News

Keeping it Green & Local

Posted on by RideCoordinator

GEARs will be at the “Local and Green Community Conference” happening this Saturday at the First Methodist Church on Olive st. Here is more information on the conference as well as HERE.

What – “Eugene – Local and Green – Getting Started, Moving Forward, Working Together.” A community conference for living more planet and people friendly.

When – Saturday, October 30, 8:30 to 4:30

Where – First Methodist Church, 1376 Olive St. [“the toaster church”]

Note – There will be bike parking in the church courtyard. Access is at the northwest corner of the building. There is covered space in the courtyard. Please ride a bike.

Who – The Neighborhood Leaders Council Committee on Sustainability and many great community groups and organizations.

Contact – Jan Spencer, 686 6761, spencerj@efn.org

Sliding scale – $5 to $20. Light refreshments provided. Fine to bring your own lunch.

Proceeds to help restore OSU Extension Services in Eugene

Eugene Local and Green will focus on practical actions people can take for living more local and more green. The conference is non partisan and its tone will be positive.

Presenters and panels will touch on regional food security, transforming the urban landscape, neighborhood and community
collaborations, green success stories, neighborhood mapping along with challenges and exciting strategies for the coming years. There will be plenary sessions, discussions, panels, over 20 community organizations tabling and time to mix, mingle and network. A lunchtime caucus by neighborhood will interest many.

The conference will also call attention to many examples of going local and green. Some at home, some as casual arrangements between neighbors and friends, others as formal collaborations in a variety of partnerships between the city, schools, non profits, non governmental agencies, neighborhood groups, communities of faith and businesses. Still other collaborations are between urban and rural areas.

Eugene Local and Green looks to these examples as models for more ambitious initiatives and collaborations in the near and long term. Given the trends in economics, the environment, culture, resources and climate change; going local and green deserves to be a priority within every aspect of our lives.

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

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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:

Ruth Bascom Ride- Wednesday

Posted on by RideCoordinator

Please join us in a community bike ride to honor Former Mayor Ruth Bascom, who died last week at the age of 84:

Wednesday, Sept. 1      6 p.m.
EWEB Plaza
500 East 4th Avenue, Eugene

Ruth Bascom served as mayor of Eugene from 1993 to 1997. She was the inspiration and driving force behind the creation of Eugene’s riverfront trail, a 12-mile loop on both sides of the Willamette River that includes 5 bicycle/pedestrian bridges.  In 2003, when the final leg of the path was completed, the entire trail was named the Ruth Bascom Riverbank Trail System in her honor.

Wednesday’s ride is free and open to all.  The ride will start at the EWEB Plaza, 500 East 4th Avenue, and follow the riverbank path for about 10 miles.  It will be a flat, easy, slow-paced ride suitable for riders of all ages and abilities.  Bicycle helmets are required by law for all riders under 16 years of age, and are highly recommended for everyone.

The ride is sponsored by GEARs (Greater Eugene Area Riders).  For more information, contact Sue at 541-345-2110 or sue@eugenegears.org

Please join us in this ride–and pass the word on!

Ruth Bascom Trail. photo: Herman Kreiger