Submit a design by March 30th 

Free Legal Clinic for Bicyclists

March 26 from 6-7 pm

BTA HQ, 618 NW Glisan, Suite 401, Portland

More information here.

Missed this one?  Save the date for the next, May 21.

 

Volunteer Planting with Johnson Creek Watershed, Friends Of Trees and Portland Parks and Recreation

March 29^th at 9 am

Powell Butte area

More information and RSVP here.

 

Johnson Creek Watershed Council Spring Birds Class

April 3 from 7-9 pm

Gresham

More information and RSVP here.

 

Restoration Work Party - Volunteer to Pull Blackberry

April 5 from 9 am -1 pm

Gresham

More information and RSVP here.

 

April 6th from 12-2:30 pm

Restoration Work Party along Springwater Trail

April 12 from 9 am - 12 pm

SE Portland

More information, directions, and RSVP here.

 

Invasive Weed Removal along Historic Columbia River Highway

April 19

Contact Friends President Jeanette Kloos for more information or call 503.227.5638.

April 21

April 22 from 11am-12pm

Bike Commute Challenge Kick-Off

April 22 from 4:30 - 6 pm

Hoppy Brewer, 328 N. Main, Gresham

More info here.

 

April 23 from 1-3:15 pm

Helmet Giveaway and Bike Safety Booth

May 10 from 9 am - 2:30 pm

Gresham Farmers' Market, Downtown Gresham

More info here.

 

Sandy Delta Tree Care Volunteer Work Party

May 10 from 9 am - 12 pm

Sandy River Delta Park, Troutdale

For more information or to join the day's event, contact [email protected].

 

Mt. Hood Wine, Dine, and Ride Weekend

May 23-25

Resort at Mt. Hood, Welches

Event poster here. Register here.

 

 

May 28 from 6:00-8:00 pm

Greater Gresham Baptist Church, 3848 Division, Gresham

Event info here.

Read the Oregon Transportation Commission's Resolution here and BikePortland's discussion of this win for active transportation here.

Choose your perfect route length: 8-mile, 32-mile, 45-mile, 55-mile, 77-mile, or 100-mile.

 

A bicycle adventure for all ages and abilities.

 

June 14th in The Dalles

 

Send it to Heidi Beierle, Project Coordinator.

Fun, as the nation learned from the National Women's Cycling Forum in early March, is a key ingredient to increasing the numbers of women and youth riding bikes.  The Bicycle Tourism Initiative has targeted these bicycle travelers as people we would like to attract to the region. 

 

 

We encourage fun, all kinds == whether that's a great place to stay after a hard ride, a route that lets you see lots of critters along the way, or a means to cupcake and playground ends. We're working to make it easier for residents and visitors to have  great experiences on a bike in the East Multnomah County region.

 

Read BikePortland's fun fact coverage of the Forum.

 

By next month, we may have planned the Vitamin C Ride -- Costumes, Cycles, Cupcakes, Coffee, and Crudite.  Although if you have thoughts on a fun ride idea, we're all ears!  Email Heidi.  No idea is too outrageous so long as it's something women and kids would do on a bike.

 

 

Which Are Your Favorite Bicycle Rides and Bicycle-Friendly Businesses In East Multnomah County?

The Gresham Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Center is collecting favorite rides - road, path, trail and gravel - along with bicyclists' favorite businesses to visit while out on a ride. Click here to share your ideas and help us move ahead two of our immediate-term strategies.

Observe National Public Health Awareness Week by Riding a Bike, April 7-13

 

Across the nation, health organizations are encouraging health with bike rides, fun runs, walks, healthy food choices, and more.

 

The Bicycle Tourism Initiative is a great supporter of public health and has lots of information and resources to match visitors and community members with great biking routes and activities. Biking is an excellent choice for a healthy body and mind.

 

Take a ride on the Springwater Trail. Ride to Blue Lake Park for a picnic and disc golf. Wind your way through agricultural back roads to Dodge Park. Mountain bike at Sandy Ridge. Pedal from the John B. Yeon Trailhead to Cascade Locks.

 

 

NWTA sponsors Sunday family days at the Lumberyard! Don't let the Spring wetness make you cry. Build your skills and have fun at Gateway's indoor bike park.

 

Volunteer with Northwest Trails Alliance

Current opportunities include Trail Care, Bike Patrol, Ambassador, Bike Shop Liaison, and Media Contacts Update Guru.

 

Want to be a teaching assistant this summer?  Youth ages 10-17 from across the metro region will be learning mountain biking and trail stewardship skills in this eastern neck of the woods: Ventura Park Pumptrack, EasyCLIMB in Cascade Locks, Powell Butte, and Sandy Ridge. Enrich lives through mountain biking.

 

Sign up and more information here. 

Transportation System Plan Update

The Troutdale City Council had a public hearing March 11^th on the City's Transportation System Plan (TSP) Update. The main update to the TSP is to include relevant projects in the East Metro Connections Plan. If you missed the public hearing but would like to provide comment, there is still time. Written comment may be submitted to the City Recorder's office for inclusion in Council packets, and public testimony may be given at the next meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, April 8^th at 7 p.m. Click here for the City Council agendas, packets, and recordings.

 

Exit 17 Interchange, Construction begins in March

Have you ever found yourself wanting to head south under I-84 at Marine Drive - walking, biking, driving? Bicyclists and pedestrians can manage it if they walk through the dirt above the jersey barriers under the overpass. The experience could be so much better.

 

ODOT is beginning construction on improvements to Exit 17 that will allow two-way traffic movements at Marine Drive/257^th for motor vehicles, bicyclists, and pedestrians. Non-motorized improvements include bike lanes and sidewalks on both sides of the road.

 

During construction, be prepared to detour the intersection at 238^th. Construction and closures will occur at night and on weekends. Closures will be publicized ahead of time. Construction is anticipated to complete in November 2015.

 

Contact ODOT's Susan Hanson for more information or to be added to the project updates list. More information about the project can also be found on ODOT's project website.

Connect Oregon Grant Submitted for Bike Hubs and Pods

Oregon Parks and Recreation Department submitted a $348,000 grant proposal to fund construction of 12 deluxe bike pods, designed to serve overnight bike travelers, and 7 basic bike hubs to meet basic repair, electronics charging, and rest needs for day riders.  Three of the bike hubs and two bike pods are targeted for the Gorge, including sites at the Women's Forum, Ainsworth, Viento, Hatfield, and Mosier.

 

Read more about the application and enthusiastic support for these bicycle tourism amenities here.

 

Ainsworth State Park Now Open for Camping

Early season bikepacking?  Planning to travel by bike and camp this summer?  Ainsworth State Park has hot showers, waterfalls, hiking trails, and camp sites.  Sites fill on a first-come first-served basis.  Visitors who arrive on foot or bicycle are guaranteed a place to camp even when the campground is "Full."  If the Connect Oregon grant is successful, Ainsworth is targeted for bike pods -- bicycle-specific overnight camping areas.

 

Share Your Input to Make State Parks More Bike-Friendly

The third set of public meetings in the Gorge state park planning process are scheduled for April 30 and May 1, 2014.  Come and share your thoughts. 

 

Park staff will present planning concepts for state parks in the Gorge and listen to public comment at these meetings. Planning concepts will include strategies for park management in the Gorge and specific strategies and site plans for the most significant park properties.   

 

Planning proposals will be available at www.gorgeparksplan.com for review on April 23. You can also to review and comment on past public meeting materials including existing conditions and guiding values.