On Tuesday (9/16) the Portland Water Bureau will give all us regular joes the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a big city dump truck and take a look around.  Trust me, it will give you a new perspective and appreciation for the people safely operating these trucks in traffic.

Alright, it might not be THAT big image: http://www.theluhrings.com/

And if getting behind the wheel of dump truck isn't enough to get you out to the Rose Quarter, then perhaps free refreshments, a short movie on truck safety, and the opportunity to chat it up with some of the city's Water Bureau pros will entice you.  Here are the details:

What: Dump Truck Tour (or Traffic Safety Event, hosted by the Water Bureau)

When:Tuesday (9/16) from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.

Where: Rose Quarter's Benton Parking Lot at N. Broadway and N. Larrabee (map)

Click here to read the Water Bureau's press release with more information.

We've reported on people moving homes by bike, but some Portland musicians have taken it to the next level: touring the West Coast by bike!

Blind Pilot will finish their tour in San Diego in October. You can listen to their music here.

Click map for larger image

Please join Metro Parks & Greenspaces, the Sullivan's Gulch Corridor Trail Committee, Gateway Green, and TriMet for the summer's 5th and final regional trail tour. Community partners and agency staff will lead this hour-and-a-half lunchtime walk along this proposed linkage in our trail network. The City of Portland and Metro will soon begin a feasibility study for the trail alignment.

Tour participants will ride MAX free-of-charge to Gateway, where we will walk along the I-205 Trail to the site of the Gateway Green vision - an East Portland placemaking effort to utilize 35 acres of undeveloped land at the confluence of I-84 and I-205 for outdoor recreation.

Wednesday, September 17. Meet at 11:30 am at Metro Regional Center South Entrance, on the corner of Lloyd Blvd and Grand Ave. The tour will return to Metro by 1 pm.

RSVP to robert.spurlock@oregonmetro.gov or (503) 813-7560.

For more information about the Sullivan's Gulch Corridor Trail, go to http://www.sullivansgulchtrail.org/

For more information about Gateway Green, go to http://deainc.com/docs/Vision%20Document%20FINALCOMPL_51508.pdf

From TriMet TV:

When buses, trains and bikes share the road, it's even more important to practice safe driving and safe riding. Cyclists can help by following a few simple "rules of the road."

In downtown, it is especially important to be aware of buses and trains while biking, as many vehicles are sharing smaller spaces.  However, downtown traffic speeds are slow which allows bikes to share the road much more comfortably than on high-speed streets. 

*Did you know that the traffic lights downtown are timed for about 11 mph?  It's easy to keep up with traffic on your bike at that speed.  Plus, if you go that fast (slow?) you can catch green lights all the way across downtown!

Check out TriMet's nifty video on bike-bus-train love:

The Bicycle Transportation Alliance and a host of other community organizations have teamed up to launch a new public safety campaign, "Eye to Eye: Start Seeing Everyone."

The campaign officially kicked off last month with a press conference near the west end of the Broadway Bridge.  The BTA hopes the message will help improve road safety and increase awareness and respect for all road users.

There are a list of events and volunteer opportunities on the Eye to Eye home page.

Keep your eyes open out there!