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October 31, 2007

Flexcar, Zipcar to Merge

This hit my mailbox this morning:

We're thrilled today to announce some big news: Flexcar will be merging with Zipcar, another U.S.-based car-sharing company.

This is good news for you for several reasons, including: more markets, more vehicles, and enhanced technology. Your membership will soon enable you to reserve shared
cars in New York, Boston, Toronto, Vancouver—even London! We'll be incorporating
Zipcar's award-winning technology, which will make it even easier to find, reserve, and
unlock cars.

There's more detail and links to Q&A here.

Given some of the Q&A, it sounds more like Flexcar is being acquired, or at least that in the end we'll all be using the ZipCar technology, branding and web site :-)

Posted by Chris Smith at 10:06 AM | Comments (10) | Permalink

Coming Up on the KBOO Bike Show: Women for Bikes

A roundtable discussion with women who advocate for cycling.

9-10AM, Wednesday, November 7th
KBOO FM 90.7
Streamed live at KBOO.fm
Podcast here later that day

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

October 30, 2007

Portland's Green Dividend Reviewed at PSU

We discussed Joe's Green Dividend earlier in the year. Now you can hear it straight from the horse's mouth.

Portland State University
Center for Transportation Studies
Fall 2007 Transportation Seminar Series

Speaker: Joe Cortright, Vice President/Economist, Impresa, Inc.
Topic: Portland's Green Dividend

When: Friday, November 2, 2007, 12:00-1:30 pm
Where: 204 Urban Center

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

October 29, 2007

Survey shows broad support for Transit Expansion, Road Maintenance

The 2007 Growth and Transportation Survey, sponsored by the National Association of Realtors and Smart Growth America, reveals some interesting results:

75% of those polled said that improving public transportation and building communities that don't require as much driving were better long-term solutions for reducing traffic. Only 21% said that building new roads provided the best solution.

...Nearly 90% believe new communities should b designed so we can walk more and drive less...

At 84% against, Americans are overwhelmingly opposed to the privatization of public roads and highways.

(Hat tip: Urban Planning Overlord blog.)

Posted by Bob Richardson at 10:22 AM | Comments (13) | Permalink

Transportation Seminar Now Podcast

The excellent weekly Friday lunchtime PSU transportation seminars are now being podcast (archived video has always been available). You can get the RSS feed for the podcast, or a link to subscribe in iTunes at the Seminar page.

Posted by Chris Smith at 9:00 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

California Takes Microstep Toward High Speed Rail

Via Planetizen:

About $15M just got allocated toward planning for an initial segment of a 700-mile high-speed rail corridor.

More interesting, the idea that $10B toward the project could be on the ballot in 2008.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (30) | Permalink

October 26, 2007

Additional CRC Materials Online

The Columbia River Crossing project has put the materials from their recent round of open houses online:

Open House Materials

• Display boards
• Bridge, transit mode and transit alignment choices handouts
• Aerial maps showing alternatives
• Comment Form

 

General Documents

• Cost Estimates Fact Sheet and Detailed Summary
• Project Background
• Project Summary
• Environmental Justice
• Highway and Interchanges
• Pedestrian and Bicycle
• Project Safety
• Property Purchases & Easements
• Transit Choices
• Transit Park and Rides
• Project Development Schedule

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (26) | Permalink

October 25, 2007

Recognition

There's a piece in the Daily Journal of Commerce today noting the confirmation of Scott Bricker as Executive Director of the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (Scott has been interim since this summer).

Scott and I have labored side-by-side on a number of issues since we both were appointed to TPAC (Metro's technocratic - as opposed to elected - advisory committee on Transportation) at the same time about five years ago.

Scott is a smart, politically savvy and an effective advocate for cycling and this promotion is well deserved and I am sure the BTA will be well served by his leadership.

Posted by Chris Smith at 11:10 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

When Transportation Planning Went Off the Rails

The folks over at Sam Adams office beat me to the punch by posting a wonderful piece from the good folks at the Project for Public Spaces on when and where transportation planning went off the rails, and how it's coming back.

Check it out on CommissionerSam.com.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

October 24, 2007

Portland thinks outside 'bike box'

On Tuesday, in light of the two recent fatalities of bicycle riders in the city, the Oregonian published an article that makes light of a Portland trial run of "bike boxes" at intersections. In the absence of any publicity to educate the public of the existence of these new traffic control markings, many cyclists and drivers are unaware of their significance and purpose.

From the Oregonian:

[The] bike boxes on Southeast Clinton Street on Tuesday -- one on either side of 39th -- only two out of about 40 cars that traveled through the intersection during one half-hour period stopped at the bike box line -- set about 15 feet from the crosswalk -- when the light was red.

Few of the dozen or so cyclists that passed through during the same time strayed far from the bike lanes that straddle the boxes. A majority of the drivers made illegal right turns when the light was red, despite large signs telling them not to turn.

The article proceeds to mention that subsequent installations of bike boxes will use brighter colors and markings in an attempt to better alert cyclists and drivers of the presence of the box.

However, given that bike boxes are presently installed in only one location, I believe it would be helpful and affordable to place uniformed police officers at the intersection of SE 39th Avenue and Clinton Street to educate both cyclists and drivers about the purpose of the boxes and - in particular - warn or cite drivers that violate the law at this intersection. If this project is ultimately to be successful then cyclists and drivers alike must be properly informed. Many times the only way to educate drivers about a new law is to have a police officer tap on their window and issue a warning.

Read the Oregonian article: Portland thinks outside 'bike box'

[Update: 2007-11-06 - B.R.]

Over on Commissioner Adams' blog, they've just posted a long article with bike box program implementation details:

Roger Geller explains PDOT’s position, plans for bike safety improvements

Posted by Joseph Edge at 10:26 AM | Comments (81) | Permalink

Earl on the Next Transportation Bill at PSU

Portland State University
Center for Transportation Studies
Fall 2007 Transportation Seminar Series

Speaker: CONGRESSMAN EARL BLUMENAUER
Topic: Transportation Infrastructure Investment: Past, Present and Future

When: Friday, October 26, 2007, 12:00-1:30 pm
Where: 204 Urban Center

We are honored to welcome Congressman Blumenauer as our special guest speaker. His presentation will focus on infrastructure investment in the context of the next transportation reauthorization bill, the upcoming anniversaries of the 1808 and 1908 national plans, and where we go from here.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

October 23, 2007

Tear Down That Stop Sign!

In what may seem to be a counterintuitive approach to improving pedestrian safety, the Bendigo City Council, in Victoria, Australia, has decided to remove traffic signs to return its streets to pedestrians. The concept, pioneered by some European communities, is believed to create a safer environment more conducive to use by pedestrians and bicyclists.

From Planetizen:

The council will today unveil a $16 million makeover of its city centre, coined "naked streets" by commentators. It will radically alter the city centre by narrowing spaces for cars and returning the town's wide streets to walkers and cyclists.

Under the scheme, all "visual signals" that streets are for cars first and walkers second will go. Footpaths will be dramatically expanded and filled with street furniture and public art.

Continue reading Tear Down That Stop Sign!

Posted by Joseph Edge at 12:00 AM | Comments (23) | Permalink

October 22, 2007

A Hosford-Abernathy-Brooklyn (HAB) Railroad Cut

As the planning for the Milwaukie light rail line is refined, those responsible should consider other long range improvements that might be needed in the corridor so as not to require costly and disruptive changes to the line in the future, otherwise known as “Strategic Planning”.

From SE 3rd to SE 17th Avenues, the proposed line runs parallel to the Union Pacific Railroad, the only rail line that connects the Pacific Northwest with Southern California with freight and passenger service. It will never be abandoned but, in the future, will have to handle many more trains than it does today and will probably require additional tracks.

This rail line is a major blight on the adjacent neighborhoods. The grade crossings at SE 11th and12th Avenues are major bottlenecks that will only worsen as more trains are added. Back in the 1970s, when Powell Blvd was dropped into a dismally designed underpass in order to relieve traffic backups on Powell, the street connections between the Hosford-Abernethy and Brooklyn neighborhoods were severed and the needs and safety of pedestrians and bicyclists were largely ignored.

Some day these shortcomings should be corrected and foresight is needed to minimize the cost and impacts of these future remedies.

A solution to this problem is to drop the grade of the railroad though this corridor so all at-grade crossings would be eliminated. Powell Blvd would no longer have to be in a ditch and local streets would again connect

It takes about three-quarters of a mile to drop the rail line down the 30 feet needed to run under 11th, 12th and Powell and the same distance to return to the surface. (See attached map.)

It would be infeasible to construct this cut at the location of the existing tracks because rail service cannot be interrupted for any extended period of time. The cut could be built immediately south of the line and connected up at each end (SE Clay Street at the north and SE Holgate at the south), at which time the existing track could be removed.

This leads back to light rail. Since property will have to be purchased to construct light rail, it would be prudent for TriMet and the City of Portland to purchase and reserve a corridor between the UPRR and the light rail line to construct a rail cut to accommodate the needs of future freight and passenger service.

Posted by Jim Howell at 12:00 AM | Comments (11) | Permalink

October 19, 2007

Parking Smartly

IEEE Spectrum has a nice round up of new information technologies to make parking easier. We have a local example at PDX where there are now signs and lights to help you find that elusive empty space...

And also on the local front, the City of Portland has issued a press release on how those pay stations (Smart Meters) are going to get smarter:

City Upgrades SmartMeter Parking Meters

(PORTLAND, OR) - The City of Portland Office of Transportation is implementing an upgrade to its 1,300 solar-powered SmartMeter parking meters that will result in cost savings to the City and added benefits to parking customers. The upgrade involves two changes - improving the bankcard authorization process and providing a function for a true maximum, end-of-day purchase.

The first feature in this upgrade is faster bankcard processing time, eliminating confusion on credit card statements as to date of purchase. In addition, the meters will no longer retain your bankcard while you push buttons to purchase time and print a receipt. You will take your card back before you push any buttons and the machine authorizes your purchase. The City hopes this change will make customers more comfortable and confident that the machine hasn't "eaten" their bankcard.

The City advises customers to watch the digital display screen for instructions on when to take your card back and when to begin payment (pushing buttons to purchase time). A bright-colored sticker on the front of the SmartMeter machine will alert customers to the upgrade and provide simple instructions about the new process:

o Insert card and follow directions on the screen
o Take your card back when the screen directs you
o Push buttons to purchase time and print receipt
o Wait for your purchase to be processed

The second feature in this upgrade is a function for a true maximum, end-of-day purchase. With this change, whether a customer purchases parking in 25-cent increments or purchases maximum time, the meter will calculate the maximum parking time available to purchase at the end of the day.

For example, if you park at a 3-hour machine downtown at 5:00 p.m., the maximum end-of-day purchase is 2 hours or $2.50 because the regulatory period ends at 7:00 p.m. downtown. With the upgrade, the meter will calculate this for you. If you press the blue button for maximum time, it will credit you 2 hours and charge you $2.50. If you press the blue button for 25-cent increments, the display will eventually flash a message "Maximum Exceeded." You will have the option to cancel the transaction, re-calculate your purchase, and start over - or, spend that last quarter to complete your transaction.

The changes must be done one machine at a time, so the citywide upgrade will take several months. A bright-colored sticker on the machine that reads "Bankcard Processing Change!" means that the meter has been upgraded. The City appreciates the public's patience as it works to complete the upgrade within five months.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (3) | Permalink

October 18, 2007

Tram: 1,000,000

The Portland Aerial Tram has exceeded ridership expectations and has already provided it's one millionth trip between OHSU and South Waterfront.

From the Portland Tribune:

Colleda O'Neil was just headed downhill for her doctor's appointment at the OHSU Center for Health and Healing.

Instead, the OHSU employee was selected as the one-millionth rider of the Portland Aerial Tram.

"I'm shocked," she told a group of reporters and TV cameras, who were waiting for her at the lower tram station.

OHSU Transportation Operations Manager Mike Brooks handed over a briefcase full of prizes, including a tram logo t-shirt, DVD's, and a coffee table book about OHSU.

As for how they calcualated the 1,000,000 figure, OHSU says it counts a one-way ride on the tram as one trip, meaning if a passenger rides up to OHSU and back down to the South Waterfront it counts as two trips.

Posted by Joseph Edge at 9:18 AM | Comments (36) | Permalink

Looking for a Quick Ride?

Rent a bike! Similar to the Flexcar car sharing program, but perhaps paid for in part by advertising, we may soon be able to rent any of up to 500 bicycles in downtown Portland.

From portlandonline.com:

The City of Portland is accepting proposals for a bike rental system in the central city area. Imagine being able to rent a bike for a half-hour to get to your downtown meeting, grab lunch at your favorite, out-of-the-way spot, or just go for a ride on the waterfront. You can read more from the Portland Tribune and from BikePortland.org.

You can listen to an NPR story here.

Posted by Joseph Edge at 8:45 AM | Comments (6) | Permalink

October 17, 2007

Comprehensive Evaluation of Congestion Costs and Solutions

This article, written by Todd Litman and published on Planetizen, broaches the possibility that the Texas Transportation Institute's methodology for their annual Urban Mobility Report is flawed by using unrealistic expectations as a benchmark for measuring the cost of congestion. He suggests that a more realistic measurement of cost could be derived by using a congestion benchmark other than a grade "A" level of service (free-flowing traffic), instead using a benchmark of grades "D" or "C" (equivalent to a moderate level of congestion). This is similar to how Metro determines whether a particular roadway is adequate for its modeling of Region 2040 traffic levels, because they do not define the goal for all roadways as "free-flowing traffic," instead choosing to acknowledge that a certain level of congestion is to be expected in a region with a healthy economy.

Additionally, Todd covers how other issues factor into the measurement of overall cost including providing parking, vehicular accidents, pollution, roadway maintenance, and even the cost of vehicle ownership.

Via Planetizen:

The newest Texas Transportation Institute Urban Mobility Report was recently released, stimulating discussion of congestion costs and potential solutions. Here are some things you should know when evaluating these issues.

There are many several possible ways to measure congestion costs. The method used by the Texas Transportation Institute leads to relatively high cost values, since it assumes that “optimal” roadway conditions are freeflow (level-of-service A), although many transportation economists consider this assumption is inappropriate (see for example, the 2006 report, Costs of Non-Recurrent Congestion in Canada). They argue that congestion costs should be calculated above an optimal threshold, such as level-of-service C or D, which leads to significantly lower cost estimates.

Continue reading "Comprehensive Evaluation of Congestion Costs and Solutions"

Posted by Joseph Edge at 7:22 AM | Comments (11) | Permalink

Speed in the UK

Via the SHIFT list:

An advocacy group in the UK is pushing for lowering speed limits on local city streets to 20mph.

Think we could do this in Portland on neighborhood streets?

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (25) | Permalink

October 16, 2007

I Brake for People

This morning we welcome a new contributor, Joseph Edge!

The Oregon Department of Transportation and City of Portland Office of Transportation are collaborating to launch a media campaign to make crossing the street safer for people. While Oregon law requires that motorists stop at intersections and crosswalks to allow pedestrians to cross safely, many people remain unaware of this.

The campaign, called "I BRAKE FOR PEOPLE," is designed to educate drivers on how to interact with pedestrians safely. Join campaign sponsors and supporters as volunteers create a living billboard to urge motorists to follow the law and stop for pedestrians.

What: Press Event for the "I BRAKE FOR PEOPLE" Campaign
When: 10:00 a.m. on Monday, October 22
Where: Vestal Elementary School Auditorium, 161 NE 82nd Avenue

Who:
Susan Keil, Director, Portland Office of Transportation
Jason Tell, Region 1 Manager, Oregon Department of Transportation TriMet
Portland Public Schools
City of Portland Pedestrian Advisory Committee
City of Portland Pedestrian and Bicycle Technical Advisory Committee
City of Portland Safer Routes to School Program
Willamette Pedestrian Coalition
82nd Avenue of Roses High Crash Corridor Safety Action Plan Advisory Committees
82nd Avenue of Roses Business Association
Elders In Action
Vestal Elementary School students and staff
Other community partners for pedestrian safety

Why: Pedestrian safety has long been a concern of the City and ODOT. In downtown Portland, 72% of pedestrian collisions are a result of driver error. Citywide, 49% of pedestrian injuries happen in a crosswalk. One out of three traffic fatalities is a pedestrian or a bicyclist (Portland 1985 - 2000), and pedestrian injuries are the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death among children.

The "I BRAKE FOR PEOPLE" campaign will be visible out on the street where motorists interact with pedestrians. Ads on TriMet buses, benches, and shelters will carry the message. Radio announcements during drive time will complement the campaign and remind motorists to stop for pedestrians.

Press Event: 10:00 a.m. on Monday, October 22 - Sponsors and supporters will be available for interviews

Posted by Joseph Edge at 7:47 AM | Comments (23) | Permalink

CRC Costs Come in Below $6B

Columbia River Crossing project staff have released an estimate range of $3.1B to $4.2B.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters was quoted on OPB saying the Feds might pick up as much as 80% of the cost.

Madam Secretary, will you match 80% for the transit piece too?

Pinch me.

Posted by Chris Smith at 7:41 AM | Comments (40) | Permalink

October 15, 2007

Safe, Sound and Green

Commissioner Sam Adams has announced his "Safe, Sound and Green" plan to fund street maintenance and safety projects. See the Oregonian coverage.

This will be coupled with a Multnomah County proposal to help fund maintenance of the Willamette River Bridges and other critical County roads. Some of the County funds will also be shared with Portland and other cities in the County. The details of the County proposal are not available yet.

The Portland component will consist of two revenue sources: a new 3 cent City gas tax and a SMF (pronounced smiff, Street Maintenance Fee). The SMF will average $4.50 per month for residents and run from a $10 or $20 for small businesses to $1,000+ for large retail sites. The SMF will be collected on water bills and both residents and businesses will be able to earn discounts by voluntarily undertaking certain "green" activities.

The bulk of the Portland revenue will be spent on repaving or rebuilding arterial streets (which are currently rated 'poor') over a 10 year period. The program will also create 100+ miles of new low-traffic bikeways to provide opportunities for cyclists to use streets where they will not be in conflict with cars and trucks. There are also a variety of other safety projects, including adding sidewalks on major arterials where they are missing today.

It's not clear yet which pieces of this plan may be adopted by Council and which may go to the ballot.

[Full disclosure: I'm a member of the stakeholder committee advising Sam on this plan.]

Sam will take this plan on the road to a series of town halls around the City:

Town Hall Meetings

Tuesday, October 16, 7-9 pm
Central Northeast Portland
Madison High School
2735 NE 82nd Avenue

Thursday, October 18, 7-9 pm
Northeast Portland
Jefferson High School
5210 N Kerby Avenue

Monday, October 22, 7-9 pm
East Portland
Menlo Park Elementary School
12900 NE Glisan

Tuesday, October 23, 7-9 pm
North Portland
Rosa Parks Elementary School
8960 N Woolsey

Wednesday, October 24, 7-9 pm
Northwest Portland
Metropolitan Learning Center
2033 NW Glisan

Monday, October 29, 7-9 pm
Southwest Portland
Wilson High School
1151 SW Vermont

Tuesday, October 30, 7-9 pm
Southeast Portland
Sellwood Middle School
8300 SE 15th Avenue

Posted by Chris Smith at 8:50 AM | Comments (35) | Permalink

Bridge Book at PSU Seminar

Portland State University
Center for Transportation Studies
Fall 2007 Transportation Seminar Series

Speaker: Sharon Wood Wortman, author of "The Portland Bridge Book"
Topic: Bridge Stories
When: Friday, October 19, 2007, 12:00-1:30 pm
Where: 204 Urban Center

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

October 12, 2007

"Bundling" Strategies Changing?

Via Planetizen:

In recent years we've seen a series of ballot measures (sometimes property taxes, but more often sales taxes) around the country to fund 'balanced' transportation investments, i.e., a combination of (usually rail) transit and roads. Metro has been watching the political tea leaves for some time calculating whether such a measure would pass here.

But an article in the [Seattle] Stranger suggests this might be becoming passé and suggests a recent vote and poll indicates that leaders and voters may be losing their appetite for roads as part of balanced packages.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:13 AM | Comments (14) | Permalink

October 11, 2007

Google Maps Street View now live in Portland

Google Maps' "Street View" feature, introduced earlier in the year, allows street level views of most any address in a supported city. To do this, Google has a fleet of vehicles with roof-mounted camera arrays which survey entire cities. The end result and user interface are both amazing, and somewhat disconcerting, given various privacy concerns which have arisen.

Today, Google launched switched-on the service in Portland. To take a stroll around, start with this Google Maps Street View of Portland City Hall or enter your own address. (Click on the little human figure icon to open the street view.)

(If you zoom the map out, the streets outlined in blue are the ones with photographed addresses.)

Google must have photographed the area fairly recently: There are no photos on 5th Ave or two segments of Morrison and Yamhill, indicating street closures due to construction, and the photo of our house (of course I looked that one up first!) includes an illegally-parked car which has been out in front for approximately 8 weeks. The only other thing I can pinpoint about the date is that it was taken on an overcast morning when the windows were open, so the previous day must have been fairly warm. (Yes, the car has been reported.)

Bob R.

Posted by Bob Richardson at 10:04 AM | Comments (7) | Permalink

Getting Presidential

We usually avoid candidate politics here because we're organized as a 501(c)(3) and can't take positions on candidates.

But we can provide a neutral forum, and I'm going to try to do that with this post. I was struck by a post over on the Daily Score about Barak Obama's energy and climate plan.

So I'm going to throw it open here. Anyone is welcome to comment, linking to and describing any presidential candidate's (from any party) transportation or energy policy.

And please do stay on topic. I don't want to hear about Hillary's health plan, or anyone's tax policy, unless it has direct bearing on transportation.

Have at it :-)

Posted by Chris Smith at 8:38 AM | Comments (6) | Permalink

PSU Launches Transit Boards

Our technology continues to spread :-)

PSU has just added a set of our Transit Boards™ to their Transportation and Parking Services site!

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

October 10, 2007

Hauling Trash, Lots of Trash

Metro has issued a draft RFP for transport of the region's waste to Arlington (see press release).

I haven't read the whole RFP document (PDF, 3.5M), but it's pretty clear that rail and barge options are under consideration.

Readers may recall that this was a promise by Metro President David Bragdon.

Posted by Chris Smith at 8:47 AM | Comments (3) | Permalink

CRC Design Updates

From the latest Columbia River Crossing e-newsletter:

What’s happening: CRC design updates

• Upstream bridge alignment removed from further study

  After careful study, the CRC project is removing the upstream alignment from additional active study because of its significant impacts to Fort Vancouver and its lengthier construction time compared to the other bridge alternatives. The upstream bridge alignment will still be discussed in the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.

• Downtown transit options refined

  The CRC project has removed the Washington-Main couplet and Washington-Columbia couplet options from the transit alignment choices for downtown Vancouver. Both had negative impacts on traffic circulation in downtown Vancouver. The project is still considering Washington-Broadway and Washington two-way transit alignments for downtown Vancouver south of 16th Street/McLoughlin Boulevard.

• Lincoln park and ride spaces reduced

  Thanks to input from neighborhood residents and community members, and findings from technical analysis, the maximum number of parking spaces for the Lincoln park and ride has been reduced from 2,400 to 1,800. Project staff consider four primary objectives as they develop the number of parking spaces: maximum number of riders, large unmet demand for high capacity transit, traffic and community impacts, and neighborhood access. Design will continue to be refined as the project moves forward. The Lincoln park and ride would be located at the current site of a WSDOT maintenance facility at 39th and Main. It would provide parking for high capacity transit riders of the Main/Broadway transit alignment north of downtown.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (97) | Permalink

October 9, 2007

Portland Prius Parade / Protest Post

This came over the transom this week... Unfortunately I will not be able to directly participate as our Prius will be carpooling a group of ASL students to a conference Eugene on Friday...

PRIUS PARADE
and
Media Event
to highlight TOYOTA’s lobbying against fuel efficiency in US Congress.

Time: Friday October 12th, 2007 10:30am-11:30am
Location: Parading from Fred Meyer’s parking lot (NE Wiedler S t. and 32nd Ave) to media event.

We’d love to know that you’re coming!
Please contact Emily Southard to RSVP at esouthard@greencorps.org or 503-231-4181 x 303.

TOYOTA: moving backward.

Toyota’s actions don’t match their “Green” image:
-Toyota, producer of the Prius, one of the most efficient cars on the road, is actually lobbying against increasing fuel efficiency standards.
-Join the thousands of American consumers who are telling Toyota to drop its efforts to block legislation to increase fuel economy and state laws that reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
-It is time for Toyota to earn its reputation as a green company!

(Although I support the concept behind this protest and would likely be participating if the car were available, I have no past history of working with this group and am passing this on as information without directly endorsing it.)

- Bob R.

Posted by Bob Richardson at 1:18 PM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Warped Biofuels Policy?

An article in Sunday's O suggests that biofuels refineries are looking at Oregon sites due to a combination of favorable federal and state tax preferences.

The result could be grain flowing into Oregon and fuel flowing back out.

What kind of policy do we need to get a biofuels industry that uses local biomass to produce fuel that gets consumed locally?

Posted by Chris Smith at 7:57 AM | Comments (22) | Permalink

Reclaiming the Sidewalk

Photo by Dan Anderson

On Wednesday, City Council will consider (this is on regular agenda - not time certain, so probably sometime between 10:30 and noon) a plan to phase out storage of dumpsters on sidewalks (technically not allowed today, but not enforced). Here's the full report (PDF, 186K).

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (15) | Permalink

October 8, 2007

REMINDER: Provide Input on Milwaukie LRT Stations

From Metro:

Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project Planning for light rail stations

Light rail stations have the ability to transform their surroundings, as a catalyst for development and by offering more accessibility to existing neighborhoods. Communities that have stations become regional destinations for commerce and gathering places for local residents. How a station transforms a community is up to those who work, live, or play in the area. The goal of station area planning during the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement process is to create a venue for communities to maximize the opportunities that light rail stations present.

The process will culminate in the identification of action steps that cities can consider to achieve the station areas envisioned by their community members.

Two community workshops are scheduled for early October that will focus on the proposed Southeast Portland stations. The workshops are forums for Southeast Portland residents to share opportunities they see in areas near proposed light rail stations. The workshops will help to identify important considerations such as station access for riders, street improvements, transit connections, and redevelopment opportunities.

Interested individuals can go to www.metro-region.org/southcorridor to download maps of specific station areas and comment forms. The maps and forms will be available online the week of September 24th.

Completed comment forms, suggestions and ideas will be accepted throughout the project. Interested persons are encouraged to bring illustrations including photographs, or written suggestions, to the community workshops. For more information, call (503) 797-1756 or e-mail trans@metro-region.org.

6 - 8:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Oct 2
Cleveland High School cafeteria
3400 SE 26th Ave., Portland

(This workshop will focus on station areas around SE Clinton St./SE 12th Ave., SE Rhine St. and SE Holgate off SE 17th)

6 - 8:30 p.m.
Thursday, Oct 11
Sellwood Middle School cafeteria
8300 SE 15th Ave., Portland

(This workshop will focus on station areas around SE Harold St., SE Bybee St., SE Tacoma St. off SE McLoughlin Blvd.)

Posted by Chris Smith at 8:12 AM | Comments (84) | Permalink

And Speaking of Rail Freight...

Portland State University
Center for Transportation Studies
Fall 2007 Transportation Seminar Series

Speaker: Zachary Horowitz, Columbia River Crossing
Topic: Freight Railroad Capacity Alternatives in the Pacific Northwest: An Analysis of Class I Cooperation in the Columbia River Corridor
When: Friday, October 12, 2007, 12:00-1:30 pm
Where: 204 Urban Center

Posted by Chris Smith at 7:02 AM | Comments (3) | Permalink

1,131 More Trucks

That's how many more trucks per month will be required to sustain south coast timber company operations after the Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad shuts down 120 miles of its line between Coquille and Eugene.

Can someone remind me again of the logic of outsourcing highways to the private sector? Was the sterling example from private rail?

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (47) | Permalink

October 5, 2007

Caruthers Revisited

The proposed bridge for the Milwaukie Light Rail line, once commonly referred to as the Caruthers Crossing (after the street on the east side it would have aligned with) gets a thorough examination by Dylan Rivera in the Oregonian today. Development opportunities on both sides of the river are major considerations.

Posted by Chris Smith at 9:24 AM | Comments (81) | Permalink

Congestion Relief Helps Greenhouse Gases?

Not!

There's an interesting analysis on the Daily Score blog that looks at the greenhouse gas impacts of adding highway lane miles to ease congestion.

Yes, getting that traffic moving reduces emissions, but the additional traffic generated quickly swamps the benefit.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (12) | Permalink

October 4, 2007

Wishful Thinking

Photoshop is fun...

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (36) | Permalink

October 3, 2007

KBOO Bike Show: New Vehicular Homicide Law

Listen to the show (mp3, 11.4M)

Bike lawyer Ray Thomas answers all your legal questions and talks
about the new Vehicular Homicide law.

Posted by Chris Smith at 10:29 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Biofuels: Mega Production or “community-scale”

The Daily Journal of Commerce explores what scale of production is appropriate and/or likely to succeed.

Should our biofuels come from Oregon or the Midwest?

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (7) | Permalink

October 2, 2007

Looking for a Writer

There's a four-part series on the Wired blog about BRT vs. rail (see http://www.planetizen.com/node/27301). I'd love to have someone read it, summarize it, and suggest what it means for this region. I'm afraid I have no bandwidth to do it. Anyone care to do a guest post?

Posted by Chris Smith at 6:54 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

Open TPAC Seats

There are three citizen representative seats open on Metro's Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee. If you want to have an impact on regional transportation policy, this is a great opportunity to learn the nitty-gritty and express the values of the community to the technocrats:

Dear Interested Community Members:

The Transportation Policy Alternatives Committee (TPAC) has three seats open for community representation. TPAC provides technical input to the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT) that, in turn, makes recommendations on transportation planning issues to the Metro Council.

TPAC seeks community representatives with a strong interest or expertise in transportation issues and who can commit to attending regular meetings held during normal working hours.

You may apply online at: http://www.metro-region.org/article.cfm?ArticleID=19626. To receive an application form by fax or mail, contact Kelsey Newell by phone at (503) 797-1916 or by e-mail at newellk@metro.dst.or.us.

Please let others know about this opportunity.

Applications are due Friday, October 12, 2007, by 5:00 p.m.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink

October 1, 2007

Sellwood Bridge Stays in the News

The Trib begins looking at the interchange designs on either side of the river, while the Business Journal focuses on funding (unfortunately the full version of the online article requires a subscription - I read the old media version at the library).

The speculation is that we may get the Feds to cough up half the price tag. But that may still mean $100M+ in local contribution.

Posted by Chris Smith at 7:18 AM | Comments (18) | Permalink

Surviving $100-a-barrel Oil

The Wall Street Journal thinks we could be just fine.

So much for market incentives to develop alternatives.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (53) | Permalink