Apparently Earl doesn’t think Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee has sent a clear message to the Feds on what project(s) they’d like to see win funding from the Tiger III grant process.
The region submitted five projects. Earl appears to believe we should have called out one as the key priority.
Interesting. Usually the region plays the Federal process extremely well. I wonder where the breakdown was?
6 responses to “Blumenauer Chastises JPACT”
Chris –
Take a look at the project list. There are five of them spread out among different jurisdictions. If you look at the project scoring grid at Metro, its pretty clear that the Sellwood Bridge is rated as a much higher priority than the others.
What broke down is the political consensus. Some of that may be that the Metro Council in the past has played a major role in whipping everyone into line around regional priorities. I am not sure it has the political unity and muscle to do that any more.
That is my take from a distance.
What was the issue? In the past, as Earl noted, different projects in different parts of the region were emphasized jointly, and different areas took their turns.
Is there now disagreement, or a lack of trust, among the regional governments over who’s next? Or is it concern over the viability and/or worth of some of the projects?
(I should also note that none of the projects on the list is a transit project, potential Streetcar-readiness of the Sellwood notwithstanding; four are primarily roadway projects albeit with multi-modal components. Are there elements within the local leadership that are obstructing or trying to undermine things they consider undesirable–and if so, how would this affect regional consensus for future transit projects?)
Wouldn’t buses also be able to use the new Sellwood Bridge? Try taking transit from Hillsdale to Sellwood–it takes forever even though there is a bridge right there. They should unite around the Sellwood Bridge for sure.
One would think that the Sellwoood Bridge…which helps get Clackamas county residents to Washington county jobs by way of a Multnomah county bridge would have risen to the top.
Welcome back Ross who in his years here had a better feel for regional transportation politics than anyone else.
Are there elements within the local leadership that are obstructing or trying to undermine things they consider undesirable–and if so, how would this affect regional consensus for future transit projects?
You mean like putting BASIC BUS SERVICE to a vote of the public knowing the public wasn’t stupid enough to fall for the scam scheme, while refusing to put billion-dollar MAX projects and mega-million-dollar WES projects to a public vote that put TriMet in the financial hole that it is in, saddling bus riders with paying off bond interest and increased operating costs for new operations?
No doubt this whole process is a scheme. The utopian leaders of Portland don’t want the Sellwood Bridge built sans Streetcar. Clackamas County’s residents don’t want a Streetcar nor to pay for someone else’s problem and Washington County is tired of being the bank for everyone else. So of course Portland/TriMet/Metro is going to find a way to scheme its failure.
Wouldn’t buses also be able to use the new Sellwood Bridge?
Yes, the new Sellwood Bridge will be able to handle buses.
However, TriMet has publicly stated they will NOT operate buses over it!
http://www.thebeenews.com/news/print_story.php?story_id=130438166931200300
http://www.thebeenews.com/news/print_story.php?story_id=130438298783076800 (Second letter down.)
IIRC, the old 40-Tacoma was the most used route through the Sellwood area and had the highest span of service. As the first link points out (as well as my own riding experience), the “replacement service” offered by the former 41-Tacoma was less used, less usable, was cut back several times, then cut altogether when the MAX Green Line opened due to “low ridership and/or alternate service nearby.” Purely coincidence?!