Portland's Cycling Decline

This episode is all about the headlines I'm sure all of you've seen — that the number of people riding bikes in portland has fallen sharply in recent years. It's a decline that started long before Covid, and it's something we've been stewing about around here for many years now. But now we've got hard numbers from the City of Portland, so it's time to dig in and confront this unfortunate reality.

So sit back and hang out with BikePortland Editor Jonathan Maus and Staff Writer Taylor Griggs to hear their reactions to the news, reasons why it's happening, and what implications might be going forward. We'll also share a few reader comments and reactions from folks Taylor bumped into over the weekend.

Links from the episode:

Something has gone wrong in Portland - May 2014 BikePortland article that nails the start of the decline.2019 Bike Year in Review - PDF of presentation by PBOT Bike Coordinator Roger Geller where he makes the case that "hidden" neighborhood greenways" are partly to blame.City counts reveal data behind Portland’s precipitous drop in cycling - March 15th, 2023 BikePortland article on the PBOT Bike Counts report.