Biketown Has Suspended Operations Until Further Notice Due to Air Quality

It’s the first time since its launch in 2016 that it has suspended service due to air quality.

Biketown Black History Month bike design (Biketown)
By Shannon Gormley

Only a few days after rolling out its new e-bike fleet, Biketown has suspended all service due to the dangerous air quality caused by the wildfires.

As of this afternoon, Portland has the second-worst air quality rating of any major city in the world, just behind Seattle. Last night, Mayor Ted Wheeler issued an executive order closing all city-owned outdoor areas until Sept. 24.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation made the announcement today on Twitter that it would suspend Biketown until further notice:

Biketown has suspended service due to weather before—service was halted during a snowstorm in 2017—but this is the first time since its launch in 2016 that it has suspended service due to air quality. This week, the bike-share program began a major expansion and put its first e-bikes on Portland streets.

According to a spokesperson for PBOT, Biketown will resume operations when Portland sees "significant and lasting improvement" in air quality, but the bureau does not have a pre-determined Air Quality Index number or duration of improvement that it will use to make that decision.

Related: Portland's Air Quality Isn't Likely to Improve for a Few Days.

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