Skip to content

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Portland: Bike Rush Hour on the Hawthorne Bridge

by Clarence Eckerson, Jr. on April 29, 2009

Time: 3:22 Plays: 12,799 Embed:

The first time you visit Portland, Oregon, the gaggles of cyclists streaming over the Hawthorne Bridge during rush hour is a sight you will never forget. It's something other cities need to see and be inspired by.

On a recent vacation there, I couldn't resist cranking out a Streetfilms shortie, so I naturally hooked up with Crank My Chain's Dan Kaufman to capture the essence of the PM rush and talk to cyclists about what it feels like to be a part of the mass of cyclist humanity in Southeast Portland, Hawthorne corridor. As Greg Raisman from Portland's Bureau of Transportation pointed out: 20% of all traffic on the Hawthorne Bridge is bikes. And, Portland's number of cyclists has risen 600% in the last fifteen years and shows no sign of letting up.

19 Comments

Last comment by Mike Pullen Leave a comment »
  1. Post Thumbnail  

    Dan Kaufman

    Yay, bikes are back on Streetfilms! I am glad I could help.

    April 29, 2009 at 4:08 pm Link # 1
  2. Post Thumbnail  

    Marion Ricen

    The Hawthorne is just one bridge in Portland.. What about all the people on bicycles using the Broadway Bridge and over the Steele bridge as well.. The number of people using bicycles to get to and fro in Portland is exponentially more than represented in this video

    April 29, 2009 at 4:20 pm Link # 2
  3. Post Thumbnail  

    Kevin Buchanan

    That's wonderful to see. We're visiting PDX soon to take a look at the ways their city grows and moves and lives. Can't wait to check this out in person.

    April 29, 2009 at 4:54 pm Link # 3
  4. Post Thumbnail  

    Clarence Eckerson, Jr.

    Marion,

    Of course there are lots of other stories to tell. All of Portland's bridges are chock full of cyclists and it is awesome, but I only had a few hours taking a break from vacation to bring this quick story. I picked the Hawthorne because it does have the largest share and the visual is easier to compare. But of course the good news that of course the numbers are even much higher, and anyone that wants can do a video on that.

    April 29, 2009 at 4:59 pm Link # 4
  5. Post Thumbnail  

    W. K. Lis

    I think the cyclists outnumber the passengers and drivers in the cars.

    April 29, 2009 at 5:25 pm Link # 5
  6. Post Thumbnail  

    Paul Souders

    PDX represent! I've been commuting by bike in Portland for a decade, it's inspiring how much more bike traffic the Hawthorne has now compared to 10 years ago. (And it was pretty healthy already.)

    I tell this to everyone and it's not an exaggeration: my daily commute is a bicycle ride through the woods. You have no idea the effect that has on your life perspective.

    April 29, 2009 at 5:53 pm Link # 6
  7. Post Thumbnail  

    Lance

    Just a note. I is it possible to get your videos working so that they can be viewed on an iPhone?

    Regards

    April 29, 2009 at 5:55 pm Link # 7
  8. Post Thumbnail  

    NoPoJoe

    Ah, the Hawthorne and Burnside and Steele... and now the Morrison? get a lot of loving.but the two most distant bridges are not very bikeable. I am referring to the St Johns and the Sellwood bridges. No real facilities, poor access. Not that I want to minimize our successes. Its not that Portland is so great,its just so many other places suck so badly for bikes and peds. We in Portland have only made babysteps so far.

    April 29, 2009 at 9:09 pm Link # 8
  9. Post Thumbnail  

    Alan Barnard

    Great video! Made me smile and makes we want to visit Portland. Thank you!

    April 29, 2009 at 11:06 pm Link # 9
  10. Post Thumbnail  

    Alexe Bellingham

    Great film... didn't even show the Steele Bridge bike light congestion that happens every morning and evening at rush hour. What a great city and what a great commitment to life - bicycles!

    April 29, 2009 at 11:45 pm Link # 10
  11. Post Thumbnail  

    Scott Mizée

    Great video of the Hawthorne and SE Portland Dan and Clarence! Looking forward to one of these about the North Portland Greenway some day! :) Hope you enjoyed Filmed by Bike as well!

    April 30, 2009 at 12:44 pm Link # 11
  12. Post Thumbnail  

    Scott for npGREENWAY

    did I see Zozo on one of those bikes on the Hawthorne?

    April 30, 2009 at 12:47 pm Link # 12
  13. Post Thumbnail  

    Scott for npGREENWAY

    ackkk... wish I coudl edit the comments.... missing the l off of html and it does not like that...

    link is here:
    http://npgreenway.blogspot.com/2009/04/portland-bike-rush-hour-featured-on-new.html

    April 30, 2009 at 1:10 pm Link # 13
  14. Post Thumbnail  

    Pat

    That is some serious trance elevator music

    April 30, 2009 at 10:36 pm Link # 14
  15. Post Thumbnail  

    Wendy

    Aw, I wish I lived in a bike-friendly town!! :(

    May 15, 2009 at 4:06 pm Link # 15
  16. Post Thumbnail  

    Anthony

    I truly think that biking is the best way to get around.
    It is clean and faster than walking.
    We need to make it easier for people to use it the city of Halifax, and I am trying to change that.
    Talk to your city councilors about it. We have to let them know what we want!

    May 15, 2009 at 10:00 pm Link # 16
  17. Post Thumbnail  

    Megan

    no joke, my bike commute is faster than taking the bus, by at least ten minutes...go portland.

    June 8, 2009 at 1:19 am Link # 17
  18. Post Thumbnail  

    Paul

    Used to bike that bridge for a year whilst I lived in SE.
    You didn't even mention the "Bike Breakfasts" where they offer free coffee, bagels and bike repairs some times.

    Good job Portland - but we want more bike lanes!!

    June 8, 2009 at 2:30 pm Link # 18
  19. Post Thumbnail  

    Mike Pullen

    Ms. Blue says in the video that "just 10 percent of the Hawthorne Bridge is dedicated to bikes." Please note that the bridge has 2 10-ft. sidewalks for bicyclists and pedestrians and 4 traffic lanes that range from 10 to 12 feet in width. So bicyclists and pedestrians have about 30 percent of the usable space on the bridge, not 10 percent.

    June 17, 2009 at 5:46 pm Link # 19