Bicycling in HillsboroThe good thing about bicycle lanes (safe or not) is that the more of them put in place, the more the average every day person that has a bike just sitting in the garage ( only used every summer at camp-outs)...actually gets the courage to get it out and ride it around the city. Portland, Eugene and Corvallis are excellent examples of this. The more newbees ride, the more confident they get and thus... the more they ride. This is good for cycling and health! Not to mention our dependence on oil etc. I remember riding my bike around in 1973 when folks were backed up in lines of cars waiting to get gas. I kept thinking "What would these folks do if they really had to get out and walk?" Ride every day till you are 80 and you will be riding when you are 80. Bike lanes are just one tool to help make it happen. I have watched this little man ride his one speed cruiser along Willamette boulevard in North Portland since I move to this area in 1985. He rides almost every day and is in his 80s. Yeah Baby!!!!
ron strasser
----- Original Message -----
From: Mark J. Ginsberg
To: Evan MacKenzie ; Jonathan Maus ; obra@list.obra.org ; info@bta4bikes.org
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 9:37 AM
Subject: Re: [OBRA Chat] Bicycling in Hillsboro

Evan, Et Al.,

It has been a while since I have said it, but I will say it again, all OBRA members who care about the ability to ride bicycles on roads in Oregon should be members of the BTA, who are the state level bicycle advocacy organization.
www.bta4bikes.org

As for the other persons posting about ORS 814.420, it was amended this past legislative session to allow for bicyclist to leave the bicycle lane, and a careful reading of ORS 814.420(2) makes it clear (in my opinion) that Oregon law does not require a bicyclist to ride in a bike lane. There have never been hearing held to find any bicycle lane safe.

That said I have won and lost on that very issue at trial.

that's all I've got for today.

Mark

Evan MacKenzie wrote:
It has come to my attention that a number of Hillsboro City Councilors are not in favor of bicycle lanes.
My first question then is:
What is the ORS that refers to bicycles having the right to use the full lane when no bicycle lane is present?
My second question:
In lieu of a bicycle lane, should I start riding my bike down the middle of the right lane on Cornell Road at 8 mph? Should I ask the Street Committee and the City Council why a street designated as a collector, without any traffic calming devices (NE Grant Street) is designated a part of the City's Bicycle Way Network? This is not the only example of such a conflict, by the way.
My third question:
Are there any people out there who would like to express their views to our Mayor, the City Council, and/or the Hillsboro Street Committee?
Hillsboro Street Committee
Meeting Dates
4th Tuesdays of the month at 6PM in rooms 105/115.
Civic Center, Conference Room C113C
150 E. Main St.
Hillsboro City Council
First and third Tuesdays at 7:00 pm
Hillsboro Civic Center Auditorium
150 E Main St.
Work Session follows regular meeting in Room 113B
(Third Tuesday only)

As some of you who may have read any of my previous posts may know, I am a public employee for a certain municipality in the Portland metro area. Given my status, I have to be very careful when I pursue what might be construed as "political activities" while on the job (it's 7:55 am right now). So please consider this a heads-up. Those of you out there in the cycling community, if you feel the need to offer some constructive criticism of this viewpoint, it's up to you.
Please feel free to forward this message to people in the cycling community, but PLEASE DO NOT forward this email directly to anyone at the City of Hillsboro.
Keep the rubber side down,
Evan

------------- __o
---------- _ '\<,_
----------(_)/ (_)______Get on your bikes and ride!

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Mark J. Ginsberg
Attorney At Law
621 SW Morrison St., Ste. 900
Portland, OR 97204
(503) 542-3000
Fax (503) 227-2 530
markjginsberg@yahoo.com
www.bikesafetylaw.com

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