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January 31, 2008

Coming Up on the KBOO Bike Show: the Metal Cowboy

Author Joe Kurmaski, also known as the Metal Cowboy, and his kids will join us in studio to talk about their experience bike touring across the country as a family. We will also discuss a Camp Creative, a new summer camp for kids that the Metal Cowboy will open next summer.

9-10AM, Wednesday, February 6th
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

January 30, 2008

Facebook Advocacy for a High-Speed Rail Corridor

Daniel Ronan, a Freshman at the University of Oregon, has set up a Facebook group to advocate for a high-speed rail corridor from Eugene to Vancouver, BC.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (94) | Permalink

January 29, 2008

Columbia Crossing Bad Economics?

Local economist Joe Cortright is interviewed in the Daily Journal of Commerce questioning the cost/benefit breakdown on the Columbia River Crossing.

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

January 28, 2008

Town halls to focus on funding for bridge repairs

Multnomah County has scheduled a series of town hall meetings to present information on the condition of its Willamette River bridges and a proposal to fund their repair.

County Chair Ted Wheeler will share information on the county’s 20-year capital shortfall of $490 million for its six bridges across the Willamette. Bridge repair needs range from replacing or repairing the Sellwood Bridge to safety improvements such as replacing the open steel grating on the Morrison Bridge. The Board of County Commissioners is considering referring a measure for the May ballot that would increase the county vehicle registration fee to raise funds for bridge repairs.

Town halls are scheduled for:

• Thursday, January 31, 6 – 8 pm, Multnomah County East Building, Sharron Kelley Room, 600 NE 8th St., Gresham
• Monday, February 4, 6 – 8 pm, Midland Library, 805 SE 122nd Ave., Portland
• Monday, February 11, 6 – 8 pm, Multnomah Building, Boardroom, 501 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland
• Tuesday, February 19, 6 – 8 pm, North Portland Health Clinic, 9000 N. Lombard Blvd., Portland

The meeting format will include a presentation, an opportunity for the public to ask questions and share comments, and time to view displays on the condition and repair needs of the Willamette River bridges.

Multnomah County’s Willamette River bridges include the Broadway, Burnside, Hawthorne, Morrison, Sauvie Island and Sellwood. The bridges range in age from 50 to 98 years. Each day more than 180,000 vehicles cross the bridges, in addition to an estimated 12,000 bicyclists and thousands of pedestrians.

Contact: Michael Pullen, Public Affairs Office, 503-988-6804

Posted by Joseph Edge at 7:58 AM | Comments (3) | Permalink

January 25, 2008

Finding the Choice Riders

This post is a response to some comments on the open suggestions thread that run along the lines of "why are we shafting bus riders by putting all our resources into rail?"

While I'm an enthusiastic supporter of continuing to expand the rail system (because it helps drive the long-term land use pattern that I believe the region needs to achieve for sustainability), I think there is more than a kernel of truth to the complaint.

In fact, there was considerable discussion of this point in a presentation at PSU earlier this year (presentation slides, PDF, 748K).

In a lot of cities, the transit system is for people who for one reason or another, can't travel by private car. By contrast, in our region, we pride ourselves on the number of 'choice riders', people who COULD drive, but choose to use transit. As the presentation suggests (slide 90), if your strategy is to use transit to drive congestion relief (or at least alternatives) and environmental benefits, you want to aggressively go after more choice riders.

And the same presentation also shows that rail passengers have demographic characteristics (race, income) that are a lot more like car drivers than bus riders (slides 75-82).

So it's a question of goals. If TriMet is being held to objectives that are related to urban form and the overall function of the transportation system, the current set of choices are quite reasonable. If you think TriMet should have more of a social equity mission, then indeed, bus riders could almost certainly be better served.

So where should someone (like me) who thinks TriMet should be serving BOTH missions come out? Well, I'd like to see the operating resources increased, so that we can BOTH exploit the federal capital construction funds that are available AND keep expanding and improving bus service. So I don't want to stop building rail, but I WOULD like to see buses get more attention.

One policy change that I would like to see immediately would be for TriMet to stop bonding operating income to help provide local match for capital dollars. I think the operating income is much too valuable to use in that way. This is an issue that seldom gets talked about.

So in short, I think we should keep trying to get those choice riders onto transit, but only by growing the pie, not by taking resources away from the riders with few or no choices.

Someone will almost certainly ask how such a policy relates to Streetcar and I will happily admit that Streetcar is almost entirely about choice riders and about congestion and urban form goals, not about social equity (although we have a chance to address the latter as the Streetcar system plan proposes lines outside of the central city). But I would also point out that in general Streetcar has brought resources to the table (Urban Renewal, parking revenues) that are not available for buses, and are incremental to existing transit revenues. Streetcar does consume some TriMet operating revenues, but not at a level that exceeds what would be spent on equivalent bus service in the same areas. Indeed TriMet is being pretty careful to make sure that their funding of Streetcar does not detract from their Light Rail and frequent bus plans.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (144) | Permalink

January 24, 2008

Task Force Looks at Tolling I-5 Crossing

The Oregonian reports that tolls for a new Columbia Crossing could be as high as $5/day for peak period crossings. Outside of peak hours the rate would be significantly lower.

Will the driving public accept this kind of toll structure for a new bridge?

In news elsewhere, IBM has apparently patented the idea of variable rate tolling. Has the task force calculated a license feed into their rates?

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (43) | Permalink

January 23, 2008

Portland Sunday Parkways Open Houses

On February 6 and 7, 2008, the City of Portland is holding two public open houses for residents to learn more about the first Sunday Parkways event to be held in North Portland in June 2008.

When & Where:
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Kaiser Town Hall
3704 N. Interstate Avenue
2nd floor ballroom

Thursday, February 7, 2008
5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Chief Joseph Elementary School
2409 N. Saratoga
cafeteria

What:
The City of Portland encourages residents to attend the open houses to:

• Hear more about the Portland Sunday Parkways Pilot Project planned for Sunday, June 22, 2008 from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in North Portland
• Enter a drawing for a kid's bike from the Bike Gallery or a $100 gift certificate from Foot Traffic
• Share comments, concerns, suggestions, and ideas for the kinds of fun and healthy activities neighbors would like to see in the four parks and along the route.

Who:
City of Portland Transportation Options staff
North Portland residents
Sunday Parkways supporting organizations

Why:
On June 22, 2008, from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. the City of Portland will host its first Sunday Parkways event. The one-day event is an opportunity for North Portland residents to get out and be active in their own neighborhood, without traffic. Sunday Parkways will encourage residents to walk, bike, run, stroll, meet neighbors, and enjoy entertainment in parks and along the route – a six-mile loop of traffic-tree streets in North Portland (see attached proposed route).

Residents along the route will be able to get to and from their residences with small barricades and volunteers helping to limit access to the route.

For more information about Sunday Parkways visit: www.GettingAroundPortland.org, and click on “Sunday Parkways.”

Contact: Linda Ginenthal, Transportation Options
Phone: (503) 823-5266

Posted by Joseph Edge at 12:00 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink

January 22, 2008

Internet Strengthens Cities?

An article from Wired Magazine suggests that the Internet is a sort of social super-glue, facilitating connections between people. As a result, they want more face-to-face contact and find it in cities.

In big cities, our communication tools are especially helpful because they keep us from getting lost in the crowd (which is not something you worry about in a one-street town). There are even services that tell you where your friends are by locating their cell signals.

Facebook, the new urban planning tool :-)

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

January 21, 2008

Car Free Conference [in Portland] Open for Registration

Early bird discount ends February 29th.

Portland, Ore. Hosts International "Towards Carfree Cities" Conference in June 2008

Participants to discuss urban livability, sustainable transportation, and alternatives to private cars

PORTLAND, Ore. (January 16, 2008)—The World Carfree Network, in collaboration with SHIFT, presents the Towards Carfree Cities conference series in Portland, Ore. on June 16-20, 2008. Making its North American debut, the conference will bring together activists and professionals from around the world to discuss the creation of sustainable transportation systems and the transformation of cities into human-scaled environments rich in public space and community life.

"This conference is a chance to bring North America to the forefront of the international carfree movement and to empower ordinary people to change their lives, governments, and urban landscapes for the better," said Conference Coordinator Elly Blue.

The conference's fundamental role is to help participants share knowledge and assist in their practical work, whether that work be organizing community events, promoting urban cycling, or building carfree cities of the future. The 2008 conference's theme is "Rethinking Mobility, Rediscovering Proximity." The program includes workshops, lectures, walking, streetcar, and bicycle tours, a film festival, and a public day including an art show hosted by Portland City Hall.

"Portland is becoming an international leader in issues of sustainable transportation and urban livability," said Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams. "This conference will help us bring local and international perspectives to a challenge we all share: dependence on the private car."

The conference will showcase recent strides made in Portland's urban landscape and the city's approach to sustainable living. Previous conference sites have included: Lyon, France; Timisoara, Romania; Prague, Czech Republic; Berlin, Germany; Budapest, Hungary; Bogotá, Colombia; and Istanbul, Turkey.

For more information please visit www.carfreeportland.org.

###

Media Inquiries:
Meghan Sinnott
971-533-5235
Meghan.sinnott@gmail.com

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:54 PM | Comments (22) | Permalink

January 18, 2008

TriMet withdraws plan for immediate changes to Fareless Square

This info comes courtesy of the Portland Mercury Blog, which has posted a TriMet Press Release. As of this writing, the press release is not yet available on the TriMet web site.

Read the full post at the Mercury:

TriMet General Manager Fred Hansen may have skipped two public hearings on the matter, but apparently he got the message: Portlanders don’t want TriMet to curtail Fareless Square, cutting it back to 7 am to 7 pm, as a stop gap measure that TriMet says will shore up public safety. Hansen has killed that proposal.

TriMet will, however, do a “comprehensive review of fareless” over the next 18 months, as previously announced.

[Update: TriMet has now posted the Press Release and Fred Hansen's statement on their site.]

Posted by Bob Richardson at 2:13 PM | Comments (17) | Permalink

Milwaukie's MAX: TriMet releases cost, rider numbers

The Clackamas Review today reports that TriMet released the Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Milwaukie MAX project last week. It estimates that costs will range from $1.25 billion to $1.42 billion and that the line could draw more than 25,000 daily passengers, up to almost one-half of which aren't currently using transit.

The agency and the Portland to Milwaukie Citizen Advisory Committee will have to make some big decisions in the coming months, according to Metro Councilor Robert Liberty. He said TriMet needs to have a final decision on a new bridge and route alignment by July to maintain the current construction schedule, which calls for the line’s completion in 2015.

Not including bridge options, there are still three potential alignments on the table through downtown Milwaukie, including one (the original LPA) which has the terminus at Lake Road south of downtown Milwaukie, while the other two alignments both have their terminus at Park Avenue and McLoughlin Blvd. Of the latter two alignments, one runs through the downtown area of Milwaukie on Main St and the other follows the Tillamook Branch railroad tracks that run behind the Waldorf School campus. While no final decision has yet been made, it seems the momentum exists to select one of the alignments that run to Park Ave.

Liberty said extending the line to Park Avenue not only creates a higher number of trips, but more trips proportional to the extra project cost. He said the new line would have impacts beyond just moving people in and out of Milwaukie.

“There are not just a lot of new riders on this line, but there will be a lot of riders on the other lines as well,” Liberty said. “Everyone who uses the system has more destinations. Having the south leg is important in building a system and looking ahead to the next generation; building the framework for the next 20 years.”

Continue reading TriMet releases cost, rider numbers

Posted by Joseph Edge at 12:00 AM | Comments (114) | Permalink

January 17, 2008

Blue Ribbon Panel Call for Gas Tax Hike Shouted Down

The "National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission" appointed by Congress two years ago recommended $285B in infrastructure spending annually for the next 25 years to deal with the deteriorating transportation system. To fund the improvements, they proposed a $0.40 increase in the Federal Gas Tax, to be phased in over several years.

Remarkably, I am told that 9 of the panel's 12 members are Republicans. This did not keep the Bush administration from objecting:

In a 10-page dissent, the commission’s chairwoman, Transportation Secretary Mary Peters, and two other members agreed with several aspects of the report but sharply criticized the proposal for higher gasoline taxes. She and the two commissioners are calling instead for sole reliance on tolls and private investment, which Peters said would avoid sending millions of dollars of new tax revenue to Washington that could end up as congressional pork.

Posted by Chris Smith at 1:04 AM | Comments (26) | Permalink

January 16, 2008

So You Think We've Got Problems?

Everything's relative. I thought I'd start this thread to invite readers to compare Portland's transport situation with other cities', either those we think are in better shape, or those we think are in worse shape. I think (hope) the comparisons will help us keep our perspective. I've going to start off with two brief stories, one from Rotterdam, one from Los Angeles.

Rotterdam, Netherlands, is one of the largest ports in the world, and is a "sister port" of Seattle. The city and metropolitan area populations are comparable to those of Portland. Rotterdam does have a couple of metro (subway/elevated) lines and a number of streetcar lines. The central city was bombed in 1940, as a prelude to the German invasion. After WW II, the downtown was completely rebuilt in postwar architectural style. The metro opened in 1968 and has been extended a number of times.

Now the anecdote: I'm freely translating from the January 2008 issue of Het Openbaar Vervoer, a Dutch e-zine, New Years Eve hooligans once again caused heavy damage to public and private property. RET (Rotterdamsche Elektrische Tramweg, the local TriMet) experienced heavy damage to metro stations, particularly TVM's, windows, and escalators. In one station, a cherry bomb blew up a very expensive soft drink machine. Also, many bus and streetcar shelters were heavily damaged. Because vandalism isn't covered by insurance, RET must step up and cover the damage itself. An angry managing director Peters (RET's Fred Hansen) estimates the damage at a minimum at several hundred thousand euros (1 euro = about $1.50 these days), but he wouldn't be surprised if it reached close to a million. RET will try to collect the damages from the perps, using security camera videos as evidence. In consultation with the justice ministry and the civil courts, RET has been trying for two years to compel restitution from transport system vandals.

COMMENT FROM MIKE: So we think we have a crime wave in Portland? As I said, everything's relative.

Since 1990, Los Angeles has opened several light-rail lines and a full-scale subway line. As reported in the January 2008 Railfan and Railroad (paper magazine),

"In October 2006, the federal judge overseeing the transit authority decided the MTA had complied with a ruling to improve bus service. The suit was brought ten years ago by a bus riders' group that contended the MTA was spending too much on rail for upper-income residents and not enough on bus service for low-income people. The MTA, under the court order, bought 1,472 natural-gas-powered buses, boosted annual service by 1.3 million hours, and increased security."

COMMENT FROM MIKE: In reading this blog regularly, I've seen a number of complaints alleging TriMet is allowing bus service to deteriorate as it builds up the rail system. Had it gotten sufficiently worse to warrant a lawsuit? If so, where's the Portland equivalent of that bus riders' group? They ought to be saying to TriMet, "See you in court."

Mike

Posted by mfeldman at 5:20 PM | Comments (60) | Permalink

Columbia River Crossing Project Update

In the latest project newsletter emailed by CRC staff, they've posted a document which shows computer-generated 3D renderings of what various bridge options and alignments might look like:

• Supplemental bridge
• Replacement bridge with a separate structure for transit
• Replacement bridge with “transit in a box” in the southbound structure

Document: http://www.columbiarivercrossing.org/FileLibrary/GraphicsandPhotos/DraftConcepts.pdf (PDF Format)

(They also are sure to point out an important disclaimer: "Regardless of the bridge choice, the final look of a new bridge has not been decided.")

The next CRC meeting: The next Task Force meeting will be held Jan. 22, 2008, at 4 p.m. at the Vancouver Hilton, 301 W 6th Street. The Task Force will not take any formal action at this meeting.

CRC web site: http://www.ColumbiaRiverCrossing.org/

There's also an interesting note about birds:

Oregon Department of Transportation bridge crews are using propane orchard cannons to scare European starlings from the I-5 Bridges through Friday, Feb. 29.

Each year, tens of thousands of starlings migrate to the Portland/Vancouver area. Many flocks roost on the Interstate bridges—particularly the lift spans—in the fall and winter. Bird droppings coat the bridges, the catwalks, the roadway, vehicles, bicyclists and pedestrians. The mess is unhealthy, unsafe and unsightly. The cannons will operate 36 days for about two hours each day in the late afternoon and early evening.

Propane powered orchard cannons were originally designed to disturb birds in fruit orchards with a loud noise. Motorists, bicyclists and pedestrians crossing the bridges will hear the blasts, which could occur as often as every 15 seconds.

ODOT crews will not use the cannons every day. The reaction of the birds will dictate use of the cannon. Employing this random schedule will prevent the birds from becoming accustomed to a regular pattern.

In addition to the cannons, workers will use the low-tech method of banging on the steel bridge beams with hammers.

Posted by Bob Richardson at 8:19 AM | Comments (48) | Permalink

Getting into our Heads

Portland State University
Center for Transportation Studies
Winter 2008 Transportation Seminar Series

Speaker: Brent Zenobia, Software Engineering, Portland State University
Topic: Psychological Insights on Transportation Mode Choice

When: Friday, January 18, 2008, 12:00-1:30 pm
Where: 204 Urban Center

Abstract: Transportation mode choice is often expressed in terms of models which assume rational choice; psychological case studies of mode adoption are comparatively rare. We present findings from a study of the psychology of adoption for sustainable transportation modes such as bicycles, car sharing, and mass transit. Case studies were conducted with current and former participants in PSU’s ‘Passport Plus’ transit pass program, as well as a longitudinal cohort study of first-time winter bicycle commuters. Composite sequence analysis was used to construct a theory of the adoption process for these modes. Our findings suggest that mode evaluation is cognitively distinct from mode selection and has different information requirements. We conclude that public and private organizations could improve the adoption rate for these modes by tailoring their communication strategies to match the commuter’s stage of adoption.

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

January 15, 2008

Biodiesel from sewage?

This guest post is from Garlynn Woodsong.

The East Bay Municipal Utility District is, according to this article, putting the finishing touches on a process that produces biodiesel from "Brown Grease," or the grease that is collected from the kitchens at restaurants. They estimate that they could produce 700,000 gallons of biodiesel a year, or more, from the stuff -- more than enough to supply the 300,000 gallons a year that their own fleet of diesel vehicles consumes. Their testing is especially significant, since they believe that their method of producing biodiesel from brown grease also eliminates the nasty air pollution that has traditionally been associated with burning the stuff, related to its high sulfur content, among other things.

Could Portland use the same process to turn brown grease into biodiesel?

And what about the rest of the crap at the sewage treatment plant? According to this article, a New Zealand company has been turning the algae that grows on top of the ponds into biodiesel for over a year! This is a win-win situation, since the algae itself is known for producing foul smells, and its removal (or harvesting, if you will) actually aids in the cleaning process that produces "clean" water for re-use or discharge.

So, could Portland's sewage treatment plants actually be converted into massive biodiesel factories, helping to power Tri-Met, the city's own diesel vehicle fleet, as well as producing excess to help power private vehicles like trucks and diesel passenger cars?

Preliminary indications from East Bay MUD are that utilities could actually make a profit on such an endeavor. Is Portland already working on such a plan behind the scenes? How long until we can fuel up with biodiesel made from poo?

Guest Column at 12:21 AM | Comments (8) | Permalink

January 14, 2008

Perspective and Pushback on Fareless Square Changes

TriMet has a PowerPoint presentation (PDF, 1.6M) that they are using with various groups, I expect that something similar will be on display at the public hearings this week.

But not everyone is going quietly. The Lloyd Transportation Management Association (TMA), which contributes funding to help pay for fareless service to Lloyd District, has sent a letter to TriMet objecting (PDF, 210K) to the rationale and timeline for the decision limiting fareless square hours. My understanding is that other business groups may have similar perspective.

Along those lines, I had hoped to submit a distillation of our conversation on the data that should go into the analysis, but am currently swamped. Does anyone have the time to go through our discussion and prepare a bullet list? Thx.

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

January 11, 2008

TriMet Sets Hearings on Fareless Square Hour Limits

From the TriMet web site. I hope to have more info from TriMet later on Friday.

Fareless Square
Taking action on security
Public Hearing Locations

Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Liberty Center Auditorium
650 NE Holladay St, Portland
11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Plan your trip to the Liberty Center Auditorium

Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Portland Building Auditorium
1120 SW 5th Ave, Portland
5-7 p.m.
Plan your trip to the Portland Building Auditorium

To request an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities, call TriMet at
503-962-2455 or TTY 503-238-5811 (7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekdays) at least 48 hours prior to the hearing.

Background
Fareless Square was created in 1975 to address several policy objectives, primarily aimed at meeting federal Clean Air Act requirements. The policy objectives included reducing auto-generated carbon monoxide pollution, encouraging transit use and making travel within downtown easier for commerce, retail and recreational purposes. Thirty-two years later, the City of Portland no longer has a carbon monoxide pollution problem in downtown and TriMet’s ridership has greatly expanded.

TriMet's fareless zone is the only one of its kind in the country. Seattle has a much smaller fareless zone and for security reasons has hours limited to 6 a.m.-7 p.m.

Proposal to enhance security
In response to recent security concerns TriMet's General Manager has outlined a new security plan as part of a multi-faceted strategy to improve safety and security at night throughout the transit system. An important element of this plan includes limiting Fareless Square zone hours to
7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Much of the disruptive and threatening behavior that is witnessed on MAX occurs at night between downtown and the Lloyd District. The proposal is specifically targeted at passenger safety in the downtown core, and to substantially reduce the type of undesirable behavior that impacts the safety of our system.

Process
TriMet’s General Manager Fred Hansen will propose to the TriMet Board of Directors (Board) at its January 23, 2008 meeting that they consider for a first reading, an ordinance to limit Fareless Square zone hours of free rides to 7 a.m.-7 p.m. A second reading and vote by the Board on adoption of the ordinance is scheduled for a Board meeting February 27, 2008.
Hearings/Public Comments

Public comments will be received at both January 16, 2008 public hearings. Public comments may also be submitted by 5 p.m. Thursday, February 21, 2008 by the following:

Mail: TriMet-MK2, 4012 SE 17th Ave, Portland, OR 97202
Email: comments@trimet.org
Phone: 503-962-5806
Fax: 503-962-6469
TTY: 503-238-5811, 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. weekdays

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (34) | Permalink

January 10, 2008

Streetcars, MAX Trains and Buses – Three Modes - One System

click image for full size view

The streetcar system, promoted as a development tool, is supposed to be a local circulator with frequent stops and yet it will run without a stop for two-thirds of mile, across the Broadway Bridge between the Pearl District and the Eliot Neighborhood.

On the other hand, light rail is supposed to function as a high capacity regional system, (Metropolitan Area Express) but is being forced to function as a streetcar, creeping along downtown city streets with stops every few blocks.

It appears that each mode is being planned without much consideration of the other, with little thought given to developing a coordinated synergistic system.
Some serious thought should be given to the big picture.

Following is an example of how the three modes, coordinated as a single system in the central city, could provide better service than if developed individually.

• The Transit Mall could accommodate buses and streetcars. It is a more appropriate venue for frequent streetcar service than it is for long regional MAX trains.
• Streetcars routed via Station Way and over the Steel Bridge could provide additional service to the Pearl District and new service to the North Riverfront area.
• Streetcars could serve the Rose Quarter and connect the Lloyd District to both the Transit Mall and the Pearl District.
• The Yellow MAX Line could then extend south to Milwaukie on a direct eastside alignment, providing efficient transfers to eastside bus routes while avoiding two river crossings, awkward junctions at the Steel Bridge and a slow slog through downtown.
• The eastside streetcar could be routed over the Hawthorne Bridge and serve the Keller Auditorium area while providing a critical link between the greater eastside and South Waterfront.
• The Ross Island Bridge could be upgraded to provide bike, pedestrian and bus access to South Waterfront.
• The huge capital cost of a new light rail bridge and the expense of laying tracks over the recently refurbished Broadway Bridge could be avoided.
• The money saved would be better used to extend the Yellow MAX Line to Hayden Island and to extend streetcar service to Lake Oswego.

  The attached map shows these modified river crossings. It also illustrates a north-south streetcar alignment through the eastside that incorporates the following advantages.
  

• Seventh Avenue, less intensely developed, provides more opportunities for new development than MLK/Grand.
  
• The Seventh Avenue corridor now lacks transit service whereas MLK/Grand has excellent bus service (148 trips a day) with the MLK #6 corridor bus route that connects Hayden Island to the transit mall and PSU.
  
• Lloyd District would be better served with two-way streetcar operation on Seventh Avenue, which is a two-way street. It would be more intuitive and easier to understand than the proposed split operation, with streetcars going in one direction on a two-way street and the other direction on a one-way street, with two blocks between tracks.
  
• The Seventh Avenue streetcar bridge across Sullivan’s Gulch could also provide a desirable bike and pedestrian link. Perhaps the old Sauvie Island Bridge could be recycled for this purpose.
  
• The Seventh Avenue alignment eliminates time consuming streetcar turns at Grand and Broadway, and at Oregon and MLK.
  
• The streetcar on Seventh Avenue would have less negative traffic impact than on the very busy MLK/Grand couplet.
  

Posted by Jim Howell at 12:00 AM | Comments (71) | Permalink

January 9, 2008

Peer-to-peer Commuter Intelligence?

Via Planetizen:

Here's an interesting idea from the east coast: CleverCommute.com allows commuters to share information about current commute conditions. It seems to be centered around commuter rail.

Could we do it here? What kind of information would it focus on?

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (6) | Permalink

January 8, 2008

Access vs. Mobility in the Streetcar Loop

There was a request in the open suggestion thread to review the "Northrup Loop" option for the Streetcar Loop connection in the Pearl District, so this post will give it a shot.

As part of the Streetcar Loop now pending approval for Federal funding, the Streetcar will cross the Broadway Bridge and connect with the existing alignment somewhere on or near Lovejoy St. Exactly how we make that connection has several complicating factors, including:

• The desire of the neighborhood to improve traffic circulation by making several pairs of coupleted streets, including a Lovejoy/Northrup couplet.
• The need to have a turnaround opportunity in the Pearl to send vehicles back to the east side without going all the way to Market St. (currently the first available turnaround).
• Respecting the needs of cyclists, for whom the Lovejoy ramp is a major entry point into the district.
• Connectivity for vehicles dispatched from the maintenance facility to get to the east side (and for future service from NW 23rd to the east side).
• Transit needs of the development now happening north of Lovejoy (which will be taller and denser than south of Lovejoy)
• Travel times
• Cost
• Retail needs (read on-street parking)

Here is a PDF file with maps (532K) of the two options under consideration. The choice has received much discussion at the Project Committee, Pearl District Transportation Committee, Streetcar Board and the steering committee that oversees the Federal application.

The eastbound connection is straightforward: a switch at 10th and Lovejoy will allow the northbound Streetcar to turn right onto Lovejoy and east across the bridge.

The two options being considered for the westbound connection are:

"The Northrup Loop" (2nd page of PDF), which is currently be carried as the base option (despite what this revision of the maps says), and which would have the Streetcar come west off the bridge and turn right onto 10th and join the existing track on which it would turn west onto Northrup. A new switch and track segment would be installed from Northrup onto 11th and the vehicle would cross Lovejoy and join the currently alignment heading south on 11th into downtown. An additional switch/turn would be installed at 11th and Lovejoy to provide a turnaround back to the east side.

"The Lovejoy Option" (1st page of PDF) would avoid the northward turn and simply turn left from Lovejoy, joining the current track on 11th. A turnaround would then be installed on Hoyt St.

Note that in both options, in order to preserve the ability to convert Lovejoy and Northrup into a couplet, the Streetcar on Lovejoy is in a curbside lane (not the auto lane) which would become a "contra-flow" lane in the event that Lovejoy is converted to eastbound-only traffic in a couplet.

The "Northrup Loop" is strongly preferred by the Pearl District and Northwest District for these reasons:

• It provides downtown travel options for development in the blocks north of Lovejoy.
• It allows for direct travel to and from NW 23rd to the east side for future service.
• It minimizes removal of on-street parking.

The "cons" for this approach are:

• Costs $3-4M more.
• Adds 2+ minutes of travel time for passengers from the east side.
• If services opens with a turnaround in the Pearl, the transfer from east side service to downtown service will require walking several blocks to make the transfer.

The debate seems to be coming down to the additional access provided by the Northrup Loop versus the travel time difference and awkwardness of the temporary transfer. The funds for the more expensive option have already been budgeted from the Urban Renewal district, so cost is not a primary argument (the Urban Renewal funds cannot be used in other parts of the alignment, they can only be used inside the district).

The transfer issue can be mitigated in two ways:

1. Find the operating funding to run the initial service all the way to PSU.
2. Install the Hoyt Street turnaround in the Northrup option (more cost).

The debate will probably go on for a couple more months, but for the moment the Northrup Loop appears to be the preferred option.

For my part, I think the additional access (and future system flexibility) provided by the Northrup option are the key factors. The additional access outweighs the delay in travel time (i.e., mobility) in my mind.

Posted by Chris Smith at 9:18 AM | Comments (34) | Permalink

Gasoline tax in Oregon

Hi everyone,

I paid a visit to the Oregon state website to see what I could discover on the gasoline tax. The Department of Revenue site has some links to "tax expenditures", in which Chap. 3 discusses "gas, use, and jet fuel taxes". P. 301 gives these figures:

-- current state tax rate $0.24/gallon, federal rate $0.184/gallon
-- revenue expected in the 2003-05 biennium $806.7 million, and in the 2005-07 biennium $832.3 millon

So much for the revenue side, now the expenditure side. On the Budget and Management site, the 2003-05 ODOT actual budget totaled about $2.68 billion (p. G-5). P. G-6 says most of ODOT's revenue comes from the gasoline tax and from licensing and registration fees. I couldn't easily find the licensing revenue, but it couldn't possibly account for 3-fold difference between the gas tax and ODOT expenditures.

It's often said that gas taxes pay for roads, and some people resent gas taxes being used for other things (like transit). Yet it seems the state is taking in, in gas taxes, only 1/3 of ODOT's expenditures. Where's the rest coming from? Can someone help me reconcile this apparent contradiction?

Thanks!

Mike

Posted by mfeldman at 12:17 AM | Comments (64) | Permalink

January 7, 2008

Featured Class Project 2007

Each year we feature one presentation from the PSU/PDOT Traffic and Transportation class.

This year our featured presentation is from Cora Potter, who is seeking to take an existing cul-de-sac and turn it into a gateway from the new Green Line Light Rail to the local neighborhood (PDF, 412K).

This idea integrates transit, trail and local street grid connections, and targets land uses that complement the station area and the existing neighborhood.

Let's hope it gets implemented!

Posted by Chris Smith at 9:23 AM | Comments (3) | Permalink

Eugene EmX in Action

From the New Flyer website, we find a video highlighting the EmX route in Eugene - which uses New Flyer's low-floor articulated model - as well as a brochure page touting the advantages of bus rapid transit. Eugene's application of BRT includes dedicated lanes, large station platforms, and as mentioned is a low-floor bus that allows for quick and easy boarding/deboarding for wheelchairs and bicycles, for which internal racks are provided, much like light-rail.

Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, is gaining momentum in North America as a way to move mass transit riders quickly to a central location. Instead of building a fixed infrastructure, such as seen in rail applications, BRT uses rubber tired buses, express lanes, priority signals, and in some cases, dedicated lanes. Routes can be redirected quickly in the case of minor obstructions, or if traffic patterns change, new routes can be reconstructed without any major impact to investments already made.

New Flyer has been supplying buses to BRT systems for almost 20 years. Articulated, or 60-foot buses, are preferred for their high capacity and low cost of ownership. Advancements in vehicle and propulsion technolgy, coupled with New Flyer’s modular design, enables us to offer buses suited to any city's BRT system requirements.

Watch the video

Additionally, here is a link to the FAQ page about EmX on the Lane Transit District's website.

Posted by Joseph Edge at 12:00 AM | Comments (65) | Permalink

January 4, 2008

Van versus Plane

As noted in the Portland Business Journal, Shuttle Express is going to try to give Horizon Air a run for their money on the Portland-Seattle route:

Shuttle Express will use six passenger "luxury vans" for the service. The vans include leather captain chairs, Wi-Fi service, DVD/CD/TV monitors and coffee service.

$180 for a roundtrip.

Posted by Chris Smith at 10:24 AM | Comments (16) | Permalink

January 3, 2008

Breeding Activists

One of the perks of publishing this blog is that I get to serve on the panel that reviews the class presentations for the PSU/PDOT Traffic and Transportation class. I've blogged frequently about the value of this class in helping train citizen transportation activists and this year's crop is no less impressive.

As part of the arrangement Portland Transport is the official archive site for the class presentations. Here is this current set:

• A team is working on a Halo LID (PDF, 1.6M) to fund sidewalks in Bridlemile.
• Don Lief wants to straighten out the intersection at 60th and Stark (PDF, 1.2M)
• Jenn_Bildersee (PDF, 841K) and John_Reinhold (PDF, 908K) are working on better bicycle connections out of the Brooklyn neighborhood.
• Ryan Matson is striving to improve bike connections to NE Broadway. (PDF, 3.4M)

Later in the week I'll feature what I thought was one of the most interesting of the projects.

[My apologies for the folks in the class that I've taken almost a month to get these up - I've been distracted by other projects :-)]

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:00 AM | Comments (5) | Permalink

January 2, 2008

KBOO Bike Show: Ring in the New Year

Listen to the show (mp3, 36M)

Ring in the new year with the KBOO Bike Show and get the year started on a bikey note. Carl Larson and Ayleen Crotty are hosting a bike music party in the KBOO studios with the Trash Mountain Boys (bike rock) and DJ Crow (fresh bike cuts) live on air.

Favorite rides and bike moments of 2007 plus wishes for a bikey new year.

Posted by Bike Show at 9:48 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

TriMet: Should Fareless Square Hours be Limited?

TriMet has scheduled public meetings regarding Fred Hansen's recent proposal to limit the hours of operation of Fareless Square:

In response to recent security concerns TriMet's General Manager has outlined a new security plan as part of a multi-faceted strategy to improve safety and security at night throughout the transit system. An important element of this plan includes limiting fareless hours to 7 a.m.-7 p.m.

Much of the disruptive and threatening behavior that is witnessed on MAX occurs at night between downtown and the Lloyd District. The proposal is specifically targeted at passenger safety in the downtown core, and to substantially reduce the type of undesirable behavior that impacts the safety of our system.

See the full meeting notice here.

The scheduled meetings are:

• Wednesday, Jan. 16
  Liberty Center Auditorium
  650 NE Holladay St, Portland
  11 a.m.-1 p.m.

• Wednesday, Jan. 16
  Portland Building Auditorium
  1120 SW 5th Ave, Portland
  5-7 p.m.

The meeting notice web page also lists alternate means of providing public comment, including phone and email.

Posted by Bob Richardson at 2:46 PM | Comments (22) | Permalink

Introduction and Debunking Some Pearl Myths

We welcome Mike Feldman as a new contributor! - Chris

Hi all,

Since Chris was kind enough to make me a contributor, I figure it's time to introduce myself and contribute. My wife and I moved to Portland about 18 months ago. I'm a just-retired Computer Science professor; my wife is a writer. I like this blog and the other Portland transport sites on the Net. I have no stake in any of these discussions, I'm just a resident who's interested in this stuff.

I plan to write here now and then. I try to do my homework and write intelligently and civilly. If you think I've got my facts wrong, I'm glad to stand corrected as long as you correct me with intelligence and civility. I have better ways to spend my time than to get into rants and shouting matches on a blog. I've been there and done that, and have no interest in doing it here.

OK, here's what got me interested in writing today. Over on the recent streetcar thread, GTinSalem said,

I think they have it all wrong. They shouldn't be giving abatements or incentives but it should be just the opposite. Make the condo developments pay for the streetcar, include a special tax for condo developments to fund the streetcar. If you want to live in a shoebox, then pay for everything yourself, why should the public at large be forced to give welfare to yuppies living in the Pearl District who have more than enough money to spend on this crap anyway?

Sigh... OK, I want to set the record straight on a couple of things. I wonder how much you really know about the Pearl. Since you and a few others on this blog like to engage in Pearl-bashing, let's put some facts out for you to work with. Maybe I can debunk a stereotype or two.

It's been at least 30 years since I was a yuppie, and I'm not rich. I do live in the Pearl, where I could afford this nice condo because I was lucky enough to sell my suburban house in Maryland at the top of the boom. For 32 years I lived on a college teacher's salary that barely kept up with inflation.

There are some yuppies in the Pearl, but there are also a lot of 60-something geezers like me who like living on one level (no more climbing stairs!) and walking -- or taking the Streetcar or a bus -- to shops and entertainment. You'd better be ready for a lot more of us, because AARP lists Portland -- and the Pearl in particular -- as their #2 best place to live. See http://www.aarpmagazine.org/lifestyle/best_places_2007.html. (I moved here before AARP's report came out.:-)

As it happens, my condo has about the same number of square feet as that house I sold. It's not a mansion, but it's no shoebox either.

My property tax bill was about $10,000. and I have about 1/80 of my building's residential square footage. Assuming everyone in my building is paying taxes at about the same rate per square foot, my building's residence owners sent about $800,000. this year to the county and the other taxing entities. (And that's not counting the stores and offices on the bottom floors.) I have no idea how much my building is getting from the county in services. Is it anywhere near $800k?

And that's just one of many buildings here. So I don't think anyone's giving us welfare. Indeed, according to last year's State tax report, the River District Urban Renewal Area generated about $18,000,000 in property tax revenue on the excess value (that is -- as I understand it -- value in excess of what it was expected to be when the URA was established). This is the "increment" in tax-increment financing.

About 30% of my property taxes are going to schools, according to my county tax bill. I have no school-age kids; as far as I know neither does anyone else in my building. So I suppose you could say my building is contributing about $240,000. a year in "welfare" to people who choose to send their kids to Portland public schools. Right?

Not really -- part of my taxes pays for your benefits, and part of your taxes pay for mine. That's how taxes work.

There are some young families in the Pearl, but my guess is they won't stay very long because there are no schools here for their kids. It's been proposed to build a school here -- that would be great, as it would make the neighborhood family-friendly, which would bridge the gap between the yuppies and the geezers. Of course, the school idea is controversial, and schools cost money to build, so maybe it'll happen, maybe not.

You may be aware that Erik Sten has proposed sending some of that $18,000,000 excess out to the David Douglas district, in far Southeast where the school population is growing with kids whose families are getting squeezed out of the inner districts by gentrification. (This is obviously a controversial idea, but I support it and I'm amazed that it would even be proposed!)

By the way, no families got squeezed out of the Pearl. There were no residents here, just light industry and an abandoned railroad yard. On the other hand, of about 5000 housing units in the district, about 1000 or 20% -- all new -- are designated as affordable housing. I wish the percentage were higher, but 1000 units is still 1000 units.

So who's giving welfare to whom? Nobody, not in my opinion. Let's see if we can discuss the virtues of the different transport modes without bashing neighborhoods or perpetuating stereotypes or acting belligerent. What do you think?

I know, I know, it's a blog. But there's no law against it being a civil and intelligent one.

Mike

Posted by mfeldman at 12:54 AM | Comments (190) | Permalink