We had the pleasure of attending the bi-annual Association of Pedestrian and Bicycle Professionals (APBP) Conference held August 25, 2019 – August 28, 2019 in Portland, OR.
The APBP conference brings together advocates, bike/pedestrian professionals, industry experts, engineers, landscape architects, public health professionals and elected officials. APBP’s unique atmosphere facilitates collaboration between attendees to learn how to take ideas from policy into practice.
The conference experience kicked off with Portland DOT’s famous Sunday Parkways event on the Green Loop. This vibrant event featured free admission to the Portland Art Museum, live music, Zumba classes, shooting hoops on the Rip City court, bilingual bike fair, street artists, games, crafts and family fun for all. The seven-mile loop took participants through the historic North Park Blocks, a green oasis downtown along with other engaging downtown and inner eastside gems.
Cargo Bikes – Your Next Minivan?
Cargo bikes were a hot topic at the conference. This great poster from Heath Maddox, Bicycle Access Coordinator at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), highlights the need for dedicated cargo bike infrastructure.
Heath researched various configurations of cargo bike parking for public facilities. His poster also highlighted various challenges such as doorways that aren’t wide enough for cargo bikes, inability to turn around with a long wheelbase bike and no way to securely lock cargo bikes to standard inverted-U docks.
A poster by Heath Maddox, Bicycle Access Coordinator at Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART).
North America’s First Cargo Bike Rack
Speaking of cargo bikes, we were proud to unveil our brand-new Cargo Bike Dock at the conference. Purpose built for long-tail bikes, Bakfiets (Dutch-style) or cargo trikes, the Cargo Bike Dock gives these styles of cargo bikes the space they need.
Our booth, complete with the Cargo Bike Dock and Wave Delineator, on display at ABPB.
Feedback on our innovative solution was outstanding. Attendees loved the articulating lock bracket that allows standard U and cable locks to reach the locking points of the bike.
A closer look at the Cargo Bike Doc’s articulating lock.
The cargo-bike-optimized height and length of the rack was also appealing. The lower height of the Cargo Bike Dock discourages standard bikes from using the parking space as it is too low to lean bikes.
We were stoked to answer many questions about cargo bikes and their role in transportation today. Dare I say some may be rethinking the car life?
The Cargo Bike Dock in action.
Ever on the forefront of innovation, BikeNWA/Bentonville will earn the distinction of being the first Municipality in North America to install dedicated Cargo Bike Infrastructure. Stay tuned for more on this historic installation.
Lessons Learned
The APBP conference featured numerous educational panels, presentations, and poster displays. My favorite session was, “Me and My DOT: Partnering to Improve Cross-State Recreational Routes” panel including Jenna Berman, Robin Wilcox, Laura Crawford and Matt Messina. This panel took a deep dive into the risks, rewards and challenges in adventure road cycling routes.
The importance of this topic is underscored by the fact that in the summer of 2018, six people were hit while riding routes across Kansas, including the TransAmerica Bicycle Trail. Learn more about the Adventure Cycling and KS DOT collaboration.
I found the information in this panel to be particularly valuable. The best-practice of conducting a soup-to-nuts evaluation of your recreational routes from water stops to road hazards to community perception is vital to rider safety. The lessons learned and best practices identified from this tragic situation can be applied in all communities.
