Timo Forsberg hosts a fun and fact-filled look at bike boulevards, and how you can tap into B2 Power to make your neighborhood street loveable and safe.

Why Bike Boulevards?

Bicycle Boulevards are:

• - Low-traffic neighborhood streets that have been optimized for bicycling. They provide direct, attractive routes for bikes.
• - Quieter, prettier, and healthier than busy, car-filled streets
• - Welcoming to kids, families and novice cyclists, and attractive for all kinds of cyclists
• - Extremely safe (many have zero crashes over the last decade)
• - Healthy, with noticeably cleaner air than busy streets

On bicycle boulevards, stop signs are turned to keep cyclists moving, and traffic lights and curb extensions help cyclists cross busy streets. Traffic calming slows cars down, and drivers are discouraged from using them for cut-throughs.

Best of all, by working with the neighborhood streets we already have, they're cost-effective and enhance neighborhood livability and traffic safety.

Why this campaign?

In talking to nearly 1,000 cyclists as part of our Blueprint for Better Biking study, we heard loud and clear that the number one concern of current and potential cyclists is biking around cars.

We also know that busy streets are where bike-car crashes happen, while quiet neighborhood streets are remarkably safe. In fact, two-thirds of Portland residents say they would bike more if they had safer routes. We want to help those people join us on the road.

Past planning efforts have focused mainly on the needs of expert and intermediate cyclists, creating a network of bike lanes on high-traffic roads. Now it's time to focus on low-traffic routes for cyclists of all ages and abilities. Two-thirds of Portlanders say they limit their walking or bicycling because of safety concerns. We need to create places that are safe and inviting for everyone.

How will the BTA create more low-traffic routes?

In phase one of our campaign, we'll be working with cyclists around the region to create a "toolbox" of innovative ways to create great low-traffic streets for bicycles. This summer, you'll be able to take surveys and attend workshops to help develop this vision.

In phase two of the campaign, we'll be working with residents of North and Northeast Portland to identify where low-traffic routes are needed, and then map out potential bicycle boulevards and gain community support.

In phase three of our campaign, we'll be advocating to get the identified boulevards constructed by a) working with neighbors to demonstrate strong local support, b) advocating for these routes in the city's Bicycle Master Plan update process, and c) assisting the Portland Office of Transportation as they implement grant money they are securing for bicycle boulevard construction.

Finally, we'll take the lessons we've learned and expand our scope to the Metro region.

We need your help!

Keep an eye on this website and we'll keep you informed about how you can participate. For more information, or to volunteer, contact Emily.