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June 30, 2009

Impressions from the Green Line

Today was the first VIP ride on the Green Line and I had the chance to join anybody and everybody involved in transportation in the region to ride out to Clackamas Town Center.

My biggest overall impression was probably looking at the system map and reflecting on how much of the region is now connected by rail...

Photos after the jump.

P.S. Look for video from Bob later...

Gathering at PSU Quite a System! Earl and lots of other electeds Arriving at Clackamas Town Center Great looking vehicles A short walk to the mall...

Posted by Chris Smith at 5:14 PM | Comments (20) | Permalink

June 29, 2009

You Too Can Serve on a Streetcar Advisory Committee

All right, technically there's still a non-streetcar option in the mix:

Dear community member,

Thank you for your interest in the Lake Oswego to Portland Transit Project. As many of you know, we are beginning the next phase of analysis on this project, an environmental review referred to as the Draft Environmental Impact Statement or DEIS.

During this phase of work, the public involvement program will include a community advisory committee to provide on-the-ground advice and guidance to the project team and steering committee about issues related to the analysis as well as recommendations related to the selection of a locally preferred alternative to advance for final analysis and, potentially, construction.

Community advisory committee members will be selected through an open application process and confirmed by the project steering committee. We anticipate that the committee will include about 20 members representing a range of stakeholder perspectives. Some members may represent more than one perspective.

If you are interested in applying for a position on the committee, visit www.oregonmetro.gov/lakeoswego to download a member job description and application form. The applications are due by July 7.

Thank you.

Michael

Michael Robert, Administrative Specialist II
Planning and Development
Metro
503-813-7535 (Ext 7535)
michael.robert@oregonmetro.gov
www.oregonmetro.gov

Posted by Chris Smith at 6:52 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Efforts to Address Climate Change Inch Forward

In Salem, we have a new Greenhouse Gas Emissions Task Force. Here's a note from the Oregon Environmental Council on the bill:

House Bill 2186 passed the Senate Wednesday evening, the House concurred with Senate amendments Thursday, and the bill now goes to the Governor for his signature. Thanks for your help!

As mentioned in my earlier email, besides the centerpiece of the bill, a low-carbon fuel standard, HB 2186 sets up a Metropolitan Planning Organization Greenhouse Gas Emissions Task Force. This Task Force, co-chaired by House Speaker David Hunt and Senate President Peter Courtney, will evaluate how to move all MPOs forward on reducing greenhouse gases through better transportation and land use planning and will make recommendations for legislation to be considered during the 2010 special session. (As you remember under HB 2001, Metro is required to develop and adopt a land use and transportation scenario that reduces greenhouse gases and the Eugene/Springfield MPO is required to develop a nonbinding scenario.)

In D.C. the Waxman-Markey "Clean Energy and Security Act" has passed the House (a cap-and-trade approach), although Peter DeFazio voted NO in protest because he didn't think it had enough teeth.

Let's hope this is not all "too little too late."

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:29 AM | Comments (16) | Permalink

June 26, 2009

TriMet Goes for Lowest Cost Bridge

As the Daily Journal of Commerce reports, because:

"When you look at the two pictures (of the bridge designs), most people can't tell the difference," [TriMet spokesperson Mary] Fetsch said.

That sounds like something an agency with no elected leadership would say. Sigh.

Posted by Chris Smith at 7:06 AM | Comments (33) | Permalink

Updated: Visit A Climate Action Plan Town Hall

Updated: 6/26/09

An additional town hall has been added:

Saturday, July 11 / 2:00-4:00 pm
David Douglas High School
1001 SE 135th

Original Post: 6/2/09

Climate Action Plan Town Halls

Join the conversation.

 

 

The City of Portland and Multnomah County have drafted a new action plan to lead our community forward in the charge against global warming. The draft 2009 Climate Action Plan is a strategy to decrease local carbon emissions 80 percent by 2050.  

 

The plan identifies high-level goals and specific actions to be accomplished in the next three years to accelerate local efforts to address this issue. 

 

Everything from high-level policy changes and expanded bicycle master plans to on-the-ground, every day practices like insulating our homes, walking to the grocery store and eating less red meat can mean a healthier planet, and healthier families, if we all pitch in.

 

Join your friends and neighbors to discuss the Climate Action Plan at one of the neighborhood Town Halls listed below.   We need your help to shape this strategy. 

 

Town Hall Schedule:

Downtown - business focused Monday, June 15 / 5:30-7:30pm   SOUK 322 NW 6th Ave	Southeast Saturday, June 20 / 1:00-3:00pm   Mt. Scott Community Center 5530 SE 72nd Ave
Southwest Monday, June 22 / 6:30-8:30pm   Fulton Park Community Center 68 SW Miles Street	Northeast Thursday, June 25  / 6:30-8:30pm   Dishman Community Center 77 NE Knott
Downtown/Central Westside Monday, June 29 / 6:30-8:30pm   Lincoln HS Cafeteria 1600 SW Salmon St	North Tuesday, July 7 / 6:30-8:30pm   University Park Community Center 9009 N Foss Ave

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:28 AM | Comments (31) | Permalink

June 25, 2009

Freeway Loop-The 2nd Domino in the CRC Process

I know the main focus of debate on the future of the I-5 system in the Portland area has of late been on the future of the Columbia River crossing. One "wild card" that will be arguable for years is how much growth can we reasonably anticipate in the Portland- Vancouver area. Right now, with the second highest unemployment rate in the US--- a typical Oregon condition, btw---the immediate prospects of population growth are relatively low. In the 1980's Portland proper even declined a bit---nevertheless rebounding once the economy improved again.

This has its advantages. Unlike Seattle, which in recent history has experienced smaller downturns, Portland's larger pauses in growth provide the opportunity for a more coherent planning strategy. And I expect, that just as sunny summer days follow long gray winters, the influx of those seeking a safer and more enjoyable place to live will be headed our way again. There is even a name for it: the Western Migration. So unlike I-405 in the Renton-Bellevue-Everett area our interstate system has not passed a crisis point. But it's getting there.

Anticipating continued and increasing congestion on I-5 and I405 through Portland, former Mayor Vera Katz and ODOT Director Bruce Warner formed the Freeway Loop Advisory Group to propose some solutions. Their report can be found here.http://www.portlandonline.com/bps/index.cfm?a=104959&c=47518 The solution that seems to come up most frequently for discussion is on p. 11 of the Report: the Full Tunnel solution. Basic features of that particular plan are:
1. Removal of Marquam Bridge
2."Travel decks' (tunnel) beneath the Willamette riverbed and continuing to NE Broadway
3. Rebuilt interchanges at 1-84 and OR-99E
4. New street connections atop the tunnels
5. Central Eastside railway located below grade
Capital costs in 2003 dollars were estimated at 3.0 to 5.6 billion dollars

But in view of the escalating cost estimates for replacing the Interstate bridges (this started at 1-2 billion dollars and now is 3-4.2 billion.) and considering comparable projects in other US cities I would feel obligated to question the 2003 figures. And then there is the inflation factor. There are some other loose ends in the equation:
1. If we are putting I-5 below ground why stop at NE Broadway?
2. What if tunneling under the Willamette runs into some unforeseen difficulties?
3. What if burying I-5 under east Portland runs into difficulties or objections from powerful property owners?
4. What if the Union Pacific RR doesn't want its line located underground? And what is the safety factor in burying an industrial rail line far below the flood level of the Willamette?
5. Doesn't putting a major freeway under a natural body of water push the labor costs up far more than typical surface construction? There are such things as premium pay for hazardous environments.

Yet the 2005 report of the FLAG determined that the congestion of the I-5/I-405 loop was already near its limit. Now, however, without any revelation of this report in the ongoing discussion of the CRC project, we are considering a project that could attract even more traffic to the stressed I-5 route. Moreover we have (varying) projections of population increase of perhaps one million more by 2050 to a doubling of the Metro, population by 2060. It's anyone's guess, but we all believe more people will move here. So I am looking at other options. Like "Co-existence"

Seattle, again, solved some of its central city freeway problem by building the Washington State Convention Center partly over I-5, with the added "Freeway Park" adjacent to it. I googled "built over freeway" and came up with a number of projects. Two outstanding ones were: in Phoenix with the half -mile long Margaret T. Hance park built above I-10; and I-696 in Oak Park and Southfield, MIchigan capped by three, separated parks. How could this be done in Portland so that there is usage of the riverfront area but without the high costs certain to come with a freeway relocation project?

There is approximately two thirds of a mile of east Portland riverfront property that could be capped. This is approximately from the Hawthorne Bridge to the Burnside Bridge. The I-5 freeway is on the ground at this point, or nearly so, and it is also directly across from the heart of downtown Portland. A plaza elevated above I-5 could be connected by stairways to the East Bank Esplanade. The "plaza" would actually be a complex of buildings, parks, walkways, amphitheatres---and openings. Perhaps development could be built above the rail line as well.The main intersection of a north -south plaza would be the Morrison Bridge and this is where some extra strategizing needs to happen. Right now we have four high and long ramps that connect to the Morrison and these are taking up a lot of the airspace over blocks that could have a better use. I see some possibilities for consolidating these presently unsafe ramps and perhaps establishing some new connections to McLoughlin Bv. and to downtown Portland.

This could be a vastly less expensive means of having better access to the east riverfront than wholly relocating I-5. Something like this is happening with the Alaska Way viaduct in Seattle, although that project does involve a tunnel, which is expensive. The only roadway reconstruction in my proposal is for the four ramps that now connect to the Morrison Bridge. This doesn't give us a several mile long unbroken East Bank. But it would give us a sustantial stretch of prime waterfront land--and fairly minimal interruption of our connection to the rest of the riverfront. But I think this can only be done if the CRC is not built. With population growth I believe that an enhanced I-5 crossing of the Columbia will eventually result in significantly more traffic through Portland as well. This may be mitigated by mass transit but I think in the long run traffic would increase.

Posted by Ron Swaren at 9:32 PM | Comments (12) | Permalink

Local Streetcar Manufacturing Stimulating Economy

The Daily Journal of Commerce focuses on one company where a Streetcar sub-contract resulted in re-hiring 10 employees.

Posted by Chris Smith at 7:52 AM | Comments (3) | Permalink

Speed Signs: Limits or Useful Information?

Via Hard Drive: the How We Drive blog asks whether speed signs should tell us the limit of how fast we can can, or how fast we should go to optimize our trip?

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:25 AM | Comments (3) | Permalink

June 24, 2009

TriMet Lays Out Fareless Square, Cuts Strategy

Frequent commenter Jason McHuff left this over on the open thread:

-Fareless Square Change Proposed: limiting it to rail only, with Green and Yellow Line replacing free bus service on the mall

-Bus Frequency Reductions Proposed (details): Many main lines go from every 15 minutes to every 17 minutes

Open Houses/Public Hearings regarding those July 13th

The Business Journal also has coverage.

Posted by Chris Smith at 4:10 PM | Comments (32) | Permalink

Coming Up on the KBOO Bike Show: Bicycle Justice

Sara and Elly host a conversation about bicycle justice, with lawyer Bob Mionske, author of Cycling and the Law and social worker Meghan Sinnott. Mionske will discuss the biases against bicycling inherent in law enforcement, the court system and the written law. Sinnott will talk about barriers in both mobility and justice for society's neediest.

11AM-Noon, Wednesday, July 1
KBOO FM 90.7
Streamed live at KBOO.fm
Podcast here later that day

Posted by Chris Smith at 7:20 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Oregon Needs a Few Good Environmentalists

No less than three Oregon environmental organizations are seeking new Executive Directors:

• 1000 Friends of Oregon
• Oregon League of Conservation Voters
• Environment Oregon

Send in those resumes.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:14 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

June 23, 2009

Tire Chalk Goes High Tech

There's no fooling the camera to avoid that parking ticket. Via Planetizen.

Posted by Chris Smith at 7:34 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

What We're Going to See on the Road

Portland State University
Center for Transportation Studies
Summer 2009 Transportation Seminar Series

Speaker: Geoff Rose, Institute of Transport Studies, Dept. of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne Australia.
Topic: Emerging types of private vehicles and their implications for road system management
When: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 12:00 - 1:00pm
Where: ITS Lab (Room 315 in the Engineering Building - 4th Avenue)

Abstract: This seminar will describe the results of a recent study for the Australian National Road Authority (Austroads) which reviewed emerging types of private vehicles, including everything from Segways and mobility scooters to three wheel cars and micro/mini cars, and their implications for road system management.The emergence of some of those vehicle types presents real challenges from the perspective of safely managing their integration into the road system even though they present some real opportunities from the perspective of improving the sustainability of the transport system. Although the analysis is largely from an Australian perspective, some of the general insights which came from the study are transferable and one of the key recommendations (regarding moving towards more performance based than prescriptive based standards for vehicles) has potential international application.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:36 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink

June 22, 2009

Full Transportation Bill Draft Released

T4America has the details, I haven't had a chance to take a look yet.

Posted by Chris Smith at 11:39 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Biggest First LRT

Phoenix has opened it's first light rail line (at 22 miles the longest initial segment in any American city) to rave reviews. Streetfilms has the visuals.

Posted by Chris Smith at 7:20 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink

Keep up the CRC Pressure

While the Columbia River Crossing project is under pressure from any number of angles, we can't let up. Please be an active voice in several upcoming open houses:

June Open Houses:

• Tuesday, June 23, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.: Jantzen Beach SuperCenter, Community Room (across from food court), 1405 N. Jantzen Beach Center, Portland


• Wednesday, June 24, 5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.: Red Lion Hotel Vancouver at the Quay, River Rooms, 100 Columbia Street, Vancouver

Listening Sessions on Tolling:

• Tuesday, June 30, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.: WSDOT, 11018 NE 51st Circle, Room 102, Vancover


• Wednesday, July 1, 6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.: Jantzen Beach SuperCenter, Community Room (across from food court), 1405 N. Jantzen Beach Center, Portland

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:22 AM | Comments (11) | Permalink

June 21, 2009

A Good Time Was Had By All

Transportation Planner, Activist, Chanteuse and sometimes Portland Transport contributor Ellen Vanderslice performing at Arbor Lodge Park as part of Sunday Parkways 2009

The Good Kind of Congestion

Fun for All Ages

Since the weather forecast suggested showers might show in the early afternoon, my partner and I headed out early to the first Sunday Parkways event of the season, only to be greeted by clouds and an occassional sprinkle (while the afternoon was sunny of course).

But no one's spirits were dampened and I'm looking forward to the remaining two events!

Posted by Chris Smith at 5:12 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

June 19, 2009

House, Administration at Odds on Reauthorization

I've been off the air for a bit due to computer problems, and while I was AWOL quite a conflict has emerged around the every-six-years reauthorization of the Federal transportaton program.

While Chairman Oberstar was preparing to release his outline for the bill, Secretary LaHood announced that the administration would prefer to extend the current authorizaton for 18 months to re-fund the Highway Trust Fund.

Neither blinked.

Locally, surface transportation subcommittee chair Peter DeFazio was strongly backing his chairman and I suspect this may be a point in his address to City Club of Portland today.

There is also speculation that the timing could affect the possibility of DeFazio running for Governor.

Meanwhile, Streetsblog Capitol Hill is the best place to follow the ongoing saga and analysis of Oberstar's proposal.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:13 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

June 17, 2009

Transit Equity Coming?

Congressman (and Transportation Chair) Jim Oberstar will release a white paper on Thursday outlining his plan for the next surface transportation reauthorization bill.

One issue that many transit advocates are hoping for is 'transit equity', the idea that the disparity between Federal match for highways (80-90%) and match for transit projects (50-60%, usually 50%) might be removed.

Let's all cross our fingers!

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:16 AM | Comments (14) | Permalink

June 16, 2009

What the Transit Rider's Union SHOULD be Focusing On

The current murmur is that the Milwaukie Light Rail project is going to need about a $50M injection of capital funding (if anyone has a draft funding plan document, please share it) to complete the local match, which TriMet plans to provide by bonding future payroll tax revenue.

Depending on Interest rates, that means something like $5M annually NOT available for operations. There has to be a better answer than that.

Posted by Chris Smith at 6:39 AM | Comments (19) | Permalink

Best Buy to Sell Electric Motorcycles

According to the Business Journal Best Buy will be selling Brammo electric motorcycles, which the publication labels as an "e-bike".

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:36 AM | Comments (1) | Permalink

June 15, 2009

Afghanistan Saves TriMet?

Via Planetizen:

Apparently the must-pass defense funding bill will include a provision allowing transit agencies to apply 10% of their stimulus funding to operations.

Can this stave off the November service cuts TriMet is beginning to plan?

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:36 AM | Comments (8) | Permalink

June 14, 2009

"NO CRC" Ride Pedals Through N/NE Portland

To chants of "12 Lanes - Insane!" I rode with 60 or so other cyclists today on a "No CRC" (Columbia River Crossing) ride as part of Pedalpalooza, the annual bike festival.

The ride was a co-production of local cyclists and Rising Tide, a national climate change activism group.

Full set of photos after the jump...

Posted by Chris Smith at 8:12 PM | Comments (1) | Permalink

June 12, 2009

AARP Advocates for Complete Streets

They've woken up to the fact that as we get older, fewer of us are going to be drivers:

Despite the goal to be inclusive, an inventory conducted for this study found that less than one-third of the 80 state and local Complete Streets policies explicitly address the needs of older road users. An online survey of more than 1,000 transportation planners and engineers revealed that nearly two-thirds do not yet consider the needs of older users in their multi-modal planning.

Read the whole study.

Posted by Chris Smith at 6:51 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Streets of Dreams Goes Urban This Year

Updated: 6/12/09

Apparently, the Street of Dreams will come with a free Streetcar pass this year...

Updated: 3/26/09

The folks at the Homebuilders Association were kind enough to pass along their press release. Here's an excerpt:

"Dream homes come in different shapes, sizes and styles," said 2009 HBA President Tom Skaar. "This year's Street of Dreams focuses on the height of urban living in one of Portland's residential jewels. It will bring tens of thousands of people to the area's galleries, breweries, unique restaurants and shops. In essence, the Street of Dreams in The Pearl will give people an authentically Portland experience and invite them to see all the wonderful things the city has to offer."

The 2009 Street of Dreams will also feature a significant increase in its emphasis on sustainability. Most of the homes will meet LEED standards and have other sustainable site development and construction practices that exceed current code. Eco-friendliness and energy efficiency will also be showcased in the condos interiors, and sustainable practices will be incorporated into the show's production, marketing and operations. This emphasis demonstrates the HBA's commitment to being more earth-friendly in all its shows and events.

Original Post: 3/23/09

The local "Street of Dreams" real estate extravaganza, which is generally focused on a suburban development, will be in the Pearl District this year, along the Streetcar line.

The stated reason is that the suburban projects are not getting built due to lending conditions.

But I can't help but think it's easier to afford your Dream Home if you don't also have to make those payments on the Lexus...

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:07 AM | Comments (18) | Permalink

June 11, 2009

What's that About the Sellwood?

An alert reader pointed us to this section of HB 2001, the much-discussed transportation bill. Section 40 creates the ability for Multnomah and/or Clackamas counties to adopt registration feeds to help pay for the bridge. But there's an interesting twist (in bold below):

  SECTION 40. ORS 801.041 is amended to read:
  801.041. The following apply to the authority granted to
counties by ORS 801.040 to establish registration fees for
vehicles:
  (1) An ordinance establishing registration fees under this
section must be enacted by the county imposing the registration
fee and filed with the Department of Transportation.
 { - Any - }  { + Notwithstanding ORS 203.055 or any provision of
a county charter, the governing body of a county with a
population of 350,000 or more may enact an + } ordinance
establishing registration fees   { - that is enacted by the
governing body of a county must be submitted to the electors of
the county for their approval. - }   { + for the purpose of
designing, replacing, acquiring necessary property for,
engineering and constructing a bridge and its approach that
crosses the Willamette River in the City of Portland. Except for
motor vehicles registered as government-owned vehicles under ORS
805.040, the bridge shall be restricted to motor vehicles with a
gross vehicle weight rating of 26,000 pounds or less. + } The
governing body of the county imposing the registration fee shall
enter into an intergovernmental agreement under ORS 190.010 with
the department by which the department shall collect the
registration fees, pay them over to the county and, if necessary,
allow the credit or credits described in ORS 803.445 (5). The
intergovernmental agreement must state the date on which the
department shall begin collecting registration fees for the
county.

Why is the Legislature interested in restricting weights on a County-owned bridge?

One speculation is that this is a swipe by AAA at the truckers, but I'm scratching my head...

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:31 AM | Comments (22) | Permalink

June 10, 2009

London's Cycle Network

Portland State University
Center for Transportation Studies
Summer 2009 Transportation Seminar Series

Speaker: Steve Cardno
London Cycle Network, Project Manager
Topic: Building the London Cycle Network - 900km of Fast, Safe, and Comfortable Bike Routes
When: Monday, June 15, 2009, 12:00 - 1:00pm
Where: ITS Lab (Engineering 315)

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:08 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink

June 9, 2009

Transit-Oriented Real Estate

I recently received an e-mail from a representative of Estately.com, a real estate service that will help you find your dream home based on any number of criteria, including Walkscore and distance to your favorite transit line!

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:31 AM | Comments (4) | Permalink

June 8, 2009

Business Journal: Lack of Federal Enthusiam for the CRC

The Congressional delegation is so lukewarm that they may only come up with half of the requested $400M in highway funds for the Columbia River Crossing.

$0.2B down, $4B to go...

[OK, I know that $800M for the transit piece is an easier ask, but I couldn't resist.]

Posted by Chris Smith at 7:18 AM | Comments (40) | Permalink

Google Streetview Vehicles in U.S. and Europe

Here are links to photos of vehicles used by Google to compile "Street View" photos in Europe and North America.

Word is the trike may be used to map trails here in the U.S.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:42 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink

June 5, 2009

Streetcar Takes its Share of the Pain

Along with all the scheduled changes last Sunday to move buses back to the Transit mall, it might have been missed that Portland Streetcar also had a schedule change.

Several months ago, TriMet informed Streetcar that for the upcoming operating year, it would be reducing its funding to Streetcar operations by the same 8% that TriMet itself is facing in budget reductions this year.

This represents about a $300K hit to the Streetcar budget (TriMet provides about 2/3rds of operating funding). While some of this has been made up for by favorable variations in other revenue areas (like sponsorships) and cuts in areas that don't involve customer service, Streetcar will be cutting 300-500 service hours from its schedule (that somewhere around 1.5% of the current annual total of 35,000 service hours).

Peak service hours will not be affected, nor will overall hours of service. Basically the daily ramp up/ramp down of the number of vehicles out on the system will be a little slower, so there will be one less vehicle in operation 60-90 minutes per day.

No positions have been eliminated, the reduction in service will be accomplished through a reduction in overtime hours.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:27 AM | Comments (88) | Permalink

June 4, 2009

Updated: Local Boy Makes Good

Updated: 6/4/09

The guy is everywhere! He's a featured guest on this week's "Smart City" radio show/podcast.

Can you say "tipping point"?

Original Post: 6/2/09
I reviewed Jeff Mapes' "Pedaling Revolution" back in January.

Now Jeff has a NY Times review to his credit and will be the featured presenter at the PSU Transportation Seminar this week:

Portland State University
Center for Transportation Studies
Spring 2009 Transportation Seminar Series

Speaker: Jeff Mapes, senior political reporter for The Oregonian

Topic: Pedaling Revolution: How Cyclists Are Changing American Cities

When: June 5, 2009, 12pm-1pm

Where: PSU Urban Center Building, SW 6th and Mill, Room 204

Posted by Chris Smith at 11:04 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink

Nice Tribute to Local Streetcar Manufacturing

Yesterday's Daily Journal of Commerce has a very nice piece on Oregon Iron Works and their United Streetcar subsidiary!

Posted by Chris Smith at 10:37 AM | Comments (0) | Permalink

Tolling on the CRC Agenda

Tolls and financing are on the agenda when the Columbia River Crossing Sponsors Council meets on Friday:

VANCOUVER - The Columbia River Crossing Project Sponsors Council will discuss project financing and tolling, and the number of structures for the replacement I-5 bridge when it meets Friday, June 5.

The agenda includes an update on project funding, public outreach efforts for a tolling study, considerations for a two-structure I-5 bridge, and a recommendation for the individuals to serve on a committee developing performance measures for the Columbia River Crossing project.

The public meeting will be held 10 a.m. to noon at the Region 1 Headquarters of the Oregon Department of Transportation, 123 NW Flanders Street in Portland. Meeting materials are available at: www.columbiarivercrossing.org/ProjectPartners/ProjectSponsorsCouncil.aspx .

The governors of Oregon and Washington charged the Project Sponsors Council with advising the project on completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement, project design, project timeline, sustainable construction methods, consistency with greenhouse gas emission reduction goals and the financial plan. The council is composed of representatives from the Washington and Oregon departments of transportation, cities of Portland and Vancouver, Metro, Southwest Washington Regional Transportation Council, TriMet, and C-TRAN, as well as two citizens who serve as co-chairs for the group.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:31 AM | Comments (2) | Permalink

June 3, 2009

KBOO Bike Show: Sunday Parkways 2009

Listen to the show (mp3, 26.9MB)

Sara and Beth talk with Linda Ginenthal of PDOT and Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder about Sunday Parkways, three events this summer that will transform over 7 miles of neighborhood streets into temporary parks, so we can enjoy walking, bicycling, roller blading and dancing in the street - without having to watch out for cars!

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:33 PM | Comments (0) | Permalink

June 2, 2009

Bus Stops, Present and Future

I snapped this picture of one of the new bus stop signs on the transit mall yesterday. It's gorgeous, but I couldn't help wondering where the stop id is? I've tried to use transit tracker a couple of times since buses came back to the mall and the first place I always look is on these signs - where it isn't.

Now to be fair, the stop id IS on a map in frame display a few feet away. But why didn't TriMet also put them in plain site on these signs?

As for the future, via Planetizen, here's a concept from MIT for "bus stops of the future". Maybe it's not too late to order a few of these for the mall!

Posted by Chris Smith at 8:35 AM | Comments (44) | Permalink

June 1, 2009

Is there a Silver Lining in the Transportation Bill?

The Oregon Environmental Council, which opposed the transportation bill along with other environment organizations, nonetheless has published a plus/minus analysis on the bill and finds about a half dozen positives:

• ODOT is required to develop a "least-cost planning" model, in consultation with local governments and metropolitan planning organizations, as a decision-making tool in the development of plans and projects at both the state and regional level.
• The Oregon Transportation Commission is required to review and update the selection criteria for the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program and to include such criteria as (1) Fosters livable communities by demonstrating that the investment reinforces or does not undermine compact urban development; (2) Enhances the value of transportation projects through designs and development that reflect environmental stewardship and community sensitivity; and (3) Is consistent with infrastructure plans and reinforces the state's greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.
• ODOT is required to prepare an "efficient fee study" that must consider actual costs users impose on the highway system, including the cost of greenhouse gas emissions.
• The tax credit for pay-as-you-drive auto insurance has been extended.
• A congestion pricing pilot program in the Portland metro area must be undertaken within 36 months.
• ODOT is required to adopt rules to incorporate environmental performance standards into design and construction of all state highway construction projects, including local projects funded by the department.
• Medium-speed electric vehicles may operate on roads posted up to 45 mph, and the state is required to work with private firms to install electric motor vehicle recharging stations at roadside rest areas.

I'd love to see the least-cost requirement applied to the CRC ASAP.

Posted by Chris Smith at 6:23 AM | Comments (24) | Permalink

When Did We Acquire Another Car-Sharing Provider?

I snapped these last week. I've seen two or three of these downtown. The web site lists about a dozen locations in Portland.

But I haven't seen any kind of announcement or publicity from either the vendor or the City. Kind of strange.

Posted by Chris Smith at 12:04 AM | Comments (11) | Permalink