Hiya BikePortlanders, welcome to 2025. It’s nice to have you ever right here and I’m enthusiastic about getting began on our twentieth 12 months in enterprise, however first let’s have a look again at 2024.
Earlier than I get into among the massive tales, tendencies, and my ideas for the long run; right here’s a bit in regards to the output from BikePortland over the previous 12 months.
It was one other very productive 12 months. We posted 621 tales right here on the weblog, printed 21,460 of your feedback, uploaded 62 movies to our YouTube channel and shared 52 podcast episodes. We additionally posted a ton of movies, images, and updates on our social media channels.
Bike Completely happy Hour was one other massive a part of our 2024. We stored the custom going sturdy by establishing our occasion as probably the greatest and busiest weekly social gatherings within the metropolis. We welcomed nearly each metropolis council member and Mayor Keith Wilson to the occasion and introduced metropolis politics on to the urbanist and livable streets group.
The Shed (the BikePortland HQ) continued to be a spot the place vital conversations happen. I welcomed of us into this house for interviews, brainstorm periods, met of us nearly throughout my Friday Workplace Hours, and naturally frolicked with Eva Frazier each Friday for our Within the Shed podcast. Because of help from monetary contributors and month-to-month subscribers, I used to be in a position to spend money on tools that enables me to simply share many of those conversations through video on our YouTube channel.
On the information and editorial entrance, right here’s what I’ll bear in mind from 2024.
We misplaced too many truly nice folks. The deaths of veteran activist Jim Howell, bicycling basketball legend Invoice Walton, and group organizer Sukho Viboolsittiseri will echo far past final 12 months.
And on our streets, we had yet one more unacceptably excessive variety of deadly visitors crashes. The Portland Police Bureau says 65 folks died whereas utilizing our roads. I’m nonetheless working to confirm the precise numbers and sufferer particulars, however we all know that 5 of these crashes concerned somebody driving a motorcycle (one suffered an obvious medical occasion previous to the crash): David Bentley, 49; Johnathan Henderson, 40; Gad Alon, 74; Sergio D. Hunt, 38; and Damon M. Cousins, 32. I’ve made my ideas on visitors deaths clear in a latest opinion piece so I received’t go rather more into this now. Backside line: one thing wants to alter and I’ll be right here to assist construct strain in order that it does.
A problem that’s associated to deaths on our roads is the disturbing pattern that strengthened final 12 months of automobile drivers utilizing off-street paths and even grassy house in public parks. This abuse of the driving privilege exhibits how eroded social norms round driving have turn into and illustrate the huge dysfunction that exists inside our driving tradition.
On a happier notice, the bike bus phenomenon continued to unfold far and extensive. Even metropolis companies launched bike buses to assist will get workers to work more healthy and happier! Native bike bus advocate Sam Balto launched a nonprofit to additional push the thought into the mainstream and ended his 12 months dropping his new enterprise card with mates made on the White Home in Washington D.C.
Whereas Balto exhibits us the influence a single activist can have, the continued maturation and progress of BikeLoud PDX demonstrates that there’s no substitute for good, old style group organizing. The nonprofit BikeLoud reached new heights in 2024 by remaining a gradual and optimistic presence locally and profitable its first main grant that can enable the group to rent its first paid staffer in 2025.
BikeLoud has additionally emerged as an vital platform in and of itself. Their Slack communications channel is the go-to spot for activists who need to study and get issues carried out. On that notice, 2024 was the 12 months some Portlanders formally stopped ready for the Portland Bureau of Transportation to wash up the rattling bike lanes. To a stage I’ve by no means seen earlier than, of us are organizing their very own bike lane upkeep. They’re modifying tools, sharing DIY movies, and getting their arms soiled cleansing up leaves, gravel, snow, and no matter else comes our approach.
Underlying that DIY pattern is a rising dissatisfaction and frustration with PBOT — not simply among the many protected streets and bike advocacy crowd, however throughout extensive swaths of Portland. PBOT, an company beleaguered by years of price range cuts, additionally had a really tough 12 months, PR-wise. They have been referred to as out by some candidates throughout election campaigns for making driving too inconvenient, one man bought so mad at their enforcement cameras he shot at them with a gun, and we even noticed the emergence of “anti-PBOT extremists” in Rose Metropolis Park. BikeLoud’s lawsuits in opposition to PBOT moved ahead in 2024, together with prolonged depositions final month with high planning workers relating to implementation of the State of Oregon’s “bicycle invoice.” Even a visiting bike blogger made some extent to criticize PBOT’s progress on constructing a protected bike community.
And to high issues off, PBOT posted an inappropriate and tone-deaf video to social media final month the morning after a 75-year previous particular person was hit and killed by a driver whereas strolling in a crosswalk. PBOT should notice that the gargantuan activity of fixing visitors tradition on a restricted price range will likely be unimaginable with out sturdy inner morale and the group on their aspect.
One factor our group normally loves are massive initiatives, and 2024 had its share. TriMet opened a brand new bike path to the Portland Airport and minimize the ribbon on a brand new path and bridge for bikes into Gateway Inexperienced. PBOT made massive progress on a coming reconfiguration of NE Broadway and the thrilling N Willamette Blvd venture got here into focus. And whereas many of us are happy to see 82nd Avenue lastly becoming a extra humane, city-run avenue, there are rising issues that its lack of motorbike entry and/or a compromised plan for bus service won’t let it attain its full potential.
With regards to potential, Biketown’s 12 months was combined. The standard and amount of e-bikes and e-scoters in our bike share system went up, however the lack of bikes general and the relative value of leases nonetheless kneecaps what might be a transformative transportation choice.
There are causes for optimism in 2025. Huge initiatives, massive funding, and massive structural adjustments ought to make an influence.
We’ve bought a brand new slate of leaders in Portland and a brand new type of authorities to empower them. PBOT not has to reply to 1 politician and may have a extra steady trajectory in consequence. Our new 12-member council could have some kind of transportation committee, and with a powerful “Bike Completely happy Hour majority” in place we must always count on sturdy consciousness of our points that (hopefully!) interprets into precedence and good coverage.
2025 would be the 12 months of funding for transportation. On the state stage, lawmakers and lobbyists (aka advocates) will debate a multi-billion funding bundle for the Oregon Division of Transportation. Given the work of the Transfer Oregon Ahead coalition (The Road Belief and Oregon Walks are steering committee members), we’re prone to see a whole lot of thousands and thousands devoted towards biking, strolling and transit. And in the event that they attempt to go away our stuff in conjunction with the highway, we’ve bought the very clear and complete listening tour to fall again on as proof of what nearly all of Oregonians need (trace: it’s not bigger freeways and highways).
Domestically, the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability will launch a long-awaited, $20 million e-bike rebate program in the summertime of 2025 and we’ll see the primary batch of an anticipated 6,000 new e-bikes that can hit the streets within the subsequent 5 years on account of this funding.
Bringing it again to PBOT… the bureau’s determined want for brand new income and the brand new faces on metropolis council tasked with arising with methods to create it, will likely be probably the most intriguing issues to look at in 2025.
What new income supply will PBOT (and ODOT for that matter) arrive at?
What influence will the brand new e-bike rebate program have on our streets?
What kind of transit will 82nd Avenue get?
Will Good Samaritans be able to make a big dent in bike lane upkeep earlier than spring?
What’s going to the freeway industrial complicated demand in compromises for elevating charges on driving and funding biking, strolling and transit on the state stage?
Will Portland Metropolis Council comply with by on guarantees to make safer streets a precedence?
These are simply among the questions I’ve bought in the beginning of a brand new years. What are yours?
