On June 11th Oregon Department of Transportation hosted a celebration of 55 years of the Oregon “Bike Bill”. This bill was signed June 11th 1971 by Governor Tom McCall, but was Championed by Don Stathos, Republican state representative for Jackson County. Stathos was inspired by his experiences riding a tandem bike on the Oregon roads with his young daughter, Jenny. At one point they were almost run off the road by cars. He said, “It occurred to me that here we are, the richest country in the world, and it’s almost impossible to go anywhere except in your car.”
The Bike Bill was the first of its kind across the country, and requires the Department of Transportation and local governments to include bicycle and pedestrian facilities during road construction and to spend at least 1% of their state highway funds on these walkways and bikeways. It has made a huge impact on Oregon Roads and pedestrian and bicycle access and safety. Just in the last 8 years, this legislation has supported 129 projects.
Governor Tina Kotek attended and signed a proclamation making June 11th Bicycle and Pedestrian Bill Day. Jenny Hill, daughter of the Late Donald Stathos, spoke about her father’s passion for ensuring safe pathways for people to walk and bike. At least 14 SBC members attended. Salem Bicycle Club, along with Safe Routes to School, Salem Bike vision, Northwest Hub, and several other organizations tabled at the event in support of the Bill. A group ride to the capitol brought an impressive number of adults and children from Riverfront Park to the Capitol. Participants enjoyed lunch at Fork Forty with bike racks provided by SBC following the event.
By Debbie and Jim Miller