Friday Fun: Portland Bike Lanes Pay Tribute to David Bowie and Prince

Biking is very rock and roll. Portland just turned up the volume.

1 minute read

July 29, 2016, 5:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


"Portland isn’t known for its rock music legacy," writes Jonathan Maus, "but we do have something no other city has: memorials to two modern-day rock titans that are made out of bike lane markings."

Maus is talking about bike lane markings (the familiar figure of a rider astride two wheels and an invisible frame) transformed to pay homage to Prince and David Bowie. Following the city's most recent Bowie vs. Prince bike ride, "maintenance crews from the City of Portland’s transportation bureau have lent their creative skills to bike lane symbols that honor both Prince and David Bowie."

According to Maus, the Prince bike lane character "can be found on East Burnside at 9th," below a "torrent of purple rain." Bowie's Ziggy Stardust is found at SW Broadway and Main. Click through to the article to see Maus's photos of both.

[Editor's note: I have to disagree with Maus's description of Portland's reputation for rock music. The Wipers are from Portland and they're one of the great rock and roll bands of all time.]

Thursday, July 28, 2016 in Bike Portland

"Planetizen federal action tracker" logo superimposed over black and white image of US Capitol dome.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

October 28, 2026 - Zachary Whalen

A car drives through a puddle, making a large splash. Rain pours down.

California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour

If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.

October 28, 2026 - Grist

Lake Powell with much of the water evaporated.

Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River

Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.

October 30, 2026 - Yale Environment 360

A Firefighter sprays water from a hose at a tall blaze.

US buildings threatened, destroyed by fires set to triple by 2060

Researchers found a high fire risk for socioeconomically vulnerable neighborhoods in the American West.

6 hours ago - Inside Climate News

People cross a crosswalk in Los Angeles.

LA residents may be allowed to paint their own crosswalks

Councilwoman Katy Yaroslavsky put out a motion instructing the Los Angeles Department of Public Transportation to study the feasibility of allowing volunteers to paint crosswalks.

7 hours ago - ABC7

Two women walking on the sidewalk in Dallas.

Dallas moves to overhaul its zoning code

The city's zoning reform will allow more multi-family and mixed-use developments.

November 4 - Yahoo News