The Tribune reports that ODOT has hired Hans Bernard to:
“focus on building greater consensus on the design of the Columbia River Crossing, advance multimodal projects, and strengthen outreach and coordination with the business community in the Portland-Metro area.”
In other words, to try to roll the environmental community?
8 responses to “CRC Fixer Hired”
Who, exactly, is Hans Bernard? And if he is, as you suggest, a “fixer”–how would he go about “fixing” all those silly transit-loving greenies?
Given that this is an election year in Oregon, and that Ted K. can’t run due to term limits–might “fixing” ODOT become a campaign issue? The department is universally unpopular it seems in the state (even among conservatives, although for different reasons), and there are good reasons why it IS unpopular. It would be interesting to see Kitzhaber operate with a friendly legislature.
Lessons learned from SF/Oakland Bay Bridge Project: 1. It costs much more than they thought
2. Much of the steel fabrication and know-how for the self-anchored suspension span has been OUTSOURCED to other countries including China
http://sfpublicpress.org/news/2009-12/unparalleled-bridge-unprecedented-cost
Yep the fix is in.
Global warming will be the exucse to approve a plan which deliberately congests a new bridge to “discourage driving and sprawl”.
My idea for a new interstate bridge downstream (along the BNSF bridge) would be a steel double through arch (like the Fremont, but doubled, and with additional smaller spans on the remainder of the route). Couldn’t the steel be produced by Oregon Steel Mills? I know they are mainly a sheet rolling operation, but I wonder what costs for new equipment would be and if they could make a profit on it.
Hey Hans , check out this Design for a Park – Roof on the CRC. It pays for itself by eliminating storm water pollution treatment! It goes a long way toward the Carbon Footprint of the bridge. Creating a world class park soaring over the Columbia would make us the center of the Green World , draw thousands of visitors , and make a grand statement for the Gov.
http://urbangreens.tumblr.com/tagged/Bill%20Badrick
Not even Harvey Keitel’s character from the movie Pulp Fiction could “fix” this mess of a project.
Not even Harvey Keitel’s character from the movie Pulp Fiction could “fix” this mess of a project.
“Pretty please. With sugar on it. Build the f*****g bridge”.
No, doesn’t work.
Get this quotation from the release:
“Hans was critical to building consensus among labor, business, transportation and sustainability advocates to pass the greenest, largest transportation package in state history”
I have no idea which sustainability advocates he’s referring to, as no environmental group I’m aware of supported the transportation package nor thought it was green. They all opposed it – either quietly or loudly.
The assertion that there was anything near consensus is strange.