_Biking for the Masses: Investment and Education for a More Equitable Infrastructure in Portland, Oregon
by Alison Olmstead
Abstract
Portland, Oregon is one of the global leaders in bike commuting and infrastructure. Portland has reached and satisfied the needs of its devoted but small bike community, and has come to a crossroads where increased infrastructure and education is needed to convince a wider range of residents to participate. It is in the city's best interest to increase the use of bikes as there are significant health, environmental and economic benefits. In-person interviews collected in Portland with bike commuters, non-profit bike shops geared towards education, major local business owners, and the Mayor of Portland were conducted to better understand the bike culture and the general outlook on the future of the city. These interviews reveal a definite need to build upon the infrastructure and education already at play in Portland. This project utilizes GIS (geographic information systems) to map the gender of cyclists at over 200 intersections, which shows a substantial gender gap across the entire city. Portland needs to address gender inequalities if they want to increase their cycling population while simultaneously making it more equitable. My analysis concludes that Portland's ambitious goal of making bike commuting more accessible and promote bicycle use for short trips is possible by adding more safe infrastructure and also with the efforts of non-profits devoted to economically liberating lower-income residents through educational programs.
by Alison Olmstead
Abstract
Portland, Oregon is one of the global leaders in bike commuting and infrastructure. Portland has reached and satisfied the needs of its devoted but small bike community, and has come to a crossroads where increased infrastructure and education is needed to convince a wider range of residents to participate. It is in the city's best interest to increase the use of bikes as there are significant health, environmental and economic benefits. In-person interviews collected in Portland with bike commuters, non-profit bike shops geared towards education, major local business owners, and the Mayor of Portland were conducted to better understand the bike culture and the general outlook on the future of the city. These interviews reveal a definite need to build upon the infrastructure and education already at play in Portland. This project utilizes GIS (geographic information systems) to map the gender of cyclists at over 200 intersections, which shows a substantial gender gap across the entire city. Portland needs to address gender inequalities if they want to increase their cycling population while simultaneously making it more equitable. My analysis concludes that Portland's ambitious goal of making bike commuting more accessible and promote bicycle use for short trips is possible by adding more safe infrastructure and also with the efforts of non-profits devoted to economically liberating lower-income residents through educational programs.