« January 2006 | Main | March 2006 »
February 28, 2006
OBA Seeks Policy Analysts
I just saw a note from Jim Zehren, chair of the board of the Oregon Business Association.
OBA is looking for one or two full- or part-time policy analysts in areas that include sustainability, energy and environmental issues; health; education; transportation; taxes and public finance; and "good government" (state governance issues).
Interested parties should contact Executive Director Lynn Lundquist at lynn@oba-online.org.
Posted by Chris Smith at 12:58 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Light Rail to Forest Grove?
Now that I'm serving on MPAC, I'm making an effort to get out to various corners of the region and meet with local officials to get a better perspective on regional issues through a local lens.
I started with a trek out to Forest Grove, where Richard Kidd, who also chairs MPAC this year, is mayor. Forest Grove is as far west as our region goes, all the way to the end of the MAX Blue Line, then 20 minutes more on the #57.
When the West Side light rail was planned, the plans extended all the way to Forest Grove, but the funding ran out at Hillsboro. Mayor Kidd would like to change that.
He has a plan to do LRT from Hillsboro to Forest Grove on the cheap. Here's how it would work:
- Use existing ODOT rail right-of-way that parallels the highway from Hillsboro to Forest Grove. It currently only runs one freight train per week. He proposes that this freight service still be allowed to run on the LRT track.
- Take old mothballed MAX trains (TriMet apparently has some) and refurbish them, replacing the current power plant with a diesel-electric one (the new line would then not need to be electrified, a further savings).
Of course the change in vehicle type would mean a transfer at Hillsboro.
What do you think?
Posted by Chris Smith at 6:18 AM | Comments (17) | Permalink
February 27, 2006
Architect Weighs in on Transit Mall
Over at Portland Architecture, architect Rick Potestio weighs in on the Urban Design aspects of the Transit Mall project.
His conclusion: a subway is the best answer. Short of that, put both north- and south-bound trains on Sixth Ave, with a few key blocks underground.
And he mentions bike culture in Amsterdam...
Posted by Chris Smith at 7:11 AM | Comments (36) | Permalink
February 24, 2006
Transit Mall Discussion Shifts to Columbia/Jefferson
The Transit Mall is back in the news this morning, with a Trib article on the impact to Columbia and Jefferson.
So I have two questions to propose for discussion today:
1) If we assume that the current plan is going forward (all indications are the decision is not going to get revisited by any of the governments that approved it two years ago), does it permanently constrain the total transit capacity of the mall, so that future growth in ridership has to go to other streets?
2) Would a step-up in transit service on Columbia and Jefferson be a bad thing? After all, they had significantly more bus traffic prior to the opening of West Side Light Rail than they do today. Does a stronger east/west bus corridor have benefits to riders? Detriment to retail or other uses? Should Salmon/Washington and the Morrison Bridge take some of these lines?
Posted by Chris Smith at 8:02 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink
February 23, 2006
City Council Members Support Transit Mall Plan
This morning's Oregonian (sorry, the article is not online) reports that Mayor Potter and Transportation Commissioner Sam Adams support continuing the Transit Mall plan following yesterdays presentation to the steering committee.
Adams' quote:
I have been looking for the fatal flaw that would cause me to recommend a delay, and I have not found it.
Posted by Chris Smith at 8:35 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink
February 22, 2006
Help Sam Figure Out the Columbia Crossing
Over at commissionersam.com, the commish is asking about options on the Columbia Crossing. Head over there and help educate him!
Posted by Chris Smith at 11:57 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Willamette Week Features Peak Oil
The cover story for this week's issue of Willamette Week is about a Peak Oil activist.
Posted by Chris Smith at 10:29 AM | Comments (18) | Permalink
Joined at the Hip
Of course we all know that land use and transportation are two sides of the coin. But mapping the connections and figuring out how to plan based on them is never simple.
A new report from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute goes a long way to help us understand the web of interplay.
Land Use Impacts on Transport (PDF, 409K) is a survey of existing literature that ties a lot of research into a pretty comprehensive picture of the various ways that land use affects transportation. The factors considered include:
- Density
- Regional Accessibility
- Centeredness
- Land Use Mix
- Connectivity
- Roadway Design
- Parking Management
- Transit Accessibility
- Walking and Cycling Conditions
- Site Design and Building Orientation
- Mobility Management
and the cumulative impacts of all of the above. A great read as an introduction, or as a frame of reference for old hands.
Credit to 1000 Friends for pointing me at this report in their newsletter.
Posted by Chris Smith at 6:58 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
DNA Opposes Transit Mall Plan
Update: Jim Karlock has posted a video of the meeting (Real Media).
My sources tell me the Downtown Neighborhood Association just voted to oppose the Transit Mall plan, but I don't have any specific details about their opposition.
Were any of our readers there? Can you fill us in?
Posted by Chris Smith at 6:18 AM | Comments (16) | Permalink
February 21, 2006
Japanese Streetscapes
Portland Transport contributor Rick Browning will be giving a brown bag talk about his recent research trip to Japan:
About the presentation, Rick says:
I was the Architectural Foundation of Oregon's (AFO) 2004 Van Evera Bailey fellowship recipient and my rather unconventional study (not watercolors in Tuscany, anyway) involved travel to 8 major and not so major Japanese cities to look at pedestrian-oriented aspects of streetscape design. This included landscaping, urban furnishings, paving patterns, signage, lighting and storefront displays. Although far less studied than Europe, Japan's bike/ walk mode splits are actually the highest among the "Group of Seven", the post-industrial nations which together account for about two-thirds of the world's economic output.
Attend a free presentation Thursday, Feb. 23, Noon to 1:15 PM at the Portland Building's auditorium (1120 SW 5th Ave, 2nd floor) and thrill to exquisite storefronts, multi-story bike parking garages, shared sidewalks, sumptuous paving patterns, artistic wayfinding signage and LED encrusted plazas. Out of all of this - I will attempt to find some alternative ideas for current Portland street projects. Hope to see some of you there!
Here's a flyer (PDF, 217K)...
Posted by Chris Smith at 8:03 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
TriMet Convenes Mall Steering Committee - Tomorrow
I just received an e-mail notice that TriMet is convening the Transit Mall Steering Committee tomorrow (Thursday, 2/22) from 1:30-3pm. The meeting will be in the Pettygrove Room of City Hall.
The agenda includes a review of the operations plan and opportunity for public testimony.
Posted by Chris Smith at 7:23 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Oregon Apollo
I recently received an appeal for the Oregon Apollo Initiative.
The initiative, named after the Apollo Lunar program, is being launched with a ballot measure (PDF, 32K). It's goal is to make Oregon energy independent. The initiative would:
- Establish seven centers of clean and renewal energy excellence
- Establish an Energy Excellence Board to oversee them
- Create incentives for Biofuels
- Implement tax credits for Biofuel production
- Create a funding mechanism from grants, loans and lottery funds
Will this resonate with voters?
Posted by Chris Smith at 9:27 AM | Comments (5) | Permalink
February 20, 2006
For the Real Addicts
Because you asked for it.
One of our readers recently requested an RSS feed of the comments from Portland Transport posts.
So you real addicts are never out of touch: http://feeds.portlandtransport.com/PortlandTransportComments
Enjoy.
Posted by Chris Smith at 7:56 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Further Musings on the Transit Mall
So I've been musing about the Transit Mall over the weekend, reading all the comments on the prior posts, and have a few questions turning over in my mind, which I'd like to throw out to readers.
But first, I want to thank Jim Karlock. While I generally don't agree with Jim's take on transportation, I admire his dedication, including all the meetings he tapes. He has just posted his video of the Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting last week. Here they are, he tells me you need Real Player:
Part 1 - Presentations (43 min)
Part 2 - Q&A (58 min)
Question #1 - Interpreting the APTA Report
In my last post, I suggested that the APTA report was simply a constructive criticism of the design, not a condemnation. A reader has pointed out to me that the scope of the report was limited (i.e., they weren't asked to review design alternatives):
We are requesting a report that documents your opinions of our planned operating procedures and any recommendations for improving the movement between buses and LRVs. We are also interested in any "best practices" that you can share with us.
The reader has opined that in light of this, the following paragraph from the report is sort of screaming "don't do this":
While other city experiences in downtown street operation would suggest that normal rubber-tired traffic not be mingled with rail vehicles any more than necessary, and constantly changing lanes by transit vehicles (particularly LRVs) is not recommended, the following comments are provided in an attempt to maintain as safe and smooth a mall operation as possible with the policies already adopted for the Portland Transit Mall.
So is this a red flag, or friendly recommendations to make it work better?
Question #2 - Bottlenecks
I'm trying to understand if the potential system bottlenecks are a function of the Green Line or the Mall alignment.
Currently the Steel Bridge itself is a bottleneck, and the Y junction on the east side of the bridge is a potential bottleneck. Does the addition of another Y junction on the west side further limit capacity, or is capacity already constrained by the bridge or the existing eastern Y?
This matters because if the new Y is the issue, that might argue toward continuing to use Yamhill/Morrison rather than the mall. If the new Y is not the issue, then the question is whether we can get the Green Line across the bridge to any west side destination.
Who's got answers or opinions?
Posted by Chris Smith at 6:23 AM | Comments (20) | Permalink
February 19, 2006
I Couldn't Agree More
Check it out. Good find, Jonathan.
Posted by Chris Smith at 8:16 PM | Comments (5) | Permalink
February 18, 2006
Mall Discontent III: Return of TriMet
Update: Saturday: TriMet was kind enough to pass along a link to the APTA peer review report (PDF, 974K). I've read it, and the key message seems to be "nobody's done this before, but you seem to have thought out what you were doing". In addition there are plenty of constructive suggestions about how to make operations smoother.
Today's Tribune brings another episode in the saga. TriMet contends that the APTA report was actually a (mild?) endorsement of their design. The Trib's analysis of internal e-mails from TriMet implies that the APTA report may have been a 'paid endorsement'.
Any predictions for the next plot twist?
Posted by Chris Smith at 2:13 PM | Comments (12) | Permalink
February 17, 2006
Cincinnati Heart Portland
Apparently we have Portland Transport readers all over, including John Schneider, who wrote this piece for a weekly in Cincinnati extolling Portland's transportation virtues.
John is suggesting Cincinnati could emulate our transit-friendly downtown, and he points out examples including our Safeway, topped by condos and served by Streetcar.
There is a delegation from Cincinnati due in Portland to get first-hand research.
Posted by Chris Smith at 7:02 AM | Comments (5) | Permalink
February 16, 2006
On Being Obsessed with Statistics
Running a web site, I can't help it. I wallow in the numbers.
We passed 2000 comments over the life of the site today.
That's a lot of jawboning. Thanks, everybody.
Posted by Chris Smith at 10:00 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Coining a Term
There's an extensive piece in the Oregonian's In Portland section about the Burnside Plan. It analyzes the power politics behind support and opposition to the couplet plan.
Watching the process of deconstructing the results of many years of planning, accompanied by lots of public outreach and input, after the fact, makes me wonder if we should have a name for this process. How about "Burnsiding"?
For example, we could say that the Transit Mall is in the process of being Burnsided.
Update: Ryan Frank, the writer of the O story, posted additional info and links on his City Hall blog.
Posted by Chris Smith at 7:40 AM | Comments (15) | Permalink
Traffic Just Peachy at Bridgeport Village
Yesterday's Oregonian has a piece (Tualatin mayor praises Bridgeport traffic flow) quoting the Mayor of Tualatin, Lou Ogden, talking in his State of the City address about the improvements to roads surrounding Bridgeport Village: "Most times of the day, you see open lanes there."
But I bet he's never been there on a bicycle...
Posted by Chris Smith at 6:17 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink
February 15, 2006
Another Crosswalk Enforcement Action
This just came across the wire:
Please plan to join Portland Police Traffic Division and Portland Transportation for another Crosswalk Enforcement Action. On Thursday, February 16 we will be conducting our second Enforcement Action of 2006 at the marked crossing of SW Sam Jackson Park Rd. & SW US Veterans Hospital Rd. on the OHSU campus. A press event will take place from 9:30 - 10:00 am followed by a Crosswalk Enforcement Action from 10:00 am - noon. Everyone is invited to attend.
Posted by Chris Smith at 1:11 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
Candidate Questionnaire
Over on the There Oughta be a Law thread, it's been suggested that Portland Transport might do a candidate questionnaire for the upcoming gubernatorial primaries.
What questions would you want to ask aspiring candidates of both parties about transportation?
Here's one to start the ball rolling:
Will the budget you submit to the legislature include funding for high-speed rail from the Willamette Valley to Vancouver, BC?
Posted by Chris Smith at 6:01 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
February 14, 2006
Mall Discontent II
Update - the morning after: Former Mayor Vera Katz, who chaired the original steering committee that signed off the design is now suggesting that the new information needs a review, as reported in the Tribune.
Whatever you think about the downtown Transit Mall plan, it's pretty clear TriMet is out of favor with the Downtown Neighborhood Association. The association president used the first part of the meeting this evening to trash TriMet's response to the written questions.
This was followed by a presentation by Riverfront for People, an organization that until now has been known for their support of removing the freeway from the east bank of the Willamette. They presented their alternative ideas for the mall.
I was not able to stay for the whole meeting, but did get the handout (PDF, 82K). The presenting team was Joe Smith, Ron Buel, George Crandell and Jim Howell.
Here are some of their key points (and my reactions in some cases).
- The mall does need an upgrade
- The current 'weaving' design is unsafe and reduces bus capacity
- Two years of construction will disrupt the downtown economy (OK, but what does this have to do with the design?)
- Moving some bus lines to other streets permanently will be confusing
- Steel Bridge MAX bottleneck
- Permanent damage to downtown by moving buses to 3rd and 4th, Columbia and Jefferson (This is the one I struggle with the most - it implies that transit service is a detriment to the retail environment on a street, I think the opposite is true. Also, they might have noticed that Columbia and Jefferson are already transit streets.)
Their recommendations:
- Separate lanes for Light Rail and Buses, no weaving (doesn't address Steel Bridge bottleneck)
- Shorten the construction period (OK, but isn't that a good idea for either design?)
- Keep autos off the mall during rush hour (but still allow autos - I think the in the bus lane - at other times. Doesn't this impact bus capacity?)
- Keep all the lines currently on the mall on the mall, not on 3rd, 4th or other streets
My overall reaction is that they describe a lot of problems, then offer a solution to a subset. I'm sure that TriMet will basically respond "where were you two years ago when we examined the lane options?"
Posted by Chris Smith at 11:28 AM | Comments (74) | Permalink
The Sunrise Corridor
In the 1980s, ODOT created a new list of highways that would be built to improve access statewide – Access Oregon Highways. One of these highways was to connect the Portland region to eastern Oregon via Mt. Hood: Sunrise Highway from I-205 to Hwy 26 via Damascus/Boring. This roadway is in the beginning phases of being planned. The first segment to be discussed is a northern bypass of the Clackamas Industrial Area from I-205 to Rock Creek where highways 212 and 224 split.
There are several users of this proposed roadway that are discussed: truck traffic from the industrial area, Mt. Hood recreational travelers as well as existing and future Damascus residents.
Clackamas County has been working with consultants, David Evans and Associate, and a Policy Advisory Committee (members from ODOT, Metro, Industrial land owners and Damascus city council) for the last year to update the Draft Environmental Impact Statement from 1998. Currently, alternatives being discussed for the first phase of the Sunrise Corridor can be viewed on the website http://www.deainc.com/sunrise/index.html. Currently, there are interchange alternatives under discussion and a proposed 6-lane bypass of the current Hwy 212/224 to the north. There are still many opportunities to get involved in this process.
The County will be making a final recommendation on alternatives in the next couple of months but the public process outlined on the website has not been updated to indicate a specific timeline.
Some of the issues outlined below are summarized from other comments made during the process.
- Gateway Feature - Project should be an entry for visitors and commuters to Mt. Hood and Damascus.
- Sustainable Design Principles – minimize noise created by tires and engines, water runoff and the footprint of the project on the landscape. Maximize greenery with low maintenance landscaping including trees. And minimize the impact to Rock Creek with placement of the interchange for Damascus.
- Design this segment to compliment the Damascus Parkway Idea
- Cost Effective – Analyze whether the purchase of ROW for 6-lanes but only build 4-lanes in first stage is more cost-effective.
- Improve freight access by solving existing congestion issues on Hwy 212/224/I-205 interchange.
- Minimize impacts to existing businesses – Oregon Iron Works (will be manufacturing Portland Streetcars) and others have the potential to expand and should not be forced out by this project.
- Minimize impacts to Milwaukie and Damascus – a new 6-lane highway feeding into a 4-lane to the west and a 2-lane to the east may have serious livability issues.
- Consider analyzing a NEW Alternative with a Lower Design Speed – assume a 45-50 mph design speed and compare it against other alternatives in cost and mobility measures.
- Model alternative ideas for ALL the interchanges using a combination of modern roundabouts, rotaries and ramps to reduce the number of flyovers. And reduced design speeds. Then compare these ideas against other alternatives in cost and mobility measures.
- Include the Damascus Concept Plan road network for the next round of modeling to better predict demand on Sunrise Project.
- Do NOT use the 2030 land use forecasts unless they are recommended by MPAC and adopted by Metro Council
Posted by Lynn Peterson at 12:03 AM | Comments (25) | Permalink
February 13, 2006
Electric Bikes Take Hold in China
 image from IEEE Spectrum |
Jerry passes along this article from IEEE Spectrum, apparently indicating that despite government attempts to ban them, electric bikes are thriving in China.
My favorite quote from the story describes the U.S. as being in a "bubble" of highways and long-distance travel:
That bubble has been unkind to electric-bike promoters like Benjamin. The big roads and vast distances that many Americans navigate are a hindrance—so much so that they have altered the way people perceive the bicycle. Electric-bike consultant Jamerson says that to most U.S. drivers, a bicyclist on the road is just a nuisance. And to most bicyclists and bike dealers, the bike is an exercise machine or a toy. Why would they want one with an electric motor?
Here's to reversing the nuisance perception here in Portland as we cycle our way to Platinum. Could electric bikes help us get there?
Posted by Jerry Schneider at 12:13 AM | Comments (5) | Permalink
February 11, 2006
Golden Oldies: From Bike Summer 2002
In 2002, Portland was host to Bike Summer. Here are the three episodes of the KBOO Bike Show during Bike Summer.
Week 1 (mp3, 13M)
- Personal Stories on Taking Up Biking
- Chunk 666
Week 2 (mp3, 6.4M)
- Origins of Bike Summer
- Bike Advocacy in San Francisco
- Critical Mass
Week 3 (mp3, 13.4M)
- Diversity of Cyclists
- History of Critical Mass
Posted by Chris Smith at 12:50 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink
February 10, 2006
Mall Discontent
The Portland Tribune is reporting this morning on continuing opposition to TriMet's plan for Light Rail on the Transit Mall.
While some of the opposition seems a bit cranky, there are also some serious names, Ron Buel and George Crandell, expressing significant concerns about unintended consequences on the downtown environment.
The critics will present an alternative plan at the Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting on Monday (2/13, 5pm at the Lovejoy Room in City Hall).
Posted by Chris Smith at 7:24 AM | Comments (45) | Permalink
PDOT Budget Moves Forward
Over at Commissioner Sam, Sam has outlined the Portland Office of Transportation Budget he has submitted to the Mayor, including a 17% reduction in the General Transportation Revenue fund (driven primarily by reductions in gas tax revenue).
I am very intrigued by one item in the "change initiatives" list:
Accurately price transportation trips and services
I'm assuming this refers to the idea of making mode choices reflect their true costs, including externalities, so that consumers make 'market choices' that reflect the real impacts. If so, I'm wondering if this would imply and or all of the following:
- Capturing the hidden subsidies and environmental impacts of automobiles with either a substantial local gas tax or some kind of congestion fee like London's center-city surcharge?
- Making transit fares reflect the true cost of the service, perhaps with some credit for more efficient use of the infrastructure?
- Paying people to walk and bike, capturing the positive externalities for the environment and public health?
What do people think?
Posted by Chris Smith at 4:34 AM | Comments (3) | Permalink
February 9, 2006
Advanced Topics in School Siting
Update: This item came back to MPAC last night, and I ultimately voted in favor of it. Interestingly, yesterday's Oregonian featured an article on how the Beaverton School District had at least temporarily gotten around the challenge by jointly purchasing a parcel with two developers with the understanding that it would be partitioned after comprehensive planning.
I had the opportunity to ask Beaverton Schools officials at the meeting if this was an alternate model that could avoid the need for changing Title 11. The most convincing part of the response was "we're not land speculators."
At MPAC earlier in the week, we took up a topic that I hadn't really ever thought through before: how to site schools in areas newly added to the Urban Growth Boundary.
The issue in front of us was an amendment to Metro's Title 11, which governs newly added lands. The basic rule is that when land comes inside the UGB, you can't subdivide it below 20 acre parcels until the comprehensive planning gets done. The idea is to keep the land from being carved up so much that major uses cannot be sited.
The amendment, being pushed by several school districts, was to create an exception for schools and other public uses (parks, fire stations, etc.). The motivation was to allow a school district to go in and buy a school site (probably much less than 20 acres) while the land is still cheap. Of course, the district still can't build the school until after the zoning gets done. But by then the prices have gone up.
I made the point that schools are anchors for communities and we want to site them as part of the comprehensive planning, so we don't wind up with families having to drive their kids to school, or do remediation efforts like "Safe Routes to School" after we disconnect them from the transportation network.
The counter-argument is that a district wouldn't plunk down their scare resources to bank the land unless they had done a lot of consultation and could make a pretty good guess at the basic outlines of the comp plan. Worst case, if they guessed wrong, they could sell the parcel and buy the appropriate one. By buying early, their parcel would likely appreciate about equally with the one they eventually need.
Good idea? Bad idea?
Posted by Chris Smith at 7:58 PM | Comments (13) | Permalink
Where's my Bus?
TriMet has released their proposed temporary bus relocation plan for the period during which the Transit Mall will be torn up during construction.
Some buses will be relocated to Columbia/Jefferson (not clear from the map is that these buses will go up to Collins Circle and turn around).
Some others will go to 3rd and 4th. The rest with either go to 3rd and 4th or 10th and 11th. TriMet is interested in feedback on these two options.
I encourage you to give feedback on TriMet's site, but I'm also interested in your thoughts about the two options, and the whole plan, here.
Posted by Chris Smith at 12:21 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink
February 8, 2006
Cleaner Cars within Reach!
The Oregon Economic Council passes on this call to action:
The proposed “clean car standards” are one step away from becoming a reality in Oregon. Now is the time to urge the Environmental Quality Commission (EQC) to permanently adopt the clean car standards. These more protective tailpipe standards for new passenger cars and light-duty trucks will make Oregon’s air cleaner, reduce our impact on global warming and save us money at the fuel pump! The EQC will accept public comment until 5 p.m. March 3. You can express yourself online, via email, snail mail or even at a public hearing.
VOICE YOUR SUPPORT TODAY!
1. Submit comments online by visiting the Clean Cars for Oregon website. At the "Take Action" link you can modify the sample letter and send your comments directly to the Environmental Quality Commission.
2. Send your comments via email to Oregon.LEV@deq.state.or.us.
3. Attend a public hearing in Medford, Bend, Pendleton or Portland. (Do let us know if you plan to attend by emailing chrish@oeconline.org.)
Medford
7:00 p.m. February 21, 2006
Community Justice Center
1101 W Main Street, Suite 101
Bend
7:00 p.m. February 22, 2006
Central Oregon Association of Realtors
2112 NE 4th Street
Pendleton
7:00 p.m. February 23, 2006
Pendleton City Hall, Community Room
500 SW Dorian Avenue
Portland
7:00 p.m. February 27, 2006
DEQ Headquarters, Room 3A (3rd flr.)
811 SW 6th Avenue
Posted by Chris Smith at 5:45 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Tax Policy, Car Ads and Warning Labels
 image from carbusters.org |
A fellow wonk recently passed on this article to me:
"On the Road Again: How Tax Policy Drives Transportation Choices" by Roberta F. Mann. You can find it online here (you have to jump through some hoops to read it).
It catalogs a whole range of tax policies that favor automobiles (indeed more than any other vehicles, SUVs and Hummers) over other modes (and you can count policies in the other direction on one hand with lots of fingers left over). One in particular stood out for me: auto advertising is allowed as a tax deductible expense.
So all those car ads (you know, the ones with a single car out on the open road) trying to program us to love our cars, are being subsidized in part by our tax dollars.
This was reinforced for me by a discussion over on the car free network listserv about the same topic. One of the proposed antidotes: put a "Surgeon General's Warning" on cars (at least on the stickers) detailing the impacts on air quality and risk of accidents.
I'm not holding my breath, but the idea makes me smile.
Posted by Chris Smith at 12:07 AM | Comments (6) | Permalink
February 7, 2006
Regional Attitudes on Transportation
Yesterday I mentioned the new Regional Attitudes Polling done by Metro. I got the electronic file today, you can see the whole presentation here.
But I know what you're really interested in is the transportation stuff, so here goes...
Transportation is just barely top of mind, but at about the same level in all counties. 
The scary slide, roads above rail, but it gets better later. 
Here's the start of the section on transportation. 
Alternate modes are very desired! 
Investments in transit are favored over roads! 
Washington County not as supportive as other areas... |
Posted by Chris Smith at 11:48 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink
Transit Boards for All
Late last month we introduced the Transit Board™, a real-time arrival web tool for tracking TriMet buses and trains.
One TMA has already implemented it, we're in discussion with another TMA, an architecture office has put on their intranet.
One of the pieces of feedback we got is "let us define our own". So we've done just that. It's not quite as flexible, you can't change colors and fonts, and you can't pick individual lines, only sets of lines at a given stop, but you can setup your own Transit Board just be changing the url. Here's how it works:
http://tsrf.us/cgi-bin/tboard.pl?stop=8334&stop=8383
This particular board is designed for a hypothetical kiosk in the middle of Pioneer Courthouse Square, so it uses the MAX stops on either side of the square. You could add in as many stop=
You can get stop ids by looking on bus stops, or by using TriMet's Transit Tracker and noting the URL of the tracking page, looking for the locationID parameter.
We'll eventually have a tool that will let you click your way through setup of these, but not quite yet - hey, we're only volunteers.
The URL above works great as standalone page, but you can also put it inside another web page with an IFRAME tag, like so:
<iframe src="http://tsrf.us/cgi-bin/tboard.pl?stop=8334&stop=8383" frameborder=0 width=600 height=950>Frame could not be displayed</iframe>
[TIP: Play with the height= attribute of the IFRAME to balance extra white space against scroll bars depending on how many rows show up.]
Which would yield this...
And remember, if you want custom colors, font, bus lines, etc.; let us know, we can customize a Transit Board for you. We also now have a custom version that will work in a pop-up window!
Posted by Chris Smith at 7:12 AM | Comments (5) | Permalink
February 6, 2006
There Oughta be a Law
The Oregon Legislature will convene in a short ten months. Now is the time to start developing ideas for legislation, finding sponsors and allies, and trying out your arguments. What changes would you like to see in the laws, what programs you think we should create and fund (and which ones should be killed) and what policies the state should follow in the future?
It may seem early but lets start listing and debating the ideas you have. Let me share a few with you:
- Suspend automobile no-fault coverage if person involved in crash was speaking on cell phone within 5 minutes of when crash occurs. (Rather than banning cell phones, just make the users responsible for their choices. Who can object?)
- Eliminate authority of Speed Control Board over speed limits on local streets. (local streets exist to provide access, not to allow commuters to speed through. Letting local governments set speeds and therefore design would remove a major barrier to making local streets safer, quieter and more pleasant.)
- Create “woonerf” laws. (These would require motorists to yield to pedestrians and cyclists on local streets, supporting the previous action.)
- Establish an Interstate Cooperation Authority between Washington and Oregon to manage the Columbia River Crossing Project and other regional issues. (An Authority—requiring both state legislatures to approve and Congress to authorize through a Bi-State Compact—could ease both this project as well as provide a way to better connect the two sides of the region severed more by state lines than the Columbia.)
- Eliminate business tax deduction for employee parking.
- Fund rail improvements in Willamette Valley necessary for high speed rail.
I have a lot more but you get the idea. Let’s create a progressive list of transportation reform legislation.
Posted by Rex Burkholder at 10:19 AM | Comments (29) | Permalink
Making the Case for Planning
I had the opportunity to attend the MPAC Mayor's Forum last Friday. The event was the first public review of a new study by Davis/Hibbitts on attitudes toward regional planning. You may have seen some of this quoted in the Oregonian on Friday.
I'm trying to get a hold of the PowerPoint file, as there are some great questions on transportation with some important insights. But meanwhile, here a key learning we need to absorb for making the case for good regional planning.
Appeal to their pocketbooks, not just their values.
While the poll clearly affirmed that citizens support planning to protect our quality of life (83%), a strong 76% also agreed that "Land use planning helps protect the value of my home."
Similarly, when asked about farm and forestland, the responses lined up like this:
76% lean toward preserving farm and forestland for their value to the economy, versus 18% that lean toward opening up these lands to business expansion.
So lets keep keep in mind that planning tastes great AND it's less filling.
Posted by Chris Smith at 6:22 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink
February 2, 2006
Report from the Go Plantinum Kick-off
 The unveiling of the Trek Portland |
 The first "Portland" off the production line was reserved for Earl Blumenaur (he insisted on paying for it). |
 Bike advocates of all ranks swarmed the store |
 Politician kissing babies |
The biknoscienti gathered in force last night for a double-header event at the downtown Bike Gallery store. The Trek Portland was publicly unveiled and the City's campaign to attain Platinum cycling status was formally kicked off. It was announced that the first "Portland" was going to Congressman Earl Blumenaur (at Trek's insistence). Earl then insisted on paying for it - apparently he doesn't need a lobbyist scandal. The second is going to Bike Gallery owner Jay Graves, who announced it would be auctioned for charity.
A string of politicians spoke, getting much love from the crowd. The presentations culminated with Commissioner Sam Adams announcing Portland's drive to Go Platinum and reach a 15% bicycle mode share. The Go Platinum press release follows.
A good time was had by all.
RIDE PORTLAND celebration kicks off Portland Go Platinum campaign & The Bike Gallery showcases the TREK PORTLAND, Trek’s all-new urban commuter bike named after our city. (Portland OR) – Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams announced the Portland Go Platinum Strategy - A Nine-Part Initiative to make Portland a world class bicycling city today. About one hundred area cyclists, bike advocates and community leaders gathered together at The Bike Gallery’s “Ride Portland” celebration, which featured a showcase of the all new Trek Portland bike. This is among Portland’s many bike-friendly distinctions – Portland gets its own namesake bicycle.
Congressman Earl Blumenauer (OR-3) and Portland Commissioner Randy Leonard joined Commissioner Adams for the kick-off. Portland is the only large U.S. city with the League of American Bicyclists “Gold” status for bicycling. Portland wants to be the first large U.S. city to gain the highest “Platinum” status for cycling.
“We want more people riding their bikes – for recreation, for their health, for getting around Portland, and for fun,” said Commissioner Adams. ”Two-thirds of Portlanders say they want to bike more.”
A Portland Go Platinum Steering Committee, chaired by Commissioner Sam Adams, with Vice-chair Evan Manvel, Executive Director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, is coordinating this comprehensive community effort.
Nine-Part Strategy:
1. Significant enhancement of Portland’s existing bikeway network
2. Significant expansion of bicycle-friendly infrastructure
3. A comprehensive update of Portland’s Bicycle Master Plan
4. Targeted educational efforts that serve as national models
5. A mountain of bicycle encouragement activities
6. Expanded programs with law enforcement
7. Integration of bicycling into Oregon’s tourism and economic development efforts
8. Finding and committing to increased funding for bicycle improvements and services using federal, state, and local resources.
9. Adoption of a City Council resolution on Platinum and review of possible City policy changes"All Portland residents -- non-cyclists as well as cyclists -- can take tremendous pride in being part of Bicycling Magazine's Number One Bicycling City in the U.S." said Congressman Earl Blumenauer. The new March 2006 issue once again has Portland the Overall Best City for Bicycling. They created a whole new category just for Portland with the Overall Best City rating.
To reach Platinum, spur Portland’s economy, and improve the health and safety of
Portland residents, the strategy outlines a focused and energetic effort to increase bicycle use by 15% and celebrate – and expand – Portland’s commitment to bicycling.The Bike Gallery, Portland’s largest independent bike retailer, hosted this thank-you party to celebrate the arrival of the all-new Trek Portland and honor the bicycle advocates and riders who helped put Portland on the map as “the City that Rides.” “It is only fitting that the best bicycling city has its own signature bike,” added Congressman Blumenauer (OR-3).
“We want to build a network of good bikeways so that everyone can feel safe and comfortable riding out there,” said Commissioner Adams, “and driving side-by-side with their fellow cyclists.”
“Portland is not just a great place to bike, but a great place to live with bikes,” said Commissioner Leonard. As the number of people bicycling has tripled, the number of crashes has stayed the same; as more people bike, more drivers and bicyclists are getting the know how to safely share the road.
In the next few months Portlanders will plan bicycle trips on a new web-based trip planner for bicycling, notice the “I Share the Road” bumper stickers on cars and bikes, see new bicycling signs on local streets, get a new and improved Citywide Bicycle Map, along with a host of other innovative and creative strategies to Go Platinum.
Posted by Chris Smith at 9:31 PM | Comments (11) | Permalink
Abject Pandering: Portland Transport Table at Alice
BTA's annual Alice B. Toeclips awards are coming up on March 4th (5:30 PM at the Oregon Convention Center).
And yours truly is a nominee (blush).
I'd like to see if we can organize a Portland Transport table at the event. Not because I want a rooting section (but that's OK too), but because one of the goals of Portland Transport is to unite advocates from multiple modes. So this is a great opportunity for the transit advocates, pedestrian advocates, car-free folks and all the rest of you to come out and support the bicycle community.
So here's the drill. Order your tickets, then drop me a line at webmaster@portlandtransport.com and I'll keep a list for our table and give it to the BTA. See you there!
Posted by Chris Smith at 6:35 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
A Report from the Drive Less Save More Event
 Metro President David Bragdon, flanked by JPACT Chair Rex Burkholder and Washington County Chair Tom Brian introduce the Drive Less Save More program. |
 A crowd of transportation wonks gathers in Washington Square. |
 A set of TV commercials will be the centerpiece of the campaign. |
Transportation wonks were out in force (this wonk virtuously carpooled) yesterday as Metro, TriMet, ODOT and Washington County announced a public information campaign to encourage folks to take a little control over their auto trips. The message is not wholesale change, but rather an incremental approach: avoid 1 or 2 auto trips a week - or shift them to another mode - and you can have a big positive impact on the transportation system, and on your wallet.
The program, consisting primarily of a set of short TV commercials, will run as a pilot for 2 years, and then roll out statewide if successful.
I think it's worth a try. Compare it to the way we do recycling in this state - everyone participates, at least a little bit.
Check out more details at http://drivelesssavemore.com.
Posted by Chris Smith at 12:29 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink
February 1, 2006
Updated: 9 Points to Platinum
Sam and Earl will unveil their 9-point plan to get Portland to Platinum Cycling status at an event Thursday evening (7PM) at the downtown Bike Gallery store (SW 10th and Salmon).
See you there.
Update Feb 1st:
Here are the nine points in the plan to be announced tomorrow:
Nine-Part Strategy:
1. Significant enhancement of Portland’s existing bikeway network
2. Significant expansion of bicycle-friendly infrastructure
3. A comprehensive update of Portland’s Bicycle Master Plan
4. Targeted educational efforts that serve as national models
5. A mountain of bicycle encouragement activities
6. Expanded programs with law enforcement
7. Integration of bicycling into Oregon’s tourism and economic development efforts
8. Finding and committing to increased funding for bicycle improvements and services using federal, state, and local resources.
9. Adoption of a City Council resolution on Platinum and review of possible City policy changes
Posted by Chris Smith at 2:49 PM | Comments (8) | Permalink
Updated: Pedestrian Safety Hits Close to Home
Updated 1:20PM February 1st: KATU is reporting that Sara Cogan, 66, died from her injuries.
Walking the dog last night, my partner and I came across the intersection of NW 23rd and Quimby (one block from our home) taped off with crime scene tape and a number of police vehicles in the area.
Watching the 11 o'clock news, we learned that two women were struck by a car, one had a broken leg, and the other, 60, is in critical condition. The driver of the car - who police said was not speeding - said she never saw them.
I was out earlier in the evening with my 16-year-old-with-a-learners-permit behind the wheel and there is no question visibility was poor in the rain, and I was scanning somewhat nervously for pedestrians as we drove through the neighborhood.
Two immediate thoughts as I absorb this in a rather personal way:
1) This is exactly why speed limits on neighborhood streets should be more like 18mph than 25mph (although 23rd is technically a collector, not a local service street) - the survivability of the pedestrians hit by a car would go up dramatically at the lower speed.
2) As transportation chair of the neighborhood for about a decade, getting something to break up the traffic flow on 23rd between Northrup and Thurman (we argued whether a stop sign or traffic light was more appropriate) was a frequent discussion. I can't help wondering if we (I) should have pushed harder...
My thoughts and prayers go out to the two women who were hit.
Posted by Chris Smith at 1:21 PM | Comments (12) | Permalink
KBOO Bike Show: The TriMet Squeeze
Listen to the show (mp3, 12.3M)
Have you heard about the cyclist who blocked a TriMet bus and was punched by a rider who was let off the bus? Probably you have because it was front page news in the Oregonian. Well, the issue has really blown up. People have all sorts of opinions on the incident, but now they are also having heated discussions about the behaviors of TriMet operators. Even the folks of Breakfast on the Bridge are getting involved to give doughnuts to bus drivers as a thank you for sharing the road. Jonathan Maus's blog BikePortland.org has about 160 posts on all the TriMet articles combined!
It's apparent people have a lot to say, so Kiran Limaye, TriMet Bicycle Coordinator, has been invited to come on the KBOO Bike Show along with bus operator Leroy Minner.
Posted by Chris Smith at 11:45 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink
Health and Urban Design: Environment over Attitude
Last Thursday, I had a chance to catch Dr. Lawrence Frank as part of the Oregon Environmental Council's Healthy Environment Forum Series.
Dr. Frank's work focuses on finding relationships between various factors in the built environment and health outcomes.
For example, he presented a slide that looked at both income and living in a walkable environment as correlated with obesity (his metric for walkability is based on a variety of factors including density of intersections, i.e., an anti-cul-de-sac measure, and presence of neigbhborhood retail uses). The conclusion, income is slightly better predictor (higher income people have better food choices), but the double whammy of being poor in an environment that doesn't support walking shot off the chart.
Of course, causality is always a question when you look at correlations like this. One thesis would be that the environment isn't the issue, possibly people who like to walk just move to walkable neighborhoods.
To test this, Dr. Frank cross-tabbed attitudes about walking with environment and actual walking. Of course, people who liked walking walked more than those that didn't, when controlled for the walkability of the neighborhood. But equally, the more walkable the neighborhood, the more you walk, regardless of your preferences.
So let's make all our neighborhoods walkable. It should help bring down those health care costs...
Posted by Chris Smith at 12:09 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink
