Portland Carfree Day
...multi-modal, public-space-reclaiming fun

Ever wondered what it would be like to live, dance, and play in the middle of a bustling city street? That might sound intimidating, but now imagine that the bustle comes from other pedestrians and cyclists like yourself, roaming the streets free, and not a single automobile! That’s the spirit of Ciclovia, a weekly street opening festival in Bogotá, Colombia, where the public’s right-of-way is celebrated as a safe and very alive space in which to cycle, walk, dance, and sport.

“Shared living…civility…urbanism…”

And Portland, Oregon, is starting its own festival, Sunday Parkways.

After the inspiring success in Bogotá, Portland community members joined with the Portland Office of Transportation to plan our city’s first-ever Ciclovia-style road closure on Sunday, June 22nd, 2008. Sunday Parkways will be a day-long inclusion of everyone — people who walk, dance, ride bicycles — allowing all citizens to share life in the street. On June 22nd, a circular route of traffic-free streets in north Portland will link four parks — Arbor Lodge, Peninsula, Unthank, and Overlook — to create a 6-mile loop for pedestrians, cyclists, rollerbladers, skaters, dancers, and aerobics and tai chi classes. Bring your stilts if you have them! While streets will be closed to automotive through traffic, a soft-closure will assure that neighboring residents have access to and from their homes.

So jump out of your car and come on down! Or if you’re already walking, biking, or on the bus, head on over to North Portland on Sunday June 22nd this summer for an opportunity to thrive in the open with your community. You can find out more about Sunday Parkways here.

Want to volunteer? Sunday Parkways is looking for people to help prepare for and organize the event, and also to help out on the day itself. Want to teach a tai chi or aerobics class, or anything else in the street? Get in touch about volunteering, here.

(Photo and caption from “Ciclovia: Bogotá, Colombia” by StreetFilms.org)

Redirect Guide is pleased to announce the Creative and Custom Bike Competition in Portland, Oregon. Handmade, altered and modified bikes are welcome. Bikes will be on display in the front lobby of the Portland Expo Center during the Greener Homes and Garden Show May 17th and 18th . One prize will be awarded for the most artistic entry; another will be awarded for the most sustainably innovative. Winners will be selected by audience participation. Enter to win hundreds of dollars in cash and prizes. Visit www.greenerhomesandgardens.com/bike.htm for an application and contest rules and regulations.

In a carefully researched and well-documented paper “Congestion to Demotorisation - A Paradigm Shift for Bangalore” (PDF with full text), Sudhir Gota and Prashant Mutalik describe the current issues with congestion in Bangalore, India and propose a solution: partial-demotorisation, replacing many car trips with public transit and non-motorised vehicles such as bicycles.

When asked how he got interested in sustainability, Sudhir says, “I am a Post Graduate in Transportation Engineering from India. I am working as a Project Engineer in Secon Pvt Ltd a top Civil Engineering Firm based in Bangalore. I basically work in Highway Geometric Design & Traffic Engineering aspects of Roads. Well, my interest in Sustainable Transportation started when I started visualizing the after effects of some of the supply intensive actions of the road development. I have seen newly opened flyovers getting congested in 2-3 months, footpaths being removed for increasing the road widths etc. Constantly encouraged by the family, colleagues and the company management, I started my research on sustainable Transportation. Now this interest has grown into a passion where I constantly think about improving the liveability of city by providing sustainable transportation.”

When asked about next steps, Sudhir says, “Authorities in Bangalore have to improve footpaths, provide cycle tracks and improve public transportation. By implementing these three simple actions we can have sustainable Bangalore.”

From the paper, this is a a graph showing the number of vehicles on the road in different scenarios: the current congestion, the ideal mode split, and a sustainable scenario. IPT stands for Intermediate Personal Transport: a three-wheeled car.

The paper’s conclusion:
“In this paper, the author has highlighted the rapid motorisation phenomenon of Bangalore city. Such a high motorisation levels have transformed Bangalore from being a “Garden City” to a “Vehicle City”. The future looks bleak with many companies rolling out small-cheap cars under the banner of “People’s Car” which may further increase the vehicle ownership. The government for long has neglected the public transportation which induced such an concept of personal mobility instead of people mobility.

“The congestion terminology has long being exploited by the planners to roll out massive investment projects such as road-widening, new roads, elevated flyovers-corridors. Such an attitude has resulted in Bangalore being itself in vicious cycle of congestion-vehicles-supply-landuse.

“In this paper, the author has proposed partial demotorisation of Bangalore by highlighting the issue of congestion costs. Using various studies, the authors have computed the congestion costs for Bangalore city which is nearly 208 million Rupees/day. Such a massive burden due to concept of personal mobility needs to be reviewed by the government. The inter city movement and freight movements were not considered when computing the congestion costs due to scarcity of reliable data. This may form the basis for future study.

“Further the individual trip making characteristics needs to be modified by the government in order to shift the mode split towards sustainable environment. The authors have computed the number of vehicles that needs to be prevented on roads to have such an sustainable transportation.

“An important question of “How to Demotorise?” has not been researched upon in this paper as it is a research topic in itself. Research on this topic forms the future scope of research. Additionally research needs to be done on environmental-accidents aspects of such motorisation which has not been included in the present study. Traffic police has urged the government to implement immediately the odd-even vehicle registration concept in Central Business District. This only shows the urgency/gravity of the problem. Any steps taken without improving the public transportation would be myopic in nature.”

You can read more about transportation in Bangalore at:
http://www.eco-logica.co.uk/pdf/wtpp13.2.pdf
http://www.arrivesafe.org/pdfs/Bangalore-Silicon_Capital_or_Black_City.pdf
http://www.planetizen.com/node/29842

By Aaron T.

What is it actually like to live a car-free lifestyle? Many people think that living without a car means sacrifice, being uncomfortable or sweaty, or looking like a freak. Transitioning from a car-dependent lifestyle to a car-free one is simply a matter of making a decision and sticking with it. Is it easy? No, not at first. Just like giving up cigarettes takes work, so does ditching your car. But ask any ex-smoker if they regret their decision and you will always hear, “No.” Auto-dependence is an addiction. Just as people find it easier to pop into a fast food joint to get lunch, people find it easier to hop into the car. Neither one is healthy for the person or their neighborhood, but big advertisements are easy to fall for. Just look at this as one small step for you and one giant leap for humanity.

The best way to work into a car-free lifestyle is to start slowly. First and most importantly, you will want to talk with people who do this regularly and learn from them. If there isn’t a bicycle group or transit riders group in your area, look on the internet. Talk to a city agency or bike shop. Start on a weekend and ride your bike or the bus to work. Figure how much time it takes, what clothing is most comfortable. Go with someone who can show you the best route.

Even in some of the most unpleasant suburban areas, I am often able to find low-traffic roads that will take me to a destination. Often these roads are more convoluted (which is why drivers don’t use them), but they improve your peace of mind due to the quietness. I have lived in Los Angeles and the suburbs of New York without having difficulty finding a good bikable route.

Once you have a bus line or bike route in mind, pick a day without extensive meetings where you can adjust from your trip to your work environment. Perhaps make notes about what worked and what didn’t. Talk to people on the internet about your experience and see how they deal with different conditions. Once you’ve set up a day which works for you, make sure to keep the momentum going. Commit to riding or using transit at least once a week. Do this for 2 months and see how you feel. Perhaps give yourself a little treat on the days that you succeeded.

Some tips on going car-free:
By Bicycle -

• Start with an inexpensive bike that fits you. Being comfortable is the most important issue.
• Check the weather and choose a day when the weather is comfortable.
• Use a program like Google Earth to find a pleasant route. Pick small residential roads.
• Be sure to wear yellow clothing and ALWAYS assume that everyone can’t see you. If someone is pulling out of a driveway, just let them go.
• Wave hello to pedestrians. It makes both of you feel better.
• When you get to work, carefully pick out where you want to lock your bike, or bring it inside if at all possible. Places to avoid are areas where a car might cut the corner or back into your ride, and loading docks. Pick a good lock such as a U-lock and either bring it with you every day, or leave it locked at work.
• Use a rack and a saddlebag (also called pannier) to carry your clothes and lunch. This keeps the bag off of your back and allows you to focus more on the road.
• Be sure that the bike you use is in good condition and that you not only carry a patch kit/pump, but you know how to use them.

For more on bicycle transportation, try these websites:
http://www.yourbodypower.org
http://www.bikesatwork.com/carfree/
Google Earth

By Bus -

• Be sure to start on a day with good weather.
• Choose a Saturday and try out your route (Sundays often have more limited transit service).
• If the bus doesn’t get you close enough to your office, consider bringing a bike along for the last mile or two. Most buses have bike racks which are easy to use. If not you could invest in a folding bike and take it onboard.
• Make sure that you know the fare and have it with you.
• Check whether the bus runs all day, or just during commuter times.
• Talk with the driver and ask questions. Unless the driver is watching traffic, they’re generally willing to help.

For more on transit travel try this:
http://www.apta.com/
http://www.publictransportation.org/
http://www.trimet.org/ Portland, Oregon’s excellent public transit site

by Sue T.

Corey Schuster donated his Saturn sedan to Green Empowerment in October 2007. He drove his car on rare occasions, usually for out of town trips. After attending the World Carfree Network’s “Towards Carfree Cities” (TCC) conference in Istanbul this past August he was motivated to be carless, especially as he strives to live a low impact lifestyle. Since he is one of the organizers for the next TCC conference (www.carfreeportland.org) held in Portland, OR in June 2008, he figured that he would truly walk the talk by living carless.

Living in inner southeast Portland, his primary mode of transportation is bicycle (his highly prized Raleigh one speed single). He also walks, rides the bus, MAX, skateboard, carpools with friends and is working on joining Flexcar (car share program).

Corey finds being carless less stressful on his life overall (financially, not having to sit in traffic, plenty of exercise). Most importantly it forced a lifestyle shift. The pace of his life has slowed. Biking to farther destinations since they take more time does not enforce a rushed state of mind. He is more mindful about his purchases as they must fit in his backpack or on his bike rack. He shops at local stores supporting his neighborhood and community. There are some obstacles he faces such as finding ways to Mt. Hood for skiing, it takes longer and more effort to get to the destination, sometimes tiring. More foresight and planning are needed for what before were simple trips in a car.

Being carless was a simple decision for Corey since he doesn’t have kids and lives close to work. He lives in a neighborhood that has almost everything he needs within walking or biking distance. Going carless won’t work for everyone because our cities have not been designed with this concept in mind. He suggests riding a bike or taking public transportation to work now and then, making a grocery run on a bicycle, attempting to see a car more as a tool rather than as a convenience or a toy.

It’s a hard leap to make but he has found it to be well worth it!

If someone is really interested in pursuing a carfree/carless existence, there is a website that offers a 12-step program designed to help explore this idea and is called “Autoholics Anonymous”: http://www.autoholics.org/.

Check out the “Towards Carfree Cities VIII: Rethinking Mobility, Rediscovering Proximity” conference in Portland June 16-20, 2008! (www.carfreeportland.org)

By Emily W.

Over the weekend my household picked out a Christmas tree and I hauled it home in a bike trailer.

This is our 3rd year of getting our Christmas tree by bike and it always an extra bit of fun in the holiday season!

Like moving by bike, we get lots of big smiles and waves from the people we pass, along with just general surprise. My favorite this year was the big grin we got from an oncoming car driver, who had a Christmas tree on her roof!

We’ve had the idea of throwing some decorations on the tree for the ride home, just to up the goofy fun quotient - but figured it was a bit too much trouble.

Anybody else have fun hauling their Christmas tree by bike?

Bikes are fun!

Portland has been having some unusually harsh weather.

I have to admit, commuting by bike caused me some stress in the recent storm, especially when the combination of darkness, wind blowing rain in my face, and brakes in desperate need of maintenance caused me to slide through a stop sign in front of a startled (and probably annoyed) driver. Riding on an exposed bluff in high, variable cross winds wasn’t relaxing, either. I took the bike in for new brake pads the next day, and I know it doesn’t usually rain this hard for this long, even in Portland. Soon, daily riding will be adding relaxation rather than stress to my life once again.

I remember that rain and wind and darkness made driving more stressful as well, but I find driving to be a strain even under the best conditions. The stress caused by traffic congestion, environmental pollution, isolation from the world around me, and the myriad details of keeping a car running smoothly all contributed to my decision to go car-free.

On my bike, I rarely contend with congestion, especially on the peaceful bicycle boulevards where I usually choose to ride. Clad in the appropriate gear, I experience and enjoy the weather year-round. I admire Portland’s gardens, fall foliage, and elegant architecture unblocked by glass and metal, unblurred by speed. On almost every ride, I have at least one pleasant interaction with another person, whether it’s being waved through an intersection by a kind driver, or exchanging a few words with another cyclist at a red light.

Even when it’s dark, cold, pouring down rain, and someone gives me the finger in passing, it still makes me physically happy to ride. I feel strong and competent travelling under my own power, and my body likes being in motion. Living car-free has had a huge positive effect on my mood, health, and self-respect.

(photo by Jonathan Maus)

Hello fantastic mass transit riders, pedestrians, carpoolers, bike riders, skaters and open minded drivers!

The next organizational meeting for the Toward Carfree Cities Conference will be this coming Tuesday, Dec. 4 at Backspace, 115 NW 5th (at Couch), Portland OR, and we want YOU there.

Publicity Team meets at 5pm, and the General Meeting starts at 5:45pm.

Our skilled staff of stellar volunteers have been hard at work pulling together fun things to share with you. Let’s show and tell! Bring your hip self, and your calendar!

I had the opportunity to bicycle in Tel Aviv, Israel this October. My guidebook recommends bicycling there, since the city is flat and relatively compact. I enjoyed the warm sun (their nights are barely starting to cool down in October), and our Mediterranean beach destination, but I was soon homesick for Portland’s bicycle boulevards and (now controversial) bike lanes.

In Tel Aviv, the streets I saw are either very narrow and choked with parked cars, or extremely busy with no shoulder. We rode on the sidewalks, taking our chances with the pedestrians as well as the mopeds, which had also taken to the sidewalks. I noticed that everyone rode with their bike seat much lower than I had been taught was ergonomically efficient, and after a while I figured out why - one has to be ready to stop instantly, and often. It’s much easier to stop and start again without hopping off the seat every time. I also winced to notice many cyclists riding without lights at night.

On the positive side, it was wonderful to see many people out riding, and to meet some who are carfree. Both buying and maintaining a car are much more expensive than in the US, and older parts of Tel Aviv mix apartments with small shops, making it pedestrian friendly.

I learned that because of a religious injunction against driving on the Sabbath, many people travel by bicycle on Saturdays. Yom Kippur is one of the holiest days of the Jewish calendar, and a de-facto Carfree Day in Israel - no one drives, and there is a tradition of bicycles taking over the streets.

World Carfree Day was much ballyhooed by the Chinese government, part of their campaign of reforms leading up to the Olympics. Authorities declared that no private cars at all would be allowed in any major cities on September 22, 2007, a claim that drew criticism and skepticism from around the world. But by all accounts when the day came around there was nearly no reduction in car traffic.
Cars have become extremely popular in China, which experienced a 25% increase in the number of private cars on the road last year. Meanwhile, air pollution from China is becoming a major contributor to smog and climate change in Oregon.

Photo by Ben Shaw