Portland's Friday Night Ride brings personal electric vehicles to the streets

(NOVEMBER 26, 2021) Portland's unofficial motto is "Keep Portland Weird!" and the Friday Night Ride is one more reason the city has that reputation. Go downtown on a Friday night (when it's not raining) and you'll likely see dozens of electric unicycles, e-bikes, skateboards, and other types of "one-wheelers" -- often with colorful lights. Everyone moves at their own speed, and people say it's like a parade.

The weekly ride is organized by Portland eRiders. That's a group of people who own PEVs (personal electric vehicles) such as self-balancing electric skateboards with one large wheel in the middle. The weekly ride began four years ago. Since then, it has grown to include other types of scooters, skateboards, and even electric bikes. The event is free and open to anyone.

Jason Messer is one of the event's leaders. He told The Oregonian newspaper, “Everybody who sees us is energized by what we’re doing down there. We bring a big band of positive energy through the town.”

The riders meet at 7:00 p.m. on the Eastbank Esplanade outside of OMSI (the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry). At 7:30 p.m., the ride begins. The riders travel across the Tilikum Crossing bridge and then ends at Salmon Street Fountain. From there, the group travels east again across the Hawthorne Bridge, up the Esplanade and west across the Steel Bridge. They stop at the Lucky Lab bar in Northwest Portland. From there, riders continue down Broadway to the South Waterfront, and then back across the Tilikum Bridge.

The entire trip is about 11 miles and takes about four hours.