Why Portland streets will keep crumbling
Because there are so many wonderful bikey, walkie, train thingies to blow tax dollars on instead of street maintenance. Lookee here -- all the pretty colors. Shiny trains to nowhere -- it's for the children!
| Posted at 2:48 PM | Permalink |
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Comments (21)
Is it time yet to start referring to Metro HQ as "The Kremlin?"
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | February 18, 2013 4:18 PM
The Democrips have been in power here so long that this should be no surprise to anyone. Keep voting in the dems and this is what you get..Its what " The voters " want so I hope that I dont hear any of them botch when everything else goes to crap and such..
Remember its for safety, the children, social justice, diversity. or any other schlock these asshats can think of to spend OPM...
Posted by jgaltlives | February 18, 2013 4:41 PM
Sustainable stupidity.
Posted by RJBob | February 18, 2013 4:53 PM
Stupidity ain't sustainable....that's why we left Oregon just a year ago.
Posted by Kathe W. | February 18, 2013 4:57 PM
I have seen some pretty dumb urban planning, but nothing that tops this mess. For my little part of the planet in Lake Oswego, Metro proposes bike/ped trails along Iron Mt. Rd. and Upper Dr. to the tune of $53 million. This cost is an insult in and of itself, but it is almost laughable when you consider that Iron Mt. already HAS a bike path, and Upper Dr. Is a quiet residential street that isn't designed to be an arterial for any kind of multi-modal "improvements". And the path they want to put along Kruse Way for $5 million.... We have one of those there too! What are they thinking?
My favorite is the "Surf-to-Turf" trail (I kid you not!) that runs along the edge of West Bay on Oswego Lake and proceeds along the shoreline to where Iron Mt. Rd. turns toward the Hunt Club. Will this be a condemnation of private land? The entire shoreline of Lake O is privately owned. What is going on in those little scheming pea brains, and how can we get rid of METRO the fastest way possible?
Posted by NoloNolo | February 18, 2013 5:00 PM
Do you lefties realize that your policies cause this crap?
Posted by tna | February 18, 2013 5:25 PM
"Lights on" maintenance is boring, predictable, and not very sexy. And those streets already have names.
New, bold, visionary projects are what you can leave your mark on. They already have powers of taxation... what more justification does one need?
Posted by Downtown Denizen | February 18, 2013 5:46 PM
heh...Yeah...Legacy projects; 'leave their mark on'.
We know what that translates to....
We're about to be 'marked' again.
Posted by godfry | February 18, 2013 5:54 PM
Looks like I mistook the gray line that is the data collection boundary for a trail system. My mistake. There is no planned trail on the shores of Lake O. But since planners and governments these days care little for private property rights, anything could happen, just not this time.
Posted by NoloNolo | February 18, 2013 6:00 PM
Message:
"The metro area WILL be transformed into a Multi-Modal Wonderland. Residents who don't like it can go screw themselves or go live somewhere else".
Posted by Mr. Grumpy | February 18, 2013 6:12 PM
Speaking of Shiny Trains ">http://www.kptv.com/story/21232369/caught-on-camera-max-door-open-as-train-travels-at-full-speed>
Posted by tankfixer | February 18, 2013 6:15 PM
I have not seen a planning wet dream of this scale since Dick and Rummy were handing out drilling rights in Iraq back in '03!
Posted by Old Zeb | February 18, 2013 7:17 PM
'projects are what you can leave your mark on.'
leave your mark....
yeah....like skidmarks in their underwear....
Posted by thaddeus | February 18, 2013 7:18 PM
The streets and other public services will keep crumbling until there is meaningful PERS reform.
Posted by adp | February 18, 2013 7:49 PM
As a Tigard (and "Southwest Corridor") resident, this has got to be one of the worst planning documents I have ever seen. Even my kids have more sense and logic when writing up their Christmas lists to Santa Claus; this list reminds me of a kid who does nothing but plays SimCity all day long, and then writes his list to Santa, while watching Disney movies in the background...and I'm sure there are drugs involved somewhere as well (maybe some LSD?)
Putting bike lanes on steep uphill grades, while ignoring EXISTING bike lanes just a few hundred feet away next to a creek and a railroad (no hills!)? Building a $50 million overpass over Highway 217 and calling it part of a light rail project? Sidewalk improvements in Murrayhill, and linking it to a Bus Rapid Transit line between Portland and Tualatin???
What's worse is that 99% of the projects have no regional significance to them; yet this is a Metro funded and managed "project". Right off the top, every project should be listed for "regional significance" and if there is none (virtually all of them, and especially the LONG list of Portland submitted requests) they should be axed. The cities need to be responsible for their own sidewalks and bike lanes - NOT Metro and not regional funding.
Then, this project actually does not have any bus related projects, yet the idea is to come up with projects to link with bus and rail service. (Fortunately, there is nothing involving WES in this document. I think even Metro has acknowledged WES is a failure.) So we build a nice shiny new "high capacity transit" line down Barbur - now what? What if I need to ride a bus from 72nd Avenue? It's disjointed and there's no common link. Just a big wish list of projects, and a very loose definition of calling it transit-oriented.
I really need to start working on my proposal for Tigard to break away from TriMet...heck, Washington County should. No reason for Intel's payroll tax dollars to fund downtown government workers' MAX trains.
Posted by Erik H. | February 19, 2013 10:08 AM
If Tigard breaks away from Metro- pls. annex Se Portland.
Go Damascus!
Posted by Mamacita | February 19, 2013 11:00 AM
Erik - how do Tigard residents feel about the water partnership with LO? Are your water rates shooting up yet? Has your city given you an estimate of what this fiasco will cost you? We are fighting this and have to believe that Tigard residents are not happy either. With citizens left out of all planning and facts being twisted and hidden, how can we vote for or approve anything anymore? Bike Paths, water plants, tree codes... It's all insanity.
Posted by Nolo | February 19, 2013 8:08 PM
It's all insanity.
Nolo,
Watch for it to get worse. That word that sounds so good - Regional!
More being "really" left out of local decisions, or rights being reduced or taken.
Next up, this West Coast Exchange, that is even a larger entity taking a measure and control of our local resources.
Posted by clinamen | February 19, 2013 9:09 PM
Oh no! Not another one! I feel myself sinking further into the tar pit with the weight of multiple layers of government being piled on. Looks our old friends, CH2MHill are involved in this one to. Why am I surprised at all anymore.
Posted by Nolo | February 20, 2013 7:14 AM
Nolo,
If you hadn't heard, I am sorry to have been the bearer of more bad news.
This is the wave of the future?
I guess incrementally they will have gotten us used to not "having a say" so that they can pounce upon our rights and resources big time?
All for the good of whom?
I was pleased to hear that LO was able to change the direction of their council.
Too bad we weren't able to do the same in pdx.
Posted by clinamen | February 20, 2013 10:14 AM
Why Portland streets will keep crumbling
And Portland huge trees will keep "tumbling"
. . . a grand one likely chopped if not stopped!
http://www.kgw.com/news/Fighting-to-save-their-Sequoia-191930631.html
The bike lobbyists win out over a 120 foot high and 18 feet wide Sequoia in Pier Park??
Posted by clinamen | February 20, 2013 2:48 PM