A couple of hopeful pieces of news from the Pacific Northwest, courtesy of Streetsblog Network member Bike Portland. First off, their fair city has put some exciting bike/ped improvements in its stimulus package request, including the design and construction of a bike-and-pedestrian-only bridge, as well as Portland’s first-ever cycle track. The plans call for starting the projects within the next 12 months.

Photo by Jonathan Maus of Bike Portland.

Bike Portland also filed an exclusive report on the Bicycle Transportation Alliance‘s call for an "Idaho style," or rolling, stop sign law for cyclists in Portland:

In an interview this afternoon, BTA lobbyist Karl Rohde said the
bill language is currently being drafted in Salem and it will be
officially known as the “Idaho Stop Law”.

“We feel the law needs to change to reflect the safe behavior that’s
happening now,” said Rohde, “Coming to a complete stop isn’t necessary
for a vehicle (bicycle) that does not pose the same threat to other
road users and whose operators have a greater awareness of their
surroundings.”

Moving south for other bike-related news: Transit Miami interviews that city’s first Bicycle Coordinator, whose agenda includes more bike lanes, more bike racks and better education efforts. He says biking is "the closest thing to flying," and we’d have to agree.

Also: shovel-ready green projects in Ohio, via GreenCityBlueLake, and improved reliability in Chicago transit, via CTA Tattler.