Has anyone else noticed that the old Sauvie Island Bridge is really ugly. Poor Cesar, getting stuck with a rusty green steel truss like that.

a rusty green steel truss

Actually, I think one of the council members has one of those as well.

The news piece states:
"The deal is still contingent on Kuney, which is building the new Sauvie Island Bridge, agreeing to sell the old arch."

I thought the old bridge was the property of Multnomah County!
Maybe the Kuney bid on the building project includes having them remove the old structure.

Hmmm, don't anyone breathe a word of this to all the meth-head metal thieves...or else the old bridge will be gone overnight!

"Adams wanted to give Kuney a $5.5 million no-bid contract -- the largest in city history."

I just had to see that again.

Over at BikePortland, "transportation activist Elly Blue" was quoted as saying "It’s currently impossible to travel safely and directly between two halves of our city…The basic right to free mobility is at stake here."

Besides the issue of "impossibility" (I managed to accomplish the impossible every day for two years just by walking one block in either direction to Everett or Glisan), doesn't that sound both breathtakingly entitled AND dismissive of people who have real mobility issues?

I thought I read that the bridge was sold to Kuney for $1.00. Wonder how much they'll pay to buy it back?

WOW! What a surprise. The city councils have used this ploy for years and the suckers..er..a voters are too DUM to ever catch on. And your buddy ** Randy, just another hood-winker like Saltzman. Portlanders really deserve what they vote for...no pity here, I moved long ago. Potter once again the master can rightfully say " I never voted for that bridge, I was on city business [ vacation on taxpayer money] in China".

When will scientists discover a significant link between bicycle chain oil and diminished mental capacity or will association with Pot remain #1?

The basic right to free mobility is at stake here.

i'm a sympathetic bicyclist, but: there's no such right.

i'm also sympathetic with some of Adams' ideals, but many of his efforts are a lot of sound and fury, signifying...not much.

this effort to drop a few million on a public amenity that serves less than 1% of the population, for example.

It's simple. Adams had a little one on one with Saltzman, pointed out that he's likely to be the next mayor, and threatened he would saddle him with the water bureau again when he hands out the assignments.

Saltzman collapses like a wet paper bag.

How many examples of incompetence does it take before the electorate concludes these clowns are incompetent?

And no matter if it's $500 million misappropriated at SoWa or $5 million for this stupid bridge idea our local Oregonian/media et al appear to be equally incompetent.

I think it would be kind of cool to move the Sauvie Island bridge to NW Portland, but I would have preferred to see it done in a cost-effective manner without all the political crap.

Someone above said the bridge is ugly, but it is just like a few hundred bridges of this design and era that cross over rivers and roads all over Washington and Oregon. It's virtually guaranteed that if a bridge is designed from scratch, it's going to be unimaginative and utilitarian.

Which raises a couple questions: Is a bike/pedestrian bridge at this location a foregone conclusion? Did the council vote earlier to build the bridge?

Little help?

Let's keep some perspective here. It's not $5.5 million they're wasting on this bridge. If they don't move this one, they'll waste $3 million on a new bridge. So this one only wastes $2 million (plus budget overruns).

I know, 2.5.

This Bridge will be the Starting Point for next years Gay Pride Parade, and Sam will be the Pivot Man.

A little homophobia in that previous comment, meg?

I understand the concern for the efficient allocation of city money, but I think a lot of the criticism here is pointed towards grumpiness that more money is going into the Pearl District area than the fact it's supporting bike infrastructure. With any luck, whoever our next mayor is, I hope that s/he will be willing to support bike infrastructure across the city, and that citizens of Portland come to accept that bike infrastructure investment is much more cost effective than continuing to build highways and freeways as gasoline gets to $5 a gallon, we get ready to invade Iran, and the polar ice caps melt.

Over at BikePortland, "transportation activist Elly Blue" was quoted as saying "It’s currently impossible to travel safely and directly between two halves of our city…The basic right to free mobility is at stake here."

I agree with Kevin's take. I lived at 18th & Couch for several years. and on Marshall west of 23rd for several more years. "Elly" presents a self-important and utterly false "argument" in favor of moving that monster; I had no problem traveling safely and directly between Northwest and downtown or inner northwest.

Portland's already done the bridge-moving thing, anyway: the Thurman Street bridge, for example.

A friend of mine suggested that the Sauvies Island Bridge would make a great and safe crossing for bikes exactly where it is!
A 1$ bike bridge for all those bikers already on Sauvies , HMM

How many examples of incompetence does it take before the electorate concludes these clowns are incompetent?

Incompetence is irrelevant. Thats the problem with blind ideology.

"It’s currently impossible to travel safely and directly between two halves of our city..."

I thought the bridges over the Willamette provided the link between the two halves of our city? Or has the city shifted so that I405 is now the dividing point?

I thought the bridges over the Willamette provided the link between the two halves of our city? Or has the city shifted so that I405 is now the dividing point?

I'm pretty sure "the two halves" are Pearl District and West Hills. Everything else is an outlier.

I'm pretty sure "the two halves" are Pearl District and West Hills

This is correct. On the other side of the Willamette are the halve-nots.

I think we should relocate this old bridge to provide a direct link between Homer's bank account and the PDC.

All future subsidies would be paid in cash or coin on the 1st of the month at noon: we can all pack a picnic lunch and count the money we're giving him in real time.

"Bike infrastructure?"

Uh, aren't those called "roads." I could be wrong, because I always see at least one or two bikes sharing my commute (and hear at least one or two dozen pointing out the same when it comes to funding).

If bikes can get their own bridge, and pedestrians, and MAX, why not one for JUST CARS? ;)

Mike, I assume you're joking?

The Fremont and Marquam bridges are car-only. Not a single bike-only bridge over the Willamette.

You're right, why did I forget bicyclists complaining because they want to share the interstate freeways and highways with cars and heavy trucks zipping by at 65? Maybe because they don't.

And yes, the little winking smiley tends to indicate a joke (or a smart ass comment, at least).

Sam Adams is a complete fool. And a dishonest one at that.
He suggests NW protland doesn't have enough bike ridership and that this additional $6,7,or 8? milion crossing over 405 at Flanders will improve bike numbers.
Among many others, there's a crossing at one block north and south at Glisan and Everett whic makes Sam's claim and this project total bullsh_t.
If Adams can make this a priority than litterlly any bone head thing imaginable can be also be funded.
Vote for Sam. He's amazing!

Frankenbridge will never die! Sam created Frankenbridge, and now it will haunt Sam FOREVER!!!

Or, until he runs for Congress and has to account for Portland's dire fiscal condition.