New Site at BikeMilwaukie.com

We have moved the Bike Milwaukie website/blog over to the new address- www.bikemilwaukie.com  Please go check it out and keep up to date on our upcoming rides and events!

Re: +Transportation System Plan Meeting- Next Monday+

Hi Folks!
We hope hope you have had a great weekend and gotten out on your bike to enjoy this great weather. We wanted to send one last reminder that tomorrow night, Monday, June 3rd, is the Transportation System Plan meeting where projects will be prioritized.  This process will affect what projects are pursued by the City.  Please read our previous email below about this meeting for some background.

We hope you are able to attend and to speak up on behalf of cycling and pedestrian infrastructure improvements for Milwaukie.

--
Greg Baartz-Bowman & Matt Menely
Bike Milwaukie Co-Organizers

Building community and encouraging advocacy in Milwaukie on self propelled wheels.
We have monthly or semi-monthly rides in and around Milwaukie.
Keep informed about Bike Milwaukie events on Facebook

On Mon, May 27, 2013 at 8:32 PM, Bike Milwaukie <bikemilwaukie@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello Residents of Bike Milwaukie!

We have some homework for you this week in preparation for the important Transportation System Plan update meeting on Monday, June 3rd. 

The City is encouraging residents to review the projects listed in its Transportation System Plan (TSP) and recommend (1) what the City's top priorities for funding should be, (2) if any of the existing projects should be reprioritized, and (3) if there are projects that need further study or concept planning.  You can review the TSP project list here (especially look at the bike and pedestrian sections):  https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7DbySg-zKdpaENtQXB1YVVZSWs/edit?usp=sharing

Then fill out the 'Public Engagement Worksheet' in the packet.  Bring the worksheet to the meeting next Monday and speak up on behalf of cycling and pedestrian improvements in Milwaukie.   If you are not able to attend the meeting, you can email your 'Public Engagement Worksheet', comments and questions to Brett Kelver in the Planning Department at KelverB@ci.milwaukie.or.us

Bike Milwaukie's top priorities include planning/ building of the Neighborhood Greenways already listed in the TSP. Those include Monroe, Stanley and 29^th.  Our other priority would be building a grade separated multi-use path along Rail Road Ave so that pedestrians and cyclists have a safe and simple way to get from Monroe/Oak street all the way to 3 Creeks and the Aquatics Center (more on that concept here https://www.facebook.com/notes/bike-milwaukie/oak-st-to-3-creeks-regional-connector-trail-proposal/434592629912401).

The future of bicycling infrastructure in Milwaukie will be influenced by people at this meeting.  If cyclists don't speak up, infrastructure will not improve for cyclists and pedestrians.  Please attend this meeting.

Milwaukie Christian Church (5197 SE King Rd.)

Monday, June 3^rd 6:30-8:30pm

Thanks!

--
Greg Baartz-Bowman & Matt Menely
Bike Milwaukie Co-Organizers

Building community and encouraging advocacy in Milwaukie on self propelled wheels. We have monthly or semi-monthly rides in and around Milwaukie.
Keep informed about Bike Milwaukie events on Facebook

Bike Milwaukie- Upcoming Rides/Events

Hi Folks,

June is a big month for bikes in the Portland area as well as Milwaukie.  There is something for everyone, from food to infrastructure planning. 

Here is what is on tap for Bike Milwaukie over the next month or so:

Monday, June 3^rd, 6:30pm- Transportation System Plan- Project Prioritization Meeting, Milwaukie Christian Church (5197 SE King Rd.)

Sunday, June 9^th, 9:30am- Bike Milwaukie Monthly Ride- to the Dragon Boat Races & South Waterfront

Tuesday, June 11th, 6:30pm- Milwaukie 2025 Infrastructure Ride. Join us as we tour through Milwaukie and stop a various points to discuss current and future transportation projects and how they will affect bicycling in the coming years.

Sunday, June 16th, 9:30am- Portland Neighborhood Greenway Tour (we will re-schedule this for later)

Saturday, June 22nd, 4:30pm- Cartlandia Dinner Ride

Sunday, July 21st 9:30am- Route to be determined.

We will be listing more details about these rides & events on our Facebook Events Page.

Joining us on a ride? Please bring water, a spare inner-tube/tools for unforeseen bike repairs, and a helmet.

A few other things to know about over the next month include:

The Pedalpalooza Festival- runs June 6^th-29^th  3+ weeks with over 250 bike related rides and events in the Portland area!  There is something for everyone among the festivities.

Portland Sunday Parkways NE- Sunday June 23^rd 11am-4pm

Starting on June 8th is the Cyclepedia exhibit at the Portland Art Museum.

If you have a ride idea, would like to lead a ride, or would like to help us spread the word about Bike Milwaukie, please email us.

Please forward this along to anyone who might be interested.

We hope to see you out on your bike!

--
Greg Baartz-Bowman & Matt Menely
Bike Milwaukie Co-Organizers

Building community and encouraging advocacy in Milwaukie on self propelled wheels.
We have monthly or semi-monthly rides in and around Milwaukie.
Keep informed about Bike Milwaukie events on Facebook

+Transportation System Plan Meeting- Next Monday+

Hello Residents of Bike Milwaukie! w

We have some homework for you this week in preparation for the important Transportation System Plan update meeting on Monday, June 3rd. 

The City is encouraging residents to review the projects listed in its Transportation System Plan (TSP) and recommend (1) what the City's top priorities for funding should be, (2) if any of the existing projects should be reprioritized, and (3) if there are projects that need further study or concept planning.  You can review the TSP project list here (especially look at the bike and pedestrian sections):  https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B7DbySg-zKdpaENtQXB1YVVZSWs/edit?usp=sharing

Then fill out the 'Public Engagement Worksheet' in the packet.  Bring the worksheet to the meeting next Monday and speak up on behalf of cycling and pedestrian improvements in Milwaukie.   If you are not able to attend the meeting, you can email your 'Public Engagement Worksheet', comments and questions to Brett Kelver in the Planning Department at KelverB@ci.milwaukie.or.us

Bike Milwaukie's top priorities include planning/ building of the Neighborhood Greenways already listed in the TSP. Those include Monroe, Stanley and 29^th.  Our other priority would be building a grade separated multi-use path along Rail Road Ave so that pedestrians and cyclists have a safe and simple way to get from Monroe/Oak street all the way to 3 Creeks and the Aquatics Center (more on that concept here https://www.facebook.com/notes/bike-milwaukie/oak-st-to-3-creeks-regional-connector-trail-proposal/434592629912401).

The future of bicycling infrastructure in Milwaukie will be influenced by people at this meeting.  If cyclists don't speak up, infrastructure will not improve for cyclists and pedestrians.  Please attend this meeting.

Milwaukie Christian Church (5197 SE King Rd.)

Monday, June 3^rd 6:30-8:30pm

Thanks!

--
Greg Baartz-Bowman & Matt Menely
Bike Milwaukie Co-Organizers

Building community and encouraging advocacy in Milwaukie on self propelled wheels. We have monthly or semi-monthly rides in and around Milwaukie.
Keep informed about Bike Milwaukie events on Facebook

Bike Milwaukie May Ride

Hi Folks,

This Sunday, May 19th is our next Bike Milwaukie ride.  On this ride we will head out to the I-205 Bike path via Lake Rd and surface streets. We will then take the path south to Gladstone.  From there we will loop back to Milwaukie using the Trolley Trail.  Our route this month is 14-15 miles long.  Here is a rough map of the route: http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/fullscreen/208046847/

We will leave City Hall at 9:30am and our ride should last around 2.5-3 hours, ending back at City Hall. Please bring water, a spare inner-tube/tools for unforeseen bike repairs, and a helmet.

Please forward this along to anyone who might be interested.

Hope to see you there.
--
Greg Baartz-Bowman & Matt Menely
Bike Milwaukie Co-Organizers

Building community and encouraging advocacy in Milwaukie on self propelled wheels.
We have monthly or semi-monthly rides in and around Milwaukie.
Keep informed about Bike Milwaukie events on Facebook

Bike Milwaukie Ride Sunday

Hi Folks,

This Sunday is our April Bike Milwaukie ride.  On this ride we will head out to the 3 Creeks Natural Area for a short walking tour of the area. We will learn about the habitat restoration projects that have been done and the proposed road project that the County wants to build.

If you want a little back story on the area and the road project you can watch Greg's documentary from last year. http://vimeopro.com/strawbalefilms/straw-bale-films/video/40703419

We will leave City Hall at 9:30am and our ride should last around 2.5-3 hours, end ing back at City Hall. Please bring water and consider wearing a helmet.

We posted this ride on our facebook page a few weeks ago.  Greg and I have both been really busy (and sick in my case).  Sorry that we have not emailed details earlier.

Please forward this along to anyone who might be interested.

Hope to see you there.

--
Greg Baartz-Bowman & Matt Menely
Bike Milwaukie Co-Organizers

Building community and encouraging advocacy in Milwaukie on self propelled wheels.
We have monthly or semi-monthly rides in and around Milwaukie.
Keep informed about Bike Milwaukie events on Facebook

Bike Milwaukie- 2 events in March!!

Hello Everyone,

Bike Milwaukie returns from our winter break with 2 events scheduled for this month.

On Saturday March 23rd we will be hosting a Bike Film Night at the Masonic Lodge.  We will have an evening of short films all related to cycling.  Doors open at 6:30pm with films starting at 7:00pm.  This is an all ages, free show.  Donations to help us offset the cost of renting the building gladly accepted.

The next morning, Sunday March 24th, we will have our first monthly ride of 2013.  Come join fellow neighbors for a leisurely ride around town (a loop). We'll roll through multiple Milwaukie neighborhoods, over bridges and along hidden paths.
The ride starts at 9:30AM and we'll finish by noon. We will meet in front of City Hall.

It will be great to see you!

Please feel free to forward this email along to your friends and neighbors.

Thank you,

--
Greg Baartz-Bowman & Matt Menely
Bike Milwaukie Co-Organizers

Building community and encouraging advocacy in Milwaukie on self propelled wheels.
We have monthly or semi-monthly rides in and around Milwaukie.
Keep informed about Bike Milwaukie events on Facebook

City Council Goal Setting

Happy Sunday Folks!

On Feb 19th our City Council will likely pass a resolution which outlines their goals for the coming year. This set of goals will direct the actions of the city staff. We made some progress, as Council did include the Monroe Street Bike Boulevard (also called a Neighborhood Greenway) project on their goals at their last work session; however we feel that the wording of the goal is not clear or direct enough. So, we are asking you once again to write to the council, or better yet, show up at the council meeting on Feb 19th at 7pm and testify.

#6c of their goal list says 'Consider making Monroe Street a bike boulevard'. Monroe has already been 'considered' in our 2007 Transportation System Plan (TSP), and it stands out as the top priority of the many residents who worked on the bike chapter of the TSP. We want Council to decide that it is a priority on their agenda moving forward. Unfortunately, there are many other pressing issues in town, and it seems that only 2 of the 5 Councilors are currently interested in pursuing the Monroe project. To get this project done, it is going to take as many people as possible providing testimony in City Council meetings, writing letters, and sharing the idea with our community members (so that everyone understands how the project will help to make neighborhoods along this corridor nicer places to live and increase safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and automobiles). We need all of the City Councilors and the City Manager to understand why this project is important and to commit to moving the project forward.

We ask you to encourage City Council to direct City Staff to actively prepare for, and apply for grants that will allow Milwaukie to complete projects (like Monroe) that we would otherwise be unable to do on our own due to lack of funds. We have missed, and will continue to miss grant opportunities, unless and until City Council allows City Staff to allocate time to seeking out these opportunities. Here is the email address for City Council: ocr@ci.milwaukie.or.us. Please send them a message and ask them not just to 'consider' the Monroe project, but instead to 'direct staff to actively pursue funding for the Monroe project'. Speak from your personal experience as a pedestrian or cyclist in Milwaukie and how these kinds of projects will directly affect you. Thank you for working together to make our neighborhoods more livable and increasing bicycling accessibility in Milwaukie!

If you are not up to speed on what the Monroe project could look like, here is a short video showing an example in SE Portland.

http://www.streetfilms.org/portland-or-bicycle-boulevards/

Thanks for your time and consideration!
--
Greg Baartz-Bowman & Matt Menely
Bike Milwaukie Co-Organizers

Building community and encouraging advocacy in Milwaukie on self propelled wheels.
We have monthly or semi-monthly rides in and around Milwaukie.
Keep informed about Bike Milwaukie events on Facebook

City Council Goals for 2013??

Tell our City Council to make Monroe and other Bike/Pedestrian improvements from the 2007 TSP a priority in the coming year.

Please take a look at this from some background.
http://btaoregon.org/2013/01/tell-milwaukie-city-council-to-make-monroe-a-priority/


Tell the the City Council in person at their upcoming goal setting meeting on Jan. 22nd. You can also contact them here anytime: ocr@ci.milwaukie.or.us

City Council Goals?

Dear Milwaukie Bicyclists,
For the last year and a half we have been quietly showing you around Milwaukie and the surrounding area, hoping to inspire you and your neighbors into getting on you bikes more.

In 2007 the City developed it's most recent Transportation System Plan (TSP). In this plan is a road map to a better bike-way network for cyclists in Milwaukie. Since our City Council approved the TSP at the end of 2007, the City has installed bike-route signage throughout the City, and part of Lake road has been repaved and bike lane markings laid down, but other than that not too much has happened in terms of evolving the safety and quality of our cycling infrastructure.

 We've been quietly asking for further development of the Monroe Street Bike Boulevard and Bike Milwaukie even jointly applied for a grant with the City to obtain funding to install Sharrows on Monroe (which we did not receive). Monroe Street was highlighted as part of the recent New Year's Day ride of over 100 cyclists, lead by the The Bicycle Transportation Alliance, and graciously supported by some of our fellow community members including the Mayor of Milwaukie.

So we ask, would you like better bike infrastructure in Milwaukie? Would you like to see Monroe as the primary East/West bike route as laid out in the 2007 TSP?  If so, please contact City Council, and ask them to consider making bicycling infrastructure improvements (especially on Monroe Street) a priority in their upcoming goal setting meeting on Jan. 22nd.
You can contact them here anytime: ocr@ci.milwaukie.or.us

Bike Milwaukie Farm Tour Ride- Sunday

Hello Everyone,

This Sunday, Aug 19th is the next Bike Milwaukie ride.  This month's ride is a tour of small local farms and community gardens.  Starting at 9:00 am at City Hall  The ride will take approx 3 hours and cover approx 8-10 miles, and end back at City Hall.  When we finish the Farmers Market will be in full swing so you can do some shopping or grab a bite to eat!

At each farm we will stop for 10-20 minutes and learn a little about each farm
Wear shoes that you are comfortable walking in the dirt and gravel with.
Please bring water and consider wearing a helmet. 

We hope to see you there! 

Thanks,
--
Greg Baartz-Bowman & Matt Menely
Bike Milwaukie Co-Organizers

Building community and encouraging advocacy in Milwaukie on self propelled wheels.
We have monthly or semi-monthly rides in and around Milwaukie.
Keep informed about Bike Milwaukie events on Facebook

August Ride

Hey everyone - Join us next Sunday, August 19th for a awesome ride to the farms of Milwaukie!

The Farm Ride starts at 9AM. We meet at Milwaukie City Hall. More details to follow this week on the Bike Milwaukie Facebook page.

See you next week!

June Rides!

Hello Folks,
Bike Milwaukie had a great ride last weekend, looping around town and learning a bit about Milwaukie's rich history.
About 20 neighbors joined us, even though it rained most of the ride.

Mark your calendars.  Bike Milwaukie will have 2 rides in June!

June 9th (Saturday 9:00 am) - Ride to the Dragon Boat Races near the Hawthorne Bridge, along the Springwater.
June 30th (Saturday 4:30 pm) – An evening ride out to Cartopia food carts for dinner (and possibly beyond), on the Springwater Trail.

Both rides start and finish in front of City Hall. Rain or Shine.

Please pass this along to anyone who might be interested.

Click 'like' on our Bike Milwaukie Facebook page to receive updates about upcoming rides.

Hope to see you there!
Thank you,

--
Greg Baartz-Bowman & Matt MenelyBike Milwaukie Co-Organizers

Building community and encouraging advocacy in Milwaukie on self propelled wheels.
We have monthly or semi-monthly rides in and around Mi

FW: Get your registration in for the Oregon Active Transporation Summit!

 

2012 Oregon Active Transportation Summit – April 16-17, Salem The excitement is building! People from all over the state are signing up to be part of the Oregon Active Transportation Summit – the year's premier gathering of active transportation advocates. Come join us as we shape the future of active transportation! This is your chance to stay up to date and fully involved in Oregon's cycling, walking and transit issues – and registration for the Oregon Active Transportation Summit is only $50 per person. The conference officially kicks off Monday evening with an inspirational opening session called "The Future of Active Transportation" from Alan Durning of the Sightline Institute. The event continues all day Tuesday, with keynote speakers, a wide variety of breakout sessions to sample, and a must-see lunchtime panel called "Bikes Mean Business" that explores the economic benefits of promoting cycling. On Monday, before the conference officially begins, there will be a variety of meetings and one all-day session on the NACTO bikeway design guide. These meetings and session are open to all conference registrants. Click here to see the full agenda for the summit and the meeting schedule. Your registration includes a reception the first evening, light breakfast and lunch the second day, plus the chance to connect with some of the most involved transportation advocates around. Get an updated agenda and all the event details at the Oregon Active Transportation Summit website. The pre-conference session on The NACTO (National Association of City Transportation Officials) bikeway design guide will be offered on Monday, April 16 from 9 a.m. – 5p.m. Taught by Roger Geller, Rob Burchfield and Peter Koonce, the session will cover the 21 designs found in the guide as well as other treatments in use, but not yet covered there. The NACTO Guide presents both detailed designs and examples of how best practice bikeways are being implemented throughout North America. The course is intended for traffic engineers, project managers, planners and anyone interested in the nuts and bolts and discussion of more recent bikeway designs. Completing the training offers 6 professional development hours and the NACTO guide is available for purchase when registering for the summit. 2012 Oregon Active Transportation Summit April 16-17 Salem Conference Center 200 Commercial St. SE Salem, Oregon 97301 503-589-1715 Attendees $50; Exhibitors $30 Host Hotel: Grand Hotel info@cycleoregon.com   Cycle Oregon

April Ride- 3 Creeks Natural Area/ Watershed Awareness Ride

For our April Bike Milwaukie Ride we will ride out to the 3 Creeks natural area and meet with habitat restoration guru & Tsunami Crew founder Chris Runyard who will guide us to the oldest tree in the 3 Creeks Nature Area - almost 500 years old. Camas and wildflowes will be in bloom. Bird songs and creeks preform a symphony and you can be part of it.  We begin and end at City Hall.  The ride will be approx 8-10 miles. Please wear shoes that you don't mind getting muddy and consider wearing a helmet.

Starts at 9:30 and will go until around 12 or so.
Distance: approx 8-10 miles. (we don't have the exact round trip route nailed down yet so I don't have an exact distance).

C'mon and join us!

March Ride

Bike Milwaukie returns Sunday March 18th. Come join for a leisurely ride around town.
We'll visit the neighborhoods, cross a few bridges, and swoop down along the Willamette.
The ride starts at 9:30AM and we'll finish by noon.
Meet us at the usual spot in front of City Hall.
It will be great to see you!

December Ride Details

Our next Bike Milwaukie ride well take place on Sunday, December 11th at 9:30am.

For this ride we will head up to Oaks Park via the Springwater Trail, and some on street riding through Sellwood, heading up to our turn around point at OMSI.  Along the way, we will pass the vintage steam locomotive that will be giving rides that weekend (we are not stopping for a ride).  Once we get to OMSI, we will stop and take a quick look at the construction of the new bridge being built over the Willamette river which will carry cyclists, pedestrians, and the Portland/Milwaukie light rail over it once it is completed in 2015 (and possibly buses and the Portland street car in the future).

We expect the ride will take approximately 2-3 hours. 
We recommend that you bring water, bike repair supplies, appropriate clothing, and a helmet.
Bring a coffee mug in case we stop for a brief drink!

We will start and finish at Milwaukie City Hall, rain or shine.

Hope to see you then,
Matt and Greg

Nov. 13th Ride Details

Hi Folks,

Next Sunday we will be taking a leisurely ride south of Milwaukie to ride along the nearly finished Trolley Trail.  The ride is approx 14 miles round trip, so it is a little longer than our past rides, but for most of the ride it is smooth due to all the new pavement that has just been laid down. That being said, there is a short section (approx 1/2 mile long) between River Road and Park Avenue (along the west side of McLoughlin Blvd shown here), where we will be riding on a narrow dirt & gravel foot path.  We would advise folks to ride a bike with slightly wider tires (I rode it tonight on a road bike with wider tires and was OK), or there is a bike lane on McLoughlin Blvd which parallels the walking path for this section.  We don't personally feel that comfortable riding in the bike lane with cars speeding by at 40+ mph, but it is an option for those who are comfortable with it.  We do not recommend bringing a small person in a bike trailer or on a tag-a-long bike for this ride.

Once we get to Park Ave, we will hop onto the Trolley Trail and ride to Gladstone where we will turn around at the Clackamas River (near High Rocks) and head back to downtown Milwaukie via the same route.  It is a great ride which will take approx 2-3 hours depending on the group.  As always, we recommend that you wear a helmet, and bring water, snacks and items to repair a flat tire if you encounter one.  The ride starts and ends at Milwaukie City Hall at 9 am, rain or shine. 

Please join us!

Greg & Matt

Monthy Ride: November

The next Bike Milwaukie Ride will be on Sunday, November 13th at 9:00 am. 
We will start and end at City Hall, rain or shine, and will likely last about 2 hours +/-. 
The route for this month is yet to be determined, but we will post it here once we have a better idea.
We hope to see you on the ride!

Bicycle Tourism Studio for Clackamas County

Program Kick-Off Event

Tuesday November 8th

Program 3:00-5:00 pm Hosted Reception 5:00-6:00 pm

@ Stone Creek Golf Club

14603 South Stoneridge Drive in Oregon City

Join Travel Oregon and Clackamas County Tourism and Cultural Affairs to launch the Clackamas County Bicycle Tourism Studio— a community-based planning program designed to elevate the region’s standing as a bicycle travel-friendly destination. The program is crafted to bolster awareness of the growing cycling tourism market, foster key connections with regional, state and national organizations and focus a community’s energy on the development of appropriate cycling infrastructure, business services, and marketing activities.

Communities that have confirmed participation so far include: Sandy, Estacada, Molalla, West Linn and Wilsonville

Who should attend? Representatives from the participating communities and anyone from Clackamas County who is interested in strengthening cycling tourism in the region

RSVP to Jim Austin Clackamas County Tourism and Cultural Affairs (503) 742-5901 or jim@mthoodterritory.com