where we met with dozens of artisans who make everything from rugs, jewelry, furniture, glassware, tile and all of the handmade Moroccan goods I’ve been obsessed with for years. It was a very dreamy invitation that I could not refuse. We were with a wonderful group of designers that were pulled from different areas of the design sector, chosen by Susan Dickenson of Home Accents Today, a home decor trade magazine.
This artisan from Minyadina shows us her hands, dyed with natural dyes from the yarns of her rug weaving.
Rabat is a very charming place. It was my second time to Morocco, but my first time to Rabat. The way the walls in the Medina are painted in this bright cobalt blue really got me.
This moment was pretty epic. Cats all over the place here.
Beautiful, handmade goods were on display throughout the city.
Rabat is on the water and there was this beautiful little tiled cafe where we stopped for mint tea and baklava to watch the sun go down. Pure magic. Also, patio goals.
The details in Rabat are stunning. Everything is a little weathered from being on the water. Bright colors and patterns with the perfect amount of aging and feeling of history. Stay tuned for more photos from my trip, coming up I’ll be sharing snaps from Marrakech and Le Jardin Majorelle.
Hope you all are having a wonderful holiday <3
J
Job Title *
Safe Routes To School Program Coordinator
Company/Organization *
Community Cycling Center
Job Description *
Start date: January 16th, 2018
Reports to: Ira Dixon, Program Manager
Status: Hourly, part-time (20 hrs/week) through June 2019
Location: Portland, OR
Compensation: $15.50-$17.00/hr
Benefits: PTO; Employee discount & Used Parts Allowance
Organizational Overview
We love Portland and bikes. So we put our two loves together over 20 years ago, creating a nonprofit organization on a mission to broaden access to bicycling and its benefits.
Our vision is to help build a vibrant community where people of all backgrounds use bicycles to stay healthy and connected. We believe that all Portlanders—regardless of income or background—should have the opportunity to experience the joy, freedom and health benefits of bicycling. This is the motivation behind everything we do.
In addition to delivering dynamic programs that benefit underserved communities, we operate a full-service bike shop in NE Portland that is staffed by highly experienced mechanics from diverse cycling backgrounds. Combined, our programs and shop services help riders build their skills and confidence; empower young people to ride to school and adults to ride to work; offer educational opportunities for teens to earn school credit; and support everyone in riding for health and recreation. We also collaborate with numerous community partners to generate pathways to employment and engagement within the growing bicycle movement by training new educators, leaders, advocates and mechanics.
Our goal is to help create a healthy, sustainable Portland for all community members.
The Community Cycling Center is an equal opportunity employer and strongly values diversity, equity and inclusion. Individuals with diverse backgrounds, abilities and experiences are encouraged to apply.
Job Summary
We believe there is a better way to deliver programming with our partner communities. We believe in asking the community themselves instead of prescribing solutions.
The Safe Routes to School Coordinator will work closely with the Collaborations Program Manager to deliver on the goals of the Regional Travel Options’ Community Centered Safe Routes to School grant. They will collaborate in and with the communities of Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez Schools to assess current barriers to safe access to school and after-school programming. From the information gathered, they will help adapt and update curriculum to fit the needs of the community. They will then work with instructional staff to deliver biking, walking, and transit education and programming for youth and families of the schools.
Essential Functions
Please note that the percentage indicators below represent an estimate of how much time each week will be spent fulfilling these functions. In terms of importance, all areas are valued equally.
Outreach (15%)
Collect surveys and aggregate data on the current conditions of school access to inform our program development
Communicate regularly with school staff, service providers, parents, and student stakeholder groups
Support focus groups with stakeholders to better understand the conditions and barriers to active transportation
Program Development (15%)
Work closely with department leads to adapt existing programming and develop new programming to meet the needs of Rosa Parks and Chavez families
Work with partners to identify appropriate curriculum and activities for walking and transit programming
Package curriculum for delivery
Deliver Bicycle, Walking, and Transit Programming (70%)
Support hiring process for additional instructor(s)
Participate in the lesson planning and delivery of programming
Provide support for Instructors
Track outcomes and learning objectives
Participate in quarterly grant reporting
Qualifications & Characteristics
Required
Proficiency in Spanish and English; Ability to speak, read, and write Spanish and English
2 years of experience in service delivery or program coordination
2 years of experience in education with school age youth up to 12 years old from immigrant and/or Black/African-American families
Experience engaging the school community beyond the student
Oriented towards teamwork and community building
Love of bikes and active transportation
Demonstrated commitment to the progress of diversity, equity, and inclusion
Preferred
Lived experience with mixed income housing, Title 1 schools, immigration, and/or communities of color
Existing relationships with Rosa Parks and Cesar Chavez schools and communities or other North and Northeast School communities
How to Apply *
Please submit cover letter and resume with “PT SRTS Coordinator” as the subject title to jobs@communitycyclingcenter.org.
Please apply by 5:00pm Pacific Time on Wednesday, January 10th.
The post Job: Safe Routes To School Program Coordinator – Community Cycling Center appeared first on BikePortland.org.
Hi everyone. Hope you’re enjoying the holiday season.
Once again, the start of winter came with a flurry in Portland. While some people rejoiced at the festive mood made possible by a Christmas Eve snowfall, others probably saw it as just a hassle that made getting around town nearly impossible.
After last year’s drubbing from multiple snow and ice storms, the City of Portland vowed to be better prepared. They came out with a new Snow and Ice Plan and promised to be more attentive to street conditions. We’ve also noticed that the Office of Neighborhood Involvement wants to hear your stories, “on how lingering snow and ice impact the accessibility, livability, and safety of Winter Portland.”
We haven’t gotten too many reports of bad bikeway conditions thus far, but my assumption is that the off-street paths and neighborhood bikeways are hit-or-miss. BP reader @msfour shared this image of the Broadway Bridge yesterday on Twitter…
So @PBOTinfo says property owner is responsible for clearing sidewalks. Hey @multco – the Broadway Bridge sidewalks need you. http://pic.twitter.com/MnUBgwzUT6
— Ms. Four (@msfour) December 26, 2017
And @ClareB_pdx caught a Multnomah County crew member plowing the Hawthorne Bridge path on Tuesday…
Thanks, @PBOTinfo for taking care of the Hawthorne bike lane too! #bikeportland http://pic.twitter.com/s5q7mYPz6F
— Clare (@ClareB_pdx) December 26, 2017
Thankfully it looks like warmer temps are on the way and we should be riding like normal again soon. But it’s only a matter of time before the next cold spell comes.
Have you been riding in the past week? If so, what conditions did you encounter?
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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The post Is it icy where you are? Open thread for road conditions appeared first on BikePortland.org.
The new Daybot from Portland Design Works.
(Photos by James Buckroyd)
— JBucky (James Buckroyd) is an avid cyclist and “product geek,” — he blogs at buckyrides.com which he set up to document interesting routes, but also houses product tech reviews. Read his past BikePortland contributions here.
Jbucky in his element.
Portland Design Works designs, engineers, markets and ships a growing assortment of bicycle accessories from their headquarters in southeast Portland. You might remember a while back I reviewed their Full Metal Fenders. The fenders are still going strong and I’ved used them on an almost daily basis for 13 months now. It’s a bomber setup.
But could they repeat that success with a light? Is a locally designed, consciously crafted bike light a fallacy?
I picked up one of their latest tail light models, the Daybot. I was impressed by the Daybot as a product, but also because it’s a local company. With a peak behind the scenes, I saw they had some some good ethical practices in place as well. The Daybot is a $35 rear light specifically designed so it’s effective during daylight hours, this means a switchable light mode where the output is higher so you go noticed during the day. 100 Lumens is the benchmark nowadays for daylight flashers.
Dual LED’s – a high power above and a low power below the weatherproof on /off button
Easy to use silicone band for quick mounting to seatpost & sealed USB charging port.
Thick silicone with pull tab.
Ample brightness for daytime riding.
Summary: The Daybot rear flasher by PDW is a great experience overall: the packaging, instructions, installation and use of the product are all excellent. It’s well-designed, rechargeable, features five flash modes, has easy-to-use controls, comes with great seatpost and seatstay mounting options that are durable and easy to use (which is more than can be said for most) and is backed up by a two-year warranty. Thus the Daybot offers great value at $35.
Read my in-depth review of the PDW Daybot over at at Buckyrides.com
— JBucky
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The post Product Geek: PDW’s Daybot is a locally designed, consciously crafted tail light appeared first on BikePortland.org.
If you go to France and never learn a word of the language, at the very least you should come home knowing the names of the two most popular cafe sandwiches: Croque Monsieur and Croque Madame.
These are both toasted sandwiches made with ham and cheese – “croque” roughly translates as “crunch” or “crunchy.” The difference between a Croque-Monsieur and a Croque-Madame is that the Madame is served with a fried egg on top. Supposedly the yolk surrounded by the rim of white resembles a woman’s hat!
Continue reading "Easy Croque-Madame (Ham and Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Fried Egg)" »
Ciarlo at the Oregon Active Transportation Summit back in February.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
Catherine Ciarlo, a familiar name in Portland planning and transportation circles, has been chosen to lead a key division within the Portland Bureau of Transportation.
PBOT announced Friday afternoon that Ciarlo is the new Active Transportation and Safety (ATS) Division Manager. She takes over the position left vacant in October when former division manager Margi Bradway left PBOT for a job at Metro.
The ATS division is one of five division in PBOT’s Policy, Planning & Projects group and is responsible for many of the programs we cover frequently here on BikePortland including: Safe Routes to School, Vision Zero, Sunday Parkways, SmartTrips, and more.
In an email about the hire sent to PBOT staff on Friday, PBOT Director Leah Treat said, “Catherine brings the creative and collaborative leadership PBOT needs to continue to support and invest in active transportation and safe travel for everyone on our streets. Her background in transportation policymaking and innovation in the private and public sector is the perfect combination to continue the strong momentum PBOT has established in our citywide Vision Zero effort.”
Ciarlo has been a senior project manager at the consulting firm of CH2M Hill since 2012. That job has kept her very close to PBOT thanks to current and recent contracts to work on Vision Zero, Safe Routes to School, and Central City in Motion. Prior to her consulting work, she served as Portland Mayor Sam Adams’ transportation policy director. Ciarlo is also a former member of the Portland Planning Commission and she was the executive director of The Street Trust (then the Bicycle Transportation Alliance) from 1998 to 2005.
During her stint in the Mayor’s Office, Ciarlo helped guide policy on major initiatives like the Bicycle Master Plan Update, the Columbia River Crossing Project, and Portland Bike Share. In the video below from 2009, Ciarlo gave us an update on Mayor Adamss 100 Day Plan:
100 Day Plan Update – Transportation from Portland Mayor Sam Adams on Vimeo.
As a Planning Commissioner Ciarlo was against the CRC and once told us she would, “urge City Council to not to write a blank check for a project that doesn’t meet the criteria we believe any new bridge should meet.” However her tone changed a bit when she worked for Mayor Adams and she defended his stance on the project which many felt compromised too much.
Upon taking her position on the Planning Commission in 2007, Ciarlo said she wanted Portland to “head in the direction of environmental sustainability and transportation systems that truly serve people.”
Ciarlo, who officially starts at PBOT on February 15th, comes to the agency during a time of major transition. Cash-starved for decades, thanks to the new local gas tax (Fixing Our Streets Program), the statewide transportation package, and Mayor Ted Wheeler’s Build Portland program, PBOT now has significant funding to actually build infrastructure — instead of just planning for it.
One of the projects Ciarlo is probably looking forward to more than all the others is the carfree Flanders Crossing over I-405. It was Ciarlo, as head of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance 2002, who brokered a deal with City Hall to make NW Flanders a bicycle-priority street in exchange for not having bike facilities in the West Burnside/Couch couplet project. Ciarlo then testified in favor of a 2008 plan that would have reused the Sauvie Island Bridge as the Flanders crossing; but that project never moved forward. Now thanks to a State of Oregon grant, the Flanders Crossing is finally a reality.
And hopefully under Ciarlo’s leadership, we’ll soon have a new neighborhood greenway through the heart of northwest Portland from Waterfront Park to NW 23rd.
Welcome back into the fold Catherine. We look forward to working with you.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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The post Catherine Ciarlo named manager of PBOT’s Active Transportation and Safety Division appeared first on BikePortland.org.
Hi everyone. Hope you’re enjoying a warm and festive interlude between Christmas and New Year’s — and surviving the first ice/snow of the season.
Here are the best stories we came across last week…
No slowin’ car culture: Road & Track Magazine has quite a driver-centric perspective on safety: Slow speeds kill more people, and traffic calming measures makes drivers frustrated and even more dangerous.
Oh Elon: Tesla CEO Elon Musk had quite a week. He bashed public transit, sparked a Twitter rebellion that ended up in The Guardian, and then got into a childish and superficial criticism of a very respected expert on the topic. Here’s aforementioned expert Jarrett Walker summing it all up.
‘Hostile’ bike racks: The Seattle DOT admitted that they are using bike racks as a weapon to prevent people from sleeping on certain streets.
Strength in numbers: A group of non-male pro cyclists has formed a union called The Cyclists Alliance to fight for their business and professional interests.
First-person derailment: Former Portlander Adron Hall (aka “Transit Sleuth”) was on Amtrak Cascades 501 and shared a detailed and harrowing account of what happened.
Lloyd Center for parking: Architecture critic Brian Libby points out that despite its flashy renovation, the preponderance of free auto parking around the Lloyd Center Mall is still its Achilles heel.
Portland is not on this list: People for Bikes has a list of the 10 best new bikeways in America. They look nice. Too bad none of them (not even the honorable mentions!) are in Portland.
No more oil: If the big automakers truly wean themselves from Big Oil, what will that mean for car use in America. Will Big Electric be just as pernicious to transportation reform?
Bike Valet in the Big Apple: New York City DOT wants to see proposals for creation of a bike valet service in Union Square.
Diversion on steroids: With GPS app-inspired cut-through traffic running amok, police in a New Jersey town will close 60 neighborhood streets to all but local residents and nearby employees.
The Trump Effect: A promising pro cyclist from Turkey gave up his spot on the Israel Cycling Academy team citing pressure and discomfort following Trump’s decision to recognize Israel as the capitol of Jerusalum.
Tweet of the Week: The Ottawa Police smacked down a tweet from a mean woman who referred to a man riding a bicycle in the snow as a “knob”.
Bicycles have every right to be on the road all year round. For many, it's their only mode of transportation. Give them room. If you don't have room to give them at least 1 metre of distance, wait until you do before you go around them.
— Ottawa Police (@OttawaPolice) December 22, 2017
Thanks for all the submissions.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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The post The Monday Roundup: Serious diversion, Elon’s rough week, ‘hostile’ bike racks and more appeared first on BikePortland.org.
Chicken and rice is one of my go-tos for weeknight meals — I love the one-pot convenience.
When I saw that Elise had written a savory, creamy chicken casserole recipe made with mushrooms, sherry, and sour cream, I immediately thought of adapting it to the pressure cooker.
Continue reading "Pressure Cooker Chicken and Rice Casserole" »
This month, Summer Miller is back and excited to share her family’s meal plans for December. Happy holidays, everyone!
My general philosophy is to eat as healthy as I can, most of the time. For me, this means that not much is actually off limits, but I focus more on eating in moderation.
When planning our meals for the week, I also try to look at the week as whole and then gauge when we can indulge and when it’s better to plan something lighter.
Continue reading "Meal Plan for December Week 4" »
Content originally published and Shared from http://perfectbath.com
If you’re in the market for an infrared sauna, there are several key considerations to make to ensure you select the perfect sauna for your home
Numerous health gurus, fitness experts and medical doctors all agree – saunas, specifically infrared saunas, can deliver a whole host of important health and wellness benefits for people of all ages. From chronic illness to minimizing stress, improving the effectiveness of a workout to cleansing and purifying the skin, modern saunas combine today’s leading technological innovations with centuries-old wellness principles to deliver real, tangible health benefits for the sauna enthusiast. If you’re considering buying an infrared sauna for your home, make sure you ask the following questions:
Traditionalists will always seek a way to tout the benefits of a “hot-rock-and-steam” sauna, but the majority of new saunas produced today are outfitted with infrared heating elements – not the old-school heaters that create extraordinary amounts of steam within the sauna. Near-infrared and far-infrared only heating elements are available, but saunas that use Full Spectrum Infrared (near, mid and far infrared) are generally considered the best. This heating system promotes sweat and deep-body infrared wave penetration to eliminate toxins as efficiently as possible. One of the biggest benefits of an infrared sauna versus the traditional sauna is the lower operating temperatures afforded by the infrared heating element.
This obviously depends on your intended use. If you will mostly be using the sauna by yourself, a compact sauna model might seem like the logical choice. Many health-minded individuals use their sauna as a contained exercise room. You can add a different dimension to your yoga routine by doing it in a sauna, or add a twist to other exercises in your repertoire. Bottom line? Select a sauna that fits your home and your lifestyle, but make sure to account for future needs when narrowing down the overall dimensions.
Your new infrared sauna will provide a host of tangible health and wellness benefits, with the eight most important sauna health benefits being:
Though a warranty is only one part of the equation, you’ll want to investigate the company and the warranty offered with each sauna. The warranty should cover the heater, electrical system, controls and other peripherals. Better companies will even cover accessories like audio and chromotherapy systems.Also, determine if the warranty will cover the sauna if the unit is used in a commercial location. If you’re looking for a new sauna for your office or commercial building, this is an important consideration. Most warranties are designed for home use and provide coverage in normal operating modes. Spend some time online, and research any consumer’s feedback of the company, including warranty-related issues.
When researching buying an infrared sauna for your home or office, there are various models available for your consideration that will perform admirably and last for years to come. Beauty Saunas Infrared Saunas are wildly popular today and combine several unique benefits for the discerning shopper. Beauty Saunas combine Full Spectrum Infrared heaters with kiln and air-dried wood structures for superior durability and performance. Far Infrared Saunas can also be enhanced with a number of options, such as chroma-therapy lights, custom interiors, sophisticated electronics packages, and more. And it’s all covered by the Limited Lifetime Warranty for residential use. Even commercial-level users enjoy a lifetime warranty.
Contributed by: Aaron Gruenke Foremost expert in Saunas and bathroom fixtures.
The post IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE BUYING AN INFRARED SAUNA appeared first on Perfect Bath Canada.
Christmas cookies have an enduring appeal. And then there are all the showstopper cakes, pies, and other sweets that make everyone at your holiday party ooh and ahh.
But what about when your sweet tooth needs a break? What if you love the holidays, but you prefer your sweets just a little less, well, sweet?
Here are a few desserts for when you realize that the holidays are a marathon not a sprint, culinarily speaking. They make a lovely end to a festive holiday meal, but they won’t leave you feeling too full to get up from the table.
Continue reading "8 Holiday Desserts for When Your Sweet Tooth Needs a Break" »
Have you been tasked with bringing the appetizer to a holiday party? Or maybe you’re the host and desperately need some inspiration beyond the go-to recipes in your repertoire?
Enter these eight out-of-the-box holiday appetizers!
Continue reading "8 Holiday Appetizers That Think Outside the Box" »
Concept drawing of bridge and 7th to 7th alignment that was shown at December 5th project open house.
The future for walking and rolling between the Central Eastside and the Lloyd District looks much brighter.
That’s the NE Grand Ave crossing of I-84 on the left.
Yesterday the Portland Bureau of Transportation announced that they’ve chosen a 7th to 7th alignment for the carfree Sullivan’s Crossing Bridge.
The decision comes after over two years of analysis, studies, and community feedback that was solidified at an open house on December 5th where PBOT says they received “overwhelming support for the 7th to 7th alignment.”
Because of existing cycling connections through the Lloyd District, 7th was always the preferred option on the north side of I-84. On the south side PBOT was considering 7th, 8th, and 9th. 9th was cut early on in the process because it would have required the demolition of private property. A bridge from 7th to 8th would have been 130 feet shorter and less expensive to build; but it wasn’t as good of a fit with the cycling network to the south and other spatial constraints for where the bridge would have landed.
The news is being widely hailed by local bicycle insiders and activists. Because cycling access was ignored when Portland Streetcar was put on Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and Grand Avenue to the west, and conditions on the NE 12th overcrossing are far from adequate, it’s extremely difficult for bicycle users to connect between the growing Central Eastside, the Lloyd District and northeast Portland neighborhoods.
7th Avenue is poised to become a major cycling corridor in the future and this crossing will provide much-needed momentum to make it happen. There’s already space set-aside for a protected bikeway on 7th through the Lloyd District (which connects to the protected bikeway on NE Multnomah and the neighborhood greenway at Tillamook) and the street is on the future alignment of the Green Loop. Also in the mix is how the new carfree bridge and associated bikeway upgrades could help boost momentum for building the first piece of the long-awaited Sullivan’s Gulch path along I-84.
As you can see in the graphics below (which were shown at the recent open house) PBOT assumes the future presence of a Sullivan’s Gulch path:
PBOT’s latest concept for the NE Lloyd/7th intersection at the northern landing of the bridge.
And since the presence of a major cycling bridge is imminent, there’s already talk about building a two-way protected cycle path adjacent to Lloyd Blvd between Grand and 9th to help people access it:
PBOT graphic. Notice the “Two-way protected bicycle facility”.
Check out this graphic shared at the recent open house that shows before and after conditions of the south landing of the new bridge:
A major part of this project will be the redesign of the 7th and Lloyd intersection at the bridge’s northern landing. As we reported one year ago, there was lots of excitement around PBOT’s initial plan for a roundabout or protected intersection. However now it appears those designs aren’t being considered and instead they’re looking at an upgraded, but more traditional intersection design.
The design of the bridge itself remains to be determined, but PBOT already knows it will have a 5 percent slope (downhill from north to south) and will have 24-feet of usable deck for walking and rolling. With the alignment decision made, PBOT is now able to vet bridge types at a deeper level.
Here’s one of the potential bridge designs known as “Skip”:
Suffice it to say this bridge will be an absolute game changer and it can’t happen soon enough. PBOT says the bridge will cost between $9 and $13 million (funded mostly by System Development Charges, fees paid by developers) and construction will begin in 2019.
Check out the official project page here.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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The post Lucky 7th: PBOT makes final decision on carfree I-84 bridge alignment appeared first on BikePortland.org.
