The Providence Bridge Pedal, formerly known as the Portland Bridge Pedal is an annual recreational cycling and walking event across several Willamette River crossings in Portland, Oregon. Oregon State Representative Rick Bauman is credited with conceiving the event while watching the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens on the Marquam Bridge. By 2007 it became the world's third largest annual recreational cycling event behind the Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City, New York and Tour de l'Île in Montreal, Quebec.[1]
The first event was held in 1996 and attracted 7,500 cyclists and walkers. The name was changed from the Portland Bridge Pedal to the Providence Bridge Pedal in 1997 after Providence Health and Services became the event's main sponsor. There are several routes with varying lengths in the event, which averages 20,000 participants per year.[1][2] The longest route in 2013 spanned 10 crossings.[3] The 2015 event was also the public preview of Tilikum Crossing, the first major bridge in the U.S. that was designed to allow access to transit vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians but not cars, with an estimated 40,000–50,000 people crossing the bridge during the day.[4]
References
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- ^ a b Cohen, Scott. "Portland Bridge Pedal". Oregon Encyclopedia. Portland State University. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
- ^ Hu, Ev (20 July 2008). "Bridge Pedal organizers strive for a smooth ride". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
- ^ Russell, Michael (11 August 2013). "Providence Bridge Pedal attracts 18,000 riders to its car-free bridge routes". The Oregonian. Portland, Oregon. Retrieved 30 April 2014.
- ^ Yao Long, Stephanie. "Tilikum Crossing: public treated to an open house (photos)". The Oregonian. No. August 9, 2015. Retrieved 10 August 2015.