With friends like these, who needs Republicans?

OMG what on earth

Thanks to everyone who sent me links this week. Some good stories in here... bikeportland.org/2025/12/22/m...

Electeds and bureaucrats will often say, "The legislature told us we have to expand I-5 through the Rose Quarter." But that's not true! HB 2017 was about doing something to make I-5 work better. The solution was never mandated as freeway expansion.

Centrist Dems have enabled austerity by ceding ground to reactionaries in the state legislature, and we're worse off for it. If you have a plan to win and a vision for a budget that invests in our communities by actually taxing those with the ability to pay, then let's talk about your campaign.

Given that we just experienced major landslides in the state that have taken important state routes out of service, and that we have more or less defunded important transit networks, I will be interested in supporting any primary challengers willing to fight for the transportation funding we deserve

It's true. This thing is almost entirely funded by individuals just like you. I don't get grants, ad revenue is tiny (and I don't use those gross, third-party ad services) and I have no deep pocketed funders. BP is built by the community and it's for the community. Please support it.

there is no justification for anyone to use Twitter imho. No city agencies. No elected officials. No justification at all as long as Musk owns it.

I really enjoyed doing this! It was a fun way to learn about the rebate program and meet one of Portland's newest daily bike riders.

Rode 1.5 hours in the rain today Here’s a brief report 💧☔️🤪🤣https://youtube.com/shorts/qoaDFo_m3KA?si=NSH1aTmfZ8k1tb2R

Up here in North Portland there’s a brand new Starbucks just opened up with a drive thru and a lot that’s 2/3 parking and car lanes. It sucks. But no one up here protests stuff like this. Such a SE thing! 🤣

BikeCraft recap video is up! youtu.be/TRF5-Ce5T4w Meet a few of the vendors and get a taste of what you missed if you couldn't get there in person.

My friend Eric showed up to BikeCraft last night w stickers he made (and then gave me the sales proceeds). They're hilarious! bikeportland.org/2025/12/18/b...

Such a wonderful night of fun, friends and festive vibes Check the photo gallery and a few of my highlights bikeportland.org/2025/12/18/b...

Find my little table at BikeCraft tonight and buy a map! These make really cool gifts for folks who are into bikes, maps, and/or local history.

damn. talk about a bike industry juggernaut going down in flames.

another day, another totally unhinged Portland driver ramming their car into something. this is right out front of OMSI!

Your tax dollars at work! PBOT plans to upgrade the existing crossing at SE 64th in the South Tabor neighborhood and to build a new crossing at SE 77th in Montavilla. bikeportland.org/2025/12/16/l...

Good to see Sen. Pham posting about the connection between ODOT funding and disaster response. Only thing I wish she'd add is to name/shame Republican lawmakers like Bruce Starr and Ed Diehl who are leading the defunding of ODOT and playing politics w our roads.

Who says you can't convince haters to agree w you online? I like to lean into these exchanges when certain types of people come at me in DMs. Note at the end when the person basically says, "OK, I agree. Good points. Have a nice weekend." 😎

ICYMI... posted this Friday afternoon. Definitely a must watch if you care about bus service on 82nd.

For Clark, it's all about the potholes. I sat down with the councilor last week to talk about the most consequential move of her young political career: asking Portlanders to pay more for transportation. bikeportland.org/2025/12/15/c...

Frisbee is really good at thinking through this stuff and her comments are the most persuasive I've heard. Every local politician, community leader, and advocate should listen to them.

headed into another session of virtual office hours... I do these every Friday. 15-min slots. Anyone can sign up. Talk about whatever you want. calendar.app.google/4pFMTh84D7uy...

You're coming, right?

I hope bike lane sweeping movement is to maintenance what bike bus movement was to safe routes to school. What I mean is... imagine if the City of Portland embraced this like they embraced bike buses. I can see a future where PBOT buys bike-powered sweepers and empowers city staff to pilot them.

Really cool event happening this afternoon. Folks are visioning for a transformation of SW Harvey Milk and Oak couplet as a way to trigger better access to Waterfront Park. Open house 3-6 pm (12/12), presentation at 4:30. bikeportland.org/events/trans...

woah... My last newsletter to BikePortland supporters had a subject line of "Pivot to video" and I shared how video had changed my work. Neat to know lots of us indy journo/creators are going through similar things.

i was just talking about the Fallon Smart case (where the Saudi gov't helped her killer flee our country 2 weeks before trial) last week and then I see this. Damn.

The I-5 Rose Quarter project received a stay of execution today thanks to last-minute maneuvering from leaders of Albina Vision Trust, Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and three Metro councilors. bikeportland.org/2025/12/11/a...

Mixed feelings about seeing our PBOT Director take part in a conference in Saudi Arabia... Was just talking the other day about how it's still an open wound that the Saudi gov't helped the driver who killed Fallon Smart with his car in 2016 escape justice while he was awaiting trial for her death.

Look at the central city riverfront of Portland. It's just so shocking and embarrassing that we tolerate this.

"Mr. Lee, can you share your personal experience w mobility and getting around? Do you ever take the bus? Do you mostly drive? Do you walk? Do you have a bike? Do you ride it? How will those experiences inform the way you look at transportation issues in Portland?” www.youtube.com/shorts/EvSWK...

includes video of my exchange with Lee at the press conference that followed.

six days away! Hope to see you there. We've got great vendors lined up. Migration will have a crock pot with hot, mulled, non-alcoholic apple cider and the festive vibes will be strong!

Asked Portland City Admin Raymond Lee a question at his first press conference. I invited him to join me for an interview by bike. More coverage tomorrow. Now I've got to pack up for Bike Happy Hour! Show up and we can chat abt it. 3-6 pm Weds Migration on Williams.

And with that, Raymond Lee is confirmed as Portland’s first full time city administrator. Here’s the vote where it became official

A really fun route created by Tom Howe. 🎄🎅🏼 bikeportland.org/2025/12/10/t...

City admin appointee Raymond Lee addressing city council ahead of his confirmation vote right now www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUyF...

City Council will vote on Raymond Lee's appointment at their meeting this morning.

I'll get to meet Lee tomorrow (most likely). Looking forward to learning more about him and building more hunches about the type of job he'll do on the transportation front.

Activists from the group No More Freeways are accused of racism for pushing to defund the I-5 Rose Quarter project.

hear from Portlanders making a difference and discover cool places best seen by bike like the Happy Alley off NE Alberta, a staircase with an amazing view in Sabin n'hood, Robot Alley, and more...

new arguments against bus lanes on 82nd Ave just dropped

I think the City Council Transportation & Infrastructure Committee needs to have a serious discussion abt this issue. In addition to a big investment for a new bike route, we need some sort of public easement through the cemetery ASAP.

This is the type of thing I was referring to in my previous post. I stewed abt this for days and it still bothers me on a very personal and visceral level. Getting it out into the world helps!

one of the differences between the way I work vs more traditional journalists is the emotional attachment to stories. I'm very close to advocacy & the community. I am SO invested. The added emotional layer is something I have to deal with. Sometimes it helps. Other times it hurts. It's always there.

From a crash on 10/29: "The bicyclist was traveling westbound in the bike lane when he collided with a passing vehicle also traveling westbound. Investigators have determined that the driver's actions did not contribute to the collision" www.portland.gov/police/news/...

trying to own the libs by killing off a rail-trail project. sigh.