Alliance > Media center > People Powered Blog

Entries tagged: Oregon

Teaching the next generation about the benefits of bicycling and walking just got easier for Oregon educators.

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) and Oregon Safe Routes to School have partnered to develop and produce the Neighborhood Navigators curriculum, and they are now distributing it online, free of charge to educators.

Focusing on efficient and healthy transportation choices, pedestrian safety, and community and neighborhood design, the curriculum includes age-appropriate lessons and skill practice activities for students in kindergarten through eighth grade.

For more information and to access the Neighborhood Navigators curriculum, visit BTA at http://www.bta4bikes.org.

Image from Neighborhood Navigators Grades 4-5 Curriculum
Article courtesy of Jacob Knight

On January 21 the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) of Portland, OR launched a major campaign to get the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 adopted, funded and built. According to Michelle Poyourow of the BTA,  “We’re calling on Portland City Council to not just adopt this plan, but to take first steps right away toward getting it built. That means building new bike boulevards, new safe crossings, and new safe routes to schools in the first year… We cannot wait until year 5 or year 10 to know whether we’re succeeding in making Portland America’s healthiest city or not. We’ll need to start right away.”

The BTA is inviting members and supporters to get involved in the campaign and show Portland City Council how many Portlanders value the health, safety, and livability benefits that 25% of bicycling would bring to the community. Supporters are invited to testify, call or e-mail city hall, and take their picture with the Build It logo and post it on the campaign website http://www.portlandbikenetwork.org/.

The Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 is up for vote at the February 4th City Council meeting. According to the BTA, “It if adopted, funded and built, it will attract new riders, strengthen policies, build a denser bikeway network, increase bicycle parking, expand programs to support bicycling and increase funding for bicycle facilities. But it is just a document unless the Portland City Council approves the plan, funds the plan, and ultimately builds the Portland Bike Network.” Check out and add your support to the Build It Campaign at http://www.portlandbikenetwork.org.

In August of this year Portland, Oregon’s Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) asked its members and the public for feedback to help them plan for bike advocacy and organizational growth in the future. Over 2,000 people responded to the survey providing the BTA with data on a wide range of advocacy and education topics, bicyclists’ perceptions, and organizational direction.

According to the BTA, some of the findings include:

• “As cycling experience levels increase, so do the number and percentage of trips that occur by bicycle. Those extra bike trips are mostly replacing car trips: automobile usage decreases significantly as bicycling experience increases, but public transit and walking trips remain relatively consistent.
• People who rate themselves “intermediate” or “advanced” cyclists are more likely to ride for commute purposes than beginner cyclists. Conversely, beginners report a higher ratio of recreational and utilitarian trips.
• Virtually everyone responded “bicycling in my community is safer for me personally than for my family.”
• Advocacy work at the local, regional and state levels is more important than national advocacy.”

The BTA survey was developed and analyzed with support from Inavero Institute for Service Research in Portland. For more information and to download the pdf with complete survey results, visit http://www.bta4bikes.org/btablog/2009/11/11/bta-survey-reveals-trends-perceptions-of-bicycling-around-oregon/.

The Greater Eugene Area Riders (GEARS) is celebrating the announcement by the League of American Bicyclists that Eugene, Oregon has become one of only 10 cities in the nation to be designated a Gold level bicycle friendly community. After being designated at the Silver level in 2004, Eugene’s continuous commitment to bicycling has been reinforced with the award in October of 2009.

According to GEARS, “We have seen some great changes in the past few years at both the city and community level to earn this award. Here are a few of the projects GEARs has been active in coordinating, participating in, or is simply excited about:

  * Implementation of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Strategic Plan
  * Formation, meetings, & events of the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee (BPAC)
  * Growth in special events including a larger Bike Day celebration, the Spring Roll Ride, and Breakfast at the Bridges events
  * Completion of three successful Walk and Bike Summits
  * Growth in the Safe Routes to School program including several active SRTS schools, a growth from 8 participating schools for Walk + Bike to School Day to 29, the formation of the SRTS Team, and the start of Kidical Mass!
  * Hosting of several Webinars by the City of Eugene for the community and the BPAC
  * Opening of a new multi-use bridge over I-5 and work on one over Delta Hwy.
  * Creation of a new and updated bicycle/pedestrian map.
  * Work with the City to improve the “leaf collection program” to increase safety for cyclists.
  * Starting the Eye-to-Eye campaign; a share-the-road education program.
  *Growth of the Business Commute Challenge for National Bike to Work Month in May.

To celebrate these and other GEAR achievements, GEAR joined the City of Eugene City of Eugene and Mayor Kitty Piercy on Octover 22nd for a happy hour celebration entitled “Eugene Goes Gold!.” For more information, visit http://www.eugenegears.org/archives/1109.

According to Oregon’s Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), “The BTA and partners launched this summer’s Eye to Eye campaign activities with a press conference and bike bell giveaway on Thursday, June 25, with the theme “Room to Breathe.” As more people take advantage of summer weather to bike and walk, we’re reminding everyone to give each other some extra space on our streets and paths by slowing down when necessary, increasing passing distance, using turn signals, and giving pedestrians and other cyclists an audible signal (like the ring of bike bell!) before passing.” 



For more information on the Eye to Eye PSA video and BTA’s summer calendar of events, click here…