*** MEDIA ADVISORY/VIDEO OPP *** International School Of Portland, City Council Vice President Olivia Clark, OHSU, Portland State University To Celebrate New PBOT Safe Route To School With “Bike Bus” - 08/28/26
International School of Portland, City Council Vice President Olivia Clark, OHSU, Portland State University to Celebrate New PBOT Safe Route to School with “Bike Bus”
– Schoolchildren, families, OHSU students will cycle the “Better Sheridan” route, a result of collaboration between City agencies, PSU, Better Block PDX, International School of Portland, and OHSU -
PORTLAND — On Monday morning, August 31, the International School of Portland (ISP) community, alongside Portland City Council Vice President Olivia Clark, OHSU, PSU, neighbors, and local transportation advocates, will celebrate the completion of Phase I of the “Better Sheridan” project with a celebratory “Bike Bus.”
South Sheridan Street — a previously unimproved route connecting the South Waterfront and downtown — is undergoing a transformation. Thanks to a grassroots collaboration between ISP, OHSU, Better Block PDX, and Portland State University, the street now features newly installed bike lanes and protective barriers. The project was officially approved by City Council, with Phase 1 funded directly from Council Vice President Olivia Clark’s office budget.
To celebrate this milestone in neighborhood safety and accessibility to the South Waterfront, students, families, and community members will commute together in a “Bike Bus,” arriving at the ISP campus and greeted by a larger community.
WHAT: A celebratory “Bike Bus” and campus arrival event marking the completion of Phase I of the “Better Sheridan” safe streets project. Brief remarks by various stakeholder representatives will follow.
WHO:
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Students, families, and staff of the International School of Portland (ISP)
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Portland City Council Vice President Olivia Clark
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Representatives from the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT)
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Representatives from Better Block PDX, Portland State University (PSU), and OHSU
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Neighborhood association members and local community advocates
INTERVIEW AVAILABILITY:
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City Council Vice President Olivia Clark
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Bodo Heiliger, International School of Portland
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Maura Paxton, former PSU student and participant of Better Block PSU program
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Project organizers from Better Block PDX, Better Block PSU project participants, and parents whose children will benefit from the safer route
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International School of Portland students
VISUALS:
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Highly visual commute: Young children, parents, and community members riding bicycles together through the newly improved South Sheridan bike lanes to arrive at school
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Arrival celebration: Crowds of ISP staff, parents, and community members cheering on the arriving cyclists at 9 am
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Speaker remarks: Brief remarks from stakeholder representatives, standing at podium
WHEN: Monday, August 31
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8:45 am: School personnel, families, community members, and stakeholder leaders gather near International School of Portland to await the arrival of the Bike Bus
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9 am: Bike Bus arrives at ISP campus for cheers, celebration, and remarks before the school day begins
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9:05 am: Crowd walks one block toward ISP in preparation for remarks
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9:10 am (approximate): Brief remarks from stakeholder representatives begin: Planned order of speakers:
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Brief welcome to media and attendees and introduction of Council Vice President Clark: - Katharine Applegarth, International School of Portland (30-45 seconds)
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Council Vice President Olivia Clark
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Bodo Heiliger, International School of Portland
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Maura Paxton, former PSU student and participant of Better Block PSU program
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Brett Dodson, OHSU
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9:25 am: End of event
WHERE:
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Assembly / Bike Bus Arrival Point: Intersection between South Sheridan Street and South Water Avenue, beneath the Marquam Bridge
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Remarks: Intersection between South Water Avenue and South Caruthers (one block away from Bike Bus Arrival Point); edge of International School of Portland campus
NOTES:
Designated parking will be made available to interested media
ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF PORTLAND
Founded in 1990, the International School of Portland provides a warm, multicultural environment where children are fully immersed in Mandarin, Japanese or Spanish from preschool through fifth grade. Its small classes and inquiry-based International Baccalaureate curriculum enable children to acquire language and culture as they learn to pursue knowledge beyond the classroom and throughout life. Unlike other immersion schools, at least 75% of the classroom experience is in the language, including math.
One of only two schools in the United States to provide three full language immersion programs under one roof, the International School of Portland is also home to the longest-running Chinese immersion program in the Pacific Northwest. It is also the only program in the country to offer full Japanese language immersion, and to combine Japanese immersion with the renowned International Baccalaureate approach.
MEDIA CONTACT
Katharine Applegarth
International School of Portland
415-871-7843