A recent trip to Portland, OR introduced me to the city’s MAX train – a quiet, electric public transportation solution that delivered me downtown to a phenomenal Holiday Ale Festival within minutes of my arrival to northern Portland.

Portland is one of the easiest cities in the U.S. to navigate car-free. What was particularly striking was the number of cyclists who batted nary an eyelash at the deluge of rain and flooding streets, which was heavy even by Oregon standards. Fenders, mud flaps, and everything from high-tech rain gear to $5 rain slickers were out in force and were on bikes all over the city.

 

Best of all was the integration of the two: MAX trains with handy-dandy hooks to hang your trusty steed (as in the snapshot above). A network of public transportation with carrying capacity for bikes (and, of course, pedestrians) and a great web of bike paths and lanes made for a dizzying array of carectomy patients taking to the streets and ruling the town.

It was encouraging to see some of the concepts we blog about improving cities and peoples’ lives in a concrete way. We did spend some time stuck in highway gridlock as well – but it was nice that we rarely needed to turn to car or taxi travel.

Photo via flickr by Major Clanger