City seeks bike-friendly status

In October, the city of Portland was awarded an honorable mention by the League of American Bicyclists in their Bicycle Friendly America program. We fell short of "Bicylce Friendly Community" status, a laureled classification for which municipalities everywhere vie. Though the title carries no monetary reward, "this program offers awards of national recognition for communities that already understand the benefits of bicycling by providing safe and plentiful bikeways for bicyclists, bicyclists access to safe and convenient bike parking, encouragement, and 'share the road' programs for non-cyclists," according to the Web site. "For communities that are just beginning to become more bicycle-friendly, the application process is a learning process. The questions are intended to educate just as much as they are to evaluate"

Indeed, at a January 9th three-hour bike forum (sign up here), the league's recommendations will be used as a "starting point" to talk about new programs and infrastructure that could make Portland bike-friendlier, according to Judith Harris, director of the city's Office of Transportation Policy.