Last Tuesday my "protected" bike lane turned into a trash obstacle course

I was rolling down Market Street in Portland around 7am when I had to dodge three ripped trash bags, a broken office chair, and someone's old mattress all in the span of 10 blocks. The city spent $2 million on this lane but can't be bothered to send a sweeper through once a week. Has anyone else seen their bike lane become a dumping ground?

2 comments

2 Comments

uma_mitchell835d ago

I read somewhere that Portland actually has fewer street sweepers per mile than cities like Seattle or Denver, which kinda explains why stuff sits there for days. There was a report from the transportation bureau last year that said bike lane maintenance was "underfunded" but that's such a polite way of saying they just don't care enough to sweep regularly. I mean, it's one thing to build the lanes and another to actually keep them usable. The city could at least put a schedule online so we know when to avoid certain stretches.

aaron_gonzalez5d ago

Wait, do people actually think the city is doing maintenance on these bike lanes? I used to be that guy who defended the city's bike lane projects, saying give 'em time and they'll work out the kinks. But last Tuesday I saw a shopping cart with a mangled bike lock wrapped around it blocking the whole lane near the bridge. Then yesterday there was a pile of yard waste bags that had been sitting there for three days. It changed my mind completely. Portland spends millions on the fancy plastic posts and green paint but forgets the basics like sweeping or actually enforcing parking rules. Feels like they're just checking boxes instead of making it work for regular people riding to work.