Simple Beef Empanadas and What We Love to Drink With Them!

Savory beef, warm spices and olives make the zesty filling for these simple empanadas!

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from Simply Recipes http://bit.ly/2SneNIa

The Perfect Drink to Pair with Buttery Pastries

Buttery pie dough, tangy cream cheese, honey, and figs are all you'll need for these delightful pastry pockets!

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from Simply Recipes http://bit.ly/2HHJW53

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This easy one-pot broccoli cheddar soup is so comforting during cold months. Simple ingredient list, and make it start to finish in under an hour.

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from Simply Recipes http://bit.ly/2DLKKlo

Meat Lovers’ Sheet Pan Pizza

This sheet pan Meat Lovers' Pizza is easy to prep - just press it into the pan, add your cheese, ham, sausage, and pepperoni, and then stick it in the oven. Delicious pizza will soon be yours!

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from Simply Recipes http://bit.ly/2SohlGk

Split Pea Soup

Classic split pea soup! Dried split peas are cooked with ham hocks, onions, garlic, and leeks. This filling, hearty soup is perfect for cold winter days.

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from Simply Recipes http://bit.ly/2HKSxnD

PPB Traffic Division Sgt. on Ladd Circle: ‘We don’t want to do more enforcement’

GIF made from Sgt. Engstrom’s video.

I want to clear a few things up about the recent kerfluffle around Ladd Circle.

Turns out the Portland Police Bureau is anything but eager to do more enforcement. That’s what Traffic Division Sgt. Ty Engstrom shared with me in a phone conversation today.

First, let’s recap: On Tuesday, the PPB issued a statement and shared a video about the lack of stop sign compliance by people who ride and drive through Ladd Circle. The statement included a video of people blowing dangerously through the stop signs (as you can see above, one person rides through just as another person steps into the crosswalk). The behaviors were taking place at intersections where we’ve covered the exact same problem several times since 2007. The statement also said, in response to multiple complaints from nearby residents, that the PPB plans to do enforcement missions. A mention of last year’s fatality statistics and the city’s Vision Zero efforts further tied Ladd Circle to the PPB’s ongoing safety concerns.

Unfortunately, the statement didn’t fully capture the agency’s thoughts and intentions on this sensitive issue.

Not surprisingly, many people responded with anger and frustration. And with good reason. Ladd Circle is a relatively safe place. It’s not on any of the city’s Vision Zero or High Crash Network lists. And the design of this circle is terrible. The stop signs should be yield signs. In 2007 we shared a letter from City of Portland traffic engineer Scott Batson stating as much, where he explained the agency’s only reason for not doing it was the lack of recorded crashes and funding. “At this time, resources to devote to improvements where no clear safety benefit will result do not compete well with other capital improvement projects,” stated Batson.

The circle.

That brings me to my conversation with PPB Traffic Division Sgt. Ty Engstrom earlier today. Sgt. Engstrom is on the Vision Zero Task Force, is a self-described “avid cyclist” who’s on a racing team, and he works with traffic safety advocates all the time.

PPB Traffic Division Sgt. Ty Engstrom.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Sgt. Engstrom didn’t write the PPB statement that our story was based on, but it did come from his notes and concerns. He told me on the phone he appreciated the BikePortland post and he was happy the issue was being talked about.

On the phone today, he shared more background and explained his perspective more clearly. Keep in mind that Sgt. Engstrom used to commute by bike himself through Ladd Circle everyday. Here’s what he said:

“Anytime someone fills out a TRACK-it or 823-SAFE request [the City’s system for filing public traffic safety concerns], I go through all of those. I triage them based on what our goals are — whether it’s Vision Zero, High Crash Network streets, fatal crashes — because we’re short-staffed and I can’t send my officers everywhere. I’m trying to do as much as I can, with the resources I have, and I’m trying to think outside the box. To be creative.

I don’t want to go down there [Ladd Circle] with a bunch of cops and make a bunch of stops. I’ve done that before. I’ve been through all that… And it’s really more of a headache than anything. We just end up with a bunch of complaints!

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Recently I’ve gone down there on my own about three or four times. I just set my motorcycle out there with the emergency lights on and wait. A lot of people will run the stop sign and I just shout out to them, ‘Hey that’s a stop sign!’.

I know that Ladd Circle and that whole neighborhood is not where we’re having the big crashes or fatalities. However, it is a neighborhood with a lot of people that want to walk their kids to school, and to enjoy walking in their neighborhood.

The original complaint this time came from someone who lives near the corner where there’s a marked crosswalk and a bus stop and people walking kids to Abernethy School [a few blocks away]. Bicyclists and cars come up to that intersection, they look left to see if anyone’s coming, then they make the turn. That’s the kind of thing that can be dangerous.

We’ve had two recent fatalities that were at very slow speeds [he was referring to one on Burnside and 55th in December and the one at SW Salmon and Park]. Both involved pedestrians who died as a result of the secondary impact of the fall and hitting their head on the ground. If someone gets hit here, even at slow speeds, maybe they’re older and a bit more fragile, and suddenly we have a fatal crash.

What’s more telling to me is that this is an area where a lot of bicycles commute through. I used to commute through there on my bicycle. There are a lot of bikes, and the behavior they’re exercising here is indicative of the type of behavior throughout the rest of the city — in areas that may involve High Crash Corridor streets or more dangerous conditions.

My goal with putting out a statement was to get the word out to as many people as possible. I’ve been talking to The Street Trust to PBOT, to all of them, to hopefully correct some behavior. I don’t want to do another mission out there. I really don’t. But we need to make sure people change their behaviors. We had too many fatals last year.

I’m on a bike racing team. I’m out riding a lot. I know it’s aggravating to stop at all the stop signs… But I go to too many of these fatal crashes that involve all modes of transportation. If we can in anyway project messages to people to be more careful. That’s all I want to do. I’ve had to get creative with low staffing levels and I’m totally all about doing whatever we can — before enforcement.

I hope this helps clarify the intentions of the PPB around this issue. I also hope we can make some progress on this issue.

Regardless of whether there are “Stop” or “Yield” signs — we all have the responsibility to use utmost caution and good judgment as we go through these intersections. Please always ride and drive with respect for others. And pass it on!

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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Adventures in Activism: How one Portlander made the route to his daughter’s school safer

Car stopped at no parking sign in front of Bridlemile Elementary School in southwest Portland.
(Photos: David Stein)

Publisher’s note: This post is by southwest Portland resident David Stein. He shares the story behind a local project he worked on as part of the much-heralded PSU Traffic & Transportation Class. It’s a great example of how to identify and tackle a nagging street safety problem and we hope it’s an inspiration to some of you. Stein is also a member of the PBOT Bicycle Advisory Committee.

As a student project in the Portland State University Traffic and Transportation course, I decided to try improving a safe route to Bridlemile Elementary in southwest. In the class we’re told, “You have a PhD in your neighborhood,” and the leaders encourage us to make Portland a better place through a class project.

My PhD is in the Bridlemile neighborhood. I’ve lived there for over six years and have been active in the Bridlemile Neighborhood Association (including over three years on the Board of Directors and two as chair). For my project, I chose to improve SW 47th Drive, because my daughter goes to Bridlemile Elementary School. With only one road for entering and exiting the school, and Hamilton Park next door, traffic on SW 47th Drive can be challenging for everyone. Combining school busses, parents dropping off kids, and kids riding their bikes or walking to school with normal neighborhood and park traffic leads to a daily exercise in controlled chaos. Safety hazards include dangerous U-turns, reduced visibility due to parked cars and an underutilized traffic circle.

Here’s a map I created for my project presentation that lays out all the issues:

Seeing the chaos first-hand while walking my daughter to school last February as these issues were also being raised in BNA meetings, was eye-opening. There had recently been advocacy work around other projects for Safe Routes to Schools (SRTS) due to funding from the Fixing Our Streets program that was being allocated at the time. Improving SW 47th Drive didn’t make the cut for that funding. However, there was enough community interest to put together a meeting for a variety of stakeholders later that month. So that’s what we did.

A group of residents, the school principal, representatives from the neighborhood association, and Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) Safe Routes staff met on a rainy morning to walk through the issues that were engineered into the roadway. Following this encouraging meeting everything was quiet – updates were sparse.

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New crosswalk at SW 44th!

With the start of the 2018-19 school year it was time to check back into the project and try to see what could be done to get some changes implemented. As luck would have it, the principal was already in contact with several nearby residents on this project and the Traffic and Transportation course would be an ideal conduit to see what could be done.

PBOT didn’t grant our request to make this an official sign.

After that, I went through the course’s iterative process of identifying the project, coming up with solutions (in line with what had officially been requested following the aforementioned walkthrough), and then contacting city officials. The last step was critical as PBOT was working behind the scenes on improvements to the road and had made a request to enable the installation of a marked crosswalk. During this process I was also in touch with the school and neighbors to keep them informed. After notifying the principal of the hang-up with the marked crosswalk, things moved quickly. There was a flurry of activity as details of the changes were announced. After some community input, several ‘No Parking or Stopping’ signs were installed along with a brand new crosswalk. In addition, there were lengthy explanations of some requested changes that weren’t implemented so everyone could understand the degree of consideration that went into this process.

And if you’re curious, I should mention that “No U turn” signs in low-volume residential areas are considered by PBOT to be ineffective, no matter how many times people request them (we requested them several times).

As a result of this project kids are safer going to and from Bridlemile Elementary School and Hamilton Park, on SW 47th Drive. The new crosswalk and marked car free areas improve visibility and make it clear that people on foot are in the area.

After going through this process, here are some key takeaways:

➤ Consistent communication is important for any project, and regular check-ins can help keep the project moving.

➤ Contact information is publicly available online and phone calls can be surprisingly productive. There were no secret handshakes or unlisted phone numbers required to make this project happen.

➤ Having an organized coalition within the neighborhood actually helped PBOT, since they don’t have the staffing or determination to push through a small project like this if there is resistance.

➤ There’s a need for long-term education and outreach for the traffic changes implemented by this project. It will take some time for parents to get used to dropping their kids off a bit further away from the school. Messages have been sent from the school about the changes though compliance is still lagging.

➤ One reason this project was implemented so quickly was the promise of having crossing guards, which are now in place before and after school which also serve to calm traffic.

➤ Finally framing this as a Safe Routes to Schools project definitely helped to get this prioritized within PBOT. BNA has improved communication with PBOT as knowledge of their programs, funding models, and internal priorities has become better known.

It’s been a few months now since these updates were completed. The new crossing is now staffed with a parent or staff member (including the principal at times) to assist kids and parents crossing the street. Compliance with the signage and road markings has improved as people became more aware of the changes (staffing of the crosswalk has helped with drop-off in the morning). It’s still not perfect, though there is a significant improvement in the traffic flow and feeling of safety for kids getting to and from school.

Finally, this project was the result of many people who put in a lot of time before, during, and after the actual project implementation. Without the help of Ryan Bass, Kurt Haapala, Carlos Hernandez, Brad Pearson, Lale Santelices, and many other dedicated people, this project would not have been possible.

[We hope you found David’s experience helpful and inspiring. Below is a PDF of his class presentation.]

PTTC - A Safe Route to School

— David Stein

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New year, new kitchen updates!

This post was created in partnership with Café Appliances.

We emptied out our savings account when we bought our home four years ago, and were left with very little funds for renovations. We lived on credit cards for a few months and made it work, passing every paycheck to our contractor and bartering every way I knew how for product. I even bartered for a deep discount on the Moroccan tile of my dreams  by managing the Instagram account for our tile vendor for three months. Yeah, I’m a hustler. But I couldn’t barter for every single dreamy thing, so we also made some compromises. For example, we used the dishwasher from the previous homeowner, even though it was very basic, kinda flimsy and quite old.  That dishwasher did a very mediocre job of getting dishes clean so we basically washed the dishes really well before we stuck them in the dishwasher (wasting lots of water in the process.) Also every time we loaded it with our heavier ceramic dishes, the bottom dish-rack always derailed — super annoying. And those were just the some of the functional issues — there was also an aesthetic issue. The old dishwasher did not fit with my overall aesthetic vision for the space. In fact, I wasn’t sure that anyone made dishwashers that would fit my aesthetic vision of the space — until I was introduced to @CafeAppliances last year as a #CafePartner.

I was able to customize the finish of the hardware for the dishwasher so that it complimented the copper sink faucet, and the copper brackets that hold up my shelves. And this is such a tiny little detail, but I love how the handle has two different copper tones. I feel like this helps to tie together all the different tones of copper that we have sprinkled throughout the space. You can pick from Brushed Bronze, Brushed Copper, Brushed Black and Brushed Stainless for the hardware finishes so that your kitchen is #DistinctByDesign. Also, the outside of the dishwasher has a matte finish and feels more in line with the earthy look we’re going for.

In the beginning of the year we did a big ‘ol house cleaning. In part because we were emptying our garages for some renovations we’re about to start on, but also just to shake off 2018 and to start 2019 with a clean slate. We got rid of tons of old stuff we felt we no longer needed. We also did a major deep cleaning–removed everything from closets and from shelves, cleaned, mopped, scrubbed and edited, edited, edited. It was while doing this that I discovered just how much better this new dishwasher is compared to our old one. I was able to clean my whole ceramics collection (it’s even got a third rack for utensils!!) and also has Bottle Jets which is great for cleaning out things like vases. We didn’t have a dishwasher at all when Ida was a baby, but this dishwasher would have been a heaven-sent back then!  My only bit of constructive feedback I have for the dishwasher is that our dishes aren’t 100% dry when we empty the dishwasher, but that’s true for most energy efficient dishwashers out there, so it feels like a fair trade off. It’s a small issue that I’m sure Café Appliances is working on, but when sharing my two cents on products I like to give a full picture.

Next big kitchen update of 2019? WE GOT A MICROWAVE OVEN. This is in all caps for a reason. I haven’t had a microwave since I lived in the house I grew up in! Now that I have one, I kind of can’t believe I’ve been living without one all these years. Before I got Café’s microwave oven I did not equate the microwave with healthy eating. And as a vegetarian/pescatarian household that gets a CSA box every week– we are pretty focused on eating fresh and healthy– but I soon discovered this is not just a regular microwave. It’s also a convection oven.

What does that mean? It means that I can bake my sweet potatoes to perfection without having to deal with the the big oven. It means that if I get home late from work, Jason can keep my dinner in the microwave’s warming oven for me so it’s ready for me when I get home. It also has helped with teaching Ida to cook different meals that she can help herself to — because while she’s not quite ready to cook on the stove or in the big oven yet, she’s confident with the microwave and feels very empowered to heat up her own oatmeal or make herself a quesadilla in the microwave.  I was already in love with our kitchen, but these updates have just bumped our situation up to the next level and helped me feel ready to tackle some of this years goals — like eating out less, eating more healthily, and hosting more get-togethers!! I’m even thinking about getting another one for the office since we don’t have an oven or a microwave there. It will make cooking meals on the fly at work a whole lot easier (and tastier!!)

Stay tuned for more updates in the coming months!  To check out what some of the other ladies in the #CafeCollective are up to, head over to:

Imma @immaculatebites

Jess @jessannkirby

Sarah @sarahshermansamuel 

Denise @denisevasi

Michelle @hummingbirdhigh

Anissa @housesevendesign

Rochelle @iambeauticurve

Gretchen @gretchenblack

And check out Café Appliances on Pinterest!

This post was created in partnership with Café Appliances. All opinions are my own.

from Jungalow http://bit.ly/2MN06t2

Weekend Event Guide: Caddyshack, Clara Honsinger at Worlds, Belmont Goats, and more

Portland resident Clara Honsinger’s (Team S&M CX) dream season continues Saturday at the World Championships in Denmark and a local cafe is hosting a viewing party so you can cheer her on (in your pajamas).
(Photo: Drew Coleman)

Time to put together your weekend plans.

Whether you like cyclocross or not, you’ve got to be excited and inspired by the season of Team S&M CX cyclocross rider Clara Honsinger. She just keeps getting better and better. Last weekend at a very challenging UCI World Cup race she went from a start of around 40th place to finish 19th. 19th! That’s against the very best racers in the world. And she was the 2nd place Under-23 rider. On Saturday, Honsinger will look to close out her big season with a strong showing at the World Championships in Denmark. If you’re not lucky enough to be there in person, roll over to Breadwinner Cafe on Williams Avenue where they’ll open early to see the live feed.

And that’s just one of the great ideas we’ve got for you. Check out all of our upcoming event picks below…

Friday, February 1st

Portland E-Scooter Experience Seminar – 11:30 am at PSU Karl Miller Center (SW)
The Transportation Research & Education Center at Portland State University invites you to a special brown-bag seminar to learn and discuss more about our city’s experience with e-scooters. Delve into data with PBOT staff and share questions and insights with some of the smartest people in town. More info here.

Movie Night at Breadwinner Cafe – 5:30 pm (N)
Warm up with friends and watch the classic Breaking Away in the cozy cafe adjacent to Breadwinner Cycles on Williams Ave. More info here.

Kidical Mass 2019 Planning Meeting – 6:30 pm at Books With Pictures (SE)
What collaborations, initiatives, routes, and other fun things do you want to help Kidical Mass with this year? Bring your notebook of ideas and help local organizers plan the biggest and best year ever. More info here.

Saturday, February 2nd

Cyclocross World Championship Viewing Party – 6:00 am (Saturday and Sunday) at Breadwinner Cafe (N)
Come and root for Portland’s Clara Honsinger as she battles on the world stage at the Championships in Bogense, Denmark. Clara placed an amazing 19th place overall and 2nd in the U23 category last weekend! Women’s race is Saturday and men’s race is Sunday. Cafe will be open early for viewing both days. More info here.

Plant Trees by Bike – 8:30 am (N and SE)
Friends of Trees needs your help planting trees in several north and southeast Portland neighborhoods. This is a great way to do something nice for the planet, meet great people and help build our community. More info here.

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Endless Summer Saturdays Club Roule Ride – 9:00 am to 12:00 pm at Crema (NE)
I’ve been watching this weekly ride from afar and the turnout and vibe looks really strong. It’s a nice intermediate pace that appeals to a lot of riders. Expect 25-30 miles with a good dose of climbing. More info here.

Caddyshack Ride – 12:00 pm at I-205 bike path just south of Marine Drive (NE)
This annual classic promises lots of smiles, socializing and discovery of backroad routes next to local golf courses in honor of Bill Murray. The lunch stop at the gold club is reason alone to give this a try. Led by none other than Maria “Bike Kitty” Schur! More info here.

Sunday, February 3rd

Sauvie Shootout – 9:00 am at Ovation Coffee (NW)
Portland’s premiere weekend training ride will take you out to the legendary island, up the west hills, and back into town. Expect the group to split and to find new riding buddies. More info here.

Belmont Goats Ride – 10:00 am at NE 96th and Sandy
A Portland Wheelmen Touring Club ride leader will take you on a relaxed jaunt to see the new home of the infamous Belmont Goats. There will be a bakery/coffee stop at the Panera on Hayden Island. More info here.

Stay plugged into all the bike and transportation-related events around the region via our comprehensive event calendar.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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Crater Lake, Dufur, and Independence star in 31st annual Cycle Oregon rides

The mythical Crater Lake is back in the Cycle Oregon line-up for 2019.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The annual reveal party for the 31st annual Cycle Oregon routes was held at the Portland Art Museum tonight. Hundreds of fans of the rides gathered to hear which rural communities they’ll be sleeping in and riding through if they’re lucky enough to participate in the weeklong “Classic”, the two-day “Gravel”, or the one-day “Joyride”.

Cycle Oregon will run three events this year after. (The Weekender has been put on hold.)

Beyond great rides, Cycle Oregon’s nonprofit mission is to “transform individuals and communities through bicycling.” Since their founding in 1988 the Cycle Oregon Fund (where ride proceeds are deposited) has awarded more than 300 grants worth $2.2 million to small towns throughout our state. And the support of rural towns doesn’t end there. Each year Cycle Oregon provides about $175,000 to host towns in exchange for fields to sleep in, volunteers to help set up tents, and so on. The organization also hires local event organizers and service providers, and buys food from local farmers. And the riders themselves spend, on average, $250 in local communities during the weeklong Classic ride.

And there’s something about doing this ride that you can’t put a price on: getting to know what rural life — and the people who live it — are like. A lot is said about the urban/rural divide in Oregon and this bike ride is a relatively small, yet powerful way to help build bridges.

I wasn’t at the kickoff event this year, but I’ve got all the details for the three big events.

Here’s what’s in store…

Classic (September 7-14)

For 2019, Cycle Oregon’s flagship, seven-day ride lives up to its ‘Classic’ name with its return to Central Oregon, where cyclists will be immersed in some of the state’s most iconic and stunning natural landscapes. The loop, which is 430 miles, plus an additional 60-mile option, includes the majestic Cascade Mountains, three of the country’s most scenic rivers and Crater Lake — the sapphire jewel of Oregon’s only national park.

Total distance: 490 miles (without Crater Lake option: 430.3 miles) Total elevation gain: 30,656 feet (without Crater Lake option: 24,186 feet

CycleOregon.com/ride/classic

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Gravel (May 17-19)

Now in its second year, Cycle Oregon’s GRAVEL ride lets cyclists experience the challenges and scenic beauty of gravel road riding while being fully supported, Cycle Oregonstyle. This year’s ride, which is limited to just 500 riders, is based out of the historic farming town of Dufur, Oregon, in the sunny eastern Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area. The route features a combination of gravel and paved roads to explore the stunning expanses of high prairie and the forested foothills of Mount Hood. Riders will get views of wildflowers, wheat fields, and Mount Hood and Mount Adams around nearly every corner.

Total distance day 1: Long: 65.3 miles (47% gravel, 53% pavement), 5,061 feet of elevation gain – Short: 31.8 miles (67% gravel, 33% pavement), 2,140 feet of elevation gain

Total distance day 2: Long: 63 miles (53% gravel, 47% pavement), 5,216 feet of elevation gain – Short: 33.2 miles (61% gravel, 39% pavement), 3,118 feet of elevation gain

CycleOregon.com/ride/gravel

Joyride (June 22)

Cycle Oregon’s one-day celebration of women and bikes is heading to Independence, Oregon, in the heart of the scenic Willamette Valley. Women cyclists of all ages and all ranges of experience can choose among three different fully supported rides (18, 40 and 64 miles) amongst rolling hills, orchards, vineyards and wide-open farmlands—and return to delicious, locally sourced food and libations, plus live bands. New for 2019 is the option to add a gravel road section to the medium and long rides.

Ride stats:
Short: 17.8 miles (188 feet of elevation gain)
Medium: 39.9 miles (1,080 feet of elevation gain)
Medium with gravel option: 36.3 miles (1,013 feet of elevation gain), 6 miles of gravel road
Long: 63.6 miles (2,113 feet of elevation gain)
Long with gravel option: 63.0 miles (2,213 feet of elevation gain), 6.9 miles of gravel road

CycleOregon.com/ride/joyride

This looks like a great line-up. Fingers crossed that the government is open in September. If not, the riding around Crater Lake could really stink (it’s a National Park and it was closed earlier this year due in part to surplus human waste).

Is Cycle Oregon in your plans this year?

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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First look at TriMet’s new Bike & Ride parking at Goose Hollow

The new facility is tucked behind the existing waiting area.
(Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The Goose Hollow MAX light rail station in southwest Portland has more cycling activity than any other one in TriMet’s system. That’s not surprising given that it’s at the bottom of a hill and along a major commuter corridor that connects downtown to the west side and Washington County.

Once it’s open, just tap your Hop card to get in.

To get a better handle on those bikes and to encourage people to not take them on crowded trains, TriMet has installed a new, state-of-the-art “Bike & Ride” station at Goose Hollow that is almost ready for use. As a TriMet bike planner shared with us in 2017, the new bike parking structure was funded with a grant from the State of Oregon.

“This station provides a critical connection for east-west trips,” a TriMet spokesperson shared with us this morning. “We’re looking forward to opening the secure areas of our new bike and rides to help broaden mobility options throughout our region. In the meantime, riders are welcome to use parking that is available outside the cages at Beaverton Creek and Goose Hollow, which is within the coverage of our security cameras.”

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Squeezed into a tight space behind the existing waiting area for eastbound MAX trains, the new Bike & Ride at Goose Hollow has space for 30 bikes: 16 on racks inside a structure and 14 on staple racks outside. To keep bikes safe from thieves, there’s a security camera in place. What makes this parking special (along with two similar structures currently being built at Beaverton Creek and Gateway transit centers) is that users can simply tap their Hop Fastpass card on the door to gain entry.

TriMet encourages riders to keep bikes off trains during peak commute hours. As bike parking facilities get better and more secure, TriMet hopes people will start to keep a “station bike” at the Bike & Ride. “With secure parking at a Bike & Ride or in an electronic bike locker, you can park your bike overnight, then take a bus or train to the transit center and finish your commute by bike,” reads a tip on the TriMet website. “You get the fun and exercise of biking to work or school, without the hassle of hauling it back and forth on MAX every day.”

For more on using bikes on the TriMet system, check out TriMet.org/bikes.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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Here are the latest proposals for the NW Flanders Bikeway and carfree bridge

Proposal for NW Flanders approaching Broadway, looking west.

One of the projects we’re most excited to follow this year is a complete remake of NW Flanders Street into a low-stress bikeway between Naito Parkway and NW 24th. And yes, it will come with a new carfree bridge over I-405. We can hardly wait! Since there’s been significant progress on them recently, I figured it was time for a check-in.

A continuous, (hopefully) high-quality, east-west bikeway that connects such a large number of housing units, jobs, and destinations has vast implications for our city. If we get it right, it could become a marquee project and serve as a blueprint for how Portland can move the needle on transportation and a whole host of other issues (public health, climate change, equity, community-building, air quality, affordability, economic development, and so on) that great cycling infrastructure intersects with.

The Flanders Bikeway

Flanders at Broadway, looking west.

The NW Flanders Bikeway project launched last fall and PBOT has made considerable progress. It’ll probably be summer before the design and outreach process is complete, and construction isn’t slated until 2020; but proposals are out and things are beginning to take shape.

Proposed traffic diversion elements east of I-405.

NW Marshall at 10th.

Between I-405 and Waterfront Park PBOT has proposed six sections where car drivers will be allowed to go only one-way. This “converging one-way” design is an attempt to divert auto users off of Flanders and/or discourage them from using it at all. Where drivers will only have one direction of travel, the bikeway will be either shared (in same direction of auto travel) or via a protected “contra-flow” bike lane.

This isn’t an entirely new design for PBOT. They’ve already installed one block of it on NW Marshall between 10th and 11th (right).

These one-ways are in addition to the proposal to extend the North Park Blocks across the street between NW Park and 8th, which will create a dead-end for drivers.

Here’s how the converging one-way proposal looks so far (click to enlarge, and note the proposed curb extension on 14th and elsewhere):

PBOT’s “converging one-way” design.

West of I-405, PBOT has proposed a full closure for drivers across NW 17th in order to provide a safer entrance to the Flanders Crossing Bridge. There would be a new traffic signal at 16th to get people onto the bridge (and a new signal at 14th) Here’s the image and copy they’ve used in outreach documents to explain the idea:

There would be another semi-diverter at 21st.

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The Flanders Crossing Bridge

This $6.4 million bridge will be the centerpiece of the bikeway. With construction slated for late 2019, it will hopefully be done around the same time as the bikeway. We’ve covered the bridge a lot in the past so see the archives for all the background. Today we want to share the most recent drawing and proposals. As you can see in the drawing above, bicycle users will be in the middle two lanes and walkers will use sidewalks on the edges. When we last wrote about the design the space was going to be split equally with four, six-foot wide lanes. The sidewalk will be separated by a mountable curb or some other material.

Here’s a look at how the bridge integrates with the bikeway (the green lines on the left are the NW 17th element we mentioned above):

Because the bridge and its connections to the bikeway are located in such a dense street grid with freeway ramps and lanes nearby, PBOT has had to do quite a bit of wrangling with ODOT to come up with an acceptable plan. There are still operational issues to hammer out, but here are the other elements of the projects that PBOT is proposing to help make it it all fit together (an expanded view of the graphic above).

This is all very exciting. Of course the plans could change depending on how the outreach process goes. Stay tuned for opportunities to weigh in.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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The post Here are the latest proposals for the NW Flanders Bikeway and carfree bridge appeared first on BikePortland.org.

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