woman riding a bike in a green-painted bike-only lane in downtown woman riding a bike in a green-painted bike-only lane in downtown
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自転車と車が道を共有するポートランドのダウンタウン。

Bike Safety Tips

Stay safe and enjoy Portland's bike-friendly culture.

1 min read

Know Before You Go

Note: Portland city ordinances prohibit riding bicycles on sidewalks in the downtown area bounded by SW Jefferson Street, SW Naito Parkway, NW Hoyt Street and 13th Avenue.

Know the Law

The Portland Bureau of Transportation provides a page with all the relevant state and city laws pertaining to cyclists.

Sharing the Road

Most Portland drivers are comfortable sharing the road with bicyclists — in fact, many of those drivers are counting the hours until they can get on their own bikes and ride. However, it’s still a good idea for cyclists to be careful and ride defensively. Some Portland streets are geared more toward cyclists than others, so it’s a good idea to review the biking and walking maps from the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

Bike Boxes

Portland has 15 intersections with green “bike boxes.” These are designed to prevent collisions between cyclists using bike lanes and motorists making right turns. Here’s how they work:

  • When the light is red, bicyclists should stop inside the green box. (Motorists must stop at the white line behind the box.)
  • Bicyclists can turn right on a red light at bike box intersections; drivers cannot.
  • Bicyclists have the right of way on a green light.

Bike Lane Variations

The city is testing two other alternatives to traditional bike lanes downtown: the Portland State University Cycle Track demonstration project on Southwest Broadway from Clay to Jackson; and buffered bike lanes on Southwest Oak between Naito Parkway and Ninth Avenue, and Southwest Harvey Milk Street between Naito and 13th. Use the links above to learn more.

Biking, Plan, Transportation

Explore by Bike

Navigate Portland like locals do: on two wheels.

Go To Biking
woman sitting on the ground in front of a pondwith a bicycle next to her

Bicycle Maps & Where to Ride

With bike lanes and paths throughout the city, Portland has great places to ride for cyclists of all abilities.

Cyclists riding towards trees beside a field on the Banks-Vernonia State Trail

Bicycling the Banks-Vernonia State Trail

The small logging town of Vernonia has become a central hub for bike routes through the surrounding state forest.

Biketown\'s Black History Month

Biketown Culture Collection Celebrates Portland’s Diversity

Portland’s bike-share program, Biketown, releases special-edition bikes and more for its year-long Culture Collection initiative.

Pedalpalooza tall bike wedding

Biking Events

Bike-loving Portlanders have come up with all sorts of rides and events that fill the calendar with two-wheeled shenanigans.

Five cyclists enjoying a bike tour in downtown Portland.

Portland Bike Tours

Bike tours let you see Portland like a local, rolling through neighborhoods along this cycling-friendly city’s many bike paths, trails and lanes.

a person mountain biking down steep rocks

Biking in the Columbia River Gorge

The Columbia River Gorge is a recreational biker’s paradise, with options including car-free blacktop, smooth single-track flows and canyon trails with tricky switchbacks.