Category: Advocacy

Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan Open House- Thursday, Oct. 14th

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Join the Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan Project Advisory Committee on October 14th for your chance to share your ideas about improved walking and bicycling conditions throughout the greater Eugene area.  The Project Advisory Committee (PAC) is excited to hear new ideas about existing conditions and how to make active transportation safer.  Susan Peithman, BTA statewide advocate, will also be on hand to talk about riding in Eugene and cycling issues in Oregon.  This Open House will be held at Monroe Middle School (2800 Bailey Lane) from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

GEARs will be hosting a group ride to the open house.  Meet at Arriving by Bike @ 2705 Willamette St. at 4:00 p.m. Richard Hughes will lead this 5.5 mile (11 roundtrip) ride.

For more information about the Eugene Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan, click here.

Local Cyclists Help in River Clean-up

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Last weekend was the 2nd annual “Great Willamette Clean-Up” and a couple of local cyclists took to some water based human powered crafts to help out in the effort. The River Path is the most important recreation and transportation system in our community and keeping the river healthy and clean is an important part of it.  Here’s a bit of a report back from these local cyclists on their work on the “Urban Willamette”:

Here is the giant ODOT cone Hugh (who sent in the pictures and report) found under I-5, plus a bike wheel and second load of trash.

Hugh’s teammate, Dave Roth, delights in a front fender from a fifties automobile just below Pizza Rapids.  It was too big and heavy for them to haul out. Moments later, Dave found a GIGANTIC pair of bolt cutters which the bad people use to steal bicycles.  This was especially gratifying as Dave works for the city of Eugene on bicycle planning and is a bike mechanic.   Downstream, they found a severed cable lock, and more bike parts.

Here is a raft Hugh put together and then S-L-O-W-L-Y pushed/paddled across and down the river to the D Street Ramp.  The blue of the boat is barely visible beneath the bag of crap. Above the “front tire” you can see a 2×4.  It is one of the legs of an 8 foot plywood sign which is beneath the whole mess, including the boat.  Arrrrggghh, He’s the  the captain o’ his own ship!

Dave, not a seasoned kayaker makes it just fine through the “Frohnmayer Rapids.”

A happy guy with another bottle of odious liquid.

Twas a rewarding morning and Tiring!

Transportation Remix- Save the Date!

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Transportation Remix
Building Livable Communities Through Bicycle & Pedestrian Design


What does the future hold for active transportation in North American cities?  With each passing year, walking and bicycling rates increase as more people choose to get around on foot or by bike based on interest in improved personal health, environmental considerations and simple economics.  While some North American cities are already figuring out how to accommodate these increasing numbers, others are playing catch-up after years of auto-centric development.  The City of Eugene, an early innovator in non-motorized transportation design, is preparing an updated Pedestrian and Bicycle Master Plan to help guide transportation decisions for the foreseeable future. How does creating more transportation options build a more livable community?  How can we make our public spaces, including our streets, more family friendly and usable by more people?  What are other communities doing and how can Eugene become an innovator again?

On the evening of Friday, October 22nd, you are invited to join us as we explore the topic of emerging and innovative bicycle and pedestrian design with a panel of speakers including Edward Fischer, former ODOT State Traffic Engineer- FHWA International Ped/Bike Scan Trip Report, Jessica Roberts, Alta Planning and Design- “Homegrown Innovation”, Tools & Projects from around the US, and Hugh Prichard, retired developer and real estate broker- Report from Velo-City Copenhagen.  Our panel will be moderated by Sheila Lyons, the ODOT Pedestrian and Bicycle Program Manager.

When: Friday, October 22. Happy Hour 5:00-6:00 PM Panel Discussion 6:00 to 8:00 PM
Where: Oregon Electric Station, 27 E. 5th Ave.
Details: Free valet bike parking, light refreshments and no-cost entry. Beer, Wine, & Food available for purchase

Event sponsored by, City of Eugene, point2point Solutions, GEARs, Eugene Safe Routes to School, and Envision Eugene

More Information: www.eugenepedbikeplan.org, or call Dave Roth, Associate Transportation Planner at 541-682-5727

Bikestravaganza: Off the Chainring Tour

Posted on by RideCoordinator

For our September general meeting GEARs is pleased to present Joe Biel and Elly Blue in their Travelling Bikestravaganza!  Please join us on Thursday, September 9th from 6pm to 8pm for a traveling road show of bicycle talk, movies, zines, and transportation activism and advocacy. Elly Blue and Joe Biel will present short videos and a slideshow about Portland, Oregon’s famous bicycle culture and infrastructure, followed by an interactive discussion of the future of transportation infrastructure and advocacy in our town and beyond.

Elly Blue and Joe Biel after talking with local bike advocates at the Twin Cities Zine Fest on July 10, 2010. Photo credit: Sarah Morean.

Joe and Elly are avid bike journalists and filmmakers (not to mention organizing conferences, publishing zines, going on cross-country bike tours…) from Portland.  Everyone is welcome to attend and participate in the conversation. Microcosm Publishing will have a table of books, zines, and movies.

Thanks to the generous support of our co-sponsor, LiveMove, this event is free to the public!

Who: Joe Biel and Elly Blue
What: Bikestravaganza: Off the Chainring Tour
Where: University of Oregon

McKenzie Hall, Room 240A

When:Thursday, September 9th

7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
They even made a video promo:

Friday- Another Good Day to be a Biker

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Every day is a great day to be a cyclists but this Friday is National Bike to Work Day and the City of Eugene, the Business Commute Challenge, GEARs, and BikeLane will be celebrating throughout the day.

To kick it off there  will be free coffee from 7 AM to 6 PM at Gary’s Coffee (525 High) and Eugene Coffee Company (18th and Chambers) and Campbell Center for cyclists with a bike, helmet and reusable cup. Sponsorship for the free coffee is provided by participating coffee shops, GreenLane Sustainable Business Network and BikeLane.

Also, that morning from 7-9 you can get coffee from Rally Coffee Roasters and waffles from Off the Waffle at the DeFazio Bridge as part of the Business Commute Challenge- make sure you’re registered at commutechallenge.org

At the end of the day, cyclists can meet at Adam’s Sustainable Table (30 E. Broadway) from 5-7 for more food and fun. Ninkasi, Bikelane, Bikestation and Adam’s Sustainable Table are sponsors. Cyclists must have ridden that day to offset the CO2 produced
making beer. There will be entertainment, contests for road humor, and prizes. For more info on that event see www.bikelanecoalition.org

Sure everyday could be Bike to Work Day but why not celebrate for those who it is and bring more on board by showing them what a great time it can be when we get together and celebrate!