Portland mayoral candidates Eileen Brady, Charlie Hales, and Jefferson Smith

Broadly speaking, all three of the candidates support active transportation and plan to continue investing in sidewalks, transit, and the Portland Bike Plan for 2030. All said they are committed to increasing transportation equity in low-income communities and communities of color by expanding bus service and light rail, paving roads and sidewalks, and building the bike network.

Audience members were also invited to submit questions. In the video below, candidates respond to a question from fifth grader Max Harlow: “How do you view the city’s role in making cycling safer and more comfortable for families with school-age children?”

The candidates distinguished their positions from one another on issues such as the Columbia River Crossing and finding new sources of transportation revenue. As Oregonian political reporter Jeff Mapes reported, ”Hales and Smith both talked about finding support for a new source of funding they said would be necessary to to maintain and improve the city’s transportation system,” while Brady did not talk about supporting new revenue sources.

The BTA thanks all three candidates for participating in a thoughtful and engaging discussion with nearly 500 Portlanders who care deeply about the future of transportation in our city. The fact that we have three mayoral candidates who are committed to making active transportation safe and accessible speaks to the high standards already set by citizens, advocates, and leaders.

The next mayor of Portland will make critical choices that impact active transportation, health, and livability. As all the candidates acknowledged, transportation funding is limited and not every project can be built. How will the next mayor make these decisions? Will he or she choose to fund smart, sustainable projects in neighborhoods that need them most? Will he or she strive to find new, creative funding sources — whether public, private, or a mix of both? As citizens, the power of our collective action cannot be understated.

Cast your vote in the election on May 15th.

More coverage:
Oregonian: Portland mayoral candidates compete to praise bicycling, walking and transit
BikePortland: Mayoral hopefuls debate active transportation to sold-out crowd

• Increase convenient pedestrian opportunities to safetly cross N. Williams
• Mitigate conflicts between all modes
• Reduce motor vehicle speeds
• Improve visibility of pedestrians
• Reduce the risk of cyclists being struck by opening vehicle doors
• Create opportunities for people bicycling to pass other cyclists without entering the motor vehicle lane
• Manage conflicts between bus and bicycle operations
• Reduce all crashes in the N. Williams corridor
• Maintain or improve ease of transisitions of bicyclists making turns
• Maintain access and operability for TriMet LIFT vehicles

The BTA is confident that these outcomes set the right course for building a safe North Williams corridor. The design must emerge from the outcomes that the SAC has agreed upon. The BTA supports a design that makes N. Williams safe for all road users, with a focus on a safe, convient and accessible corridor for people who ride bicycles.

We are encouraged by the collaborative, community-based process that has defined the project outcomes after community members raised concerns that the City was moving forward too quickly with its design recommendations last spring. Together, the SAC and the City have done an admirable job ensuring that key community leaders are engaged in the process and opening up the stakeholder advisory committee to include a more diverse range of experiences and voices at the table. We encourage the City to evaluate their community engagement processes and revise policies to ensure that groups that have historically been underrerpresented are engaged decision making tables.

Next Steps

The SAC is meeting on February 7th from noon to 2:00 p.m. at the Oregon Red Cross (3131 N. Vancouver Ave, Training Room 11).  We’ll be discussing and adopting the draft list of top ten outcomes that will then help the city to decide how they should prioritize engineering tools on the street to focus on improving safety for all road users.

We expect that the City will be able to provide the Stakeholder Advisory Committee with the safety focused street designs by the end of February.

The battle is not over. Biking and walking advocates will work together during the next few weeks with our national partners at America Bikes charting a strategy. The strategy will likely include attempting an amendment on the House floor. If we can not protect Safe Routes to School on the floor, we will have to work to kill the entire bill. There will be key differences between the Senate and House versions of the transportation bill, and we will have opportunities to influence the final legislation through conference committee. Still, we are not overly optimistic that a good bill will come through during the current Congressional session.

This debate matters for Oregonians. Our legislators have been strong supporters of our work. Representative Peter DeFazio gave a brilliant defense of Safe Routes to School and the amendment at the committee meeting. (Watch the video at the end of this post.) If you live or do work in his district, please send him an email or call his office to say thank you. He deserves it, and likely could use the moral support right now. Please stay engaged as the bill moves forward. We will need a vote for safety from Representative Greg Walden to approve an amendment on the house floor.

Representative Peter DeFazio with former Rep. Oberstar and Portland Pedicab’s Ryan Hashagen. 

You can also help by taking this next federal and local election season seriously. Every vote matters. If the transportation bill ends up being as ugly as it is now, our work for Oregon will focus even more on state policy change in Salem. We will need to make sure that our funding priorities are protected by redistributing other funds. Even in Oregon, where we are light years ahead of most other states in terms of transportation policy, this battle will be hard. We will need all the help we can get.

I’m proud of The Bicycle Transportation Alliance staff and the work we did to lay the foundation for our current policies in Oregon. The consequences of a bill that does not preserve bicycle funding are easy to see:

1. We will no longer have a dedicated source of funding in Oregon for Safe Routes to School. Sure, we can apply for funds from other pots of money, but we will face competition for those funds from great sidewalk projects, important transit connections, and safety improvements on our roads.

2. We will no longer have a dedicated and funded Safe Routes to School Coordinator for the Oregon Department of Transportation. Without the position, it will be harder to sustain long-term success in the program.

3. Our work to put more bicycle lanes, build new trails, and encourage more people to get on bikes will slow down if we don’t find new sources of funding. New sources could include social business ventures, increased corporate sponsorship and building a greater base of individual donors. The BTA has been preparing to go in this direction, but this escalates the need.

Join the battle to preserve bicycling infrastructure right now. We need you now more than ever.

Video: Representative Peter DeFazio of Oregon’s 4th District expressed strong support for biking and walking in testimony this morning.

Respondents were asked about their usual transportation modes, perceptions of safety, and interest in bike and pedestrian education programs. 

The study, funded by the Northwest Foundation, investigated perceptions of walking and biking and the built environment with a focus on advocacy and policy change. It was based on data collected firsthand from three different surveys of immigrant and refugee families and their children at two East Portland middle schools, Floyd Light and Ron Russell.

IRCO’s report provides insight into some of the barriers to walking and biking that exist among communities of color, immigrants and refugees. The report also suggests how advocates, educators, and community organizations can work together more effectively to communicate the benefits of walking and biking through educational materials and programs that serve the needs of the community. The information is useful for non-profit organizations working in active transportation and public health, as well as municipal agencies and Safe Routes to School programs.

Above, a chart from IRCO’s presentation shows parents’ responses about the factors limiting their children’s ability to walk or bike.

The BTA thanks the ENRICH team for sharing their findings with our staff.

Download the full presentation (Powerpoint) here.

Why you should apply for this fantastic job
Do you love kids, being outside, getting exercise, being a role model, and working in an encouraging team atmosphere?  We want you to work with us!

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) is a non-profit membership organization with a mission to create healthy, sustainable communities by making bicycling safer, more convenient and more accessible in Oregon and SW Washington. We are hiring three temporary, part-time Walk+Bike Ambassadors who will support and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance’s Bike Safety Education program from March 28th through June 11th. The Bike Safety Education program is a ten-hour class including on-bike and on-street training taught to 4th and 5th grade students at 40 elementary schools throughout Portland. In the 2010-2011 school year, the BTA’s Walk+Bike Ambassador Team taught more than 4,000 students this ten-hour curriculum.

Some of the Portland students you may be working with are in North Portland at Humboldt, Beach, Cesar Chavez, and Rosa Parks Elementary schools, in Northeast at Prescott and Laurelhurst Elementary schools, in Southeast at Bridger, Llewellyn, Glencoe, and Sunnyside Elementary schools, on the west side at Forest Park, Rieke, and Maplewood Elementary schools, and in East Portland at Harrison Park, Sacramento, Shaver, Gilbert Heights, and Earl Boyles Elementary schools just to name a few.

This job is perfect for anyone who is thinking about becoming a teacher.  You will get plenty of training and experience in classroom management, in communicating with teachers, parents, students, and community members, in planning and teaching lessons, and in leading bike rides. Our team is excited to add your expertise and creativity to our program!  Please see below for instructions on how to apply.

What we believe
We believe that bicycling transforms communities by reinventing transportation and offering solutions that help solve the universal challenges to health, livability and the environment.

What you would be doing as a Walk+Bike Ambassador

• Teach bike safety to kids.
• Engage community members and volunteers.
• Report activity to the Education Programs Manager, Lead Walk + Bike Ambassador.
• Come to required meetings and trainings.
• Participate in maintenance and movement of fleet bicycles from school to school.

Requirements

• Able to lift 30 lbs above your shoulders.
• Able to walk or use a mobility device for one mile.
• Able to ride a bike or an adaptive bicycle at least ten miles in one day.
• Loves to work with kids, be physically active, and be outdoors.
• Applicants 18 years and older are encouraged to apply.
• Proficiency in Spanish, Russian, Somali, Vietnamese, or Mandarin.  This item is not required but applicants with these skills will be well positioned to teach in this program.

If you have experience in the following, please highlight it in your cover letter:

• Experience living or working in underserved communities.
• Experience working in a public or private school.
• Study or experience in child development, education, physical education, outdoor recreation, and/or public health.
• Basic bike mechanic skills.
• Strong organizational skills.

How to apply
Please send your cover letter, resume as well as a completed BTA application form in PDF format via email to leeanne@btaoregon.org. No calls, please. Applications will be accepted up to February 26th. Interviews will be scheduled after that time.

The BTA does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, marital or familial status, physical or mental disability or legal source of income.

Save the date for Portland’s sixth annual Transportation Safety Summit on March 13. The event is free and open to the public. It’s an important opportunity to learn about and provide input on Portland’s initiatives to improve safety for all road users.

WHEN: Tuesday, March 13, 2012, 5:30–9:00 PM
WHERE: Jefferson High School, 5210 N Kerby Portland, OR 97217
Register at http://www.eventbrite.com/edit?eid=1208826633

The Sixth Transportation Safety Summit kicks off with a Community Initiatives Poster Session from 5:30–6:15 PM. This is a great opportunity to showcase your work before local transportation and community leaders.

Please contact Sharon White at  sharon.white@portlandoregon.gov to reserve exhibit space.

Here is a recap from last year’s transportation summit.

BTA Executive Director Rob Sadowsky had the opportunity to speak on Monday, January 30 in support of the Laborers’ Local 483 members who walked out at the end of their shifts at the Bureau of Transportation and subsequently held a public forum at the Dishman Community Center. Here is his statement at the forum:

Hello, I’m Rob Sadowsky of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and the recently formed Healthy Streets Initiative, a statewide coalition working to make our streets safe for all users and to increase funding to support healthy streets. I am here today to affirm the BTA’s support for living wage jobs. We are in desperate need of a balanced transportation system that rewards sustainability and flexibility. There are too many people that look at the situation we are in today, under a threat of significant budget cuts at the local, state and national levels, that say go after “their” money, not “ours.” Well, I want to state loud and clear that we must work together to preserve and protect the funding levels we have now and unite for investments in core infrastructure to keep up our momentum.

We have learned time and time again that ignoring core infrastructure investment by deferring maintenance is a no-win situation. We will pay for these types of shortsighted strategies through higher costs later. Deteriorating infrastructure will not serve the businesses that are already attracted to Portland’s balanced transportation system.

The Healthy Streets Initiative and the BTA call for a united campaign to develop a dedicated source of revenue for infrastructure maintenance in Portland and in Oregon. This source needs to be adaptable to today’s vehicles and fair to all users of the road. Portland’s over-reliance on state gas tax resources has resulted in a massive and growing backlog in maintenance and postponed street, sidewalk, pedestrian, and bikeway improvements. Yet, Portland has had no alternative but to continue to rely on the gas tax. Let’s us fight together for a clear and permanent resolution to funding.

We as bicyclists know how important it is to invest in maintenance. We are vulnerable to every bump, rut, or failing drain in the city. I can’t simply plow through that pothole, I need to swerve to avoid it and hope that I’ve got clearance to either side. The BTA shares others’ concerns that city funding through the gas tax can’t cover the backlog of deferred maintenance.

Additionally, we want to call out for continued investment in other services that are important to our members. Let us not suffer cuts to other essential outdoor recreational opportunities such as Parks’ maintenance services.

In conclusion, we must avoid pitting ourselves against one another and stand united in solidarity. United, we can build a coalition that will develop sustainable and realistic funding! United, we can build healthy streets that we feel good about as our children walk and bike to school! Let’s call upon our political leaders and our future political leaders to stand up for jobs, infrastructure, and healthy streets.

Thank you.

Above: Summer Streets in New York City

It’s hard to imagine a Portland summer without Sunday Parkways. Since 2008, the neighborhood open-streets events have drawn bigger and bigger crowds to experience the action on bike and on foot. But with massive funding cuts in store for the Portland Bureau of Transportation, no one knows for sure what the future holds for Sunday Parkways. I sat down with BTA executive director Rob Sadowsky to get some background on what Sunday Parkways looks like across the globe, how it caught on in Portland, and what he hopes the future has in store for the event. -TP

On Ciclovia in Latin America:

Look at some of the largest most populous cities in the world: Rio De Janerio, Santaigo, Buenes Aires, Bogota. They’re dealing with a lot of issues like congestion, smog, pollution. These cities are at the forefront of a lot of transportation issues.

In my experience going to Guadalajara twice and Quito once, I’ve seen how Ciclovia, as it’s called, transforms an entire city. Not just a neighborhood — it transforms an entire city. A quarter to a half million people come out every Sunday. They have big activity stages where, say, ballet or a dance studio sets up shop for an entire day and holds a series of classes that people can schedule. People will come just to go to those activity stations, not even necessarily to walk or bike, but they use the route to get there. It’s really about physical activity.

On open streets events in the U.S.:

Now, we try to bring it here — Portland, Chicago, New York, San Francisco. We see the realities of our own politics, and how hard it is to convince our own political leaders to spend money on non-infrastructure projects, particularly when it’s coming out of transportation budget. These events highlight the resources we already have built. Portland Sunday Parkways will highlight the neighborhood greenway system. Other cities, like Guadalajara, have used it to augment neighborhood businesses on Sunday and create bridges to neighboring communities.

On Sunday Parkways in Portland:

There are a lot of models. Portland’s got its own style, and what’s right for Portland might not be right for other cities — although it might be right for Eugene. There are a lot of ways to get creative. If it’s tough to get support and permitting and funding to close a street, let’s look for opportunities to add Sunday Parkways events to existing street closures. For example, we close Naito Parkway for the Rose Parade — if we extended that for even just 60-90 minutes, it would reduce the permitting costs because the street is already closed.

Most successful Sunday Parkways outside of Portland focus on famous, or iconic city streets, like Burnside. Portland’s style is to give everyone a chance. So there are five different neighborhood routes along a lot of different streets. There are three activity parks with 75 activities to do, but there’s not this big stage. It’s a great chance for a person to get a wide variety of experiences, but I’d love to see all this positive energy focused toward just one big stage or just one main feature.

We struggle with spending $50,000, but if we could spend $2 million on Sunday Parkways and do it every Sunday from May to October, I’d argue it would make a big enough difference in terms of physical activity it would save us money on combating physical health problems related to obesity.

Walk+Bike Educators Networking Night
January 26, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Community Cycling Center, 1714 NE Alberta
Click here to see the invite and to RSVP

Please bring some ideas and food to share. RSVP is not required, but very much appreciated. We hope to see you there!

Source: Bicycling and Walking in the U.S.: 2012 Benchmarking Report

The report also showed that in Portland, bicyclist fatalities accounted for 9.4% of all traffic fatalities between 2007-2009 even though just 5.5% of commute trips are made by bike. Overall, bicycle fatalities in Portland are declining relative to the number of people biking. Statewide, bicyclists account for 2.1% of traffic fatalities.

“More people are biking in Oregon than ever before, and the demand for safe, healthy streets is loud and clear. Across the state, communities are recognizing the safety, health, and economic benefits of bicycling and the need for more investments in biking and walking. We need to prioritize the safety of people using our streets,” said Rob Sadowsky, executive director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.

Portland is ranked fifth among major U.S. cities for overall bicyclist safety. All road users have benefited from higher rates of biking and walking and more investments in safe infrastructure. Studies show that people pay more attention and use more caution when they are sharing the streets with people on foot, on bike, and in cars.

A lack of investment in biking and walking still creates challenges for many Oregon communities. Pedestrian and bicycle projects receive less than 2 percent of federal transportation dollars.

“A much greater investment is needed in biking and walking to increase active transportation,” says Jeffrey Miller, Alliance President/CEO. “The Benchmarking Report shows that biking and walking are smart and cost-effective solutions that will pay for themselves many times over in healthcare savings and impact on local economies.”

Oregon spends just 1.74% of its federal transportation dollars on biking and walking, near the middle range among states for investing in biking and walking. Portland invests 6.8% of federal dollars in biking and walking. The BTA urges Oregon communities to continue to invest in biking and walking.

“Washington County has the opportunity to dedicate hundreds of thousands of dollars to biking and walking in its upcoming transportation planning process. The BTA is optimistic that the County is committed to making biking and walking an integral part of the transportation network,” Sadowsky said.

For more information and to download the report visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org/benchmarking.

About the BTA:
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization working to make bicycling safe, convenient, and accessible in Oregon.

About the Alliance:
Alliance for Biking & Walking is the North American coalition of nearly 200 grassroots biking and walking advocacy organizations. The Alliance works to strengthen state and local organizations through research, sharing best practices, training, resources, and grants. For more information or to find a local organization visit www.PeoplePoweredMovement.org.

Posted: January 20, 2012

Job Posting:    Development Associate
Reporting To:     Development Director
Salary:    Full time salaried, $28,000 – $32,000 based on experience with benefits
Location:    Portland, OR

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) is a non-profit membership organization working to promote bicycling and improve bicycling conditions in Oregon. Since 1990, the BTA has worked in partnership with citizens, businesses, community groups, government agencies, and elected officials to create communities where people can meet their daily transportation needs by bike.

Executive Summary:

The BTA is seeking an energetic, detail-oriented person to join our development team as our Development Associate. The position is responsible for maintaining our contact management system, providing member services, managing the membership fulfillment and renewal process, and reporting on our progress to staff, board, and committees. The position is a fantastic entry-level job in non-profit fundraising.

The Development team works collaboratively. Every member provides value and a unique perspective. All members contribute to the development of departmental processes and procedures. The Development Associate supports the BTA’s campaign to build capacity for its mission through the growth and stewardship of the organization’s membership. Full job description available here.

Note: This position may have job sharing opportunities. Candidates that prefer less than full time should indicate so on their cover letter.

Job Responsibilities:

Working closely with the Development Director, the Development Associate’s responsibilities include:

• Coordinate membership and giving campaigns, which includes: sending out monthly renewal notices, special appeals; performing gift processing; generating acknowledgement letters, and acting as liaison with mailing service for large mail campaigns.
• Manage and maintain donor records in BTA’s CommonGround database (uses Salesforce as base layer), update records, enter new data into database, and oversee volunteer data entry efforts.
• Produce routine and customized reports and mailing lists.
• Attend most Development Department events/functions.
• Work with Development Director to create additional events/campaigns to reach new donor constituencies.
• Assist with foundation research and grant writing

Job Skills Required:

• Knowledge of and proficiency with Salesforce CRM is highly preferred. Common Ground experience is a plus. Other non-profit database system proficiency will be considered. Candidates with no non-profit fundraising software experience are not encouraged to apply.
• Very high attention to detail, including accuracy and efficiency.
• Excellent time management skills, including ability to balance multiple (and sometimes competing) priorities. Ability to meet multiple deadlines.
• Strong analytical skills.
• Good verbal and written communication.
• Self-starter with ability to improve systems.
• Integrity, honesty, professionalism and accountability are fundamental to the position.

Core Accountability:

Expertise

Use experience in communication and fundraising to powerfully and efficiently convey the value of BTA membership to successfully grow the organization’s capacity. Display a high level of understanding of the processes and applications of traditional and on-line fundraising methods. This includes but is not limited to direct mail, online solicitations, person-to-person asks, etc.

Organization and Planning

Plan, organize, and manage multiple functions including responding to general membership inquiries, processing and acknowledging gifts, managing membership renewals, prospecting, and overseeing solicitation campaigns. Maintain the completeness and accuracy of the BTA’s contact management system and use it strategically and effectively to execute tasks and track activity.

Customer Orientation

Be responsive to staff and member needs by addressing questions and solving problems on membership or Common Ground in a prompt and professional manner.

Requisite Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, or non-profit administration preferred.
• 2+ years work experience in development, marketing, communications and/or membership stewardship (direct volunteer may be counted at half value).
• Experience building relationships with a variety of constituents.
• Ability to use technology to achieve fundraising/membership goals, including experience with complex databases; fundraising database experience preferred.
• Knowledge of Macintosh OS, Google Apps, and Microsoft Office suite is strongly desired.
• Experience in membership-based organizations and/or campaigns preferred.

The BTA is an equal opportunity employer. We believe strongly that relevant experiences are better indicators of performance than educational degrees. All employees must be team oriented. We love people who bicycle, but do not hire based on how people get to work rather how they will suit the position and skill set we seek. We do expect that our employees embrace our mission and vision for creating livable, healthy, and sustainable communities.

Application Procedures:

Submit resume, salary requirements, and cover letter describing your skills, professional goals, and relevant experience to lisa@btaoregon.org. Please put “Development Associate” in the subject line. No faxes or phone calls, please.

Deadlines:

This position will be open until filled. While we have no specific deadline, we recommend applying prior to February 3, 2012.

The City of Eugene is asking residents to take a survey regarding the proposed redesign for South Willamette — which, despite being bustling with activity, is the third most dangerous street in Eugene for cyclists and pedestrians. With funding from ODOT, residents see this as an opportunity to make big improvements.

If you’ve ever visited the area, you’ll know that seeing cyclists on sidewalks is not a rare sight — which makes the absence of bike lanes in the recently-published ‘Draft Concept Plan for South Willamette’ so puzzling.

“I was absolutely amazed,” bike shop owner Paul Moore said to the Eugene Weekly about the lack of bike lanes. “That’s what everybody has been after for a long, long time.”

Fortunately, there’s still time for sufficient public involvement. That’s where you come in. On the city’s website, you have until the end of January to take a survey on the proposed plan (scroll to the middle of the page).

The survey is closes at the end of January and is open to any interested citizens, so feel free to weigh in even if you aren’t currently a Eugene resident.