Esplanade closure seems mostly about bikes
This afternoon brought some more clarity about why the City of Portland has had to close off part of the Eastbank Esplanade. The rising river has created a nasty bump where the land path meets the floating trail. The BikePortland folks snagged a good illustrative photo here, and the O got one here.
A cyclist trying to cruise over that bump is going to get hurt.
But a pedestrian moving at a normal pace, alerted to the bump by clear warning signs, should be able to handle what the photos show. Joggers should be able to deal with it as well. Does the path really need to be closed to everyone? Is there more to the closure than just this bump?
| Posted at 9:51 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (11)
I said it before in the last thread, but the threat of a lawsuit makes it reasonable to shut it completely down.
Posted by ws | May 31, 2011 9:59 PM
Thanks for repeating your insightful comment. But that path is always hazardous; if you're stupid or drunk, you could drown even when the water's low. There are other trails in the city that seem more dangerous and lawsuit-prone.
Posted by Jack Bog | May 31, 2011 10:07 PM
It would be quite a pleasure to use the Esplanade with out bikes, it's a shame they couldn't make it bike free for a couple weeks and spare us strollers the faux Tour De France'rs for a change.
Posted by ON YOUR LEFT! | May 31, 2011 10:39 PM
I'm with ON YOUR LEFT! on this one. It's pretty humourous to take my lunchtime walk and see all the bikers in their Tour de France get-ups pretending to be Lance Armstrong on what is mostly a walking/jogging path. The spandex whizzing by is quite impressive.
Posted by rod | June 1, 2011 6:13 AM
A bike speed limit would be a help, and a revenue source.
Posted by Allan L. | June 1, 2011 6:18 AM
With proper notification and caution the bikers could dismount and walk. It is so hard to walk in those stupid little bikey shoes with the bumps on the soles.
But NO! everyone must do what the bikers want.
I am so sick and tired of those people!
Posted by portland native | June 1, 2011 6:43 AM
But since bicycling is the only socially acceptable form of transportation, if it isn't okay for bikes, it isn't okay for anyone.
Posted by Michelle | June 1, 2011 7:17 AM
The nanny state is destroying all personal responsibility. I expect new future laws to require warning labels posted on all attractive nuisances. Accidents involving grandfathered inanimate objects will be covered by a new insurance pool during the "transition period" due to the overworked signmakers. Wavers for such items as the sun or wind may be granted on a case by case basis.
Posted by dhughes609 | June 1, 2011 8:16 AM
why don't they just bicycle like the folks in the Netherlands?
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/7508/3113/1600/day%2022%20039.jpg
Posted by Kathe W. | June 1, 2011 8:25 AM
All they needed to do is place 2 offset barricades on both sides of the bump, requiring a walk around.
One city worker and a truck with the barricades and problem solved until the water lowers.
Posted by Ben | June 1, 2011 8:26 AM
in the bikey theme , the COP has redone nw Lovejoy btwn 13/14th into a one way , and have posted a huge bright sign on 14th alerting the bike riders to detour , but as I was about to step from the OfficeMax step onto the sidewalk at 5pm a gal on a bike came blasting down the sidewalk missing me by 2 inches. Can we get some cops on this , lord knows they love the STRBCKS a block away...
Posted by billb | June 1, 2011 2:32 PM