The reason I’m posting this is because (1) the source is interesting, which you will see if you look at it, particularly at the comments after the more political stories, and (2) I realized that the “bike paths” that are going up around the country, including where I live, are future “homeless encampments” about which nothing will be done.
Tats don’t provide the protection of leathers?
I got Antifa anxiety from that website. I am not woke.
Having lived there...Portlandia is all about getting things for free, lots of sex and drugs and most important...
Sticking it to rich people.
I’ve never been to any city in the world more anti business than Portland.
The lefties will jump straight to totalitarianism when they finally get tired of the chaos their bone-headed policies have created.
They will skip right over law and order and jump directly to no rights for anyone.
Another pedestrian killed. Hit and run. My condolences to the family of the victim.
The lack of enforcement of any type has turned Portland into a “failed municipality”. Law breakers and criminals know there will likely be zero repercussions for their actions. It’s like the Wild West of yesteryear. Very Sad. Stay safe.
There are more that I read that basically say the same thing.
Will never understand why people continue to vote in and keep the losers that run their cities into cesspools and keep their now Gothem city that way.
Defund the Police!
I wouldn’t expect anything to change quickly.There are camps all over town and when they get swept they just set up close by (sometimes literally within stone’s throw distance)
The comprehensive solution everyone wants isn’t going to happen in the foreseeable future. As a stopgap, just keeping the camps small and dispersed seems a practical start. That way the people in them and the people who live nearby get used to each other.
The city needs to be more assertive about keeping the paths clear with an understanding that the touch will be much lighter if an understood buffer is maintained.
This is a serious safety problem, a major disincentive for cycling, and a factor that significantly reduces support for separated infrastructure.
You can report at https://www.portlandoregon.gov/campsites and you can also look up reports at Campsite Reports | The City of Portland, Oregon.They do respond based on reports, but don’t expect miracles. It’s a huge and complicated problem that’s not going away.
The website given in the above comment requires "registration" to a .gov site.
I finally just stopped riding that stretch. It’s a shame, but all those sketchy, crowded overpasses and the 205 traffic noise always kinda put a bad taste in my mouth, sometimes literally. So now I just cut out at maywood and go north on 99th. It avoids the prescott overpass, sandy/205 off ramp “canyon” and overpass, and one of the crossings at sandy & killingsworth. There’s a curb hop at the north end of 99th. If I’m headed east to troutdale, I just cut over on Shaver to 112th, then up to Marx street and east to 122nd, then up to Marine Drive.It’s a shame we have to avoid these spots, but lately the 205 path has been the bad part of my otherwise fun rides. That part of the path really is an afterthought, and doesn’t work in these trying times as the nature of an overpass means it provides shelter and spots to camp.
Less fun for that citizen of Portlandia.
I went through this spot a couple weeks ago. There was someone who was sitting on the trail, with some stuff piled on the other side, right under the overpass. I said “coming through” several times and got sworn at. Not good.I wouldn’t mind if the campers kept the trail clear.
Over the past few years I’ve been chased off the trail, been obstructed on purpose, even had a large knife flashed at me, all for the audacity of ringing my bell politely or even just making eye contact. The last thing I want is a physical confrontation, but I’m not ready to surrender our paths to threats and intimidation. I just want to pass safely without crashing into a person, dog, etc. Is that too much to ask?
On the northern end of the path heading towards Marine drive I was riding by a camp (very carefully) and had a piece of wood thrown at my back and called a homophobic slur. I was so shaken after that all I could think about was getting home and trying to find a safe way to get there. I wasn’t sure who to call to report it but I’ll never ride that path again, ever.
This one's kind of funny in an ironic way:
Since the city refuses to respond to this hazard By moving the camp off the trail, it would be helpful if they would at least post a “Trail Closed” or “Caution Trail Narrows Ahead” sign. Certainly this gives new meaning to MUP (multi-use path)
Multi-use path, and I get to define what "multi-use" means.
This one gives some inkling of the stresses of doublethink:
Any community opposition to Joint Office of Homeless Services and/or homelessness services sponsored services are well founded in my opinion. Don’t just take what the city says at face value. You’re getting gas lit by the City of Portland and organizations that stand to gain from the funds.The large vacant lot at NW Glisan/NW Broadway has been made into a sanctioned bum camp site. Go drive around that area at 3AM and you draw your own conclusion if that made any difference in shadiness of that general area. They also opened up a sanctioned campsite with rules in the large lot by Hawthorne / Water Avenue. Look at what’s happening just outside the property. Derelict vehicles everywhere and many out of state bums with Washington and California plates. This is why residents and businesses oppose even though they’re often criticized by homeless advocates as selfish. Many of their payroll, thus livelihood is directly dependent on being able to keeping their services relevant by perpetuating homelessness.
There is a lot of income at stake by organizations with vested interest more so than ever before with the unfortunate passage of the homeless service tax.
Like it or not, regardless of the “bicycle and pedestrian friendly” attitude they take, the enforcement discretion is infinitely variable and bicycle path and ADA accessibility are considered low priority. While there’s nothing official in documented public policy, a call to the police non-emergency about bum related obstruction will quickly reveal the nuance of this. A bum related motorized vehicle lane blockage will generally result in police being sent while bum related bicycle lane blockage and ADA violations are pushed over to HUCIRP. If it’s in motorized vehicle lanes, they consider that a police matter.
I’m glad many have noticed nothing happening after reporting. There’s a good chance the city is ignoring it. “Auditors also found the city frequently ignores hundreds of residents’ complaints.” Portland homeless camps clean-up program needs improving, auditors say - oregonlive.com 1
A good number of readers won’t agree with my point of view, but before you criticize my post, I would really appreciate it if you make a personal field visit in the pre-dawn hours around those newly approved sanctioned sites first. Just the other day, I spotted a stack of about 4-5 incomplete bicycles next to a tent on the strip of Broadway along the vacant lot.
When ever any hard-core libtard talks about what a problem these areas are, and thinks “if only the government would do something”, I tell them that they already did- they created them.
But the rider on the top of the web site is black. Did they hire someone to make the web site look less racist? Maybe the picture is photoshopped.
I used to do the Seattle to portland bike ride and bike commute to my job. Did both for about 20 years. I was also a member of the Cascade Bicycle Club. I was pretty much the only conservative in the organization, nearest I could tell. I got into a pretty heated discussion with the president regarding helmet laws (I was again’ ‘em).
I cancelled my membership after one year.
BFL
"this is a very complex problem that's not going away."
Around here it is, "Unless you are willing to take them into your home and be responsible for their every need, you may NOT complain."
“this is a very complex problem that’s not going away.”
Not with you idiots in charge it won’t.
L
If you would like more information about what’s happening in Oregon, please FReepmail me. Please send me your name by FReepmail if you want to be on this list. You could line them up against the wall and shoot them (as will happen when they achieve their ‘Socialist Utopia’) and the other Socialists watching will just think, ‘That won’t happen to ME!’
Self-destructive, self-loathing, clueless morons. Get OUT of the Gene Pool!
This is an education problem.
Let us gather up all the homeless and send them to the Harvard University.
There, the professors could educate them to become good citizens.
If the homeless don’t eat them first.