Last night at the party celebrating the second birthday of Portland Afoot, a newsmagazine about “buses, bikes and low-car life,” publisher Michael Andersen made a startling announcement. The print publication — a compact, folded one-sheet previously available for $14/year — is morphing into a smartphone app, made available for free in an effort to reach the masses. The mass-transit masses.
This is a great move. The issues I’ve read are packed with useful information on being less reliant on cars to get around Portland. The app will reach a captive audience on buses and the MAX. Portland Afoot is designed to be digested in 10 minutes, and it appears that won’t change, though scrolling through PDFs on a palm-sized screen seems less fun than jumping from piece to piece in the print version.
When this thing hits, I will totally be on the street team. Until then, there’s Kickstarter. (Because isn’t there always Kickstarter?)
Above, soliciting suggestions for improving Portland for the car-lite set. I probably don’t have to say this, but Portland’s doing A-OK compared to my old stamping grounds, Los Angeles. Below left: A stop ID replacement sticker that also plugs Portland Afoot (genius). Center: Again, A-OK. Pine-scented fresh air, ahhh. Right: Raffle prize for a very specific need.
P.S.: This call for brainstorming reminds me of the chalkboard at the Rethink LA reception.
