Please join us at 5:30 pm this Friday, March 20, for Kidical Mass: Safe Routes to City Hall (details below). This ride is more important than ever since we will convene on City Hall for cocoa, treats and a little chat about why Safer Routes to School and bicycle boulevards are so very important – and we hope the Mayor and City Council will be listening!
In case you haven’t heard, in the 2009-10 Portland Bureau of Transportation draft budget Safe Routes to Schools outreach and education is reduced. The draft budget also doesn’t include funds to build out 15 miles of bike boulevards, as the Mayor announced in his 100 Day List, though we hear from PBOT that they are working to find some of the $300,000 that is needed (details here).
When times are tough and families have less disposable income, it is more important than ever to give them cheaper options than driving to school. Safe Routes to Schools helps reduce traffic congestion, increases safety around schools, and reaches thousands of Portland drivers and cyclists and improves their skills and consideration on the road. In a nutshell, Safe Routes to Schools and bike boulevards are important for our entire community.
The draft budget scenario makes a statement that we don’t think the City means to make: that children’s health and safety is not a top priority, that safe and quiet bike streets are not integral to building a strong community, and that we’re not a Platinum bike city after all. We think that’s a mistake.
If you want to see more bike boulevards and more families on bikes in Portland, please join us on Friday, and invite your friends (of any age) too. RSVP (to angela [at]bta4bikes[dot]org) so we know how much cocoa to bring.
This is a family friendly event. The ride is slow and fully law-abiding. If you prefer not to ride, feel free to meet us at City Hall (1221 SW 4th Ave) to show your support and warm up with some cocoa.
Friday, March 20
all rides meet at 5:30, rides start at 6pm; we should be at City Hall around 6:30
Downtown
North Park Blocks, meet at the playground at NW Park and Couch
Sunnyside School
Meet at the playground, at SE 34th and Taylor
Sellwood
Meet at the Sellwood Pool, near SE 7th and Miller
(not certain at this point whether this ride will make its way to City Hall)
Can you give a little report on how the Ride went in Portland. Ours went great down here in Eugene, but we didn’t go to City Hall. Lots of new kids and families. Good weather prevailed too. I’m eager to know how it went.
Friday’s Kidical Mass was a most excellent event! My estimation is that we had anywhere from 60 to 80 folks there and lots of kids plus two babies!
The award for best bike goes to Travis and his Pirate Ship Bakfiets and the award for best costume goes to Spiderman! (No, we did not have an official bike decorating or costume contest but clearly folks were excited!)
Thank you to all who joined us to show your support for Safe Routes to School and bike boulevards. I’ll post an updated blog soon with better numbers, photos and information regarding where we go from here. There’s still more work to be done!
I agree with Angela, It was a good turn out. The mood and intent was nice. I look forward to hearing about the next one.
My family does not attend a school where Safe Routes is in place. However, I believe the the program because I believe it is indicative of what I want my city personality to be. I have written further on the matter here, http://www.ecometro.com/community/blogs/portland_go/archive/2009/03/31/save-safe-routes-to-school.aspx