Forget it, Jack -- it's only the Pearl, where things are done at the expense of other neighborhoods.

Brent Hunsberger offers a piece of actual news in the O this evening:

"Umpqua Bank is joining other major financial services firms in barring customers from filing class-action lawsuits, requiring instead that they arbitrate disputes privately, outside of a courtroom."
http://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/01/umpqua_bank_joins_wells_fargo_1.html

Perhaps the regional bank will be responsive to organized, local protest against this anti-consumer policy?

They said they are, "...planning to close one lane of Northwest Glisan Street in the Pearl District for two weeks in February."

They did NOT say what YEAR.

"The project is weather-dependent, possibly forcing the schedule to change."

You making book on this, Jack?

It will be scheduled to start February of this year, but won't actually start until July.

The two weeks will stretch into two months.

Next year, they'll close it for six months to add bioswales.

The year after that, they'll tear it up to put in streetcar extension.

It's stimulus, baby!

How much money has been spent and how long was the study before planning this major road repair. A big question should be asked, was a environmental impact study done and a report filed?

Sounds like bioswales are coming to the Pearl

There are streets in N.E. and S.E. that are more than "failed" but since Sam doesn't recognize outer Portland as actual full-fledged city citizens, just part of the "City Taxing District" those streets will still be in worse-than-failing condition.

But this two block stretch on Glisan is prime ground for his supporters. There's probably 20 or 30 bicyclists a day that use the street that complained to him personally (not like the rest of us that have a food chain we have to work through to get to his office - much less him personally). There's probably a developer that said they won't build if he doesn't fix the street. And it's close to PGE Park. THAT's why this job is being done pronto.

And it's probably the opportunity for those bioswale "green streets" too, so added points.

In Lents...egh, it'll be fine as a dirt road.

The city has many heavily trafficked streets that are in desperate need of repaving. Two that I use frequently are W. Burnside between 405 and NW 22nd; and NW 23rd between Thurman and Lovejoy. Both streets get lots of traffic and are crumbling away (especially 23rd). I've called the Pothole Hotline about both. They are responsive, but inevitably fail to fill some of the many potholes on those streets each time they go out. The amazing thing is that they tell me before they will fill the potholes, they need to send out a supervisor to assess the situation. I suppose there could be some need for a supervisor, but filling a pothole seems pretty basic.

Let me guess, it is the street that they film Portlandia on? Or maybe it is the one the Mayor bicyles on each morning. Or a new development is scheduled for close by. There is either money to be made or the wrong bike tire got flat. Road don't fix themselves.

George, if the mayor bikes as much as he claims to, it would be a surprise. The last time I saw him downtown, he was plugging a parking meter.

Eastside streets need ... well, streets.
Some more resemble the Oregon Trail than they do a modern tar macadam roadway.

Some of the "paved" blocks are the 100-year-old concrete streets that are hardly better. I just avoid them.

Potholes are abundant to the point where you stop noticing new ones. Funny how the Pearl always gets the lion's share.