Portland Transport

Author: Chris Smith

  • Biofuels: Agriculture or Industry?

    According to an article in the Daily Journal of Commerce, siting of biofuel plants is complicated by how they should be treated under state land use law. Currently, Exclusive Farm Use zones may not allow these plants.

  • Thinking Less about Cars

    Two recent items of note: over at carbusters.org, they’re sponsoring a design competition for reuse of spaces currently dedicated to autos. And at BikePortland.org, new contributor Elly Blue is calling for more temporary street closures to help envision how our communities could work with fewer cars.

  • Today in Cycling History

    From the Critical Mass list via SHIFT: July 25, 1896 – 6,000 bicycle parade down Market Street, San Francisco, in demand for good roads (be careful what you ask for) July 25, 1997 – 6,000 bicycle parade takes over San Francisco (corrupt Mayor, police attack with mass media uproar conveniently masking major transportation scandals) July…

  • Reader Calls for Gorge Train

    This comment showed up on our discussion of a possible Wine Train: I live in Mt Hood, Oregon and would like to work with folks interested in getting rail transport between Hood River (maybe also the Dalles) and Portland, who is working on this? How can I help? It seems that a total overhaul of…

  • Auditor to PDOT: Fix Road Fixes

    Yesterday’s Oregonian reports that the City Auditor has told PDOT it’s not spending its road maintence dollars as effectively as possible. It’s the old adage: an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Apparently PDOT is spending so much resource rebuilding the really bad roads that it underspends keeping the new ones from…