The dream of the robot-driven car had been around as long as personal jet-pack travel.  Google, or course, has a whole secret division devoted to crazy ideas and their self-driving car looks like it's quickly going from sci-fi to reality TV.

Granted, this story isn't new.  Last week, just about every major media outlet covered Nevada's decision to grant Google permission for their autonomous car to drive itself around the state.  But what are the implication for our transportation infrastructure and our health?

What happens to those parking lots at places like the airport? That's a lot of pavement that could be obsolete in just 10 years (if you're inclined to believe PC Magazine writer John Dvorak's opinion).

And what about our personal health? The motoring public doesn't walk all that much right now, but what happens when we stop walking from the parking lot to the store? What are the cumulative impacts of even less physical activity in our daily lives?

The flip side is a potentially dramatic reduction in automobile crashes and increased transportation system efficiency.  Plus, we'll be allowed to text while we drive again.  Hooray!

Weigh in.  Is this for real?  Or will we still live in a future of honking horns and gridlocked traffic?  Will the Google car provide net benefits for society or cause more problems than it solves?

It's Mother's Day.  It's gonna be 80+ degrees.  It's gonna be awesome!

Come join 30,000 of your fellow Portland residents for a stroll or roll around our traffic-free 8 mile loop in Northeast Portland.

11am - 4pm.  Click the flyer below for more information.

We'll see you there!!

So many great events are happening right now, I'm dizzy trying to keep up.  Which is why I'm highlighting some of the great events coming up in the next few days.  They are all FREE!

• SUNDAY PARKWAYS - Sunday, 5/13 - NE Portland.

• Free breakfast.  We held our second breakfast yesterday on NE Going St, inviting all of those hungry bike train riders to fuel up on their way down to school.  Check the calendar for a breakfast near you - one every day next work week.

• BTA Service Station - Bike needing a little tune up?  After work, stop by one of the BTA's free service stations to get your bike running smoother.  Next one: Wednesday 5/16 at NE 9th and Going St, 4:30- 6:30 pm.

• Bike curious? We've got a fun, free, interactive class to help you explore your most comfortable bike commute. Wednesday 5/16 at Tabor Space (5441 SE Belmont), 6:30 - 8pm.

Bike Month: a collage

Two great things to celebrate this Sunday: the inaugural Sunday Parkways of the year and MOM! And do you know what Mom wants, more than flowers or candy or jewelery? She wants to spend time with you. (Come on, that was a gimme folks.)

The best thing about this coming Sunday is you can hang with Mom, enjoy car-free streets, and commemorate it all for FREE at the Kaiser Permanente Souveneir Photo Booth at Alberta Park. There are so many activities taking place during Sunday Parkways you and Mom are sure to find some fun bonding moments:

• Live music at Woodlawn Park
• Zumba classes at Alberta Park
• A guided walk and tea in park, specifically for mom.
• Food, fun, and activity all along the 8-mile route

Take a peak at the event flyer then plan to head out on Sunday (perhaps after brunch - some Mother's Day traditions are too delicious to pass up) from 11am - 4pm and enjoy Mom's Day with us!

May Day is also the start to National Bike Month and Portland is jumping in with both feet.

Today a crack team of PBOT employees used their coffee break to keep some bike seats dry.

The primary goal of PDX Bike Month is to encourage people to dust off their bikes and to start riding. We're here to help if you need a bike route plan or want to order bike maps or how to guides.

Thanks to Metro and Drive Less Save More for providing the seat covers.

Look out for this unsavory character cooking up this savory treat.

The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) wants to invite you to give bicycling during PDX Bike Month!  So we're taking our annual Bike Month breakfast out to the streets.  We'll be in every quadrant of the city (including the fifth quadrant) at least once this month to serve up a little coffee, nourishment, and encouragement.

First up? SE Lincoln Neighborhood Greenway breakfast, hosted by the venerable Jeff Smith.  You don't want to miss this nosh spot because Jeff will be making his famous biker dish, Hens in a Nest. You can find Jeff on SE Lincoln, just west of Cesar Chavez Blvd (39th Ave) from 7:15 a.m. - 8:45 a.m.

Next Tuesday brings us to the month of May and the beginning of the fair weather bicycling season.

In conjunction with the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and many other partners, the City of Portland is presenting over 33 events to welcome new and returning bicyclists. 

Think of PDX Bike Month as an invitation to dust off your bike and have fun getting to work or where you need to go. There will be free breakfasts, clinics and rides throughout the city. As always, you can order free bike resources from us or request a free bike route plan. 

Also, keep your eyes peeled for fun events throughout the metro region sponsored by Drive Less. Save More.

"Green wave" is the slang term for setting traffic signal timing to allow traffic to proceed at an optimal speed.  For example, on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. in SE Portland, the signals are timed for traffic to move at 27 mph.  If you drive that speed, you'll hit the green wave.

There are other places where Portland's traffic engineers are setting signal timing to optimize traffic flow.  Recently, the signals on SE Hawthorne between the Hawthorne Bridge and SE 12th Ave were set to enhance traffic flow.  People traveling on bikes should notice that it's easier to travel to Ladd Ave without stopping then before the changes. 

Check out this video from the blog Copenhagenize about the Copenhagen green wave.  SE Hawthorne might just look like this way once it hits 80 degrees.

Portland Afoot released yesterday its ranking of the best Portland employers for low car commuters.

The survey, conducted by Portland Afoot and the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, was distributed to more than 600 local employers.

Respondents were ranked using 10 weighted metrics that measured their friendliness to workers who bike, walk, carpool, telecommute or ride public transit.

Components included free TriMet passes, discounted vanpools and the ability to telecommute or work flexible hours.

Employers were also rewarded for not subsidizing auto parking and for providing shared vehicles such as Zipcars rather than reimbursing employees for miles driven on the job.

Employers received 10 points if they participated in the BTA’s Bike Commute Challenge, and an extra 5 points if their bike commute rate was above 20%. Employers also received points for providing safe and secure bike parking and other facilities for bicycle commuters.

Portland Afoot’s first ranking of commute benefits was conducted in 2011. Full results of that ranking are available online, and will be replaced Wednesday with the 2012 ranking: http://portlandafoot.org/w/Best_Portland_employers_for_low-car_commuters. 

"As gas prices soar, TriMet raises fares and the state slashes transit pass subsidies, these smart, responsible employers deserve more credit than ever for understanding that great commuting benefits make workers happy, healthy and productive," said Michael Andersen, Portland Afoot's editor.

Portland Afoot is a 10-minute newsmagazine about low-car life in Portland, distributed monthly by direct mail to 1,000 subscribing transit riders, and an editable online guide to low-car life. Learn more at http://www.portlandafoot.org.

Learn about your rights and responsibilities on the road. For over a decade, bicycle lawyer Ray Thomas of Swanson, Thomas and Coon has shared his wisdom with cyclists around the state in his 60-minute clinic on bicyclists' rights and responsibilities on the road.

Now Ray is adding pedestrian rights and responsibilities to his lecture. The free clinic covers Oregon bicycle and pedestrian laws, insurance information and what to do if you're in a crash.

Participants can participate in a lively question and answer session and bike, walk or roll away with a free copy of "Pedal Power, a Legal Guide for Oregon Cyclists."

Please RSVP to Stephanie Noll at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance.

The clinic will be offered at the Bicycle Transportation Alliance office at 618 NW Glisan Street, suite 401 (use buzzer #41) on the following dates:

• Wednesday, April 18 at 6:00 pm
• Wednesday, May 16 at 6:00 pm
• Wednesday, June 20 at 6:00 pm
• Wednesday, August 29 at 6:00 pm

You're not a career politician owed favors by your congressional delegate.  You're not a super rich contributor to a political party.  So how do you get that coveted ambassador post you've always wanted (nay, deserved)?  Become a Transportation Options Ambassador!

Ambassadors are amazing volunteers that represent the Bureau of Transportation and present information to encourage pedestrians, bicyclists, drivers, and transit riders to travel safely together.  As part of our SmartTrips program, Ambassadors will assist on guided Ten Toes Walks, Senior Strolls, and Portland By Cycle and Women on Bikes rides and clinics.  We also have opportunities for volunteers to help out with the Safe Routes to School program by fitting helmets, wrenching or outreach at events, and assisting on bike rides.  By being an Ambassador you will have a great time while seeing some of Portland's beautiful southeast neighborhoods.

We have a two hour training available on May 8th and May 16, 6-8PM, to prepare Ambassadors for the season.  If you are interested in becoming an Options Ambassador, please fill out an application.  If you would like more information, please contact Janis McDonald.  Looking forward to a great summer and who knows, your next stop may be the U.S. embassy in Paris...

National Walk to Work Day

Friday, April 6, 2012

(see starting locations below)

Make local history by helping to celebrate national Walk to Work Day on April 6th, 2012, the event's inaugural year in Portland.

The Willamette Pedestrian Coalition is hosting walk-and-talks where you can meet your neighbors on a stroll into downtown. A light breakfast will be served at City Hall.

You don't have to walk all the way from your house to participate. If take transit, chances are that walking is already a part of your commute.

Meet up locations (check the web site for additions):

The City's Safe Routes to School program is holding a FREE class for adults to help build your biking confidence.  Participants will learn about traffic laws, bicycling resources and getting back on a bike. 

On Saturday night, Car2Go - a pay by the minute car share company from Daimler Trucks North America, officially launched their service in Pioneer Courthouse Square.

Along with the classic car share company Zipcar and peer to peer car sharing via Getaround, Car2Go's launch provides Portlanders with three distinct car sharing services.

Car2Go's service allows one-way car sharing trips for 35 cents per minute. The maximum rate per hour is $12.99 and the maximum daily rate is $65.99.

Similar to other car share companies, Car2Go requires you to be a member to use their vehicles. You can reserve a car online or go to any available car on their map and swipe your membership card to begin the rental.

Cars can be parked on any public street in the parking lane, including metered parking within the Car2Go "home area." The only exceptions are restricted spaces (e.g., valet, loading zone) or spaces restricted to parking for less than an hour.

Autoblog reports that in San Diego, members logged 25,000 Car2Go trips in the first 100 days.