This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on July 25, 2007 2:38 PM.
The previous post in this blog was Above the law.
The next post in this blog is Fly in the ointment.
Many more can be found on the main index page or by looking through the archives.
Have you parked in the garage near the airport recently? I was there yesterday and each spot has a sensor installed above it with two lights -- red for occupied, green for empty. And each row has a readout at the end of how many spaces are available in each. Seems like a lot of money for the Port to spend on this gadget. Can't people be smart enough to know how to navigate a parking garage anymore?
Dear reader:
We checked with the Port, and we are assured that those lights were actually installed for free by Bechtel in exchange for development rights on the Ikea lot. The original plan was for the lights to be strung on condo buildings in the "urban village" during the holidays, but of course the tragedy of 9/11 ruined all that.
An interesting but often overlooked feature is that the lights are programmed to blink continuously for 30 seconds as each batch of meatballs becomes available.
The installation in the airport garage is part of an ongoing pilot project. If the system works there, similar lights will soon be installed over each pothole in the City of Portland, alerting motorists as to whether there is already a vehicle fallen into the hole.
Comments (9)
similarly, these lights will be installed above each commissioners' and the mayor's desk to indicate the emanation of BS...
Those Port of Portland property taxes are a totally separate budget line item from CoP road repair funds. Totally different animal: left pocket v. right pocket.
The only way the Port of Portland could put flashing lights on the potholes would be if they built multi-level potholes first.
Alternately, we could actually use urban renewal funds to fix dilapidated urban roads. That would be neat!
I don't know about who funded those lights, but they were great last time I was at the airport. Instead of having to prowl up and down a row, you can quickly go to the one with an empty space.
Not a big deal at an off-hour, but on a busy day (like I was) it saves 10-20 min easily.
We can seriously doubt whether anything can really be free if it involves Bechtel, or whether the dollars might have been better spent elsewhere, or whether it was done as efficiently as the private sector might do it - that I'll grant. But these do seem worthwhile to me nonetheless, and I don't think they're extravagent.
The reason the private sector hasn't voluntarily done this in other garages, is quite simple: The dollars spent on the system would mostly produce a return to customers, not to the garage owner/operator. It takes a mandate from the public sector to step forward to do things like this, when faced with such economics.
In addition to the aforementioned reduction in time spent prowling the aisles, and less aggrvation, it saves fuel and reduces CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
I lived for a year in Baltimore, and BWI airport had this system, which was great. It was simple to look down a row and see if any green lights were on, instead of prowling up and down the rows to see if there might be an open space hidden among the Suburbans and Excursions. As an aside, BWI also allowed for 30 minutes (or an hour, I don't remember) of free parking, which made drop offs and pickups easier and cheaper and made for fewer circling cars on the terminal roadway. Don't look for the Port to adopt that practice (although I do remember the airport doing this over the Christmas/New Years rush at some point).
Free? Nothing is free. Remember the light rail to the airport was "free" because the Port Authority gave away the development rights of the vacant land around the airport to the developer. Thing about that - "free" development rights. Mike Thorne the well-heeled Eastern Oregon guy who was the leader of the port "pack" at that time gave away the "free" development rights. But not to worry, the "free" development rights are only for 99 years.
Charamba, Douro 2008
Horse Heaven Hills, Cabernet 2010
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills Pinot Grigio 2011
Avignonesi, Montepulciano 2004
Lorelle, Willamette Valley Pinot Noir 2011
Villa Antinori, Toscana 2007
Mercedes Eguren, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Lorelle, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2011
Purple Moon, Merlot 2011
Purple Moon, Chardonnnay 2011
Abacela, Vintner's Blend No. 12
Opula Red Blend 2010
Liberte, Pinot Noir 2010
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Indian Wells Red Blend 2010
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2011
King Estate, Pinot Noir 2011
Famille Perrin, Cotes du Rhone Villages 2010
Columbia Crest, Les Chevaux Red 2010
14 Hands, Hot to Trot White Blend
Familia Bianchi, Malbec 2009
Terrapin Cellars, Pinot Gris 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2009
Campo Viejo, Rioja, Termpranillo 2010
Ravenswood, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2010
Waterbrook, Reserve Merlot 2009
Lorelle, Horse Heaven Hills, Pinot Grigio 2011
Tarantas, Rose
Chateau Lajarre, Bordeaux 2009
La Vielle Ferme, Rose 2011
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio 2011
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir 2009
Lello, Douro Tinto 2009
Quinson Fils, Cotes de Provence Rose 2011
Anindor, Pinot Gris 2010
Buenas Ondas, Syrah Rose 2010
Les Fiefs d'Anglars, Malbec 2009
14 Hands, Pinot Gris 2011
Conundrum 2012
Condes de Albarei, Albariño 2011
Columbia Crest, Walter Clore Private Reserve 2007
Penelope Sanchez, Garnacha Syrah 2010
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2007
Atalaya do Mar, Godello 2010
Vega Montan, Mencia
Benvolio, Pinot Grigio
Nobilo Icon, Pinot Noir, Marlborough 2009
Portuga, Rose 2011
Revelation, Chardonnay, Pays d'Oc 2010
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 2005
Monte Alto, Tinto Reserva 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2009
Espiral, Vinho Rose
Vin-Koru, Pinot Gris 2011
14 Hands, Hot to Trot Red 2009
Rodney Strong, Cabernet, Sonoma 2009
Abacela, Vintner's Blend #11
Portuga, White 2010
La Bourgeoisie, Red 2009
Januik, Red 2009
Three Rivers, River's Red 2008
Kirkland, Alexander Valley Merlot 2008
Muga, Rioja Rose 2010
Quinta das Amoras, Vinho Tinto 2009
Mauro Molino, Barbera d'Alba 2009
Garda Chiaretto Rose
Columbia Crest, Two Vines Vineyard 10 White
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Pinot Gris, Columbia Valley 2009
L'Hortus, Rose de Saignee 2010
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2008
McKinley Springs, Bombing Range Red 2008
Trader Joe's Pinot Gris 2009
Montes Alpha, Cabernet 2007
Gran Sasso, Sangiovese, Terre di Chieti 2009
Garda, Classico Chiaretto Rose
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1999
Picos del Montgo, Tempranillo 2008
Chateau de Montmirail, Vacqueyras 2008
La Granja 360, Syrah 2009
Montgras, Carmenere Reserva 2009
Lange, Pinot Gris 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Cabernet 2008
Kirkland, Pinot Grigio 2010
Trader Joe's Coastal Syrah 2009
Columbia Crest, Horse Heaven Hills Merlot 2008
Trader Joe's Coastal Chardonnay 2009
Vieux Papes Red
Domaine de l'Aujardiere, Chardonnay 2009
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Medalla Real 2007
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2008
Guild, Red, Lot #02 2008
Dievole, Dievolino Sangiovese 2008
Laforet, Burgogne Chardonnay 2009
Columbia Winery, Merlot 2007
Bonterra, Cabernet 2008
Elk Cove, Pinot Gris 2009
Maquis Lien 2006
Scott Paul, Pinot Noir, Le Paulee 2007
The Occasional Book
Hope Larson - A Wrinkle in Time, the Graphic Novel
Rudyard Kipling - Kim
Peter Ames Carlin - Bruce
Fran Cannon Slayton - When the Whistle Blows
Neil Young - Waging Heavy Peace
Mark Bego - Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul (2012 ed.)
Jenny Lawson - Let's Pretend This Never Happened
J.D. Salinger - Franny and Zooey
Charles Dickens - A Christmas Carol
Timothy Egan - The Big Burn
Deborah Eisenberg - Transactions in a Foreign Currency
Kurt Vonnegut Jr. - Slaughterhouse Five
Kathryn Lance - Pandora's Genes
Cheryl Strayed - Wild
Fyodor Dostoyevsky - The Brothers Karamazov
Jack London - The House of Pride, and Other Tales of Hawaii
Jack Walker - The Extraordinary Rendition of Vincent Dellamaria
Colum McCann - Let the Great World Spin
Niccolò Machiavelli - The Prince
Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus - The Nanny Diaries
Brian Selznick - The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Sharon Creech - Walk Two Moons
Keith Richards - Life
F. Sionil Jose - Dusk
Natalie Babbitt - Tuck Everlasting
Justin Halpern - S#*t My Dad Says
Mark Herrmann - The Curmudgeon's Guide to Practicing Law
Barry Glassner - The Gospel of Food
Phil Stanford - The Peyton-Allan Files
Jesse Katz - The Opposite Field
Evelyn Waugh - Brideshead Revisited
J.K. Rowling - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
David Sedaris - Holidays on Ice
Donald Miller - A Million Miles in a Thousand Years
Mitch Albom - Have a Little Faith
C.S. Lewis - The Magician's Nephew
F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Great Gatsby
William Shakespeare - A Midsummer Night's Dream
Ivan Doig - Bucking the Sun
Penda Diakité - I Lost My Tooth in Africa
Grace Lin - The Year of the Rat
Oscar Hijuelos - Mr. Ives' Christmas
Madeline L'Engle - A Wrinkle in Time
Steven Hart - The Last Three Miles
David Sedaris - Me Talk Pretty One Day
Karen Armstrong - The Spiral Staircase
Charles Larson - The Portland Murders
Adrian Wojnarowski - The Miracle of St. Anthony
William H. Colby - Long Goodbye
Steven D. Stark - Meet the Beatles
Phil Stanford - Portland Confidential
Rick Moody - Garden State
Jonathan Schwartz - All in Good Time
David Sedaris - Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
Anthony Holden - Big Deal
Robert J. Spitzer - The Spirit of Leadership
James McManus - Positively Fifth Street
Jeff Noon - Vurt
Road Work
Miles run year to date: 29
At this date last year: 66
Total run in 2012: 129
In 2011: 113
In 2010: 125
In 2009: 67
In 2008: 28
In 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
Comments (9)
similarly, these lights will be installed above each commissioners' and the mayor's desk to indicate the emanation of BS...
or worse
Posted by rr | July 25, 2007 2:33 PM
Those Port of Portland property taxes are a totally separate budget line item from CoP road repair funds. Totally different animal: left pocket v. right pocket.
The only way the Port of Portland could put flashing lights on the potholes would be if they built multi-level potholes first.
Alternately, we could actually use urban renewal funds to fix dilapidated urban roads. That would be neat!
Posted by Mister Tee | July 25, 2007 7:34 PM
I don't know about who funded those lights, but they were great last time I was at the airport. Instead of having to prowl up and down a row, you can quickly go to the one with an empty space.
Not a big deal at an off-hour, but on a busy day (like I was) it saves 10-20 min easily.
Posted by A.J. | July 25, 2007 7:43 PM
I have to agree with AJ...in the past, much time was spent cruising up and down the aisles wasting valuable time.
Once you learn (it aint rocket science) how they are set up, you can motor right to an open spot, no prowling required....
If they were truly paid for by Bechtel, even better....
Posted by thaddeus | July 25, 2007 11:08 PM
We can seriously doubt whether anything can really be free if it involves Bechtel, or whether the dollars might have been better spent elsewhere, or whether it was done as efficiently as the private sector might do it - that I'll grant. But these do seem worthwhile to me nonetheless, and I don't think they're extravagent.
The reason the private sector hasn't voluntarily done this in other garages, is quite simple: The dollars spent on the system would mostly produce a return to customers, not to the garage owner/operator. It takes a mandate from the public sector to step forward to do things like this, when faced with such economics.
In addition to the aforementioned reduction in time spent prowling the aisles, and less aggrvation, it saves fuel and reduces CO2 emissions into the atmosphere.
Posted by john rettig | July 26, 2007 12:51 AM
I agree with AJ. They are freakin great. 10-20 minutes saved on a busy day.
Posted by travis b | July 26, 2007 11:11 AM
I lived for a year in Baltimore, and BWI airport had this system, which was great. It was simple to look down a row and see if any green lights were on, instead of prowling up and down the rows to see if there might be an open space hidden among the Suburbans and Excursions. As an aside, BWI also allowed for 30 minutes (or an hour, I don't remember) of free parking, which made drop offs and pickups easier and cheaper and made for fewer circling cars on the terminal roadway. Don't look for the Port to adopt that practice (although I do remember the airport doing this over the Christmas/New Years rush at some point).
Posted by bryan g | July 26, 2007 11:24 AM
Free? Nothing is free. Remember the light rail to the airport was "free" because the Port Authority gave away the development rights of the vacant land around the airport to the developer. Thing about that - "free" development rights. Mike Thorne the well-heeled Eastern Oregon guy who was the leader of the port "pack" at that time gave away the "free" development rights. But not to worry, the "free" development rights are only for 99 years.
Ahhhhhhhhhhh
Posted by PWD | July 26, 2007 3:46 PM
Hey folks, I was only kidding! Bechtel didn't buy the lights. And they don't blink when the meatballs come out, either...
Posted by Jack Bog | July 26, 2007 3:48 PM