(July 26, 2013) - One year ago, Cycle Oregon founder Jonathan Nicholas presented the City of Portland with the Hawthorne Bridge Bicycle Counter.

“Today is not about getting more people in Spandex shorts. That’s not something any of us wants to see. Today is about getting more people decent paychecks. Rising healthcare costs continue to cripple job creation in our city. We have to find ways for urban dwellers to enjoy more active lifestyles.”

In its first year of operation, the bike counter logged 1,721,538 trips. On average, that is 4,717 trips per day. People bicycling, walking and riding transit keep the Hawthorne Bridge traffic moving. By choosing active transportation, they lower their transportation costs, keeping money in the local economy. In addition these trips reduce carbon emissions while keeping Portland’s air clean.

Two weeks ago, the Portland Bureau of Transportation, the volunteer group Shift, and over a hundred Portlanders celebrated one million bike trips on the Hawthorne Bridge in calendar year 2013. Below are some photos from the event. You can also view the event photo album.