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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.

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Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Q & A

A reader writes:

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...

or worse

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.

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....

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 agree with AJ. They are freakin great. 10-20 minutes saved on a busy day.

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.

Ahhhhhhhhhhh

Hey folks, I was only kidding! Bechtel didn't buy the lights. And they don't blink when the meatballs come out, either...

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In Vino Veritas

Robert Mondavi Solaire, Cabernet 2005
Castello Monaci, Liante, Salice Salentino 2006
Ricardo Santos, Malbec 2006
Quinta da Espiga, Tinto 2006
Charles Smith, Holy Cow Merlot 2006
Charles Smith, Boom Boom Syrah 2006
Charles Smith, The Honorable Pinot Gris 2007
Santa Rita, Cabernet Reserva 2005
King Estate, Pinot Gris 2007
Gloria, Douro, Tinto 2002
Bogle, Petite Sirah Port, Clarksburg 2005
Cardwell Hill, Pinot Noir 2004
Silkwood, Red Duet Cabernet-Syrah 2004
Portuga, Vinho Branco 2006, 2007
Osborne, Solaz 2004
Santa Rita, Cabernet, Reserva 2005
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill, Shiraz Cabernet 2006
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Cabernet, Indian Wells 2004
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Merlot, Horse Heaven Hills 2004
Hannah Nicole, Red 2004
Penfold's, Koonunga Hill Shiraz Cabernet 2005
Protocolo, Red 2005
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2006
Portuga, Vinho Branco 2006
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1998
Beaulieu, Cabernet, Rutherford 1996
Kirkland, Roogle Shiraz 2004
Garda, Classico Chiaretto
A to Z, Oregon Pinot Gris 2005
I Giusti & Zanza, Nemorino 2006
Treana, Marsanne-Viognier, Central Coast 2005
Fife, Syrah, "Stanford" 2000
B.R. Cohn, Silver Label Cabernet 2005
Marques de Casa Concha, Cabernet 2005
Santi, Sortesele Pinot Grigio 2006
Al Muvedre, Tinto Joven 2006
Layer Cake, Shiraz 2006
Gritti, Ca' Andrea, Umbria red 2005
Altos de Luzon, Jumilla 2004
Thomas Leithner, Zweigelt 2004
Cain Cuvee NV 3
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Merlot 2003
Meridian, Sauvignon Blanc 2005
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2003
Paringa, Shiraz 2005
King Estate, Pinot Gris 2005
Canoe Ridge, Merlot 2003
Maculan, Pino & Toi 2005
Kris, Pinot Grigio 2006
Silvan Ridge, Pinot Gris 2006
Fife, Mendocino Syrah, "Stanford" 2000
Castle Rock, Cabernet, Paso Robles 2005
Willakenzie, Pinot Gris 2006
The Show, Cabernet 2005
Essencia Valdemar, Rioja Rose 2006
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Merlot, Horse Heaven Hills 2004
Beaulieu Vineyard. Napa Valley Cabernet 2004
Irony, Cabernet, Napa Valley 2003
Rosenblum, Petite Sirah, Heritage Clones 2005
Fra Guerau, Montsant 2002
Barefoot Chardonnay
Kana, Syrah 2004
Castell Salegg, Chardonnay, Alto Adige 2004
Fetish, The Watcher Shiraz 2004
Gold Note, Fair Play Zinfandel 2005
Chateau Ste. Michelle, Canoe Ridge Estate Cabernet 2003
Ponzi, Pinot Noir 2004
Red Diamond, Merlot 2003
Mateus, Rose
Benton Lane Pinot Noir 2004
Penya Cadiella Vins de Comtat 2003
Kamiak, Cellar Select Red 2003
Anselmi, San Vincenzo 2005
Rubrato, Aglianico dei Feudi di San Gregorio 2004
Le Grand Noir (Black Sheep) Cabernet-Shiraz
Woodbridge, Chardonnay 2005
Los Vascos, Cabernet, Reserve 2004
Jackaroo, Shiraz 2003
Paul Jaboulet Aine, Crozes Hermitage Syrah, "La Jalet," 2001
Paul Jaboulet Aine, Cotes du Rhone, "Parallele '45,'" 2003
Rolf Binder, Barossa Valley Shiraz 2003
Oyster Bay, Sauvignon Blanc 2006
Woodbridge Chardonnay 2005
Barnard & Griffin, Columbia Valley Cabernet 2004
Quinto do Carmo, Alentejano Red 2000
Forefathers, Alexander Valley Cabernet 2001

The Occasional Book

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: 28
At this date last year: 102
Total run in 2007: 113
In 2006: 100
In 2005: 149
In 2004: 204
In 2003: 269
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