Hawthorne Bridge bicycle counter, Bicycle counter on Hawthorne Bridge, Downtown Portland, US

The Hawthorne Bridge bicycle counter is an automated real-time counter mounted on the Hawthorne Bridge in Downtown Portland, Oregon. It was the first such counter installed in a U.S. city, bought by the non-profit Cycle Oregon for $20,000 and donated to the city, which paid $5,000 for installation. It broke in 2018 and has not been repaired, so no data has been recorded since.

The counter was installed in August 2012, the first automated real-time bicycle counter in a U.S. city. The non-profit Cycle Oregon bought it for $20,000 and donated it to Portland, which paid $5,000 for installation. It counted its millionth rider in July 2013, broke in 2018 and has recorded no data since.

The counter has become part of how locals think about cycling in their daily commute and leisure rides across the bridge. It reflects the city's embrace of bicycles as a normal and valued way to move around.

The counter sits on the Hawthorne Bridge, which carries over 8,000 cyclists and 800 TriMet buses daily, so expect heavy two-way bike traffic. The lift span rises about 120 times a month, roughly 200 times when the river is low, so crossings can pause. The counter itself has been broken since 2018 and shows no readings.

The counter was the first automated real-time bicycle counter installed in a U.S. city, bought by the non-profit Cycle Oregon for $20,000 and donated to Portland, which paid $5,000 for installation. It counted its millionth rider in July 2013. It broke in 2018 and has not been repaired, so no data has been recorded since.