Commuting - PDX Commuters: Heads Up, Probably Police 'Bike Sting' Tomorrow, 10/25

This was posted on the Shift list today. I'm gonna guess this will take place on a bike boulevard somewhere in East Portland. Heads up and watch for the PPD on your morning and evening commutes tomorrow. If you see this occurring, plz post the location ASAP.



FYI, the Police are likely targeting a bike-rich location for an enforcement action tomorrow. If past experience is any guide, they'll be ticketing cars, bikes, etc. who break the laws at that location.

I'll try to figure out where, but it's apparently from a list of intersections that have been shown to have significant safety problems with cars and bikes interacting, and that don't have clear engineering fixes.

Evan

What sort of laws are being enforced? Reflector/bell violations? Stop signs?

What sort of laws are being enforced? Reflector/bell violations? Stop signs?
They last time, they ticketed cyclists who dared stray outside bike lanes in order to ride on the road.

Knowing PDX's recent actions, they'll also be focusing on "proper" brakes. So brakeless fixies beware.

Stop signs, even rolled at 2-3 mph, earn the county $242 each.

I've often thought that if the quintessential scofflaw Portland cyclist just considered Wednesdays their "Obey Traffic Laws Day", Multnomah County would generate a lot less revenue and local cycling message boards and email lists wouldn't get so many whiny posts about tickets. At least the police are predictable in that this kind of thing always happens on Wednesdays. Heck, locations are frequently leaked the day before. That said, those downtown bike lane tickets really ticked me off. I still wonder if anyone successfully contested them in court.

Are they also going after motorists who cause us problems? ie: passing to close, violating right of way, etc? If so, I don't see a problem here. Everyone has the same 'opportunity'.

...those downtown bike lane tickets really ticked me off. I still wonder if anyone successfully contested them in court.
I don't think the court date for these has come up yet. The big no brakes fixie trial day is Nov. 6, something like 10 cases will be heard. Come to the downtown courthouse if you're free that day.

Stop signs, even rolled at 2-3 mph, earn the county $242 each.

Youch. Around here, if the cops don't find enough infractions, they move on. So bikers/drivers, you know what to do!

The problem is, they go and camp out somewhere on a known heavily traveled bike route, with a large force, for the duration of the morning commute (and sometimes the evening commute as well). The only way to avoid it is to completely alter your route, and ride on another street parallel to the main bike route, but there are still some spots near the bridges where you have no other choices. Or you could attempt to be 'super legal'.

Based on the silence, I assume this turned out to be a (thankfully) false alarm?

That's my guess, too.

nah, we're just all in jail :D

I didn't see anything anywhere yesterday.