2026 Bike to Books Design Contest

2026 Bike to Books Design Contest 

Bike to Books is the annual design contest from the partnership of the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and Multnomah County Library. Pre-K to 12th grade students and adults are invited to design bike lane art as part of May Bike Month. First-place designs are installed on Portland streets by PBOT striping crews.

Contest dates

• Contest runs from May 1 - June 1, 2026
• Entries must be received no later than Monday, June 1, 2026
• By submitting a design, you promise that the artwork you submitted: is your original creation; is not AI-generated; has not been copied in whole or in part from any other work; does not say bad or false things about other people; and has never been previously published or submitted to any other competition.
• PBOT and Multnomah County Library will attempt to notify the parents/guardians of winners using the information provided in the entry form by end of day on Friday, Aug. 1, 2026. 

Contest entry form

Entry forms are available for download to print at home. You can also pick up an entry form at any open Multnomah County Library branch. 

How to enter

You can submit your entry form online or drop it off at your local Multnomah County Library.

To submit online:

• Once your design is complete, scan or take a photo of both sides of your form.
• Email photos of BOTH SIDES of your completed entry form to biketobooks@portlandoregon.gov. We accept .jpgs, .pngs, .pdfs.
• Make sure your image is clear and a higher resolution if possible.
• Make sure you keep your original copy.

To drop off your entry:

• Visit your local Multnomah County Library.
• For library locations and hours, visit multcolib.org or call us at 503.988.5123. 

Tips for designs 

Designs are judged on originality, creativity, and whimsy. Designs must be feasible to recreate out of thermoplastic (a hard plastic polymer that becomes pliable or moldable at high temperatures and solidify upon cooling) and installed on a Portland street. Transparencies cannot be replicated and very small details are hard to recreate in thermoplastic. 

Let your imagination run wild, there are no color restrictions. 

Prizes

Grand Prize: Bike lane art design installed by PBOT striping crews on Portland streets.* There will be one grand prize from each of three grade categories: Pre-K to 2nd; 3rd - 6th; 7th - 12th; and adult. 

Second and third place runners up: Second and third place designs for each category will receive a prize which is to be determined. 

*Location, timing, and final rendition of the winning designs will be determined by PBOT staff. Some artistic license may be used to ensure the designs work with the materials we use and how it's installed. 

Contest rules

• Multiple entries welcome.
• Entrants must live in Multnomah County to be eligible to win.
• Entries may be accepted by dropping them off at any open Multnomah County Library location or through the Bike to Books email: biketobooks@portlandoregon.gov.
• By submitting artwork, you (or minor's parent/guardian) consent to use of your name (or the child's name), artwork, and/or quote on PBOT and Multnomah County Library promotional content. If you would prefer your name or the minor's name not be used, please initial below. Please do not include my name or the minor's name in any published content.
• There are no monetary prizes associated with winning this contest or for the use of artwork or quotes PBOT and Multnomah County Library use for content.
• By submitting a design, you promise that the artwork submitted: is your original creation; is not AI generated; has not been copied in whole or in part from any other work; does not say bad or false things about other people; and has never
  been previously published or submitted to any other competition.
• Entries must be received no later than June 1, 2026.
• PBOT will contact winners by phone or email on or around Aug. 1, 2026, and post winning entries to the bureau and library websites and social media.
• Judges' decisions are final and binding. PBOT will attempt to notify adult winners and the parents/ guardians of minor winners using the information provided in the entry form by end of day on Aug. 1, 2026. If an adult winner or a winner's parent or
  guardian cannot be contacted or does not respond within two business days of the first contact attempt, if a winner does not fulfill the eligibility requirements, if a winner does not adhere to the Official Rules, or if the prize notification is returned as undeliverable, that winner will be disqualified and contest organizers may select a new potential winner by the same criteria set forth above.
• The City of Portland ensures meaningful access to City programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services. To request these services, or to file a complaint of discrimination, contact 503-823-4000, (311), Relay Service & TTY: 711.