Second annual Equity Bike Ride includes even more sponsors and adventures than last year’s ride

Mary Rose Navarro, Antonio Askew, and Irek Wielgosz Planting Along I-205 MUP
Portland OIC's Antonio Askew planting with Mary Rose Navarro of Metro and Friends of Trees Crew Leader Irek Wielgosz along the I-205 Multi-Use Path (Chijo Takeda)

The Skanner just published this informative story about the upcoming Equity Bike Ride on August 25, which will include a portion of the I-205 Multi-Use Path where Friends of Trees volunteers have planted thousands of trees during the past two years.

Below are excerpts from Helen Silvis’s story, which you can read in full on The Skanner’s web site.

“East Portland, or ‘The Numbers,’  is home to one-quarter of the city’s residents. But this fast-growing area is also poorer and has fewer resources than other parts of the city. So what’s being done to level the playing field for this multicultural area? Find out Aug. 25 at the Second Annual Equity Ride.

The East Portland Plan, adopted in 2009 aims to bring more resources and support to residents living east of 82nd Avenue. Check out some of the efforts underway at the second annual Equity Bike Ride, gathering from 5:30 pm, Aug. 25 in Lents Park, SE 92nd Avenue at Steele. The bike ride will set off at 6 p.m. and travel six and a half miles through the Lents neighborhood.

‘It is open to anybody who wants to join in and participate,’ said Shelli Romero, public policy and communications manager for Oregon Department of Transportation, who started the Equity Ride last year.  ‘We’ve doubled the number of sponsors and we expect a lot of people to come so we encourage people to get there early.’

…

The ride will stop four times to check out new development: first, on the new I-205 path at SE Liebe; second, at Holgate Transit Center; third, at Gilbert Heights Middle School; and finally at Zenger Farm. At each stop on the Equity Ride, speakers from sponsoring groups will explain how their work impacts equity and diversity issues, and what’s possible for future projects.

Enjoy a tamale, courtesy of Hacienda CDC, and find out more about transit, housing, networking and development in East Portland, as you discover the joy of biking on the new path along I-205.”

In addition, you can see some of the thousands of new trees that Friends of Trees volunteers have planted along the path in partnership with ODOT, Metro, and a dozen foundations, agencies, sports teams, and neighborhood groups. Logan Lauvray, who directs Friends of Trees’ Green Space Initiative program, will describe the planting project as part of the Equity Bike Ride.

–TR