Get your bikey updates – just in time for Bike Month!

Posted on by

With this wave of warm weather, it’s time to dust off your bike, inflate those tires, and get back out on your bike. We’ll see you out there!

And in case you need something special for your bike, Spurcycle is offering a spring discount to our supporters! Receive 15% off regular priced products on Spurcycle.com with discount code BENDBIKESSPR23_WFV4 through the end of April.

Additionally, frankenbells are on sale through the end of the month. As a reminder, 10% of sales of these bells are donated to designated non profits like us!

Bikey Book Club

The Bikey Book Club met this week to discuss Curbing Traffic: The Human Case for Fewer Cars in Our Lives by Melissa & Chris Bruntlett. The book describes how the Bruntlett family moved from Vancouver, BC to Delft, The Netherlands and in the process transitioned from a “car-light” family in an auto-dependent city to a “car-free” family in a city with the infrastructure to make that possible. The Bruntletts describe the many benefits this brought to their family and how The Netherlands made the transition from a car dominated nation in the 1960’s to a place in which bicycling, walking, and public transit make it possible to easily live without an automobile.

Our next book will be Walkable City: How Downtown Can Save America, One Step at a Time by Jeff Speck. This is the 10th anniversary edition of this influential book with new material about the value of bikes and city planning. We’ll meet May 22 at 6:30pm in the Meyer Room, upstairs in the Bend Downtown Library, to watch a video interview with the author and discuss initial impressions of the book. Please join us! There is no need to pre-register but you can contact [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.

Upcoming schedule: Meyer Room, Downtown Bend Library

  • May 22, 6:30-7:45pm
  • June 12, 6:30-7:45pm

TBOC Projects

The Wilson Avenue Final Phase Pre-construction Informational Open House was held this week with Bend Bikes Board members in attendance. City staff shared the designs for the remaining phases of the Wilson Avenue project. Bicycling and pedestrian infrastructure include:

  • Multi-use path along the north side of Wilson Avenue between Centennial Street and roughly 3rd Street
  • Bike lanes with protective Dura-curb barriers stretching from 2nd Street to the completed sections of Wilson Avenue
  • Pedestrian and bike refuge (island) on Wilson Avenue at 2nd Street
  • Curb extensions along Wilson Avenue

With Bend’s first bike-protected roundabout at Wilson Avenue and 9th Avenue, there has been some uncertainty on how to safely use this roundabout. Learn how to use the bike-protected roundabout through the City of Bend’s video. You can also find out more about the Wilson Avenue project on the city’s website: bendoregon.gov/Wilson.

Neighborhood Street Safety Program– Construction drawings are complete for the 2023 projects, which have been bid out, and a contractor has been selected. City staff have determined a scope and fee for the design of the 2024 projects. Both contracts for 2024 design and 2023 construction were presented to City Council and approved at the April 19, 2023 regular meeting.

May is Bike Month – Celebrate with Bend Bikes and Partner Organizations at Upcoming Events!

In February 2022, over half of the vehicle trips in Bend were less than 3 miles in length. We envision a city where these shorter trips are traveled by bike or on foot. Biking with others can make the commute more fun and feel safer. Connect with others who are biking around town at several upcoming May Bike Month events. We hope to see you there!

Sunday, May 7 – “National Ride a Bike Day”
Ride your bike solo, with friends or with family, post a photo with #BikeThere, and tag us @BendBikes

Thursday, May 11 – “Walk, Bike, and Roll to School Day” 
Find out if your student’s school is participating and join them if you can!

Thursday, May 11 – COCC May-hem Event from 11am-1pm
Learn about the Get There incentive program for COCC staff and stop by our table for route and attire tips!

Saturday, May 13 – Kick-off “Bike to Work Week” @ 5pm with Commute Options at the Commons Cafe.

Thursday, May 18 – “Crux Bike Night” from 5-7pm
Ride your bike to Crux Fermentation Project to get $1 off beverages and find out what we have in store for the summer.

Friday, May 19 – “National Bike to Work Day”
Ride your bike, post a photo with #BikeThere, and tag us @BendBikesMonday, May 22 – Join our “Bikey Book Club” @ 6:30pm at the Downtown Bend Library

Last month we mentioned ODOT’s Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) projects for 2024-2027. Well, this month the Bend Metropolitan Planning Organization (BMPO) is asking for comments on its Draft 2024-2027 Metropolitan Transportation Improvement Program and many of the same projects show up again. Since the transportation system has to be seamless across jurisdictions, it is no surprise that the same projects are looking for funding and support in many places. In any case, here is our take on some of the projects proposed in the MPO Transportation Improvement Program. Please share your comments on this proposed program by sending an email to [email protected] by May 2nd, 2023. Feel free to use our talking points, but add your personal experience to make sure your comments stand out.

Wonk Out Redux: Comment on Bend MPO TIP!

  • Key number 20378: Replace the bridges over the Deschutes River on Archie Briggs Rd:
    • These are dangerous bridges on a dangerous road.
    • When these bridges are replaced, they should include safe places for people biking, walking, and rolling to cross them.
  • Key number 22774: Build a bicycle boulevard (similar to a neighborhood greenway) on NE Norton Ave from NE 4th St to NE 12th St:
    • This is not a reasonable biking alternative to NE Greenwood as it is too far from destinations on Greenwood to be an alternative route.
    • This is an important part of the Safe Routes to School network. But it is not a good route for the Key Route along the Olney/Penn/Neff corridor. It is not only out of direction but it climbs much higher than the main roads of Olney, Penn, and Neff, making it much more physically demanding in both directions.
    • This project must include an improved crossing on 8th St, especially if it is to be an important Safe Route to School route.
  • Key number 20714: Create a multi-use trail connecting Baker/Knott Rd to Lava Lands Visitor Center:
    • A safe bike and pedestrian route from the south side of Bend to the Lava Lands Visitor Center is a very important step to an inter-city network for people biking for both recreation and transportation.
    • This path should access the High Desert Museum.
  • Key number 22607: Planning for Improvement of  the Revere Ave rail crossing:
    • As part of the Low Stress Network, improving the rail crossing on Revere for people biking, walking, and rolling is very important.
  • Key number 22791: Replacing the Empire Ave and US20 traffic signals and POSSIBLY adding pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure at the intersection.
    • The intersection of Empire Ave and US20 is a major barrier to people walking, biking, and rolling. Improvements to this intersection, particularly in conjunction with improvements along Empire Ave, would make it much safer for people walking, biking, and rolling in this area, and it would improve both north-south and east-west connectivity in this part of the city.
  • Transit funding:
    • As Bend continues to grow, its streets will not handle the projected increase in vehicle traffic. When properly planned, transit, biking, walking, and rolling can offer people a viable alternative to driving and lower the cost of our future transportation system. Our transit system is rudimentary and its funding should be growing substantially.

Regional Happenings

The 2023 draft Oregon Transportation Plan (OTP) is now available for public comment through May 12, 2023. Updating the OTP provides Oregon with the opportunity to create a  more sustainable and equitable transportation system. The 2023 draft OTP’s values include that “People can get where they need and want to go safely. User needs and facility design are aligned, based on the context of the surrounding built environment. This allows agencies to design and manage the transportation system in a way that emphasizes safety over comfort or speed.”

A mix of policies and strategies within the draft OTP address the needs of those who bike, walk, and roll. These include:

  • Ensure children can access education through safe and connected bikeways and walkways by providing funding and building capacity for Safe Routes to School infrastructure and education programs.
  • Invest in the infrastructure and levels of service that make existing low cost modes of travel—such as walking, rolling, biking, and transit—more convenient, and available.
  • Invest in off-street walking and biking regional paths to enable more safe, comfortable, and direct connections between destinations.
  • Use special districts and appropriate design guidelines to support local goals and to ensure that travel for people walking, rolling, and biking is safe and encouraged within cities and towns.
  • Implement safety solutions and prioritize investments that reduce fatalities and serious injuries across Oregon, recognizing the disproportionate risk faced by systematically excluded or underserved populations (populations with high numbers of BIPOC, people experiencing low income, people living with one or more disabilities, seniors, youth, and rural residents), as well as those who walk, roll, or bike.

We are encouraged by the draft OTP policies and strategies that make transportation options safe for all users, as well as the policies that focus on climate change and climate resilience (which also have a focus on encouraging more people to bike, walk, and roll). The real challenge will be to make sure these policies are embedded into future ODOT projects.

E-Bike Survey

Do you own an electric bicycle? Researchers at Portland State University and the University of Tennessee want to learn more about why you decided to purchase an e-bike and how you use it. Take the survey and enter a drawing for chance to win one of 20 $50 Visa gift cards and & 3 Topo Designs backpacks: https://tinyurl.com/ebikesurvey2023