DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY HAVE TO DO AT A STOP SIGN?
Do you have to put your foot down? Is a hockey stop O. K.? Everyone has his or her own idea about what the law is. At our meeting recently of the Bicycle Advisory Committee, Lieutenant Bryan Parman, of the Portland Police Bureau’s Traffic Division, talked about the highly publicized enforcement/education missions at selected intersections because of low compliance from bikes and autos. Many cyclists and motorists were stopped but very few tickets were issued. It was more of an informational and educational campaign to prevent accidents. With two police officers and one bicycle attorney present at our meeting, we learned that “stopping forward motion” is required at a stop sign. It is not necessary to put your foot down and this was compared with a car having to shift into “park” at every stop sign. By the way, it will cost you a $242 ticket if you blow through the stop sign.
Although not a done deal, it is possible that the old McCalls Restaurant on the Willamette River in Waterfront Park just north of the Hawthorne Bridge might turn into a BIKE REPUBLIC. The Portland Parks Bureau is negotiating with a developer for a commuter facility with a café, bike rental and repairs and bike accessories.
The Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA) has announced that NE Going St. will become the first street to receive funding for improvements as part of their BICYCLE BOULEVARD CAMPAIGN. NE Going St. received the most support in a survey conducted last summer. That survey asked respondents which low-traffic streets they preferred to ride on. Going St. was also selected because of the length of the corridor [four miles], the relative ease of implementation [from an engineering standpoint], and the fact that it would help alleviate the car/bike conflicts on the two closest arterials, Prescott and Alberta. Also playing into NE Going’s favor is that it would provide a safe bike route that’s within a 1/2-mile of nine neighborhoods, nine parks, 11 schools and four business districts. Currently, the only bike boulevard in Northeast Portland is NE Tillamook. Bicycle boulevards are low-traffic streets where bicycles are encouraged and engineering methods make them less appealing to cars.
Did you know that there is a number you can call if you find a traffic or construction sign or other barrier blocking a bike lane? The number is 823-SAFE and you will reach the City’s “TRANSPORTATION SAFETY AND NEIGHBORHOOD LIVABILITY HOT LINE”. Sometimes signs block the safe flow of traffic and can also be confusing. Put the number on your cell phone and use it when needed.