Surprise! Alta gets the Portland bike share contract. (Jack Bog's Blog)

Detail, east Portland photo, courtesy Miles Hochstein / Portland Ground.

For old times' sake
The bojack bumper sticker -- only $1.50!

To order, click here.

Search this site

... or let Google look around our site -- including comments:

Custom Search

Excellent tunes -- free! And on your browser right now. Just click on Radio Bojack!

E-mail us here.

About

This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on October 1, 2012 10:46 AM. The previous post in this blog was Publisher of the O responds! (At least somewhat.). The next post in this blog is Rachel Berry back in California already. Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.

Clippings

E-mail, Feeds, 'n' Stuff

E-mail me

[What is this?]

« Publisher of the O responds! (At least somewhat.) | Main | Rachel Berry back in California already »

Monday, October 1, 2012

Surprise! Alta gets the Portland bike share contract.

Who'da thunk it? Let's hope they can get one of their systems, somewhere, to work some day. Meanwhile, that bag with the wings on it flying south? That's your property taxes.

Posted at 10:46 AM | Permalink

Comments (13)

"Urban planners increasingly see bike sharing as the mark of a healthy world-class city."

With the way the world is being run these days, we will be sharing everything pretty soon.

Hey are you done with that job yet? I'd like a turn.

Posted by Tim | October 1, 2012 11:08 AM

I was just wondering. When this bike share program gets going, who supplies the bicycle helmets?

Posted by John | October 1, 2012 11:36 AM

"Home grown." Uh-huh ...

Yet again the Oregonian get's it wrong. Alta is hardly "home grown" in Portland.

Alta bike share is a project of Alta Planning + Design (creative types prefer plus signs over ampersands).

AP+D was founded in the ultra-exclusive San Francisco suburb of San Rafael, California. And according to the Oregon Secretary of State, AP+D says that its principal place of business is San Rafael.

Sure, they have an office in Portland. But, c'mon Joe Rose, if Alta is a home grown business for having an office here, then Chase is a home grown business for having a bunch of branches here.

Posted by Garage Wine | October 1, 2012 11:57 AM

"After years of study, the City Council voted last year to use $4 million in startup funds -- half from a limited, flexible federal funding pot, half from private investors -- for the automated community bicycling program. The plan was approved by Metro."

"half from limited, flexible federal funding pot"?

What a way to put it.

Why did Rose call them "limited" & not reveal that
Federal flex funds are fungible gas tax dollars that could go to roads and real transportation capital projects.

They should not be spent on providing a bike share program.

Posted by buy your own bike | October 1, 2012 12:20 PM

I was just wondering. When this bike share program gets going, who supplies the bicycle helmets?

The NY Times has an article on this very subject at http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/30/sunday-review/to-encourage-biking-cities-forget-about-helmets.html

If you have trouble with the pay wall, try Googling "to encourage biking, cities lose the helmets".

Posted by reader | October 1, 2012 12:21 PM

Bike Share in Portland: Another one of Sammyboy's vanity programs that likely will end up costing txxpayers even more than the start up costs.

Posted by TR | October 1, 2012 1:15 PM

I don't disagree with most of what you said, but I think your statement would make most of SF and Marin chuckle. Much like saying the "ultra-exclusive Portland suburb of Gresham, Oregon."

Posted by other steve | October 1, 2012 1:24 PM

"Home grown." Uh-huh ...
Yet again the Oregonian get's it wrong. Alta is hardly "home grown" in Portland.

Another "goof" by the O, or more evidence that Oregon's largest paper has become a mouthpiece for politically motivated misinformation. Maybe it's new nickname should be Правда (Pravda).

Posted by Mr. Grumpy | October 1, 2012 2:53 PM

Urban planners increasingly see bike sharing as the mark of a healthy world-class city

There's a lot of small African villages that share bikes, but I'd hardly call them healthy, or world-class, or cities.

Posted by Erik H. | October 1, 2012 6:59 PM

It wont take long till the tweaker crowd discovers you can 'rent' one of these out with a $5 prepaid debit card.

Posted by Anthony | October 1, 2012 8:00 PM

I think they come with GPS units. Wonder who will be paying for the replacements??

Posted by Pdxjim | October 1, 2012 8:35 PM

Now if we only had free municipal wi-fi to broadcast the inventory of municipal bikes at each rental location...

Oh, sorry. My bad.

Posted by Mister Tee | October 1, 2012 9:20 PM

The tweakers pull copper out of lamposts and substations. How long would it take to remove the GPS unit?

Posted by Andrew | October 1, 2012 10:47 PM

In Vino Veritas

Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio 2011
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007

The Occasional Book

Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt

Road Work

Miles run year to date: 21
At this date last year: 52
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269