Bikeshare Finally Coming to the City that Made Bikes Famous—Portland

Still without a corporate sponsor, Portland is moving ahead with a bikeshare proposal that will add 600 shared bikes to the city's streets.

1 minute read

September 11, 2015, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Portland plans to roll out a long-delayed bike rental program, perhaps as soon as next summer," reports Elliot Njus.

"The reworked proposal calls for a 600-bike fleet supplied by Social Bicycles, Inc., or SoBi, of New York. That's 150 fewer bikes than proposed in 2012, when the city signed a contract with Alta Bicycle Share, now under new ownership and rebranded as Motivate Co," adds Njus.

According to Njus, the city is forging ahead even without the corporate sponsor that has so far eluded the city's bikeshare plans—and proved the death of the earlier version of the plan. The current proposal estimates the launch of the program to cost $2 million, funded by federal grants. "Operations are intended to be self-sufficient through user fees and, eventually, sponsorships."

Njus goes on to provide more details about how the system will work and where the stations will be located around the city.

Wednesday, September 9, 2015 in The Oregonian

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Concrete Brutalism building with slanted walls and light visible through an atrium.

What ‘The Brutalist’ Teaches Us About Modern Cities

How architecture and urban landscapes reflect the trauma and dysfunction of the post-war experience.

February 28, 2025 - Justin Hollander

Complete Street

‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge

Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

February 27, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

View of mountains with large shrubs in foreground in Altadena, California.

Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire

In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

March 9 - Pasadena NOw

Aerial view of single-family homes with swimming pools in San Diego, California.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule

The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

March 9 - Axios

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation