Portland Bicyclists Rally For Change

Bicyclists took to the streets of Portland to rally support for climate change, safety and homelessness Wednesday.

Jonah Majure with Climate Action Coalition said Portland's reputation may be misleading.

"We are trying to call the bluff in Portland and make sure that people know that Portland is not as green or sustainable as people think it is, and we actually are being surpassed by a lot of major cities around the country in green credentials," said Majure.

Majure said Portland could make improvements in several key areas.

"We are still living in a fossil fuel economy, we are still living in a society with a violent road system, we still don't have housing  justice," he said. "And we need all these movements to coordinate so we can actually tackle the broader systemic change that we need to make sure that people, planet and peace are put before profit."

Portland State University bike club president Gerald Fittipaldi said Portland isn't safe enough.

"A lot of people don't feel safe biking or walking in Portland," he said. "You see a lot of people in their 20s, 30s and 40s that get around by bicycle. But kids, seniors you see very few of them getting from point a to point b by bicycle and we want to change that. We want to make people feel safe."

Dylan Rivera with Portland Bureau of Transportation said he was excited to see so many people getting active and voicing their opinions.

He said the Portland City Council has made incredible strides in funding transportation safety. Recently the council approved a budget of $29 million for transportation. Rivera said it's the biggest general fund investment in transportation since the 1980s.

"Portland is one of the best places to ride a bike in North America," said Rivera. "School children ride at eight times the national averages. And we have the biggest bike network in North America and have the highest bike commuting rate of any major city ... We have a lot to be proud of but there is more work to be done."