We had an important turnout and plenty of enjoyable on the first ever BikePortland Pitch & Bitch occasion final night time. It was a brand new format for us so I wasn’t positive how it might go, however based mostly off my impressions and the suggestions of us shared with me final night time, it appears to have been a enjoyable night time for all.
Right here’s a assessment from one of many attendees that sums it up properly:
“I went to the Pitch & Bitch to study extra about Bike Portland and the problems persons are involved about. I felt welcomed, was given free beer, and received a motorcycle mild. The room was filled with sensible and motivated individuals. So thanks Bike Portland for exceeding all expectations.”
We heard some actually nice story concepts throughout our pitch session, obtained launched to some wonderful activists doing nice work, met new individuals, related IRL with beforehand online-only buddies, and we heard some useful suggestions through the bitch session. And because of Portland Design Works and Dumonde Tech we gave away numerous headlights and chain lube to our fortunate prize winners.
Our fantastic hosts at Migration Brewing gave us your complete again patio (which is able to overflowed with individuals!) and had heaters turned as much as maintain everybody toasty. And BikePortland co-owner Mike Perham confirmed as much as obtain a rousing spherical of applause for funding free drinks and appetizers for everybody who confirmed up!
Listed below are a number of the story concepts and points of us flagged for us on the occasion:
- Lynn turged us to extra intently observe that elimination of enormous avenue bushes in north Portland alongside residential greenway routes the place shade may be very precious.
- Rob from Bare Hearts PDX instructed us concerning the nice work they’re doing by main enjoyable social rides and bringing individuals collectively. We are going to now add their occasions to our calendar and you’ll want to promote them!
- Kiel from BikeLoud PDX (and rather more) desires us to get in entrance of the upcoming PBOT venture to construct a protected bike lane on N Willamette Avenue all the way in which into St. Johns.
- Kiel additionally stated he thinks PBOT’s advisory bike lanes are the Subsequent Large Factor and Portland State College engineering scholar Cameron Bennett chimed in that he’s engaged on a analysis examine about them for PBOT.
- Julian desires us to do extra collabs past Portland, particularly his former city of Toronto, as a result of he thinks our cities might study from one another.
- Jenna of @jennabikes on TikTok stated she’s seeing lots of MAX practice vehicles overflowing on her commute to the West Aspect as a result of TriMet remains to be utilizing the outdated Collection 1 vehicles which have stairs on the entrance and are due to this fact unusable to of us who can’t elevate bikes onto them. And he or she additionally inspired us to do extra TikToks!
- Erik stated he’s seen that no one makes use of TriMet’s fancy, high-tech bike parking rooms at MAX stops. He additionally desires us to share an replace on the languishing Sullivan’s Gulch Path venture.
- Andrew confirmed as much as inform us he desires to see the Off-Highway Biking Grasp Plan and the hunt for brand new, native filth biking trails get again into the dialog.
- Joe pitched the concept that Portland ought to have completely different guidelines for streets and alerts on the weekends when there’s a lot much less automobile site visitors. Bikers and walkers ought to have extra space to unfold out on weekends when automobile volumes are so low (to which I 100% agree and have pitched this concept to PBOT myself previously!).
- Sam desires PBOT to leverage the large reputation of pickleball to create courts to play the sport on carfree streets and plazas citywide.
- Bjorn stated we must always make the BikePortland archives extra related and accessible to website guests.
- Nic stated BikePortland readers ought to take time to achieve out to different native media retailers in order that our concepts and messages attain completely different audiences.
These are simply a number of the nice exchanges from final night time and we can not wait to follow-up on these nice story concepts.
It was a incredible night that provides your complete BikePortland staff a shot of recent inspiration — and much-needed momentum to launch a citywide occasion tour subsequent yr (keep tuned for extra on that). It additionally simply felt very good to fulfill so lots of you in individual.
Like I stated final night time, BikePortland is accountable solely to you, our group. And we worth your enter and instructions on how we will serve you higher. We respect your assist.
In case you have questions or suggestions about this website or my work, be happy to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, by way of e-mail at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or telephone/textual content at 503-706-8804. Additionally, in case you learn and respect this website, please turn into a supporter.
