Lenny passed along this press release about tree planting (PDF, 33K) in conjunction with the I-5 Delta Park project and notes:
The I-5 TF recommended a 1% for Enhancement fund for any I-5 projects…
This is the first one to be implemented with $ from the Delta/Lombard project.
Is the Enhancement fund alive and well in the deliberations of the CRC? 1% of $2Billion is real money. It is above and beyond “mitigation” funds, and was inspired by the I-405 funds in NW/Hillside/NINA.
1% x $2B = $20M
1% x $6B = $60M
Hmmm…
3 responses to “1% of $2B is…”
Another project partially funded by I-5 Enhancement dollars is the Killingsworth overpass improvements which will help to make this a more pleasant route for bikes, pedestrians as well as other modes and help tie N. Portland back together.
A much larger enhancement pot from a massive new I-5 bridge over the Columbia would allow for upgrades to all the I-5 overpasses in N. Portland, even the construction of a new one or two to improve the connectivity that was destroyed by I-5 in the 1960’s. Or it could be the local match for Streetcar in the Williams/Vancouver corridor up to Killingsworth.
But that’s high price to pay for 20K-40K more motor vehicles spilling into N. Portland’s street from the proposed new I-5 bridge.
Better no new bridge and less enhancement dollars; but let’s not let the CRC forget the “1% for Enhancement.”
This is simply a misuse for transportation designated and gas tax derrived dollars!!!
How about a bicycle tax to plant trees!
1% is a reasonable amount to make highways, light rail and what not more attractive and not detract so much from land values (as interstates tend to do, but not light rail).
1% of this project though, well hell, the project itself, is a misappropriation of tax funds as far as I’m concerned.
But hot damn, they should be able to have a tree along every couple of feet on the bridge with it’s own eco-system. :o