TriMet has issued the results of bicycling related surveys they conducted last August via the web, and subsequently onboard MAX trains. Here is an executive summary of their executive summary:

Background:

According to a recent national study, integrating bikes and transit:

• Extends the range of transit
• Provides greater mobility options to customers at the beginning and end of their transit trips
• Has the potential to increase transit ridership
• Encourages cycling by giving cyclists the option of avoiding unsafe streets, hills, fatigue, and poor conditions (darkness and weather) if bikes are allowed onboard
• Has the potential to decrease congestion and help reduce air pollution by providing an alternative to driving

The City of Portland is part of the Solar Now! campaign which connects Oregonians with the resources and assistance they need to choose solar energy. The Solar Now! campaign hold monthly workshops; for more information when and where please go to: http://www.solaroregon.org/resources_education/workshops

City of Portland launches Gibbs Pedestrian Bridge design process with an open house on Wednesday, June 25, 5-8 pm, Cedarwood School, 3030 SW 2nd Ave., Portland.

Give your input before June 15th with the online survey at www.gibbsbridge.org

Anyone who has created web pages which display graphics using SWNI’s Drupal content management system (CMS) will want to know about an impending change which will affect your pages. We are about to upgrade Drupal, but due to compatibility problems, we are dropping the [Inline] module, which we previously used for displaying graphics on web pages.

More than 5,000 property owners within a half-mile of four study areas have recently received letters, surveys and invitations to open houses to explore Halo Local Improvement Districts (LIDs) in their neighborhood.

What moves around the City offering fun programs and activities celebrating Portland as one of the most livable cities in the US?

Vermont from 30th to 37th Tues., April 1, 7 - 9 pm Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy 35th from Stephenson to Arnold Thurs., April 3, 7 - 9 pm Jackson Middle School, 10625 SW 35th Vermont from 45th to Shattuck Tues., April 8, 7 - 9 pm Mittleman Jewish Community Center, 6651 SW Capitol Hwy Hamilton from 39th to 60th Pl. Thurs., April 10, 7 - 9 pm Bridlemile School, 4300 SW 47th Drive

Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. Board Meeting
Wednesday, January 23, 2008 -7 pm

President Glenn Bridger called the meeting to order at 7:02 p.m.

Present: Kathy Bambeck, Glenn Bridger, Kirky Doblie, Nancy Hand, Marcia Leslie, Marianne Fitzgerald, Tye Steinbach, Ken Love, Anne-Marie Fischer, Will Fuller, Jill Gaddis, Susan Egnor, Jim Thayer, Don Baack, John Gibbon; Dorothy Gage, Jim Gardner; Wes McMullen, Jan Weston, Don Baack, David Gens

Many people believe that faith can move mountains. Congregations across SW Portland are counting on it to move mountains of desperately needed food products into collection barrels during the upcoming SW Hope: Feed the Hungry campaign.

Wednesday, December 19, 2007 -7 pm

President Glenn Bridger called the meeting to order at 7:01 pm

Present: Kathy Bambeck, Glenn Bridger, Kirky Doblie, Nancy Hand, Amanda Fritz, Marcia Leslie, Marianne Fitzgerald, Tye Steinbach, Ken Love, Anne-Marie Fischer, Will Fuller, Jill Gaddis, Carolyn Raz, Susan Egnor, Wes Risher, Jim Thayer, Don Baack, John Gibbon

Staff: Sylvia Bogert

Now is the time many of us reminisce about the year that has just fallen into the past, and wonder about what the new year will bring. Here, at the friendly SW Neighborhood office, I’ve pulled out all twelve 2007 issues of the SW Neighborhood News to jog my memory of the past year’s community events here in SW Portland and the issues that affected us. The gist of it is that a lot of good and productive stuff happened. Some of it--and here is where the tooting of one’s own horn occurs--was facilitated by SWNI (Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc.). But much of it was initiated and done by individuals and various friends’ groups. Congratulations to all of you.

Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc. (SWNI) awarded 16 grants to neighborhood associations and community organizations through the Office of Neighborhood Involvement’s Neighborhood Small Grants program.

Hello neighbors, another case in the works...  Over the last month PPB has received many vandalism reports in the lower Macadam area with regards to tires being cut. Specifically in the area of the Water Tower business complex (which houses Pier One Imports and Billy Bangs Pub), as well as the condo association on the other side of Macadam near the river.

The trail is named for Portland’s alternative transportation modes: trail, tram, trolley and train. It is designed to be a tourist attraction that shows off Portland’s diverse transportation alternatives. The trail will start at the zoo, go through the west hills, with some spectacular view stops along the way. Then, walkers will board the tram (for free since it is the downhill leg) and ride to south waterfront. From there people would take the streetcar and MAX back to the zoo, using just one two-zone TriMet ticket.

This an update to a previous post of mine titled "Recent Increase in SW Night Time Crime." As a result of the thorough investigation by PPB night shift Officer Brett Livingston into the burglaries on SW 56th, SW 58th and SW Orchard Ln, PPB Criminalist Randy Yoshimura was able to locate latent fingerprints on surfaces inside two of the burglarized homes. A third home directly between the two had no fingerprint evidence but a vehicle stolen from the home was recovered in front of a third home where prints were found. Fortunately the young man who left those prints had previously been arrested  for breaking into homes and his prints were on record. Last week an arrest warrant was issued for the youth, who is sixteen years old, and he was arrested within the week.

The Walk Safe Umbrellas are back! They are available through the SWNI office, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, for $20 for the large size and $15 for the kid’s size. These umbrellas will make pedestrians more visible on cloudy gray, wet days and evenings so that motor vehicle drivers will stop for them.

Hello SWNI Neighbors. I wanted to share an update on a recent increase in night time crime, specifically in the Ash Creek Neighborhood but applicable to all neighborhoods.

For more than 40 years we have been promised a traffic signal at this intersection. Enough is enough. Only organized grassroots citizen activism is likely to bring enough pressure on our public officials to improve the situation at this intersection. Here’s a plan for action.