Are we Earthquake Proof?
The Freemont- Bridges built prior
to 1994, the first year ODOT
adopted rigorous seismic design
codes, are most vulnerable to
collapse, though a few bridges
were retrofitted in 1988. There is
no current funding for a bridge
retrofit program in ODOT.
Joyce Washington
High School Classic
Basketball charity
games to feature best
o f Portland
See more on page 10, inside
-TtßirS.
‘City ö/Roses’
ÇF »
See Section B, inside
(©Hscrüer 41
Read
back issues
issues of
of the
the Portland
Portland Observer
O h servp r at
a t
1AZÌAAA/ n n r t I u n d n h t
Read back
www.portlandobserver.com
Volume XXXXI. Number 20
Wednesday • May 18. 2011
¡n in
1 0 7 1970
0
Established
■
-JL.
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Non Profit Spins Wheels of Life
High gas prices
empower cycling
explosion
by M indy C ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
Throughout the nation frustrated drivers
are pulling into gas stations with fuel prices
the highest they have been in almost three
years. Gas station signs read $4 a gallon and
no one seems to know when or how the prices
will go back down to normal.
While many Portlanders are reorganizing
their lives, trying to find a solution to the
highest gas prices they have seen since 2008,
many are realizing that bicycling around town
could be just the answer.
The Community Cycling Center, located at
1700 N.E. Alberta St., is determined to help the
community have easy access to the benefits
of riding bicycles throughout the city.
Founded in 1994, the organization is one of
the oldest bicycling non-profits in the United
States and has helped thousands of people
throughout the Portland area.
The center is celebrating a recent expan­
sion and remodeling of their space, which
allows an increase in their ability to connect
with even more people and the growing num­
ber of bicycle commuters.
Alison Hill Graves, the cycling center’s
executive director, said you don’t need to
know anything about bikes to feel comfort­
able in their shop. While a lot of bikes shops
target specific kinds of bicycles, their main
priority is to cater to the people.
“Everyone deserves to walk into a bike
shop and feel welcomed,” she said. “And
photo by M indy C ooper /T hk P ortland O bserver
with the additional space we can actually Mychal Tetteh is the director o f Operations for the non-profit Community Cycling
build more bikes for our programs.”
Center on Northeast Alberta Street. The bike shop is celebrating a remodel and
According to Graves, 40 percent of all car expansion, which will allow for more volunteer programs and community outreach.
Pressure
Builds for
Higher Rents
Few rental vacancies
add to housing woes
by M indy C ooper
T he P ortland O bserver
Portland has the lowest rental vacancy rate for any metro
area in the country, which could mean higher rent and less
affordable housing, according to the figures released this
month by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Beginning with the housing crisis, a trend of falling wages
trips within the city are two-miles and under,
a relatively short distance that produces the
most pollution.
“Those are also the easiest to convert to
bike trips,” she said.
The cycling center receives its funds from
their small bike shop revenue, as well as
individual donors, grants and sponsorships.
More than 50 volunteers helped with plan­
ning, construction, deconstruction, logistics
and the artful signage of the expansion, ex­
plained Graves.
The extra space expands their volunteer
program, including a free workshop every
first Tuesday of the month teaching commu­
nity members how to fix their own bikes.
Mychal Tettah, who has been the Director
of Operations at the bike shop since 2009, said
the expansion will also help increase the oppor­
tunity for more classes, including the mainte­
nance class, to run simultaneously, which will
allow the cycling center to reach a larger num­
ber of people more frequently.
“We may see a return of the volume of
traffic in the bike shop that is similar to what
we saw in 2008, which is the last time gas rose
to proportions we see now,” said Tettah.
The high cost of running automobiles is
obviously making more people consider the
benefits of using a bike.
According to the latest Kelley Blue Book
Market Intelligence survey, 84 percent of
respondents said that fuel costs are influenc­
ing their car-buying process, and 90 percent
expect gas prices to continue to rise.
“Folks are going to be looking for ways to
save money and travel without driving,” said
Tetteh. “In the short term you might spend
money to get your hike fixed, but over the
course of the summer you will save money
and be healthy.”
continued
on page 10
and high unemployment spread throughout the country. In
response to these changing economic conditions, many
Oregonians re-organized their lives to find housing that
better suits their lifestyles, and for many, this meant renting
an apartment.
But with a current rental vacancy rate of just four percent,
Portland has now become the nation's tightest apartment
market out of the 75 metropolitan areas, widening the pool of
people who must struggle to find affordable housing.
continued
on page 18