A few tidbits:
- The US Coast Guard will hold a public meeting in Vancouver on the subject of the Columbia River Crossing, specifically whether the CRC should be granted a bridge permit by the Coast Guard, a necessary precondition for construction to start.
- Metro is engaging in public outreach on the under-development Active Transportation Plan, and is inviting the public to participate in an online open house, which will be available until June 14.
- Metro is also engaging in public outreach on the subject of its public outreach.
- A City Club report on bicycle transportation has caused some raised eyebrows, particularly over a recommendation that a tax on the sale of bicycles might be levied to help fund bike infrastructure, safety, and research.
- In Hillsboro, a bizarre saga about a police officer who was reassigned away from TriMet’s transit police (which is staffed by local police officers who are assigned to the TriMet detail) after pouring maple syrup on a bench at Willow Creek TC, to “fight crime”. (Apparently he used real maple syrup and not cheap imitation pancake syrup–nothing but the best for TriMet’s customers)
- The Portland Tribune interviews TriMet board president Bruce Warner.
- Tunneling bids for the North Link light rail project in Seattle are coming in lower than expected; and certainly lower than recent estimates for a tunnel under OHSU as part of the SW Corridor…
- Joseph Rose with a few complaints about Car2Go.
127 responses to “June 2013 Open Thread”
One reason the bid is low for the North Link project is that the low bidder just finished digging the University Link tunnels. Since they’ve done it once already, they probably know how to do it cheaper and with a smaller contingency. It’s also a great time to build anything due to the lousy economy.
Here’s a 15 second electric bus supplemental charger. The end of route stations have a four minute charger. Also, it is used on a 135 passenger, articulated bus. Requires a special, power feed system to the stations and charging ports. Apparently this is ready to go into service in Sweden.
So….what other alternatives did you think might be better?
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/05/abb-20130531.html
This electric vehicle is starting to make sense. $199 mo/lease and claims an 82 mile range. Chevy Spark.
Sadly, the I-5 Skagit River Bridge collapse has (arguably) indirectly claimed its first fatality:
WSP motorcycle trooper killed in crash
I have to take issue with the Oregonian’s reporting:
“Records show Kelley in August purchased two gallon jugs of maple syrup. He expensed the $19.98 purchase from an Albertsons store to the city.”
A gallon of maple syrup – the real stuff – will set you back fifty or sixty bucks. Whatever this guy was buying for ten bucks a gallon was indeed very likely the cheap imitation stuff, suitable for slathering on benches.
Source: Me! Vermonter, born and raised. I was all set to react with horror at an apparent misuse of the nectar of the tree gods.
That’s a relief–it would be a crime were real maple syrup being squandered in such fashion, when Mrs. Butterworths will likely suffice to deter loitering (I’m not sure how else it would discourage “crime”… unless they plan to bring in syrup-sniffing dogs…)
Check out the Seattle Transit Blog on LRT vs BRT.
He does not pull punches…and he is spot on. Its all about exclusive right of way for transit.
I didn’t see anything recent at Seattle Transit Blog, were you referring this article from 2008?
http://seattletransitblog.com/2008/06/23/why-brt-doesnt-make-sense/
You might want to take a look at THIS article when considering LRT vs BRT. (and this article did not come out of some right wing think tank)
The reality is there is no true justification for rail projects, except for perception.
I think the racism/class-ism observations are real.
Al’s right capitalism sucks, but good transit still needs its own right of way, and why run a small vehicle when you can run a larger one?
I saw the piece in the right hand column at SeattleTransitBlog…no date that I saw.
LA has also been advertising that their switch to natural gas for buses has reduced emissions by 80 percent. And other countries are moving ahead with electric buses.
How much cleaner, greener service could be instituted in the city of Portland for the cost of just ONE MILE of LRT?
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2013/06/the-paranoid-style-of-bicycle-politics-a-bicoastal-freak-out/276514/
Forget the pizza delivery by bicycle. Domino’s is testing out drone helicopters:
http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/dominos-domicopter-drone-can-deliver-two-large-pepperonis-6C10182466
The Chevy Spark has perked my curiosity.
From my experience with boats I’m aware that one of the preferred windchargers is the Rutland series:
http://www.marlec.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/Watts-in-the-Wind-Abbreviated-Report-1.pdf
which charge up one or two banks of batteries, of either 24 or 48 volts.
Of course it takes a lot more energy to move a vehicle, than to power auxiliary devices on a boat. Yet in a windy area like the Oregon Coast the Rutland 913, could give you enough power for limited daily use, if you had it plugged in overnight. On windy days.
Another cheap alternative would be a natural gas fired generator. In another comment bound to get pushback, I now predict that within five years we will have, available, 200 mile range electric cars, and lighter delivery vehicles, with rapid charge features, so any urban driving could be all-electric.
LA has also been advertising that their switch to natural gas for buses has reduced emissions by 80 percent.
Reduced emissions of what, exactly? Particulates common to Diesel fuel? Certainly not CO2.
Joe Esmonde, previously appointed to the TriMet board by Governor Kitzhaber, has been confirmed by the Oregon Senate, and starts his term of office June 5.
(And for those keeping score of such things, he’s a regular transit user).
Two companies, potentially affected by the CRC bridge height, have signed mitigation agreements with the states of Oregon and/or Washington.
Bicycle Transportation Alliance has now released its Blueprint for World-Class Bicycling.
@BobR.”Reduced emissions of what, exactly? Particulates common to Diesel fuel? Certainly not CO2.”
http://www.metro.net/news/simple_pr/metro-retires-last-diesel-bus/
“Compared with diesel buses, Metro’s new CNG fleet reduces cancer-causing particulate matter by more than 80 percent. And because of the switch from diesel to CNG, Metro avoids emitting nearly 300,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per day.”
Report from today’s Coast Guard public hearing on the CRC:
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2013/06/columbia_river_crossing_coast.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
The comments on that article seem to imply that all of the CRC problems would be resolved if the light rail was removed. How much additional clearance would this provide? Would this resolve the complaints from the businesses upstream?
Chris did a post about conducting an audit of Trimet.
Well HERE is how that is accomplished .
Forgive me if this has already been discussed, but I’m wondering how the Globe Sherpa app compares with the Orca card system. At first glance, it strikes me that the Orca approach has the following advantages:
I realize the initial cost for card readers is a consideration, but the other advantages of the Orca system seem significant. Am I missing something?
The advantage of the Global Sherpa system is that you can pay for a fare anytime, anywhere without needing cash.
A quick follow-up to my earlier post on the relative merits of the Orca card and the Globe Sherpa app: According to the Seattle Transit Blog, there are now 126 retail stores, including QFC and Safeway locations, that sell Orca cards. This is in addition to 40 transit agency venues in the Puget Sound region.
The Globe Sherpa system is intended to supplement, rather than replace, the functionality of a card-based electronic fare system. The advantage locally is that it can be deployed now with very little up-front expense from the transit agencies. From what I’ve heard at fare system presentations given by TriMet and Globe Sherpa on different dates to the streetcar CAC, a card-based electronic fare system is still planned in the next few years.
If you had to choose 1- would you rather have something that reaches people with a smartphone or people with an arbitrary card like ORCA.
probably 90% of folks have a smartphone, I’m guessing ORCA is held by substantially less.
I would hope that this is a much less expensive-to-setup system than a card-based one
I would hope that this is a much less expensive-to-setup system than a card-based one
I think TriMet is getting the smartphone ticketing for the cost of sales commissions. In any case, it’s MUCH cheaper then designing/installing/programming/maintaining back-end equipment, equipment on every vehicle/station, cards, etc.
I’m afraid that smartphone penetration is nowhere near 90%.
Mary Meeker put it at 54% in the U.S. earlier this year: http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2013/04/rare-national-smartphone-market-data-via-mary-meeker-analyzed-further-and-reported-also-per-capita-b.html
But as long as this is supplemental, rather than a replace for other fare options, I don’t see an equity issue (i.e., TriMet still has to make the fare machines more reliable)
would you rather have something that reaches people with a smartphone or people with an arbitrary card like ORCA.
ORCA is no more arbitrary than one of these flimsy pieces of cardstock.
I’d rather have something like an ORCA card. In fact, I’d be fine if Tri-Met (and C-Tran and other local agencies) adopted actual ORCA cards. People who travel between the Puget Sound and Portland metro area on Amtrak or Greyhound or Bolt Bus could use the same payment device they have at home.
Why reinvent the wheel? Just use the system already developed and implemented up north, and spare a lot of R&D expense.
Regarding equity, TriMet brought up something interesting in their presentation about a future electronic fare system…
Poor riders who use the system enough that a monthly or annual pass would be the best buy, but don’t have much cash at any given time to buy one, are penalized by the current system.
A card-based system, however, could automatically convert a rider over to a monthly pass once they’ve spent enough in a given month. This also benefits any rider who does not know for sure what his or her total ridership is going to be in a given month.
So, if such a plan were adopted, you could choose to ride with a regularly-priced single fare every time you boarded, and the system would stop charging your card (but still updated it with a valid fare) once you reached the price of a monthly pass.
The system could also be similarly tuned for day passes. Right now, a day pass costs the same as two standard tickets. But what if you start out the day making a single trip, not intending to ride again, only to find out you need to make another trip later, and then again later? You wind up paying more than a day pass would have cost in the first place. But the electronic system could have a maximum per-day charge built in.
That could be built into an app like globalsherpa’s just as easily
That could be built into an app like globalsherpa’s just as easily
Yes, that’s true. The presentations I heard were from two different organizations at two different meetings (TriMet, Globe Sherpa). The TriMet presentation was a longer-term view of the fare system and that’s where the equity discussion came up, the Globe Sherpa presentation was more about how the app will work when first launched than future fare structure considerations.
@ Bob R. “Poor riders who use the system enough that a monthly or annual pass would be the best buy, but don’t have much cash at any given time to buy one, are penalized by the current system.”
And, I suppose they couldn’t ‘borrow’ the money?
This “equity” kind of thinking is a cancer that has taken root here: since you wouldn’t have to buy your mo. pass upfront, then “everyone wins.” woo-hoo! I guess there is always some reason, then, for failing to plan. Don’t worry, we will rescue you! But we can make the loss of money up somewhere else!
Bob: “Poor riders who use the system enough that a monthly or annual pass would be the best buy, but don’t have much cash at any given time to buy one, are penalized by the current system.”
Ron: And, I suppose they couldn’t ‘borrow’ the money?
In many (most) cases–no, Ron, they can’t borrow the money. (Or if they could, it would likely be on usurious terms). Folks for whom a monthly transit pass is a financial hardship, are rather unlikely to have credit cards or other easy ways of borrowing money; in many cases their friends and family are equally hard-up.
The purpose of a monthly pass, from TriMet’s perspective, is to encourage more frequent travel; not to book revenue early. And were this change to take place then you too could by busfare as you need it, rather than trying to decide “will I travel enough this month to make a pass worthwhile, or should I just pay cash to the driver?”
At any rate, the poor have enough to worry about, without you heaping contempt on them.
@Ron –
TriMet said in their presentation that they are taking a revenue-neutral approach to considering electronic fares. They believe that once fully implemented, the electronic system will be much easier to maintain and enforce, and have lower transaction costs than the current paper system. Therefore, having daily or monthly caps isn’t an additional subsidy for “failing to plan” but rather a way of not penalizing riders who cannot afford a full pass in a single transaction.
I’ve known plenty of people in my life who have been in situations where they are fully capable of planning but are in a desperate situation with little cash, and either have too much pride to borrow from friends or have already maxed out those opportunities in their circle of friends.
When you’re in true poverty, there is no real “planning”, you’re just dealing with the latest daily emergency. One way to alleviate poverty is not through additional subsidy but by simply removing artificial barriers that disproportionately load up the cash-poor with higher costs.
Or, to put in your own terms, why should a “trust fund” baby with plenty of money available get to take advantage of discounted annual passes, whereas a poor person working odd jobs to make ends meet has to pay more?
“At any rate, the poor have enough to worry about, without you heaping contempt on them. ”
Alright. Tell me about it.
Broadly–being poor sucks, Ron.
The concept of the “idle poor”–folks on the dole who live a comfortable lifestyle without bothering to try and find work (assuming they can find jobs), is the exception and not the rule; to the extent it exists at all.
Many government anti-poverty programs are non-fungible (you can’t buy groceries with a Section 8 voucher, or pay the rent with WIC; or use either to buy gasoline or a bus pass). Many others are only available to families with children. And in many places, the amount of money one gets from these sorts of programs is small; often unable to even cover rent money.
And being poor COSTS money. Many goods and services that require credit (ZipCar, for instance) are unavailable. Many poor neighborhoods lack adequate amenities, requiring more travel to get groceries or reach a job if you can find one. Often times, goods and services in poor neighborhoods are more expensive (and of low quality).
I’ve posted this link before, but I’ll post it again: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2009-05-18/news/36823675_1_poverty-line-middle-class-milk
“The concept of the “idle poor”–folks on the dole who live a comfortable lifestyle without bothering to try and find work (assuming they can find jobs), is the exception and not the rule; to the extent it exists at all.”
There is however a growing black market economy in this country to the extent that the federal government estimates there is about $400 billion uncollected revenue per year. This would put the underground economy at about 2 trillion. And then there is uncollected state revenue going along with it.
Who engages in it? If you think people who don’t “earn” a lot of money are straight arrows, I would say you are pretty naive. Plus a lot of government programs have become easier to qualify for, as the BOSTON GLOBE recently revealed in a series about SSI, the New Welfare. And if your “official” income is around 1200 per month there are LOTS of programs you can get in on.
Anecdotally, whenever I go to the Goodwill As-Is store in Sellwood, I see plenty of “people of color” finding items that now cost one tenth of their new cost. I’ve seen people loading up shopping carts completely full with shoes, which apparently they resell. I’m looking for just a few items, but I see lots of people who buy dozens of things.
You wanna know about poverty in America watch:
CNN DIALOGUES – Today’s Other America: Living in Poverty
And here is the future Transit:
Electric Bus Fast Charges in 15 Seconds – Forbes
I actually posted the wrong video on poverty, sorry, this is the one I liked:
Tavis Smiley Presents Poverty in America – C-SPAN Video Library
Fred’s not even in her league:
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2013/06/09/2610033/report-ex-transit-official-made.html
al m says: “And here is the future Transit:”
And why don’t Oregon greenies go after the low hanging fruit? With electric buses, windy areas like the Oregon Coast, would be ideal places for electrified (bus) mass transit from renewable energy, although the fast charging would require grid power. There are probably micro-hydro power potentials in other areas of the state, and solar in the east. In fact electric buses are already being used in the Tri-Cities area:
http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/05/17/2398473/ben-franklin-transits-electric.html
But no, everything seems to happen in the predictable axis of Eugene-Portland and entail billions of dollars. Then unemployed people migrate to the Willamette Valley, “because that’s where the jobs are.” I think the craziest example is Eugene mayor Kitty Piercy who has some how prevailed upon ODOT to consider high speed rail—-from Eugene northward.
With an eye towards recent discussion on fare systems here’s a vivid example of how lack of credit/resources can force lower income folks to pay much more for basic transportation than people with wealth. The phenom isn’t limited to public transit.
streetcar going into revenue service this week it looks like
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/06/portland_concedes_more_delays.html
“With an eye towards recent discussion on fare systems here’s a vivid example of how lack of credit/resources can force lower income folks to pay much more for basic transportation than people with wealth. The phenom isn’t limited to public transit.”
Really? You mean the liberal yuppies from Portland’s West Hills driving around in their expensive imported cars (which is killing Detroit) aren’t paying a lot for their transportation? I hate to see that money going out of the USA at such an astonishing rate, But I suppose if you have an Obama bumpersticker then it’s alright?
As far as being forced “to pay much more.” Maybe less booze and a little borrowing
Really? You mean the liberal yuppies from Portland’s West Hills driving around in their expensive imported cars (which is killing Detroit) aren’t paying a lot for their transportation?
Bob was talking about an apples-to-apples comparison: a monthly (or yearly) pass vs single-ride tickets or day passes; not busfare vs the costs of owning an automobile.
Of course the folks in the West Hills are paying more for transportation! Driving, particularly if it is a new car (aone that you are making payments on or experiencing depreciation on, depending on whether you account on a cash or accrual basis), is expensive; far more so than a transit pass–or even a pass for every member of a family. (Driving a beater that’s paid for, not so much). But if you live in the West Hills, transit service is likely spotty (if you get a bus your way at all); and when you factor in time, driving may become the better deal.
At any rate, the West Hills are populated by far more than “liberal yuppies”, though certainly there are plenty of those. And no, the presence (or lack) of an Obama bumper-sticker doesn’t change anything.
Maybe less booze and a little borrowing.
Not everyone who is poor is on the sauce, Ron.
So, why am I drawing so much opposition? There is plenty here to discuss.
“here’s a vivid example of how lack of credit/resources can force lower income folks to pay much more for basic transportation than people with wealth.”
This is just a plain stupid comment. The new urbanism requires people to buy a corporate built home, or pay rents that will only spiral upwards as density increases.
Besides there are alternatives to spending a lot on tires, and the density of urban livings means it is easy to access them. I have had to employ these methods, myself, as failure of either liberal or unionized public safety organization have left me in horrible financial lurches ( specifically former PPB chief Tom Potter, and the Seattle Fire Department).
I have bought used tires that have plenty of wear left in them, for probably 2/3 to 1/2 of the retail cost. For my Aerostar van, I kept an extra set of used snow tires, that insured I would have safety through several winters, in addition to the used tires I used regularly. That meant I could run my “summer tires” a little lower, too, because it would be mostly dry pavement. A few years ago, I bought a set of Michelins for my Saab, with about ninety percent tread, from an auto wrecker. $180 for a set of four, compared to retail $600. I have also noticed to some used tire shops that I am looking for a couple other brands which I have. A person can also look in the paper for specials.
I think I would qualify as one of the “lower income” people, when averaging my income through recessions and poor public service disasters. I don’t frequently use mas transit because it doesn’t go where I need to go. And today, after doing heavy physical work to replace a fence, my back is too sore to ride a bicycle out to Lowes to get materials. That would just be too impractical.
I would support reasonable mass transit options, and low cost alternatives. But please cut the whining and the personal approbations.
Apparently ‘the streetcar’ has arrived:
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2013/06/after_repeated_delays_portland.html#incart_river_default
Anyone been on it yet and want to give a review?
The new urbanism requires people to buy a corporate built home, or pay rents that will only spiral upwards as density increases.
I still don’t get this line of argument. The reason rents and real estate are expensive in Portland is because a lot of people want to live here. Demand is high relative to supply. Economics 101. And as land within the core is finite, and most of it used, there are few opportunities to build a ranch house on a quarter acre even in existence–and just the land would be an expensive proposition.
What do you propose instead? We can’t make more land close to the core, obviously. We could consume farmland on the periphery; but that wouldn’t (necessarily) substitute for land in the core. We could try to make Portland an unattractive place to live (or unattractive to certain demographics, such as the Portlandia crowd)–reducing demand will make housing cheap, after all. There’s plenty of cheap housing in Prineville or Grants Pass or places like that.
I have bought used tires that have plenty of wear left in them, for probably 2/3 to 1/2 of the retail cost. For my Aerostar van, I kept an extra set of used snow tires, that insured I would have safety through several winters, in addition to the used tires I used regularly. That meant I could run my “summer tires” a little lower, too, because it would be mostly dry pavement. A few years ago, I bought a set of Michelins for my Saab, with about ninety percent tread, from an auto wrecker. $180 for a set of four, compared to retail $600. I have also noticed to some used tire shops that I am looking for a couple other brands which I have. A person can also look in the paper for specials.
Certainly, there are many ways to spend less money on cars–you’ve touched on several. Not feeling the need to buy a new car as soon as the payments are done on the last one is the biggest; doing minor repairs and maintenance yourself is another.
I would support reasonable mass transit options, and low cost alternatives. But please cut the whining and the personal approbations.
Not to be rude, but you’re the one who launched broadsides against both poor people and “white liberal yuppies in the West Hills”. Nobody here is criticizing your lifestyle choices, or suggesting you’re a bad person because you take the minivan and not the two-wheeler to buy building materials (that sort of trip is something that an automobile is well-suited for, after all). But if you wonder why your economic circumstances have deteriorated over the years–I would suspect it’s not due to middle-class public servants who continue to use collective bargaining to maintain a living wage, nor is it the folks beneath you who barely make ends meet, and get meager assistance from the government. I’d look instead to the folks who have spent the past several decades outsourcing middle-class jobs, busting private-sector unions left and right, and squandering the nation’s treasure on foreign wars and massive military projects, blowing wads of cash in the stock market and other fraudulent financial ventures, and otherwise squandering the nation’s treasuring on enriching themselves.
(The folks who promote Streetcars and light rail are pikers compared to these…)
” The reason rents and real estate are expensive in Portland is because a lot of people want to live here.”
True, in part. Portland is a destination of choice. However, there are a lot of Americans who just want to move West, but smaller Oregon and Washington cities are apparently not offering the same appeal. Should this be addressed? Maybe the rapid growth is inevitable; but I am open to entertaining other possibilities, since based upon past experience, Portland growth has always been accompanied by high inflation, and I think it is outstripping earnings. Shouldn’t this correct? No….since the black market grows faster.
“What do you ppopose instead?’
Stimulation of other Oregon regions, especially east of the Cascades, and in recession-hit Oregon towns.
I don’t have all of the answers. I do know that for a lot of people I know, home ownership via some type of owner builder or do it yourself remodeling methods, has been a primary means to build some financial net worth. I don’t see this happening in the new urbanism, although there are out of the curve examples, such as conversion of condos to vacation or executive rentals. I suppose if you could show that urban condos were cheaper in 1975 dollars than comparable owner-built homes I would agree. I suggested to some people on a KBOO program about home foreclosures that they figure out how to band together to build new condo or townhomes, since construction is much simpler and straightforwrd in recent design. I think a group could do this, but don’t know how people with less money could do it in the core.
For those who might say that it doesn’t matter and that renting could be just as suitable—-didn’t Pres. Clinton take the opposite tack—towards home ownership?
“But if you wonder why your economic circumstances have deteriorated over the years…”
No…my circumstances have been more linked to running into some bad real estate professionals (which I have plenty of court papers to prove) rather than being the recipient of financial perfidy by corporate owners. And I’m not saying other people have not been. In fact, I have said on other media that if someone finds out legal wrongdoing in high places, the right thing to do is to seek prosecution.
I am just trying to make decison-makers aware that there is another side to Oregon politics—besides liberal/conservative dichotomy.
I didn’t launch a broadside; I was responding to remarks that an overarching purpose of public policy is to address “poverty.” And, sure, I did take a shot at Portland yuppies, but the deterioration of Midwest cities has some cultural roots (through choice based upon style or ego), not just political ones. With independent people you should not assign every remark to a political ideology.
My experience tells me that people are not necessarily going to do what is “fair”, instead they will do what is self serving. I expect inflation to be a fact of life here; but I expect there will be some politically motivated fingerpointing, and no one is going to want to get left with the bag. So, I don’t think the current course of Portland and METRO policies are going to play out in a fair way.
Now, I think this issue has been flogged to death…
True, in part. Portland is a destination of choice. However, there are a lot of Americans who just want to move West, but smaller Oregon and Washington cities are apparently not offering the same appeal. Should this be addressed? Maybe the rapid growth is inevitable; but I am open to entertaining other possibilities, since based upon past experience, Portland growth has always been accompanied by high inflation, and I think it is outstripping earnings. Shouldn’t this correct? No….since the black market grows faster.
This is a characteristic of cities–of robust ones, anyway. Cities are what they are–economic hubs, cultural hubs, what have you–precisely because they have large numbers of people together in a small place. We can stimulate the heck out of rural and small-town Oregon (and I’m not opposed to doing this, either)–but we can’t turn Grants Pass or Madras or La Grande or Seaside or Ontario into a city (in the sense of a highly-populated area, not “city” as a form of municipal incorporation, which all of these already are)–not without multitudes moving there. Nor, necessarily, should we.
I don’t have all of the answers. I do know that for a lot of people I know, home ownership via some type of owner builder or do it yourself remodeling methods, has been a primary means to build some financial net worth. I don’t see this happening in the new urbanism, although there are out of the curve examples, such as conversion of condos to vacation or executive rentals.
Many people don’t have the skills to DIY, and DIY construction requires first buying a lot (or a tear-downer or fixer-upper), which may be in short supply. And professional homebuilders enjoy many economies of scale that carpenters do not. And many parts of homebuilding require a licensed contractor to perform (electrical, plumbing, HVAC).
I grew up in the days of the Tom McCall ethic (“please come visit, but don’t stay”); and back then, Portland was a sleepy backwater mill town which was inexpensive to live in, and about half of its current size. Oregon City, my hometown, was a true exurb. Now, Portland is, for better or worse, a subculture mecca and a popular destination for millenials to live in; and the lumber industry which once was our bread and butter, is all but dead.
Many people, I know, long for the old days. (Me, not so much).
Has anyone proposed a trail from the junction of the Springwater corridor and the Union Pacific tracks (following the tracks -east side ) through Milwaukie and connects with the I 205 trail near Clackamas?
The trail could be built in conjuction with lowering the UP train tracks and building overpasses for the road crossings in Milwaukie. This would reconnect Milwaukie and add another bike route.
I realize that it would be an expensive project, but it would solve a lot of problems
Any thoughts?
Sincerely,
Scott Wells
The ROW is pretty narrow there. It looks like Railroad Ave. was already built using the UP ROW. UP is notoriously difficult to work with (see the issues with Cement Rd. and the North Portland Greenway project). Additionally, this section of the UP ROW needs to be double-tracked pretty badly. The only way I could see this happening is if the county chipped in money to help UP double-track the ROW while building a parallel trail.
Of course, this will never happen in Clackamas County. Spending millions on a rail+trail project will not fly with the voters. They don’t really care about freight mobility, just SOV mobility.
The Columbian takes a look at MAX and crime.
Atlantic Cities fisks TOD.
I thoroughly enjoyed the comments section on that Columbian article. I guess some opinions just can’t be changed, even when faced with solid evidence.
The comments run the usual gamut.
With another wave of expansion just starting in the Baaverton Hillsboro area, what do you think should be done in response? It was the rapid increase in travel to jobs in the Silicon Forest that led to the crisis of congestion on I-5 in North Portland. Before that the slowing was tolerable.
thirdbridgenow.com
What should be done? Absolutely nothing. We shouldn’t spend a cent to enable commutes from the extreme NE corner of our Metro area to the extreme west side. Why would Oregon spend money to encourage sprawl in Washington? There is plenty of space to build housing on the west side. If Intel offers you a job, you aren’t going to turn it down because you really really want to live in Battleground and commute an hour each way every day. You are going to live on the west side.
It was the rapid increase in travel to jobs in the Silicon Forest that led to the crisis of congestion on I-5 in North Portland.
You got some facts to back you up??? Or is it the lack of jobs in Clark County that forces people to drive to Oregon?
What really needs to be done is to decrease the homeownership rate so all of these poor suckers who get jobs far from home feel less tied down and can move closer to work!
“You got some facts to back you up???”
Yes METRO data and travel shed maps. And personal experience. Plus from the right vantage point, such as Kaiser Interstate hospital or one of the pedestrian crossings, you can see that there is more traffic coming off the Fremont bridge heading north, than through on I-5. And before the Fremont Bridge—-in 1974—- there was nothing, except for the local bridges like Broadway and Steel.
How can you argue with that?
The Third Bridge route I envision would come pretty close to the West Side trail system, and the entire route would be 6 or 7 miles less than the present I-5 and US 26 route from Vancouver to West Union Junction. That makes it a shortcut, with more appeal for transit and alternatives. In fact it is not very far from downtown Vancouver to the Rivergate area, an area that has plenty of industrial potential. All of this makes it bicyclable, and express buses could link some major routes.
I don’t see why certain people should object so much to this. ThirdBridgeNow.
There are quite a few people (including at least one relative of mine) who like living in the more rural parts of the Vancouver area–and working on the Oregon side of the river.
To what extent our infrastructure should cater to this particular use case, though, is debatable. Should we widen I-205 between Oregon City and Stafford (heck, widen the entire I-205/I-5/217 corridor) for those who like to live in Happy Valley or Oregon City and work in Washington County? Or improve transit links between ClackCo and the westside (as opposed to other corridors that the region is currently working on?)
(heck, widen the entire I-205/I-5/217 corridor)
217 needs to be widened to three lanes. Unlike the grid street layout of East Portland, there are few alternatives on the west side. Someone said that it would cost over a billion dollars to do. I don’t buy that. If we are willing to accept some narrower traffic lanes around the overpasses, you should be able to do it for less. The over engineering of these road and transit projects is crazy.
If we are willing to accept some narrower traffic lanes around the overpasses, you should be able to do it for less. The over engineering of these road and transit projects is crazy.
ODOT already “widened” 217 once, by restriping the shoulders as auxiliary lanes. Lanes on that road are pretty narrow.
The other problem with 217 is that it is functionally obsolete–with interchange spacing well below modern design standards. This is a big reason why you see billion-dollar cost estimates being floated around; the current setup would likely need to be replaced with a set of collector/distributor ramps to meet current standards. (Otherwise any modernizaton project wouldn’t qualify for federal funding).
A while back, somebody floated a proposal of closing most of the ramps to 217, at least in rush hour. For obvious reasons, that appears to have gone nowhere.
My thoughts? Plant some trees, put brick facades on the overpasses, call it a “parkway”–and lower the speed limit so the existing ramp configurations aren’t quite as hazardous. Name it after someone locally famous. (Howard Vollum Parkway–it’s 100th anniversary of the Tek founder’s birth–why not?)
The over engineering of these road and transit projects is crazy.
A good case can be made that critical parts of MAX are under-engineered, given how frequently the system has had major outages of late…
Jarret Walker gets it right:
Expert: Buses beat streetcars for getting around town | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com
“There are quite a few people (including at least one relative of mine) who like living in the more rural parts of the Vancouver area–and working on the Oregon side of the river.”
But that type of travel is just one of many factors involved in planning a new route. To reiterate, when you can substantially shorten a needed travel distance, that should increase it’s appeal, because “time is of the essence.” I think that applies to any mode.
What I see happening here, is a slew of transportation decisions facing the region. Instead, I think a few deft strokes could produce nearly the same result.
ODOT already “widened” 217 once, by restriping the shoulders as auxiliary lanes. Lanes on that road are pretty narrow.
That attempt at a ghetto widening is a failure. All it did was extended the on and off ramps, I would use those lanes as part of the new traffic lanes.
My thoughts? Plant some trees, put brick facades on the overpasses, call it a “parkway”–and lower the speed limit so the existing ramp configurations aren’t quite as hazardous. Name it after someone locally famous.
How does that add capacity and solve any traffic issues? The off ramps aren’t the issue, the lack of a third lane is the problem.
A good case can be made that critical parts of MAX are under-engineered, given how frequently the system has had major outages of late…
You could argue that a lack of maintenance is also a contributing factor. Also look at the evolution of the Max lines. The original blue line was built pretty simply and inexpensively. For instance, look at the newer Green and Orange line with the extensive use of elevated ramps. Those all add to the cost.
GlobeSherpa ticketing app for TriMet will be generally available in August, according to the agency.
Any word on whether GlobeSherpa will have a larger beta before then? I’m ready to sign up
I didn’t know it was CRHIS SMITH that was responsible for Trimet’s open data policy!
Al, haven’t you figured out that everything I touch turns to transportation gold? :-)
Al, haven’t you figured out that everything I touch turns to transportation gold? :-)
Impressive Dude!
Pro CRC fearmonger, Patty Murray, plays Skagit River bridge accident card:
http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/jun/14/murray-targets-opponents-of-crc
Pro CRC fearmonger, Patty Murray, plays Skagit River bridge accident card:
~~~~>This bridge is going in not withstanding all the grandstanding that has been going on about it.
There is no way ‘they’ are going to let that amount of money get away. Just think of all the pockets that will be lined as a result of it!
It’s all about the money, just like everything else.
this is the full version of TriMet Apps speech where Chis is mentioned
BikePortland.org reports that Chicago’s Leah Treat named as new PBOT Director
A man who came to the aid of a TriMet driver who was stabbed by an unruly passenger (and who himself was injured in the scuffle), is suing TriMet and the operator. I imagine the suit against the driver will be dismissed rather easily–it’s very difficult to sue an employee for actions performed in the normal course of his employment. The lawsuit alleges that TriMet (and the driver) failed in their respective duties by letting the guy on the bus in the first place.
(FWIW, I think his medical and other expenses ought to be reimbursed. That said, the suit seems to suggest that visibly intoxicated persons ought to be barred from transit. Most intoxicated passengers are peaceful and cause no disturbance, and keeping drunks from driving is a valuable service that TriMet provides…)
C-TRAN raises some fares, debates whether Fourth Plain BRT project is considered “rapid transit” for purposes of state law:
http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/jun/11/c-tran-employs-consultant-brt-raises-fares/
TriMet announces that their new 3100-series Gillig buses will begin phasing into the fleet in about a month. At a rate of 3 to 5 buses per week, a total of 70 are expected to be in service by Fall.
From the press release:
OK, Portland greenies, here is a transportation solution that reduces pollution in a way I bet you hadn’t thought of. LNG for locomotives:
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/06/westport-20130605.html
Unfortunately this wouldn’t change the noise problem, which is why the CEID will be somewhat limited on how upscale it can go. I expect the OMSI and Rose Garden clusters to develop pretty strongly, but not sure about the rest of it, although with proximity to downtown I think it would be a more attractive area to invest than the N. Interstate Ave. area.
How disappointing that they’re getting so few hybrids. Yes, they’re more expensive, but they have lower environmental impacts in many ways: less air pollution, less noise for the passengers, and less noise for the neighborhoods through which they pass.
Given the relatively long life of a diesel transit bus, this seems pretty short sighted.
Steve Wheeler, the target of a putsch in Clackamas County, will now head Metro’s planning department.
SE Cesar Chavez Boulevard to closed for several weeks between SE Hawthorne and SE Division. TriMet lines 66 and 75 will be rerouted on SE 50th during the closure. (For some reason, the detour extends all the way to SE Powell; so stops on Chavez between Division and Powell will not be served).
I’m assuming it’s because it’d be insanely difficult to turn a bus onto 50th/39th from Division, or the closure affects the intersection of Division/Chavez.
I haven’t been following PT very closely lately, but I figured I’d just put it out there: that United Streetcar’s car 015 makes a terrible high pitch whine pretty much all the time every time I’ve ridden it. Anybody know what the heck that is and if they will fix it?
Also, anyone that has used it – does the Globe Sherpa app on iOS make use of the Pass Kit APIs so it can work alongside other types of tickets in Passbook? Aside from having a much nicer user experience that will also make it less of a problem that there might be segmentation between their apps as far as different agencies go.
I don’t believe there was any Passbook integration in the beta, I don’t know if it’s planned for production.
United Streetcar’s car 015 makes a terrible high pitch whine pretty much all the time every time I’ve ridden it. Anybody know what the heck that is and if they will fix it?
PSI is aware of the issue, and when we have more of the new vehicles in service, 015 will be taken out of service for a few weeks so that this issue can be addressed.
Vancouver congresswoman Jaime Herrera-Beutler writes a letter to the US Coast Guard, expressing “grave concern” about the CRC as presently designed:
http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/jun/12/herrera-beutler-voices-crc-concerns-coast-guard/
This sure sounds familiar.
Joe Soucheray: Downtown St. Paul, a streetcar named deserted – TwinCities.com
Provided for entertainment purposes.
From the article:
“The fatal flaw in the streetcar plan — and light rail for that matter — is the idea that downtown is crucial to anything. Downtown is essentially empty. We have lost much, and we continue to lose much. The officials need to be disabused of the notion that downtown is a destination for anything, which is why, going back to vision No. 1, the only destinations they can come up with are hospitals and the Xcel Energy Center.”
I’m going to take a wild guess as to where this guy lives…
FWIW, Joe Soucheray is a well-known right-wing talk radio personality from the Twin Cities–in many ways, he’s the conservative equivalent of Garrison Keillor. I’ve no comment on the St. Paul streetcar proposal, but given that the Twin Cities have many cultural similarities to Portland, he’s not likely accurate in his claim that downtown St. Paul is not “crucial to anything”–if nothing else, the state capital is located there.
Have you ever been to St. Paul? Hard to know why the business district is there. High hopes at one time, I suppose.
Former DeFazio staffer Karmen Fore has been named by Governor Kitzhaber as his transportation adviser, replacing Lynn Peterson who left to go to Olymp
usia andclean the Augean stablesserve as director of WSDOT.I said it was for ‘entertainment purposes’ and I found that article very entertaining.
Here’s another one for your viewing pleasure:
Transportation Readings for American Conservatives – How did we get in such a Mess?
And look at what is going on in London!
They take transit seriously in Europe.
Bigger bus battle brewing | Local | News | The London Free Press
Al M, Abraham Lincoln was a major proponent of building railroads, and is generally credited with initiating the Union-Pacific Transcontinental RR, although he was assasinated before he had accomplished much. However, besides playing a big role in keeping the USA together (the Union was able to move much larger numbers of soldiers and equipments on the existing RR tracks in the north) the development of railroads also provided a way of evacuating the US coastal areas in the event of a naval invasion—–a very real possibility in the 19th and early 20th C. The US was still a fledgling country compared to other empires around the world.
So a lot more credit goes to Lincoln than folks even realize.
So a lot more credit goes to Lincoln than folks even realize.
~~~~>I did not know that!
Latest weather forecast for Portland. Rain stops today and it will be 100 degrees for the rest of the summer! :)
Photo of United Streetcar vehicle headed for Tuscon? http://www.flickr.com/photos/beyonddc/9142506217/
(H/T Curtis Ailes)
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/06/golfbluemotion-20130626.html
73 mpg. Volkswagen Golf.
Residents along SW Haines Street, just west of PCC Sylvania, express concern about a possible SW Corridor busway through their neighborhood.
73 mpg. Volkswagen Golf.
Forget that, Nissan LEAF® is the future of American transportation!
Scotty,
Lesser and G already have a regional bus, the 78. What’s wrong with going that way?
Sure, Haines would be a couple of blocks shorter, but at what cost? And I don’t just mean financial.
At this point, selection of an actual route for the SW Corridor is a long ways off; I tend to agree that the existing 78 route would make more sense than going up Haines past Lesser.
Did you put your name in to the governor CHRIS SMITH for the position that is opening up on the Trimet board that just happens to be in YOUR (and mine) district?
I’m putting your name in right now.
Another Segway-type idea: the Scrooser, an electric scooter on steroids. The video at its Kickstarter page explains it.
The future:
Personal Rapid Transit Revival?
Does THIS mean CRC is dead?
Washington Legislature adjourns without passing a bill containing funding for the CRC. Possibilities to fund the project by the stated fall deadline include either a special session or a referendum; but it is questionable whether a special session would produce a different result, and a referendum likely wouldn’t happen in time.
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/02/nissan-20130220.html
Nissan develops compact hybrid power system. ICE completely shuts off when vehicle coasts, reducing standby fuel consumption from unneeded ignition. Has regenerative braking and compact battery. Leading to Plug in capacity.
Read and weep, Charlie Hales……
Washington Sen. Don Benton says the CRC runs out of money tomorrow, and has to shut down: http://donbenton.src.wastateleg.org/no-gas-tax-hike-means-crc-project-is-out-of-money-benton-says/
The Columbian says the Governors are pulling the plug on the CRC: http://www.columbian.com/news/2013/jun/29/legislators-no-chance-crc-funding-session/
Read and weep, Charlie Hales……
Did Charlie say something mean against Nissan or Hybrids? Not sure how the idea of improved fuel economy in Nissan cars would make a local mayor weep.
I can’t believe that special interest is going to let all that federal money get away.
This is a first, but then again, I should never underestimate the Republicans.
In this ONE case I support them.
I heard on Kramer & Abrams that now Oregon has $450 million available to spend. Is that true?
BlueOregon wonders about the CRC money, too:
The CRC money is just sitting there. Are you gonna take it?
I heard on Kramer & Abrams that now Oregon has $450 million available to spend. Is that true?
~~~>It should be true. This is the money that Oregon set aside for CRC that is now not going to happen. Let’s see what happens to that money now.
Well, it’s bonding authority that the state committed to utilize, but as Chris pointed out in another thread, the funds to repay those bonds had not yet been identified.
Interesting how Helicopter Don talks says
when it was he personally who forced WSDOT to remove the southbound HOV lane from I-5 about nine years ago.
Had the lane remained, Oregon would doubtless have matched it through the new section south of Delta Park and the “corridor” would have higher ACO today.
Bob. R, Hales made some real bogus claims before the UN recently.
And apparently you don’t understand the technological advance in this announcement by Nissan.
Stop singling me out for your harassing comments.
Why wasn’t the SE Stephens streetcar turn back done as a part of the original loop project? It seems wasteful to re-do what was done only a few years prior, especially when it seems that the necessity of it (due to the closure of the OMSI station I’m presuming) was known.
I don’t think it’s a fair statement that the necessity was forseeable at the time the scope was submitted to the feds. The negotiation with TriMet about the inclusion of the switches was complex.
It would also have been very difficult to increase the capital budget at that time. Phasing can be a very responsible choice.
Bob. R, Hales made some real bogus claims before the UN recently.
Such as? Specifically? A quick Google search turned up this. Although that link only references remarks made before various traveling dignitaries of the UN and not “before the UN” as you describe, so any other references would be appreciated.
And apparently you don’t understand the technological advance in this announcement by Nissan.
I read the article that you provided. Any improvement in fuel economy is welcome from any automotive manufacturer. Although what, specifically, Nissan is doing which is in any way superior to what Ford, Toyota, GM, and others are already doing isn’t immediately clear.
Stop singling me out for your harassing comments.
You are neither singled-out nor harassed.
If you’re going to make bold statements (“read it and weep”), don’t be surprised if you’re asked to support such statements with facts. More facts, less weeping. Thanks.