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The City of Portland, Oregon

Portland Bureau of Transportation

Phone: 503-823-5185

Fax: 503-823-7576

1120 SW Fifth Ave, Suite 1331, Portland, OR 97204

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Media Relations

Dylan Rivera

Public Information Officer

503-823-3723

For breaking news from Portland Bureau of Transportation see our Twitter feed: @PBOTinfo

For breaking news on overall service disruptions in the Portland-Vancouver metro area, go to @publicalerts or see www.publicalerts.org 


The Walking Solution

Just in time for our upcoming Westside Walking School Bus workshop on February 28th, Every Body Walk has released this promotional video explaining the concept.

 

Just in time for our upcoming Westside Walking School Bus workshop on February 28th, Every Body Walk has released this promotional video explaining the concept. It also features a clip of me promoting cheap candy - watch to find out more.

Get the details on our Westside Walking School Bus workshop from my colleague Clay at clay.veka@portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-4998.

Hungry? Go Take a Hike!

Speaking of resolutions, how about the seemingly universal goal to drop a few pounds and/or exercise more?  How's that going for you?  I've stopped making it a yearly resolution and am resigned to the fact that it is instead a daily, year-round battle!

But I've got good news in my battle: I can combat my 5 pm craving with a brisk 15 minute walk.  The New York Times recently reported: "As far as weight-loss strategies go, it is not the most glamorous, but studies have found that a brisk walk around the block can significantly dampen cravings, whether the urge for junk food or the desire to light up a cigarette."

So, in order to keep myself from eating that chocolate bar while waiting for the bus after work, I'm going to walk a few extra blocks to a farther stop and keep that weight at bay!

Portland bridges story: More people, less congestion

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Portlanders biking creating more space for cars

The 2010 Portland Bicycle Count Report tells many stories.

Our Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller conveyed an important one last week: Portlanders switching to bicycling have reduced congestion on four Willamette River bridges while increasing the number of people getting to and from downtown.

On four pedestrian- and bicycle-friendly Willamette River bridges (Broadway, Burnside, Hawthorne and Steel), the total number of vehicle crossings has increased by 8% while the auto crossing has dropped by 4% during the last 20 years.

Geller uses the Hawthorne Bridge to illustrate how people riding bikes are making it better for drivers:

In the case of the Hawthorne Bridge, the negative effects of congestion have been kept at bay. While the number of vehicles crossing the Hawthorne Bridge increased by 20% between 1991 and 19982008, that increase has been almost wholly in bicycle traffic. Had the increase been - as it might be in most places - by automobiles, then the intersections at either ends of the bridge would likely have failed in their ability to effectively and efficiently move traffic.

In other words, with more Portlanders choosing to ride bicycles, our bridges are moving more people without costly lane expansions or increased pollution from automobile exhaust.

Read the other posts in our Portland Bicycle Count series:

Biking and Gender

Portland 2006 bicycle counts vs. 2010

Portland bike ridership reaches highest level

Streetcar City!

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Oregon Public Broadcasting is airing a special on how streetcars shaped Portland's development.  Here's the information about the show and two special screenings with the producers on hand to answer questions.

We wanted to let you know that OREGON EXPERIENCE: STREET CAR CITY will air on OPB TV on February 28 at 9pm. Kami Horton produced the half-hour special that explores how Oregon once had one of the most extensive streetcar systems in the United States providing cheap, comfortable public transportation – long before there were automobiles. The program also examines how streetcar lines formed the streets and neighborhoods that shaped our cities, and provided a foundation for the modern streetcar revival.

We hope you can help get the word out about the program and two pre-broadcast screenings:

The screenings are free and open to the public and OPB producers will be on hand to answer questions.

The first is in Astoria on Monday, Feb. 21 at noon at the Maritime Museum (1792 Marine Drive).

The second is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 24 at 6:30pm in Portland at the Ecotrust Building/Jean Vollum Natural Capital Center at 721 NW 9th Avenue. It's a great chance to use the street car for transport!