Portland Advisory Committee

I know, I know, you’re all waiting for a DOT meeting summary, and it’s coming, I promise (along with some other big news that will explain why posts are so few and far between lately). In the meantime, here’s good news from the West Coast: Portland City Council unanimously approved aMotorcycle and Scooter Citizen Advisory Committee (thanks, Matty). Maybe the McCabes can give us some more details?

3 thoughts on “Portland Advisory Committee”

  2. To:
    Vespa Clubs-

    Today I’m happy to report that Ken Jones seized the opportunity to interview with a Herald reporter about the Vespa Club of Monterey.
    This is exactly the kind of “activism” that I like, simply telling the story of our existence and what we stand for. The 2-wheel community has gotten a bad rap sheet for decades. Motorcycles conjure up images of hell raising angels or teenagers on screaming rice-rockets speeding past cars in 25 mph zones.

    I am particularly disturbed at the government agencies who liberally fund “Alternative Transportation” and completely leave out the urban transporter of the century; the scooter.

    Glossy brochures are printed with taxpayer’s money tauting the wonders of bicycles, segways and electric bikes, while gas-saving scooters and motorcycles go completely unmentioned. Bicycle Week with the mayors and governators standing at podiums with bike helmets and latex clothing.

    The bicycle lobby is strong while the scooter lobby is almost non-existent. I am continually “lobbying” the local agencies with letters which attempt to raise awareness to the fuel savings of scooters. I think that a few noisy voices can begin to get things changed pro Vespa riders.

    I propose that we begin to put forth a “Scooter Week” and receive the same state and federal funds which the bike community pockets. They have BIKE LANES even! Bike parking and seemingly special privileges that you and I do not enjoy. Those lanes could easily be commonly used for 50cc and 90cc scooters for commuting to jobs and shopping.

    Let’s begin to speak up and let ourselves be heard! Thanks Ken.

    Roger Vandevert
    VCOM President

  3. I agree that with most of that until the end. Bicycles are zero-emissions vehicles with a very small footprint and it doesn’t take much to accommodate them. I think it’s great that cyclists stood up for themselves and cities have taken notice, and they deserve what they’ve got. Giving scooters the same priveleges as bicycles would be lovely, but it shouldn’t happen at the expense of bicycles. A 50cc scooter in the bike lane is a danger to cyclists and very clearly illegal, and defeating the purpose of the bike lane. Parking a gas-powered motor vehicle on the sidewalk creates a dangerous situation, and they take up a great deal more room than bikes. Denver is proof that allowing 50cc bikes certain benefits just results in enforcement confusion and cheating (I saw several GTs and GTSes there with “50cc” stickers. Even if you can win those argument with scooterists, you’ll NEVER win them with cyclists and/or the city. I think it’s weird that a lot of scooterists demand to be treated like a motor vehicle sometimes and a bicycle other times, depending on the situation. I guess scooters do fit in between somewhere, but I see them as being an awful lot more like motorcycles than bicycles.

Comments are closed.