With so much happening around the city and in the world today, it’s important to remember what we are working towards. We are hopeful that the safety of all people will always be our guiding principle when looking at ways to move forward. We mean that figuratively as we decide on the direction our transportation infrastructure takes in the city and literally in how we are physically moving forward throughout our days! Read on to find out about an upcoming open house for Franklin and join our Squeaky Wheel Club.
Join us for a few rides we have upcoming! We are starting a monthly ride on some of “Our Favorite Routes.” The first will be from Farewell Bend Park to Reed Market on August 11th. And, there is a bike bus we will be leading to the CityFest event on August 15th. Hope to see you there!
Franklin Corridor Project Open House: August 22
Plans for improvements to the Franklin Corridor, from NW Harriman St, under the Parkway and railroad tracks, to NE 4th St will be discussed at an open house on August 22 from 4:00 to 6:00 pm at the Newberry Hotel Meeting Room, 300 NW Franklin Ave. There will be an online open house beginning on August 22 as well. You’ll be able to find the on-line open house at the Franklin Avenue Corridor and Undercrossing project page beginning about August 22nd.
At open houses, the city usually presents three options for the project and asks the public (that’s you!) to tell them which option they prefer and why. They then use that feedback to design the final project, which seldom looks exactly like any of the options presented at the open house. So it is important that they hear what you think!
We know very little about what this project will look like. We do know that they will not be rebuilding the underpass. Some of the things we’ve been thinking about include:
- What can be done to improve comfort, safety, and attractiveness of the sidewalk tunnels?
- Much improved lighting in the tunnels?
- Improved railings and fencing separating the sidewalk and street in the tunnel?
- Block the sidewalk up to the parkway on the south side of the tunnel to keep people out of that area?
- Improvements to the sidewalk surfaces?
- Can the roadway through the tunnel be changed to slow traffic and make it safer for people to bike on the street?
- Can the approaches to the sidewalk tunnels be improved so people can see through the tunnels before entering them?
- What sort of bike lanes along Franklin are needed?
- Can better crosswalks at Harriman, Hill, 1st, 2nd, and 4th be installed?
- What improvements can be made at the 3rd and Franklin intersection?
- Can the race to merge into one lane between 3rd St and the underpass be stopped?
- How can traffic along this street be slowed?
- Why is the west end of this project at Harriman? Do you think people on bikes might want to go downtown?
You may have more concerns. Please let us know if we missed anything by sending a note to [email protected]. And we’ll hope the city hears from a whole passel of people about the importance of a comfortable and safe way for people to walk and ride through midtown on Franklin Ave–Let’s help the city get this street right!
Our Favorite Routes – Farewell Bend Park to Cascade Lakes Brewery
Getting East-West in Bend can be tricky with the city split by Highway 97. However, in the south part of town there is a canal trail that goes right under the highway with a tunnel making it an excellent route!
Join us while we ride this route on August 11th at 9am! Meet at Farewell Bend Park at 8:45am to get going at 9am.
The Squeaky Wheel Club
Since the Squeaky Wheel Club started its incessant squeal in May, the City Council has heard a number of moving stories about the challenges faced by people riding bikes in Bend. If councilors hear about where you’d like to bike and can’t; or why your kids can’t bike or walk to school or a nearby park; or how you can’t cross a busy street to get someplace close to where you live; or how you’d love to bike to a restaurant but traffic makes that too uncomfortable, we think they’ll be more likely to fund improved bike infrastructure and safer crosswalks and intersections. Help us amplify our squeak for better infrastructure!
Our next orientation session will be online, August 1st at 6:00 pm. We’ll discuss writing and practicing your stories and show you starter templates to spark ideas and let you “choose your own adventure.” Going to your first city council meeting can be intimidating so we’ll describe exactly what to expect and what you need to do. We’ll let you know when the city council is taking comments and we’ll join you at the meetings if you let us know when you’re planning to speak.
The next two City Council meetings are August 7th and 21st. Come and let the council know how important biking is to Bend.
If you’re interested, please send an email to [email protected] or [email protected] and we’ll send you more information and invite you to our training sessions.
Second Sunday Spokes
Sunday, August 11, 9am – Farewell Bend Park
Meet at 8:45am at Farewell Bend Park to ride this route to Reed Market. We’ll get a cup of coffee and ride back. Join us to learn a safe route to get across town! This will be a slow ride which we are hoping will highlight some of the safe infrastructure we already have in the city. We will use a tunnel that goes under Brookswood and 97. This is a family friendly event. We hope to see you there!
CityFest Bike Bus
Thursday, August 15, 3:30pm – Pilot Butte Shelter
The City of Bend is holding an event on August 15, from 4 PM to 6 PM in the parking lot behind Bevel Brewing. The event is highlighting various city departments and their work. We will be leading a bike bus leaving from the Pilot Butte shelter at 3:30 pm using the Larkspur Trail, the Coyner Trail, and the new multi-use path on Wilson Ave. Please join us!
Bikes and Pints
We will be having our first Bikes and Pints social hour at Midtown Yacht Club soon:
Thursday, August 22, 5:30pm – Midtown Yacht Club
Come down and chat with us about bikes and enjoy your first drink on us! No need to RSVP, we’ll see you there.
Bikey Book Club
Next Meeting: August 26, 6:30pm
The Bikey Book Club read and discussed Bicycle/Race: Transportation, Culture, & Resistance by Adonia E. Lugo, PhD this month. While planning the first CicLAvia in Los Angeles, the author saw that there were two distinct classes of people who rode bikes in LA. Many who chose to ride, for the environment or health or a variety of other reasons, were primarily white and affluent. Then there were the people who had to ride–the “captive riders.” And these people were overwhelmingly Black or Brown people who faced two safety issues: danger from cars and the danger of harassment by police. They tended to buy cars and drive as soon as they possibly could in order to fade into the safe anonymity of driving. This is the story of her journey of bicycle advocacy and a change in emphasis from improving infrastructure for biking to working to include people of all sorts in bicycling culture.
Next month, in preparation for the “Week without Driving” in September, we’ll be reading When Driving is Not an Option by Anna Zivarts. Join us for a video about the book on August 26 from 6:30 to 7:45 pm.
You can contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.
Upcoming schedule: Downtown Bend Library, Meyers Room
August 26, 6:30-7:45; When Driving is Not an Option by Anna Zivarts