I pose this question as both something that we should be thinking about physically creating through things like the multi-use paths proposed in the Deschutes County Transportation System Plan update which you can read about below (please take action!) and also through emotional connections with people in our community. The more people we have riding bikes, the more slow our way of life can be. If we can get people out of a closed off car, people can talk to other people they pass on the streets. Biking has been shown to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. And biking can create a sense of community through shared experiences and a sense of freedom. Read more below to find out about our favorite routes in town, take action on an important plan for multi-use paths, and read our wrap up from the Safe Streets for All People workshop.
City of Bend Happenings
Safe Streets for All People Wrap-up
Last August, two Dutch transportation planners, Sjors Svender and Joost Toxopeus, came to Bend to introduce the philosophy of Dutch transportation planning to local planners, engineers, and advocates. The two days centered around two case studies: NE 2nd Street from Greenwood Ave to Franklin Ave, right in the middle of the new Bend Core Area, and Butler Market from Boyd Acres to Wells Acres, part of the soon to come North-South Cross Town Bikeway.
Our Favorite Bike Routes
A local bike enthusiast who is always looking for safer ways to get around Bend, shares his new discovery of the brand new multi-use path along Highway 20 and a safe way to get to the Cascades Village Mall by bike. Join Clayton on his ride to Cascade Village Mall!
This is the inaugural story in a new series, “Our Favorite Bike Routes” which will run intermittently as you, our readers, submit your favorite ways to get from place to place in Bend, by bike. You can send descriptions of your favorite routes to share with all of us by e-mail to [email protected]. Include “Favorite Route” in the subject line.
World Remembrance Day for Road Traffic Crashes
This year Bend Bikes organized an event to recognize the World Day for Road Traffic Victims. This is a day that occurs the third Sunday of November. The activities included requesting that the City Council issue a proclamation recognizing the day, the history of the day, and the impact of these deaths in Bend. The Bend event took place on Sunday, November 19, 2023 at 12PM at Peace Corner. It included a reading of the city’s proclamation, a moment of silence to remember the six community members who have been killed in traffic crashes in Bend in 2023, and a bicycle ride through a part of the community.
We appreciate and thank the over 20 individuals who joined this event at the Peace Corner, including Councilors Mendez and Riley. We are planning to continue to make our roads safe for all users and this event helps us focus on this effort. We will expand our recognition of this day in 2024.
Take Action Now!
Deschutes County Transporation System Plan Update
Tomorrow at 9am PT the Deschutes County Board of Commissioners is holding a public hearing, part of which, will discuss multi-use paths in the county. There has been some opposition to two paths in particular, from Sisters to Black Butte Ranch and from Bend to Lava Butte. We think that these paths which will be aligned near the already existing highways are a crucial part of connecting our communities and will offer a safe alternative for people who want to recreate and communte around the county by means other than a car. We urge you to write in tonight or tomorrow morning before the hearing to express your support of these multi-use paths. An example of the comment you could write and the email address you should direct it to are below.
Write to [email protected]: We encourage you to implement the multi-use paths described in the county TSP tables 5-6 and 5-7 as quickly as possible and not to limit them from within or bordering lands zoned F1, F2, and EFU. As described, these paths will be along the already existing highways and will not cause harm to rural lands in the county. Furthermore, limiting the paths to one side of the highway or another would be impractical and would make them more difficult to implement.
There will also be a public hearing on the Lava Butte path on December 6th which you can write comments to [email protected]
Upcoming Events
Bend Bikes 10-Year Anniversary Celebration!
January 23, 2024 @ 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm
16 Kansas Ave, The Environmental Center
Save the date! Come enjoy some food, drink, and good company as we celebrate our 10-year anniversary!
We’ll look back at all we’ve accomplished to make Bend a safer and more fun place to walk, bike, and roll and will look ahead to what comes next.
Bikey Book Club
Next Meeting: January 22, 6:30pm
The Bikey Book Club is on Holiday Break and will reconvene in January. Our next book is There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster – Who Profits and Who Pays the Price by Jessie Singer. On January 22nd, we’ll watch a video with the author and in February, we’ll discuss the book.
Please join us when we meet again in January–there is no need to pre-register. You can contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.
Upcoming schedule: Downtown Bend Library, Meyers Room
- January 22, 6:30-7:45; video with the author of There Are No Accidents–The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster – Who Profits and Who Pays the Price by Jessie Singer