Portland Afoot

05/05/2023

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*bzzzt* *screeech*

Hi, hello! Is this thing on?

Portland! So good to see you! Happy 2023! We're de-hibernating this account just for a sec. How are things? We elected WHO president? Jeez, that probably didn't go over well around here.

From 2010 to 2013, Portland Afoot was a 10-minute newsmagazine, a local wiki, a blog, a Twitter feed, and a podcast about buses, bikes & low-car life in Portland.

10 years ago today was our last big hurrah: a citywide transit murder mystery game called "Who Killed Ms. Faire LeSquare?" Maybe you were there! Maybe you just saw people with the balloons.

We designed the game to be a launch for a mobile-app magazine that, um, didn't work. So we re-laid it out old school, printed a bunch of color copies at 2am, and had a terrific time anyway.

To mark the occasion, enjoy a few memories, and say hi to anyone who might be interested, we called up our core crew of creators. Here's what we're each up to these days.

07/17/2013

After a few months quiet, we've got a new direction mapped and we're meeting for happy hour at Backspace tonight, 5-7, to talk about it. Join us! http://portlandafoot.org/2013/07/have-a-drink-with-us-our-app-is-ready/

Come test the first public version of our simple mobile app and talk about how Portland Afoot and BikePortland are going to keep working together to inform low-car life in Portland.

06/25/2013

A much-requested new feature just came to Car2go's mobile apps: you can now ask for a push notification when a car comes available nearby. Super sweet.

05/25/2013

Guess what? When you make public transit free, lots of people use it instead of driving cars. http://cities-today.com/2013/05/tallinns-free-public-transport-leads-to-sharp-fall-in-city-traffic/

Within four months of initiating free public transport, the city of Tallinn in Estonia has seen a fall of 15 percent in traffic, including 7,600 fewer cars entering the city, and an increase of 14 percent in public transport use.

05/16/2013

Last night the folks at OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon voted on Portland's most ridiculously bad bus stops. The photos are pretty amazing. http://portlandafoot.org/2013/05/bus-riders-unite-names-east-portlands-three-most-ridiculously-bad-bus-stops/

About 30 East Portland transit riders used a Survivor-style selection process to choose the three east-side bus stops in deepest need of improvement.

05/09/2013

Our transit adventure game last weekend was a total blast and we've got 40 photos to prove it. http://portlandafoot.org/2013/05/40-awesome-photos-from-last-saturdays-transit-game-including-the-awesomest-of-all/

Last Saturday, Portland's transit system became a giant toy train set for 200 fun-seekers on 49 teams traveling the city in pursuit of points, $2500 in prizes and the answer to the mystery of the missing Faire LeSquare.

05/03/2013

Exciting news: Portland Afoot is teaming up with BikePortland.org. It'll mean changes, but it's going to bring low-car news and information in Portland to the next level. http://portlandafoot.org/2013/05/portland-afoot-and-bikeportland-are-going-to-take-their-next-steps-together/

Tomorrow we'll be celebrating the next step in Portland Afoot's journey: We're planning to team up with BikePortland.org.

05/01/2013

Great, only-slightly-wonky interview about the future of TriMet with its general manager. McFarlane often praises buses, but he's never gone this far: He says the central & westside bus grids are TriMet's top priority. Wants to add frequent service to the 35 & 44, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=JGsFieEz4KQ

Questions from the readers of PortlandTransport.com for TriMet general manager Neil McFarlane. Part 2 - The Suburbs Recorded April 23, 2013 Producer/Director...

04/30/2013

Our lifestyle columnist owns a house in the heart of Portland's no-parking apartment boom. She loves it. Here's why. http://portlandafoot.org/2013/04/parking-in-richmond-or-the-pros-and-cons-of-being-awesome/

A surge of awesomeness is wrapping itself around me and my inner southeast Richmond neighbors, whether we like it or not.

04/28/2013

Lifestyle columnist Cathy Hastie heard that a certain local civic engineering project was still awaiting a name. So she decided to make a modest proposal – on your behalf, actually.
http://portlandafoot.org/2013/04/mood-to-move-portlands-134-million-monument-to-me/

Portland is not a city overflowing with monuments.

04/25/2013

Huge, fascinating map of Portland's original streetcar network, from 1943. http://portlandafoot.org/2013/04/portlands-original-streetcar-network-in-1943/

Here's a sweet map of the mass transit system that made Portland what it is.