When around Lloyd, keep an eye out for Dreamers cruising around town on their new e-bike!

This month Lloyd EcoDistrict had the pleasure of donating an e-bike and helmets to our neighbors at Right 2 Dream Too (R2DToo). The donation of the bike was made possible thanks to the residents of the Holladay Park Plaza (HPP). HPP residents won the e-bike during our Lloyd Spark residential e-bike challenge in 2018. HPP residents thought that R2Dtoo might be in more need of the bike so generously returned it to Lloyd EcoDistrict so we could donate it to R2DToo.

Now with regular access to a Gen-Ze E-Bike, some Dreamers of the houseless rest area will be able to get around town easier in a safe, socially-distanced, low-carbon manner.  Because the bike is electric and features e-assist technology, the e-bikes will also allow R2DToo residents to travel further and easier.

The addition of the e-bike to R2Dtoo’s is just another example of the Lloyd community coming together to support our neighbors there. The ReCharge the Rest Area fundraising campaign to provide operating expenses funding at R2Dtoo still ongoing and you’re invited to contribute if you have the means.

Check out more photos for the e-bike transfer here.

Since it’s wintertime and we know people are spending even more time at home indoors, we figured we’d share 10 tips for saving energy and money during this time of year:

1. Whenever possible, use the microwave instead of the oven or stove. Microwaves use less energy and time to cook a snack or reheat a meal than the stovetop or oven.
2. Like windows, outlets can let in drafts from the outdoors that counteract your heating efforts. If the outlets feel especially cold when you touch them or if you can feel any cold air coming through, this means you could be up against this issue. Gaskets, small plastic plugs that fit in your outlets, help seal them up and prevent any cool air from getting in.
3. Turn your thermostat down before you go to bed. You can save up to 10% on your heating and cooling bills yearly simply by turning your thermostat down by 7-10 degrees at night.

Check out the other 7 energy-saving tips you can implement this winter on the full blog post here.

• In the Lloyd, we have recognized how important decarbonization efforts are to combat climate change and build a sustainable future. Unfortunately, the Cascadia region is falling further behind its goals to reduce emissions, particularly as compared to California.  Read more about why efforts have stalled here.
• Ridwell has expanded its home-pickup service to Portland, collecting hard-to-recycle things like plastic bags, bubble wrap, batteries, light bulbs and clothing that aren’t allowed in curbside recycling bins.
• Albina Vision Trust has announced plans to develop an affordable housing and community theater project in the Lower Albina district. 
• Do you know where to go in Portland after a major earthquake to ask for emergency assistance if phone service is down, or report severe damage or injury? In Portland, these locations are called BEECNs (Basic Earthquake Emergency Communication Nodes). On Monday evening the Portland Bureau of Emergency Management is hosting a free, 90-minute Zoom training to introduce residents to the BEECN.