People driving cars on the Springwater Corridor path has become something of a sensitive topic of late. With an increase in dangerous drivers on our streets, carfree places are more cherished than ever.
So when folks smash through the sanctified space of what’s supposed to a cycling only area with deadly vehicles, it’s understandable why many people have a strong reaction.
Last month a Portland bike rider came across someone parked smack-dab in the middle of the Springwater path between Oaks Amusement Park and the Oaks Bottom Wildlife Refuge parking lot turnoff. It wasn’t a drunk driver and it wasn’t someone accessing their camping site.
The bike rider happened to be the man behind a popular Instagram account known as Cars Succ. Suffice it to say he wasn’t super happy to see the car on the path. He also had his video camera rolling to document his confrontation with the driver.
The owner of the Cars Succ account pulled over and asked the driver why he had parked on the path. The driver said he works with the nonprofit Mental Health & Addiction Association of Oregon and that he drove on the path in order to reach one of their clients. “We’re allowed to be out here as long as we have our hazards on,” the driver claimed in the video.
Mr. Cars Succ then expressed his concerns, suggested that the driver used a bike instead, and rode away.
I was curious about whether or not some nonprofits are allowed to drive and park on the Springwater path, so I reached out to Portland Parks & Recreation.
I heard back from Public Information Officer Mark Ross. Ross said, the mental health professional seen in the video was working under contract with the City of Portland’s Navigation and Outreach Teams. These teams are part of Portland’s efforts to help people who live in outdoor campsites throughout the city.
Ross said these crews sometimes need to reach people who live in areas far from trailheads and parking lots. “Some City staff and essential partners are allowed to drive on the path during emergency situations,” Ross told BikePortland. He added that PP&R has reached out to the specific nonprofit whose employee was on the path that day, “to ensure that safety is paramount in their protocols as they continue the valuable work to assist people living outdoors.”
PP&R says they will “iron out some nuances” in the policy and will do more collaboration with the nonprofit to make sure all path safety protocols are being followed.
As for the anonymous rider behind the Cars Succ account? He’s connected with a local bike advocacy group and told me today, “We’re trying to work on finding a solution that lets [that nonprofit] do their work activities on the path without a car.”