I've never heard the term PEMA before. I dont know anything about eugene, but here are my suggestions for portland.
-get lights. a headlight is required and I've known people who've gotten tickets for riding without. a rear blinky is not required, but drivers are used to seeing them at night.
-free bikes maps are available at all the bike shops. get one and check it out but dont feel required to only ride only on "bike route" or "bike lane" streets.
MLK and Grand are really bike-unfriendly and I don't reccomend Sandy due to high speed traffic that's totally not paying attention. if you're used to riding in traffic, everything else is cake.
- go to the skidmore bluffs. from East Broadway, take Williams north to Skidmore.
take a left on skidmore and ride west (toward the river) until you come to the end. take a right and then an immediate left. (skidmore blvd vs. skidmore ave) at the end of the block you'll find the park.
it's an amazing overlook of the city/trainyards/forrest park. I don't think it's an official park because lots of people drink there but there are still benches and such. GREAT at sunset or at night. big bike destination. bring a tallboy and friends.
-Bridges. the broadway bridge is great. the hawthorne and burnside bridges are ok. the steel bridge directs cyclist to ride on the roadway which in my opinion is totally insane. when crossing the steel, ride on the path below or the very very narrow ped walkway. if you take the ped walkway, go slow and dont fall off because you'll die. don't use the morrison bridge even though there is a path. the fremont and marquam bridges are freeways and thus not an option. I've never crossed the sellwood bridge but I hear it's really narrow and the traffic is fast and scary. you won't need to cross the st. john's bridge, but you should ride up willamette blvd to go look at it because it's totally ****ing amazing and a great easy ride.
-eat lunch at the carts downtown. great for vegans and omnivores on a serious budget. reccomended carts are loco locos burritos and thai sky at 5th and Oak, Thai Basil at 3rd and Oak, and India Chaat House at 12th?13th? and Yamhill behind the library. the carts can get expensive in the evening, but all have awesome lunch specials. you can get stuffed for less than $5 and the food is really really good.
-speaking of food, eat a small ethiopian vegetarian platter at dalo's kitchen at williams and skidmore in north portland. it's enough for two and it only costs $5. trust me on this one. it's in the warehouse with the pink stripe and looks like nothing from the outside.
-more food. nicholas is a lebanese food place on Grand and Oak in SE. I reccomend the vegan mezza platter with some turkish coffee. again, an amazing value. the platter for one will absolutely STUFF two people and with the coffee is just over $10.
- ride down to ladd's addition in SE. use a map or you will get lost. it's the only part of portland that isn't a grid and will throw you off really quickly. check out the rose gardens, and chill with friends in the big circles.