50,000 Portlanders Turn Out to Preview the Car-Free “People’s Bridge”
On Sunday residents of Portland got a preview of Tilikum Crossing, a.k.a. the "Bridge of the People," described by Michael Andersen of BikePortland as "the first bridge in the United States to carry buses, bikes, trains, streetcars and people walking but no private cars."
Tilikum Crossing is the first bridge constructed over the Willamette River in over 40 years. "Tilikum" is Chinook for "people," and Andersen says they turned out in droves to cross their bridge ahead of its official opening in a few weeks.
The crossings began with an early-morning VIP ride and continued with the Providence Bridge Pedal bike ride, then an open crossing for people with disabilities and finally by the three-hour “People’s Preview” for anyone and everyone.
TriMet spokeswoman Mary Fetsch, helping direct traffic at the west landing, was one of several TriMet officials present to marvel at the throngs who showed up. At about 3 p.m., with more than an hour left to go, she estimated that more than 20,000 people had crossed.
By mid-evening after the event, she’d upped her estimate to “40,000 to 50,000.”
“Where are they all coming from?” deputy project director Dave Unsworth asked happily about an hour later, as people continued to stream across the river. He was straddling a bicycle on the west landing and directing people to avoid getting their wheels stuck between the MAX tracks. “Are they arriving in busloads on the other side?”
Elsewhere on the Network today: Second Avenues Sagas reports that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has disavowed responsibility for New York rail infrastructure, and Greater Greater Washington says the DC Department of Transportation plans to protect Pennsylvania Avenue bike lanes from U-turning drivers.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our free newsletter
More from Streetsblog California
Caltrans Readies Guidance for Complete Streets, with a Big Exemption
But somewhere along the way, highway interchanges - roads crossing and going under and over freeways and highways - were exempted from the guidelines
Guest Opinion: Ten Years In, CA Active Transportation Program Lays Bare a Tale of Two Agencies
L.A. County needs to embrace physically-protected bikeways, robust traffic calming around schools, and similarly transformative, safety-focused projects
To Help Save the Planet, Take the ‘Week Without Driving’ Challenge
Former Sierra Club President Ramón Cruz is urging Americans to give up driving for seven days — and support policies to make it optional for everyone.
Commentary: Let’s Talk About the Real “Fatal Flaw” on Valencia
How many people have to die before professional advocates stop endorsing the Valencia Street "experiment" on people?
Friday’s Headlines
Caltrans, we need complete streets everywhere, including at freeway interchanges (or maybe especially there); Public agencies and academics join forces to develop AV standards; Republicans really want to suspend the gas tax; More
