Portland Afoot

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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.

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/

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.

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.

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/

Tallinn’s 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.

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/

Bus Riders Unite! names East Portland’s 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.

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/

40 awesome photos from last Saturday’s 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.

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/

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.

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

Neil McFarlane "Round 4" Interview - Part 2 Questions from the readers of PortlandTransport.com for TriMet general manager Neil McFarlane. Part 2 - The Suburbs Recorded April 23, 2013 Producer/Director...

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/

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.

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/

Mood to Move: Portland’s $134 million monument to me Portland is not a city overflowing with monuments.

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

Portland’s original streetcar network: a beautiful map from 1943 Here's a sweet map of the mass transit system that made Portland what it is.