— This guest article comes from Lois Leveen — an author, activist, bicyclist, and ukulele player in Portland.

If you are one of the many bicyclists who enjoys pedaling through River View Cemetery for your commute or your recreational rides, you may already have seen the signs notifying cyclists that the Cemetery will be closed to bicyclists from Saturday 5/23 through Monday 5/25. This annual observance of Memorial Day weekend maximizes access for those mourning and remembering loved ones. 

It is also a good reminder that River View Cemetery is a private entity that kindly allows bicyclists and pedestrians to pass through their property. For those of you who make this ride regularly, you know it is a beautiful route, and the only safe way to get to/from/through much of Southwest Portland. Please comply fully with this closure, and always be respectful whenever passing through River View Cemetery during the rest of the year.

Although many of us treat Memorial Day as we do other holidays and long weekends, and particularly as a kickoff to summer fun, it’s worth pausing for some Memorial Day-specific reflection. So as you read this and as you bike and walk your way around this coming weekend, it’s a good opportunity to remember the many Portlanders, Oregonians, and United Statesians we lose to vehicular violence each year (as well as the countless others whose lives are shortened/worsened by pollution, the climate crisis, and other aspects of unfettered car culture). May their memories be an inspiration as we work to make the places we live and ride safer for all our community members.

Last week, PBOT announced their intention to abandon a decade-long plan to install a two-way protected bike lane on SW Alder between 14th and 15th after hearing pushback from neighbors about the loss of car parking. 

This design was part of the City Council-approved Central City in Motion plan. The two-way bike lane was the missing link to the network, connecting the rest of NW Portland to the Max, Providence Park, and Lincoln High School. But as BikePortland shared earlier this year, tenants at an adjacent residential building expressed concern over a loss of auto parking. That pushback led to a meeting between the tenants and PBOT to discuss alternative designs.

Under the current plan proposed by PBOT, people riding bikes will have to ride two extra blocks to get to these destinations. Instead of riding on a protected two-way bike lane up to SW 17th, you will have to drop down to 15th and then go back up on an unprotected bike lane. Only 42% of people feel safe on the new design, while 93% feel safe on the old one. 

On January 22 2026, Mayor Keith Wilson said, “We are and have to be the biggest bike mode city in the nation. Our multimodal focus has got to be at the center of every decision we make.” This is an opportunity for our mayor to show Portland that his words have meaning and for the City Council to demand accountability for the plans that they have passed. 

We need you to write to our city council and mayor and ask for an immediate pause on this major route change. Large changes, like this, that impact the usability and route of our bike network should be presented to the Bicycle Advisory Committee before being decided on. Use the blue banner to send an email to the Mayor, D4 City Councilors, PBOT Director, and City Manager.

— Click here to view and send a sample email to city leadership.

This guest article is from Jessica Fletcher, the organizer and leader of the James John Elementary School Bike Bus. Jessica just returned from a trip to Davis, California where she became a League Certified Cycling Instructor. She wrote this in Davis while waiting for her train back to Portland.

I attended BikePortland’s 20th anniversary party recently and bought a $20 hat. Simple enough purchase. But every time I wear it, I suddenly feel like I’m on duty, like I’m representing something bigger than myself.

And lately, maybe that matters.

With Jonathan Maus in transition at BikePortland, there’s a feeling that a beat in Portland journalism may need to evolve. Not disappear, just look different.

The bike beat.

Because maybe the bike beat was never only one person covering meetings, infrastructure fights, ribbon cuttings, crashes, and community victories. Maybe it has always also belonged to the people riding the lanes, teaching safe cycling, organizing rides, advocating for better streets, and simply showing up.

I’m writing this from Davis, California, after returning from a ride from Woodland where I earned my League Cycling Instructor certification through League of American Bicyclists. I’m waiting for the train home, wearing that Bike Portland hat, feeling strangely accountable to an idea.

Not Portland-the-place, exactly.

But Portland-the-practice.

The belief that cities can be shaped around people instead of just cars. That transportation can build community. That local stories about bike lanes and crossings and near-misses matter because human beings move through them every day.

Maybe the future of Bike Portland, and local bike advocacy generally, is more distributed. More participatory. Less about one newsroom voice and more about a network of people paying attention where they are.

A teacher in East Portland.
A commuter in Beaverton.
A parent biking with kids in Lents.
Someone waiting for a train in Davis, California after a long ride.

The beat continues because we continue.

And maybe wearing the hat means accepting a little responsibility for that.

The new Bike Happy Pale Ale is being canned as I type this and last minute preparations are underway for the BikePortland 20th Anniversary Party this Wednesday from 4-7:00 pm (or so) at Migration Brewing on North Williams Avenue.

I hope you can join us for a night of friends, food, drinks, memories, and conversations that will help write the next chapter of this bike blog/transportation news operation. In addition to hanging out with a lot of really great folks to toast two decades of independent community journalism, here’s what’s in store at the party:

• Grab a free raffle ticket for a chance to win a Primos Dame bicycle. To receive a ticket, you must volunteer, be a member of, or have spent time getting to know the wonderful folks from the following nonprofit orgs who will be at the event: Bike Farm, The Street Trust, NW Trail Alliance, Families for Safe Streets PDX, Bike Loud PDX, Cycle Oregon, Oregon Trails Coalition, or Strong Towns. Must be present to win. Exchanges for size and color allowed.
• Get the very first taste of the new Bike Happy Pale Ale, a beer brewed just for us that pays homage to Bike Happy Hour and our wonderful community. How long has it been since Portland had a bike beer? The master brewers at Migration have put together a very special blend of ingredients and it’ll be super fresh as it’s being put into cans today and tomorrow.
• Food from Five Star (the folks who cook for Migration). Come around 5:00 or so for the free catered food. Quantities are limited because I don’t know how many folks are showing up and I couldn’t afford to feed everyone! But this is a lot more than our typical “free fries at 4:00” we do each week at Bike Happy Hour.
• Hear from guest speakers and step up to the open mic to share your thoughts (keep it short!!). If you’d like to speak and want a time slot, please contact me.
• Cake from Helen Bernhard’s and cupcakes from Likely Ivy for desert.
• I’m bringing a big ol’ box of Portland bike stickers to swap if you’re into that. Bring some of your own to share!
• View some bike photos and other Portland bike culture memorabilia.
• Sign the 20 Years of BikePortland guest book and share something you love/hate/appreciate about BikePortland.

I can’t wait to see everyone and I hope you can make it!

BikePortland 20th Anniversary and Beer Collab Release Party
3-7:00 pm on Wednesday, May 13th
Migration Brewing on N Williams Avenue (between N Failing and Shaver, bikes enter from the back alley!)

Note: I am still on hiatus. Part of what I’m doing is seeking advice and feedback on how to build back better. This post is part of that process.

When I started documenting Portland’s bike scene in April 2005, my main goal was to provide a window into an amazing community. I was new to town and was deeply inspired and excited by what I saw on the streets — and I figured other people would be too. I wanted everyone on the Internet to get a taste for the creative and vibrant culture around bicycles that was being created in this city and a daily blog just happened to be a great tool for the job. As the site grew and my role changed, there was always one question I would ask myself when I needed editorial guidance:

What does our city need most from BikePortland?

Was there a new bike-related business that needed help getting off the ground? Do a profile. Was a nonprofit looking to gain traction? Highlight their work and events. Was a good policy or program under threat? Draw attention to the issue. Was a politician being bad? Expose them. Was a piece of infrastructure dangerous to cyclists? Explain why and help push for changes.

Today, as I’ve stepped away from the daily grind of BikePortland, that question seems relevant once again. I want to strip BikePortland down to the studs and rebuild it, while adding back only what’s needed most. And I would love your feedback as I go through this exercise.

So again, I ask: What does our city need most from BikePortland?

At its core, BikePortland is a trusted, multi-channel platform with an audience from all walks of the cycling life. So what should we do with that? What type of information does Portland need from a bicycling and transportation site? Where should I focus my energy in the future? And how could readers like you take on a larger role?

Below are some types of content BikePortland has created in the past. Which of these are most important? Least important?:

• Breaking news
• Policy deep dives/explainers
• Personality profiles
• Event coverage and ride recaps
• Product reviews
• Infrastructure project previews, breakdowns, and reviews
• Event promotion
• Sharing relevant links (Monday Roundup) and examples from other cities
• Interviews with interesting people
• Guest articles
• Guest opinions
• Editorials by me

I can’t do it all anymore — nor do I want to! — so what pieces should I pick back up? And which pieces should I look for others to do?

Beyond the various types of stories and content you’ve seen on BikePortland, there’s also the question of framing and intent. As in, does a story push specific advocacy buttons? Or is it more for general interest or fun? (For example, Streetsblog is 100% focused on advocacy and pushing a specific agenda.)

If you wanted to build an influential and widely-read, cycling-focused outlet, where would you focus your energy?

When I started BikePortland, cycling in our city was on an upward trajectory and my work added fuel to a fire that was already burning. Today, we’re coming out of a bicycling decline/plateau and a socio-political milieu where bicycling doesn’t have the potency it once did. Even with me in a reduced role, I believe BikePortland can play a big part in whatever comes next.

I’ll be asking this question at Bike Happy Hour tomorrow (Weds, 4/29 from 3-6 pm at Migration Brewing on N Williams Ave) and wherever else I bump into you. Thanks for your feedback and patience as I go through these thought experiments.

Hi everyone. As you might have sensed, things have slowed down a lot on BikePortland lately. There are a lot of reasons for that, and I might share them in more detail some day. For now, I just want you to know that I need a bit of space from the daily grind. BikePortland has taken a lot out of me for 21 years, and I’ve finally taken time to think deeply about what that means for me, my family, and our community.

I’ve always been honest with you and I just want you to know where I’m coming from. This is me saying I need a reset and the community needs to reset their expectations of BikePortland. For now, at least.

I’m not sure yet exactly how things will be different going forward, just that I’m sure things will be different. I’ve come to realize that I can’t find the clarity and space I need to chart a different path forward until I get off the path I’m on.

I’m sure for some of you this won’t be a surprise since I’ve been dropping hints for a while. Heck, there was an article about me in The Oregonian in 2007 — just two years in! — where I was already talking about the toll of this work on me and my family. I’ve come a long way since then in my work-life balance and in how I handle my role in the community. But the fact remains that doing BikePortland to the extent I believe it needs to be done, is a heavy burden. I need to let some of it go.

Maybe I’ll come back with a smaller editorial scope. Or perhaps I’ll stop creating as much for social media. Maybe I’ll turn BikePortland into just a podcast, or just focus on videos, or focus solely on watchdog journalism. It’s the trying-to-do-everything-well-at-once which has really wore me out — in addition to the natural shifts in energy and mindset that happen to a 51-year old. I might also consider an entirely new role in the community. I’m not exactly sure yet!

And to be clear, I’m in a really great place right now — mentally and physically. I just passed the one-year anniversary of my knee replacements (it’s going well, thanks), I’ve got a new basketball coaching side-gig which I’m excited about, and slowing down with BikePortland recently has put me in a much healthier head space in general (although a messy one at times, as I try to figure out what this all means).

As always, I’m very grateful for your support and I’ll keep you posted on the future as it comes into focus. For now, I hope you’ll consider coming out to the 20th Anniversary Party and Beer Collab Release Party at Migration Brewing on May 13th. And while I have your attention, consider grabbing tickets to the “Tough Shit” event on April 24th. It’s hosted by Oregon Humanities and I’ll be one of panelists for what will be a very engaging discussion.

Feel free to ask me questions in the comments or via email. And I’ll still hold my virtual office hours Friday from 10:30 to noon if you’d like to meet and talk face-to-face (sign up for a 15-minute slot here).

Thank you!

I hope you’re free on Wednesday, May 13th. That’s when we’ll toast 20 years of BikePortland and release a special beer crafted for us by our friends at Migration Brewing. Bike Happy Pale Ale was inspired by Bike Happy Hour and is an homage to two decades of independent community media. Whether you enjoy a local pale ale or not, you’ll want to grab one of these for a friend and/or as a piece of Portland bike history!

At the event, we’ll relive the past and look forward to what comes next. On that note, I’ll share a special announcement about the future of BikePortland. There will be food, drinks, guest speakers, a sticker and patch swap (bring some! take some!), maybe a prize raffle, reps from local bike clubs and organizations, and more. To get you in the mood, don’t miss this fun story about BikePortland in the current issue of the Portland Mercury (and yes the event date has changed since it was printed).

If you are part of a local riding club or advocacy group, please attend! I’d love to give you an opportunity to tell everyone about what you do and why folks should join your ride or cause. BikePortland has always been about making our community stronger and I want this event to reflect that.

If you’d like to speak and share thoughts about how BikePortland has impacted you, please reserve a speaking slot ahead of time. To do that, just drop me a line at maus.jonathan@gmail.com.

It’s at Migration Brewing on N Williams Avenue (bike parking in back via the alleys off N Shaver or N Failing) from 4:00 to 7:00 pm on Wednesday, May 13th.

Hope to see you there as we celebrate the past, talk about the present, and look toward the future!

Looking to stem a financial crisis that’s been years in the making, the Portland City Council will host an important debate at meetings tomorrow (Wednesday, 4/15) that, if ultimately supported, would result in a significant increase to their annual revenue. On the agenda of the Committee of the Whole is an ordinance to adopt a transportation utility fee (TUF) and the regular City Council meeting will consider a resolution to adopt a street damage restoration fee (SDRF). If both fees were passed as currently proposed, they’d generate an estimated $69 million a year in new revenue.

To put that number into perspective, $69 million is about 40% of PBOT’s annual General Transportation Revenue. GTR is important because it’s discretionary — meaning the money is not obligated to specific projects or grant sources and PBOT can spend it however they see fit. This new funding would be very significant to PBOT given that just over 70% of its current budget is restricted.

The background

The TUF, which would be an additional line-item on Portlanders’ utility bills, could bring in about $47 million a year. The City’s current plan is to charge a flat rate of $12 per household, and $8.40 for folks who live in multifamily dwellings (a low-income discount program would also be created). The commercial rate would be 4.3% of the business owner’s utility bill. The SDRF would be charged to agencies and contractors who cut open city-owned streets to perform projects (these could be public agencies or private companies). In the past, PBOT would foot the bill to repair damaged pavement. The current plan is to add a $10.38 per square-foot charge to all “street opening permits” to account for the damages. The city estimates that would bring in about $22 million per year in new revenue.

Funds from the SDRF would be spent on damage done by the permit holder and the rest would go toward administration of the program. 75% of funds raised by the TUF would be spent on general maintenance and street preservation, including “those that support the City’s Vision Zero goals.”

Council members have already voiced strong support for both of these fees and there doesn’t appear to be strong, organized opposition to either of them (so far Councilor Dan Ryan is the only member to lodge a “no” vote). The only questions that remain appear to be how the fees might be tweaked around the edges.

The amendments

Given that the TUF ordinance language says how “no less than 75%” of the revenue must be spent, there’s likely to be spirited debate on Council about how to spend the remaining 25%. We already have two proposed amendments related to that issue.

District 3 Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane wants the ordinance to state that no less than 25% of the revenue must be spent on, “activities that move us closer to our Vision Zero goals.” Koyama Lane’s amendment would also explicitly prohibit the money from being spent on “major roadway expansion.” She also wants to add language that would call out the Sidewalk Improvement and Paving Program (SIPP) as one of the eligible expenditures. SIPP was passed by Council in May 2025 as an unfunded mandate to build sidewalks in Districts 1 and 4.

This amendment makes sense for Koyama Lane, given that she’s positioned herself as Council’s Vision Zero champion. But keep in mind, the ordinance as written would already fund Vision Zero-related activities. The language says that at least 75% of the revenue must include, “maintenance activities that help the City achieve Vision Zero goals,” which includes, “bicycle and pedestrian facility maintenance.”

District 2 Councilor Sameer Kanal wants to strengthen the City’s commitment to a low-income discount. His amendment would force city leaders to work with the Public Works Service Area (of which PBOT is a part of) to provide a report on how to implement a TUF discount program and deliver to City Council before the end of this year.

District 4 Councilor Eric Zimmerman wants to make sure the TUF provides revenue directly to the SIPP program. Zimmerman’s amendment would add SIPP to Vision Zero as one of the investment areas that some of the maintenance projects align with when PBOT is considering how to spend the 75%. When it comes to the remaining 25%, Zimmerman wants the ordinance to dedicated half of it (12.5%) to the SIPP and the remaining half to go to Vision Zero.

District 4 Councilor Mitch Green has put forward a legislative concept — not an official amendment. Green’s proposal would create a two-part rate structure for the TUF: a fixed charge of $3 per billed account on the lot per month, plus a variable fee of $0.10 per 100 square-feet of utilized zoned land usage for each billable account per month. At the April 2nd meeting of the Committee of the Whole (where the TUF was last discussed), Green said he believes his idea would, “Align better with cost-causation principles” and that it, “sends a price signal to use our land more efficiently.” Green added that the proposal would also incentivize land owners to create more units within existing land, thus discouraging sprawl.

Note that Green’s proposal — which he referred to as, “quite elegant” and “really smart” — is not an amendment. That’s because he understands the urgency of the moment and wants the current proposal to pass as-is. At that April 2nd meeting he successfully passed an amendment that would allow Council to change the design of the fee (not the amount) at a later date. He wants his proposal to be carried forward in future discussions in hopes that after the existing fee passes, he can convince a majority of his colleagues to adopt his idea.

The politics

These new fees have more than enough support on City Council to pass. There will be some discussion tomorrow about relatively minor details of how the money is spent, but I don’t see a lot of disagreement among councilors. The TUF will be discussed in committee at 2:00 pm tomorrow and the SDRF resolution will be in front of full City Council at their 6:00 pm meeting later that same day.

If these fees pass, they’d go into effect January 1, 2027 and Council would have an opportunity to make adjustment every two years beginning in 2029.

Welcome to the week.

Below are the most notable stories that came across my inbox in the past seven days…

Passing of legendary advocate: Tim Blumenthal had a vast impact on US cycling advocacy in the decades he led the International Mountain Biking Association, Bikes Belong, and then People for Bikes. I knew him from about 2007 to 2013 when we’d attend the National Bike Summit in Washington D.C. together. Tim was also a regular at the Oregon Bike Summit. He passed after a battle with cancer. He was 70 years old. Rest in peace, Tim! (Bicycle Retailer & Industry News)

Mamdani going full Hidalgo: I was waiting to see which US mayor would be the first to embrace the urban planning gusto of Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo and it appears NYC’s Zohran Mamdani is up for the task with a plan to ban cars from a street that separates a major plaza and park. (NY Times )

Best e-bikes: With the new e-bike rebate program now in full swing, here are some of the best models, according to Wired Magazine testers. (Wired)

On your left: A well-known car company (that began as a bike company) has innovated a new bicycle bell that was scientifically engineered to pierce through noise-cancelling headphones so that pedestrians are more likely to hear it. (Skoda)

‘Menace on the streets’: This is a deep dive into the myriad problems posed by the growing number of fast and unregulated small electric vehicles swamping many cities. (Maclean’s)

Cautionary tale from Seattle: This is the story of how Seattle deployed its e-scooter fleet, where things went awry, and what’s at stake if they don’t take action to make things better. (Post Alley)

Oregon ‘Trail Towns’: Cascade Locks and Klamath Falls have both won designation as official “Trail Towns” according to the International Mountain Bicycling Association. The award is given to, “places that have made exceptional commitments to developing, stewarding, and celebrating trail systems that strengthen community life.” This is great news for advocates like NW Trail Alliance and volunteers who work so hard to build and maintain trail systems. (IMBA)

Easier e-riding: Last week we learned more about Lime’s new “Glider,” but they also launched a major redesign of their e-bike with many of the same goals. The new model aims to be easier to ride for more types of riders. (Fast Company)

Thanks to everyone who sent in links this week. The Monday Roundup is a community effort, so please feel free to send us any great stories you come across.

On March 24th around 8:00 pm, 38-year-old Kyle Stahl was riding his white moped eastbound on the 3100 block of Northeast Sandy Boulevard when the driver of a car made an illegal u-turn right in front of him. Stahl was taken to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries one week later.

The title of the PPB statement regarding this collision is, “Scooter Rider Deceased After Crash in March in the Kerns Neighborhood.” The local media — like they always do — simply copied that statement verbatim. One even wrote that the moped rider “crashed into” the driver. Unfortunately, most people who scroll by these headlines will assume that this was an example of how dangerous “scooters” and their drivers are.

I put scooters in quotes because, as I shared above, Stahl was actually riding a moped. We have over 3,500 shared e-scooters deployed in Portland and the vast majority of people assume “scooter” is something more akin to a device with small wheels that you stand on. Given that, I don’t think the PPB statement does a fair job describing what happened.

What we have here is an innocent road user who was killed as the result of an illegal turn. Imagine how our traffic culture and understanding of the risks and consequences of our driving behaviors would change if we were more thoughtful about framing collisions.

Again, here’s my headline:

“Driver kills vulnerable road user while making illegal u-turn” (or I could have swapped “vulnerable road user” for “moped rider”).

My headline is 100% accurate, fair, descriptive and clear.

Now compare that with the PPB (and resulting local media) headline:

“Scooter Rider Deceased After Crash in March in the Kerns Neighborhood”

This is unclear and leads to questions like: What type of scooter? Or was it actually a moped? Was it a solo crash where the operator just lost control? Was a car driver even involved?

In today’s media environment, headlines are extremely important. They often end up being the only part of the story a person will register.

I’m glad to see that the driver was cited for violating the careless driving/vulnerable roadway user (VRU) law. That’s a good example of the PPB taking a VRU crash seriously. Now, if we could just get their communications folks to be more careful how they frame crashes, we’d make some progress.