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<\/a><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nIf you\u2019re new to riding bikes in Portland \u2014 or if you\u2019re new to BikePortland \u2014 I have a very important message for you about River View Cemetery: Riding bicycles through the cemetery is a privilege, not a right. And public access could be revoked at any time.<\/p>\n
I share this now because I just received a troubling note that once again thrusts this issue into the spotlight. I say once again because I\u2019ve written almost two dozen stories<\/a> about River View Cemetery access since first sharing a threat of it being closed to bikes in 2006<\/a>.<\/p>\n And when it comes to riding through the cemetery, if you know, you know: it is a fantastic route that connects the west end of the Sellwood Bridge (via the bridge and the Willamette Greenway path) to SW Terwilliger and Lewis & Clark College. The unfortunate fact is that the road through River View Cemetery is private. It\u2019s only open to public access thanks to the goodwill of the River View board of trustees and leadership. \u00a0The other unfortunate fact is that the City of Portland doesn\u2019t provide people any other alternative that is remotely safe or accessible. The only other route that would even merit consideration would be South Taylors Ferry Road, which (as you can see in the photo above) has very little space for cycling and is a relatively high speed arterial that is scary to ride on for 99% of the cycling population.<\/p>\n Which brings me to that troubling note. It comes from (yet another) person who claims to have had a very negative interaction with a bicycle rider during a visit to the cemetery. Here\u2019s what they shared with BikePortland:<\/p>\n Jonathan,<\/p>\n My 27 year old daughter was buried yesterday at Riverview, and I returned to the cemetery this morning in search of her gravesite. I encountered many bikers, most of who were respectful, until I encountered an entitled one who wasn\u2019t.<\/p>\n This one nearly ran into me, while he sped downhill making a right turn onto a no bike road, and not visible to me until after I started a left turn onto that road. The biker first started screaming at me.\u00a0 I made the mistake of opening my window and letting him know of both the speed limit and no bike road, and asking him to be respectful of the dead. I added that I was looking for my daughter\u2019s grave.<\/p>\n He called me a dumb ass, told me I was driving on a bike path, and said he was thankful for my loss.\u00a0 He made aggressive maneuvers toward me, at which point I found it necessary to abandon my search and leave the cemetery.<\/p>\n I have reported this to cemetery management, and encouraging them to enact a permanent ban on cyclists through this private property.\u00a0 I understand there have been multiple previous complaints from grieving families.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n People are people. Some are jerks, some are respectful. The actions of one person don\u2019t define an entire group. Yadda, yadda, yadda.<\/p>\n The fact is policies are often set because of emotional reactions to one situation that adds to a broader narrative \u2014 whether it\u2019s fair or not.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t believe the person who sent me the note above, take it from River View Cemetery Executive Director Rachel Essig (an ally of cycling who\u2019s helped stave off bans). \u201cOver the years our staff and our families have experienced verbal abuse and threats of physical violence. We\u2019ve had rider disrupts graveside services with loud talking, laughter and even using profanity at mourners,\u201d she shared with me via email this morning. \u201cWe also experience \u2018near misses\u2019 with cyclists as we operate a lot of heavy equipment to conduct interments, we have had riders get in the way of our employees work to serve our client families.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019ve learned over the years that the River View board of trustees has long considered a closing the cemetery to bike access and it has only been maintained because cemetery staff like Essig (and her predecessor) have stepped in and promised they can manage the situation. Interactions like the one above make it harder for staff to keep that promise.<\/p>\n River View hosts over 350 funerals every year. On any given day they are serving at least two families who have just lost a loved one. Please keep that in mind \u2014 and remember that your access to those roads is a privilege, not a right \u2014 every time you roll through those cemetery gates.<\/p>\n \u2014 Learn more about the rules for riding through River View in this video<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus<\/a> on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone\/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n
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