Bike Ride and Rally at ODOT for Better Bike Lanes on Saturday the 16th

In an homage to a ride from 1971 (more about that here), folks from Portland and the rest of the state will be biking from Portland to Salem for a rally at ODOT-HQ on Saturday the 16th to ask for a more robust commitment to the bike bill and to active transportation generally in the proposed Transportation Package the Legislature is considering for the 2017 session.

Rally at ODOT, 5:30pm on Saturday the 16th
(see full route from Portland here)

From the event description:

Meet at Pioneer Courthouse Square at 7:00am. Leave at 7:30am.*

*If you are participating in the bike ride from downtown Portland, please arrive no later than 7:15 as we will be going over logistics. We will leave Pioneer Courthouse Square at 7:30 sharp. If you plan on joining the ride partway, please join us at the below meetup spots.

The main group will cycle at a slow pace (7-9 mph). If you’d like to go faster, feel free to ride ahead of the group. Below are a couple meetup points where we can regroup and where some people will be joining the ride. Note that we will likely arrive at these points before/after the times listed below; however, we will not leave these meet-up points before the below listed time, so as long as you arrive by that time you will not be left behind.

Meetup point #1: Wilsonville Fred Meyer, 30300 SW Boones Ferry Rd, Wilsonville, OR (30+ minute break for lunch)
Leaving no earlier than: 11:00am

Meetup point #2: St. Louis Fish Ponds County Park in Gervais, OR, on Tesch Ln NE just south of St Louis Rd NE (15 minute break)
Leaving no earlier than: 2:00pm

Rally Info
Where: ODOT Headquarters (one block from the capitol building), 355 Capitol St NE, Salem, OR 97301
When: 5:30pm

We encourage you to bring signs with messaging related to our goal of making Oregon’s streets safer and more livable for everyone. If you’d rather not carry the sign on your bike during the ride we will have a vehicle for carrying materials.

We look forward to seeing you on Saturday!

And from the full manifesto:

Join us as we bike from Portland to Salem on Saturday, July 16th to gain steam for building better bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure in Oregon. We will meet at Pioneer Square for the full ride but will also have a regroup/join point closer to Salem.

Roadway fatalities in the state of Oregon have increased by 42% in just the past two years*. We want our streets to be safer and more welcoming so that all Oregonians can walk and bike without the fear of being struck by people driving automobiles.

This ride will be the kickoff of a campaign that seeks full funding for active transportation in accordance with the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.

You can reach us with questions on our facebook page or via: Email: livablestreetsaction@gmail.com Phone: (971) 338-9070

Active Oregon Bill

Asks:

1. Safety first -- funding for safety improvements should be prioritized on facilities where safety metrics are not met.
2. Fully fund active transportation according to the Oregon Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan (Scenario 4).
3. Dedicate a percentage of STIP and Oregon Connect funding to bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements.

Justifications:

Safety
-The road user fatality rate has increased to crisis levels. Active transportation improvements help make roads safer for all modes.

Equity
-Safety and active transportation deficits are concentrated in socioeconomically deprived areas.

Livability
-Active transportation is an effective and affordable way to decrease road congestion.
-Active transportation is an effective and affordable path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.

Economic
-Active transportation-associated businesses and industries are a fast-growing economic sector in Oregon.
-Investment in active transportation-related tourism generates a strong economic benefit to rural areas.
-Spending put toward active transportation keeps more money in local communities than spending put toward automotive transit.

*In 2013 there were 313 roadway fatalities in Oregon. In 2015 this number increased to 445. Source: Oregon Crash Analysis and Reporting (CAR) Unit.