Tilikum Crossing

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Back in September 2015 the Tilikum Crossing bridge was inaugurated in Portland, USA, to connect neighbors such as South Waterfront, Lair Hill or Brooklyn. This bridge was awarded as the Best Highway/Bridge by the magazine Engineering News-Record in 2016. Why is it so special?

The Tilikum Crossing bridge is a clear example of mobility for people. On the one hand, it allows public transport such as light trains like MAX, the tram Portland Streetcar, and buses such as FX2-Division, 9-Powell Blvd, 17-Holgate/Broadway or 19-Woodstock/Glisan. On the other hand, there are also two 4 meters wing sides to enjoy views over the Willamette river. This space is leveraged by bikes and pedestrians, so that every way of transport and person has its dedicated line. Cars, vans and trucks are prohibited.

This point not only ensures practically no noise, but also way less pollution. Not surprisingly, the local newspaper The Atlantic defined it as the bridge that banned cars. In contrast, the project promoter baptized it as the bridge for people. Indeed, a participatory process was carried out to select its name. Tilikum means people, community or relatives in Chinook Wawa (a historical contact language from the Pacific Northwest).

Bike tourism accommodation examples

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When practicing bike tourism, there is the need of planning it and finding a proper place to sleep most of the times. As bike tourism has been developed over the last years, related businesses have also appeared. Focusing on accommodations, I have found the following in Spain (not exhaustive list). Surely, there would more in the country where you live.

  • Ciclolodge (Lozoya, Madrid): Located in the Guadarrama sierra, its owners are cyclists too and count with workshop, bike renting, spa and sportpersons specialized cuisine
  • Finca Albellons (Caimari, Mallorca): Close to the Tramuntana sierra, it has a closed space for bicycles, workshop and bike renting
  • Las Caldas Villa Termal (Oviedo, Asturias): Spa, workshop and you can bring your bike to your room
  • Princesa Parc Mountain Resort & Spa (Arinsal, Andorra): Located in the Pyrenees, it has a workshop, cleaning zone and offers specific menu for long routes
  • Hotel Tierra de Biescas (Biescas, Huesca): It is located at the beginning of the Tena valley and you can enjoy the sauna
  • Hotel Viura (Villabuena de Álava, Álava): Here you can combine bike tourism with wine tourism, it has a workshop and they offer a courtesy bicycle
  • Resort La Costa Beach & Golf (Pals, Girona): It offers bike hiring, guided routes and personalized route proposals
  • Turismo Rural Os Ormos (Espuéndolas, Huesca): One of the pioneering business in Bikefriendly. Here you can hire from GPS and bike guides to post-route catering
  • Snö Aragón Hills (Formigal, Huesca): Located in the Pyrenees, indeed Formigal has a ski resort, it presents a workshop and spa
  • Snö Hotell Bielsa (Bielsa, Huesca): Close to the Ordesa and Monte Perdido national park, it is a good starting point to reach many of the Pyrenees tops

Cargo bikes and workshops

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Cargo bike use has increased over the last years at least in Europe. It is in the way to be a key point in fighting against climate change. Some countries have developed interesting laws like Spain with the 9/2025 about Sustainable Mobility. This law, for example, does not force to use cargo bikes, but it eases not to use cars and vans for logistics in downtown. Thus, cargo bikes are ideal for last mile logistics.

When cargo bikes pass from a vehicle to leisure time to an essential tool to work or bring your family, bike workshops should take them into account seriously. As I foresee there will be more and more cargo bikes, those workshops which first consider, and perhaps specialize, on them will make a lot of money. Repairing bikes for work is not the same as fixing bikes for spending a good time on weekends. Such workshops should adapt to this viewpoint considering specific times, tools, in-and-out circuits and security.

Three challenges in the workshop to seriously think of when you have at least one logistics company as a client which only have cargo bikes:

  • Different space as cargo bikes tend to be larger that traditional ones
  • Different spare parts, have the right providers
  • Training colleagues since fixing a cargo bike can be different than doing the same to a traditional bicycle