Author: sbricker

  • Cost of Congestion Study: Where’s the ROI

    I agree strongly with the recent posts by Rex and Evan about the Costs of Congestion report. This report helps define the shape and size of the existing and future congestion problem. The report outlines our robust transportation industry and that congestion can increase business costs. While short on details, the PBA said they used…

  • Incremental Cost of Building Freeways and Exporting Portland’s Road Fees

    I would like to explore to issues related to cost of building freeway lanes, the benefits to the transportation system, and who pays. 1) The incremental costs of building out of congestion is inefficient and serves only a small number of people, making the cost per user extremely high. 2) Personally, I rarely sit in…

  • BTA Releases “Blueprint for Better Biking”

    On October 6, 2005, the BTA released our Blueprint for Better Biking: 40 Ways to Get There. The report provides a strategy and roadmap to increase bicycling in the Portland metro area. The report provides 40 essential projects, programs, and policies that are critical to bringing the region to the next level, and a “Top…

  • Bicycling and Walking in H.R. 3 SAFETEA-LU

    Congress has passed H.R. 3, SAFETEA-LU, and submitted it to the President for his signature. The legislation amends Titles 23 and 49 of the United States Code and authorizes the expenditure of $286.5 billion dollars over the next five years (2005-2009). Bicycling, walking, and transit seem to have done pretty well. DeFazio, Blumenauer, and others…

  • Transportation and Economic Development

    In today’s tight fiscal environment, governments are seeking ways to generate “economic development” through transportation projects. Many of the flexible funding and state-generated transportation finance programs now focus on economics. This is a shift. Transportation used to be measured in capacity and funding went to increase movement of cars. In the 1990’s, Portlander’s talked about…