[65MAX]

First, this is a diagram, not a map. It's meant for showing the general layout and orientation of all the lines and stations in a clear and concise manner. Correct scale is not necessary.

Second, while I like the overall look, I think the streetcar lines could be depicted much simpler and not take up so much space in the central area. Do we really need to see every station on the streetcar lines when they're only 2-3-4 blocks apart? That should be evident by the nature of the service, just as it is with buses. The downtown area could be half the size if the streetcars were shown as simple lines. That would also establish a heirarchy between MAX and Streetcar, which isn't obvious looking at this diagram.

Regarding colors, the streetcars can be shown as the same color once they figure out what letter and/or number combination they want to use to differentiate them. And the actual line on the diagram should be noticeably thinner than the MAX and WES lines, again to establish heirarchy.

[65MAX]

First, this is a diagram, not a map. It's meant for showing the general layout and orientation of all the lines and stations in a clear and concise manner. Correct scale is not necessary.

Second, while I like the overall look, I think the streetcar lines could be depicted much simpler and not take up so much space in the central area. Do we really need to see every station on the streetcar lines when they're only 2-3-4 blocks apart? That should be evident by the nature of the service, just as it is with buses. The downtown area could be half the size if the streetcars were shown as simple lines. That would also establish a heirarchy between MAX and Streetcar, which isn't obvious looking at this diagram.

Regarding colors, the streetcars can be shown as the same color once they figure out what letter and/or number combination they want to use to differentiate them. And the actual line on the diagram should be noticeably thinner than the MAX and WES lines, again to establish heirarchy.

Oh yeah, and get rid of the zones. They don't need to be shown here.

[65MAX]

Bump... for reference.

I like this. Map of Portland's passenger rail network, including future lines that are either under construction or in advanced planning.

http://www.cambooth.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Portland_1200px.jpg

Designer is Cameron Booth (http://www.cambooth.net/archives/703).

[tworivers]

The famous London tube map, the grandfather of almost all transit maps, suffers from the same problem. Compare and contrast the iconic tube map with a geographically accurate map

Thanks maccoinnich, I'd never looked at the London Tube map and diagram side by side -- fascinating.

[zilfondel]

Apparently OIW is actually manufacturing streetcars!
Originally posted in the main transportation thread by 202_Cyclist: (http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showpost.php?p=5517645&postcount=307)

D.C. awards $8.7M deal for two streetcars

Washington Business Journal
By Michael Neibauer
Wednesday, December 14, 2011

"The District has struck an $8.7 million deal with a Portland, Ore., firm to supply two 144-passenger streetcars for D.C.'s 2.2-mile H Street/Benning Road NE line.

United Streetcar LLC, a subsidiary of Oregon Iron Works Inc., won the deal to design, test, manufacture and deliver two streetcar vehicles plus parts. The contract is now before the D.C. Council and will be deemed approved Dec. 18, unless a member of the council moves to disapprove it.

The winning bid was selected over one from Inekon, the manufacturer of D.C.'s first three streetcars. Inekon, of the Czech Republic, offered to build the two new cars for $9.5 million. Its first two cars ran $10 million for three..."

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2011/12/dc-awards-87m-deal-for-two.html

[MarkDaMan]

Transportation bill jeopardizes fate of bike, pedestrian programs
POSTED: Tuesday, February 7, 2012 at 04:04 PM PT
BY: Lindsey O'Brien, Daily Journal of Commerce
Tags: bikes, Congress, federal funding, Peter DeFazio, transportation spending

A new federal transportation bill unveiled by House Republicans last week elicited resounding opposition in Oregon.

The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s chairman, John Mica, R-Fla., last week introduced the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act. It’s a $260 billion proposal to repair U.S. infrastructure, reauthorize transportation programs for five years and increase opportunities for domestic oil drilling.

But in a committee vote last week, every Democrat and even one Republican opposed the bill. Lawmakers, however, are expected to search for a compromise before the present law expires on March 31.

Opponents have a slew of objections to the nearly 900-page bill, including its emphasis on new highway construction, the elimination of money dedicated for projects to aid bicyclists and pedestrians, and reduction of long-term planning for public transit.

“This bill says it’s a waste to spend highway trust dollars to protect cyclists, pedestrians or children, (and that) all of that money should just go into highway projects,” said Rep. Peter DeFazio, D-Ore., who represents Southwest Oregon and is a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. “It takes us back to pre-1980 in terms of the federal government’s participation in transit. It’s quite radical stuff.”

The bill would eliminate the Transportation Enhancements program, which requires states to set aside a percentage of federal money for bike and pedestrian programs. Instead, those allocations would be left entirely up to each state.

Mica and the bill’s supporters hail the proposal for cutting red tape and addressing critical transportation needs without earmarks.

But Travis Brouwer, federal affairs advisor for the Oregon Department of Transportation, said that even without mandated spending, Oregon is likely to continue investing a portion of its federal money in biking and pedestrian programs now being paid for via Transportation Enhancements.

“(The bill) wouldn’t have a major impact on bike and pedestrian projects,” Brouwer said. “We’d have to modify our Transportation Enhancement program, but we’d still be allowed to continue funding those projects.”

Andrew Cotugno, a policy advisor for Metro, is not as optimistic that active transportation would trump other infrastructure projects for funding if federal mandates were eliminated.

“There is a strong level of support in Oregon around a comprehensive transportation system, but we don’t know if it would remain once new flexibility is provided,” Cotugno said. “In other parts of the country that are antagonistic toward these programs, advocates are saying that spending on bike and pedestrian programs will go away in an instant.”

Supporters of public transportation investments also are concerned about potential impacts of the bill.

“If transit is not part of the highway trust fund, it seems like a very dangerous place to be,” said Alan Lehto, director of planning and policy for TriMet. “My concern is that there wouldn’t be as much federal funding available at all, no matter how forward-thinking we are about what kinds of infrastructure we need.”

While states would have more power to decide how to spend federal money, some programs would be eliminated entirely. The bill, for instance, would prohibit federal money from being used on the Safe Routes to School Program, which provides infrastructure improvements, education programs, and safety training to encourage kids to bike or walk to school.

Oregon receives an annual allocation of approximately $2 million, according to Brouwer.

“I’ve visited a number of schools in my district that participated. The parents are thrilled; the kids are away from dangerous intersections … it’s a great success nationwide,” DeFazio said. “That program was created when Republicans were in charge … but this is a much more mean-spirited bunch.”

By a narrow 29-27 margin, the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee last week voted against restoring money for Safe Routes to School and Transportation Enhancements.

The bill is expected to go to the House floor for a vote by the end of the month, although if it were to pass in its present form, it likely would not be signed into law, according to DeFazio and several others.

The Senate drafted a transportation reauthorization bill with bipartisan support, and a temporary extension of the present law likely would pass in order to allow more time for negotiations.

http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?t=83367&page=95

[MarkDaMan]

Cyclists’ perspective on House Resolution 7

“This bill reverses decades of progress we’ve made to create safe routes to school and encourage safety on our streets for all users of the roadway,” said Gerik Kransky, advocacy director for the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, a Portland-based nonprofit.

“It’s time to kill House Resolution 7,” he said. “It eliminates dedicated funding for biking and walking, slashes funding for transit services, and the way we see it – will actually make streets less safe.”

According to Kransky, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said last week that the highway spending plan is “the worst transportation bill” he’s seen in decades.

The bill would eliminate the Transportation Enhancements program, which sets aside money for pedestrian and bicycle projects not normally required on highway or transportation projects. The program, since its creation in 1992, has generated 190 Oregon projects worth a total of $97 million.

Projects approved in last year’s Transportation Enhancements program were awarded a total of $15.99 million in federal money. Including local matches, $19.13 million was spent on Oregon projects. They included:

Completion of The Dalles Riverfront Trail – $1.55 million federal award;
Pedestrian access to Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood schools on Southeast Holgate Boulevard and Ramona Street in Portland – $1.48 million federal award; and
Construction of the second phase of the Middle Fork Willamette River Path between Springfield and Eugene – $1.6 million federal award.

http://djcoregon.com/news/2012/02/07/transportation-bill-jeopardizes-fate-of-bike-pedestrian-programs/

[MarkDaMan]

Morrison Bridge work to be completed earlier than expected
POSTED: Thursday, February 23, 2012 at 04:09 PM PT
BY: Reed Jackson Daily Journal of Commerce
Tags: Conway Construction, Morrison Bridge

In the wake of a delay last summer, the $4.2 million project to replace open steel grating on the Morrison Bridge is finally close to completion.

In fact, David Conway of Conway Construction, the project’s contractor, said it would be “done in the next two to three weeks if weather permits.”

Multnomah County spokesman Mike Pullen was a little less optimistic, but he acknowledged that construction is in its final stages.

“Weather is the biggest factor; some of the work can’t be done if it’s too cold,” Pullen said. “The safest prediction is we’re off the bridge by the end of March – only a week or so difference from David’s prediction.”

If the safety improvement project were to wrap up next month, it would be delivered nearly three months after the date targeted originally. Construction was delayed for two months beginning last July, when tarps being used by crews to contain debris blew off during a storm. The debris “allegedly” – as emphasized by David Conway – put the Willamette River’s water quality at risk.

At that point, county officials were unsure whether the bridge work would even be completed by May, in time for the Rose Festival, and rumors grew that city officials were going to terminate Conway’s contract midway through the project.

But Conway, which has handled numerous bridge projects in the past 30 years, presented a new and more “traditional” containment system – plywood deck areas – and the project got back on track.

“Everything is now going very well; Conway Construction and the county are getting along well,” Conway said.

Crews are now working on the bridge’s fourth quadrant. They completed the second and third quadrants twice as fast as the first, which required three months. When asked why the pace has increased so much since construction resumed in September, Conway said only that it was a result of “ingenuity and hard work.”

Pullen had a more expansive theory.

“There was a learning curve,” he said. “Each of the bridge’s four quadrants is very similar; once the first steps were learned and the containment system was put in place, they gained speed.”

Although construction is in its final stages, Pullen said a significant amount of work remains; some calls for installing some of the lightweight fiber-reinforced polymer panels that will give the bridge more traction.

Since opening in 1958, the Morrison Bridge has caused problems for drivers because of its slippery-when-wet steel lift section. In 2005, for example, a woman driving an SUV slid off the bridge and into the river; she barely survived the incident.

Pullen said that increasing driver safety has been well worth the setbacks the project has faced.

“The project definitely took longer to accomplish than planned, and it was definitely a challenge,” he said. “But it’s a big safety improvement and the final product will allow drivers to drive more securely, which pretty much sums up how we view this project.”

http://djcoregon.com/news/2012/02/23/morrison-bridge-work-to-be-completed-earlier-than-expected/

[bvpcvm]

Amtrak gaining popularity among commuters who ride between Portland, Oregon City and Salem

Published: Sunday, March 04, 2012, 2:00 PM Updated: Sunday, March 04, 2012, 5:13 PM

By Joseph Rose, The Oregonian

After an especially taxing day at his corporate communications job in downtown Portland, Dan Anderson was looking forward to the evening train commute to Oregon City.

"It gives me a chance to unwind a little before I get home," Anderson said, settling into a soft leather seat and opening his MacBook. "Free WiFi. I can order a beer. And it sure beats sitting in traffic."

Wait. Comfy chairs? Web-surfing? Brewskis on a dining car? Is TriMet running a Hogwarts Express for Portland area commuters that pulls into a secret MAX station?

Actually, this isn't TriMet. Anderson is part of a small but growing group of Clackamas County commuters spurning the region's transit agency in favor of Amtrak for daily trips in and out of the city.

Last year, daily ridership between Salem and Portland on Amtrak jumped more than 22 percent to 24,146 boardings, making it the rail carrier's fastest growing West Coast corridor. The number of monthly passes on the line, meanwhile, increased by 14 percent.

more....................... (http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2012/03/amtrak_gaining_popularity_amon.html)

[davehogan]

It's too bad that Amtrak can't effectively serve downtown Woodburn, Albany, Bend, Redmond, and the coast or true high speed rail from Eugene to Vancouver.

[tworivers]

Wanna get depressed? Read this:

http://www.governing.com/topics/transportation-infrastructure/gov-portland-oregon-struggles-to-remain-leader-in-public-transit.html#next

The only thing about this article that caused me to crack a smile was the photo of John Charles -- in his car, of course. And the realization that he actually looks a little bit like Sam Adams.

[65MAX]

The same article could have been witten about ANY city that has a large transit system (minus the bogus #1 ranking in US News). It has nothing to do with Portland, per se, as it does the crappy economy in general, and specifically the Republican's crusade to defund as much mass transit in the country as they possibly can.

I can't wait to see the R's go down in flames this November. :hell:

[Black Box]

I read that article as well. It's tough out there for all transit agencies. I just hope they don't raise fares so soon. I have a regional transit pass that my employer heavily subsidizes, but my concern is the adverse affect that higher fares and less service has on people, particularly those who have low incomes. I hope the best for transit users.

[bvpcvm]

from the Portland Tribune:

Washington County next light rail battleground? (http://www.portlandtribune.com/news/story.php?story_id=133158931062867200)

The rebellion against Metro planning and MAX light rail in Clackamas County is spreading to Washington County.

Concerns about the potential cost and development impacts of a possible MAX line along Southwest Barbur Boulevard and Highway 99E have been discussed at various gatherings, including a Feb. 22 meeting of the King City Republican Club and an earlier meeting of the Washington County Chapter of Americans for Prosperity, a conservative political action committee, in Beaverton.

"There are about a dozen of us that have decided it's time we do something. We're looking at putting some measures on the ballot, like they have in Clackamas County. We haven't set a deadline yet," says Art Crino, a retired Tigard engineer who has gone to some of the meetings.


etc, etc

[Okstate]

Just go ahead and run the next line down SE Powell...problem solved.

[Derek]

Just go ahead and run the next line down SE Powell...problem solved.

This sounds like a good option. :)

[davehogan]

Just go ahead and run the next line down SE Powell...problem solved.

I like that idea. As long as we're building a new bridge...

[tworivers]

"They want to get you out of your automobile. I believe in freedom and own an automobile. An automobile gives you the freedom to go where you want when you want.” --Art Crino.

Well, golly gee, it's like it's 1957 all over again! Swell!

[Derek]

I own an automobile so I can go where I please, but I also ride the MAX in the city since it gets me where I'm going and I don't have to waste gas. Some people just don't get it.

[Shilo Rune 96]

I own an automobile so I can go where I please, but I also ride the MAX in the city since it gets me where I'm going and I don't have to waste gas. Some people just don't get it.

We should all stop riding max & busses and exclusively drive automobiles. Then he'll see how much gas would cost!

[RED_PDXer]

I want freedom from the automobile.. these jerks want everyone to do as they do and not be given a transportation choice. guess we should all choke in traffic together. what a bunch of a forward thinkers.

[bvpcvm]

I want freedom from the automobile.

i fully agree. they claim to support "freedom of choice" but it's only freedom of choice as long as you choose what they do.

[tworivers]

I believe in freedom, too, and I own a bike, use public transit, and have a Zipcar membership.

[bvpcvm]

listen, buddy, that's the wrong kind of freedom. we don't like that kind of freedom 'round here.

[davehogan]

i fully agree. they claim to support "freedom of choice" but it's only freedom of choice as long as you choose what they do.

I could make so many freedom of choice jokes, but I'll try to keep it on topic and just post nothing of value instead.

Heh...

[MarkDaMan]

https://s3.amazonaws.com/com.offerpop.datastore/107459/107459_6.png

https://www.facebook.com/TriMet/app_194975693850063

[MarkDaMan]

A couple weeks old, but in light of the anti-rail news, the opposition appears to be speaking loudly, with not a lot of followers.

Anti-light rail petitioners fall short on signatures
Review costs city $31,000; collection effort continues
By Andrea Damewood
Columbian Staff Reporter

Originally published April 18, 2012 at 11:10 a.m., updated April 18, 2012 at 4:38 p.m.

http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/apr/18/anti-light-rail-petitioners-fall-short-of-signatur/

The Clark County Auditor’s office has declared more than two-thirds of signatures turned in by light rail opponents seeking a vote on the issue to be invalid.

A group of Vancouver residents submitted 9,039 signatures on a petition calling for a vote to create an ordinance that would prohibit any city resources from being used to extend TriMet’s MAX line from Portland to Vancouver.

After examining the signatures line by line, the auditor’s office found that 6,048 were invalid, leaving just 3,165 valid signatures, Vancouver City Attorney Ted Gathe said. The petitioners must submit 5,472 valid signatures to make the ballot.

Many of the signatures, Gathe said, were duplicates, not from registered voters, or were from voters who don’t live within the Vancouver city limits. Other signatures were given more than six months before they were submitted to the city, which also invalidates them, he said.

The review of the signatures will cost Vancouver about $31,000, Gathe said.



She said she expected there may have been issues with many of the signatures.

“People were pretty confused about where they lived — they knew they lived in Vancouver, but that doesn’t mean that you are part of the city of Vancouver,” Peterson said.

um okay, if you say so...

[CouvScott]

They came to my door last week and I just told them I wasn't interested.

[MarkDaMan]

State of Oregon and city of Portland reveal latest vision for easing congestion, improving safety at Rose Quarter, June 7
Published: Wednesday, June 06, 2012, 5:56 PM Updated: Wednesday, June 06, 2012, 10:57 PM
Cornelius Swart, The Oregonian

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/06/state_of_oregon_and_city_of_po.html

The State of Oregon and city of Portland will reveal its latest draft of a $300-$400 million plan for improving safety and reducing congestion around the Rose Quarter on Thursday June 7...

...The N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans will be available at the Rose Quarter'€™s Rose Room at 5:30 p.m., and planners will be available to answer questions. The plans include a proposal to add two new lanes to Interstate 5, to cap the freeway and to remove at least one surface road.

According to the state, the section of I-5 between the I-405 Bridge and the I-84 interchanges, in which I-5 narrows down to as few as two lanes in each direction, is the most accident-prone stretch of road in the state...

...The current draft plan envisions improving traffic flow and safety by removing the North Flint Avenue bridge over I-5 and moving one freeway ramp at North Winning Way to Northeast Weidler Street. Bike riders and pedestrians would be channeled into a series of raised paths and a new bike- and pedestrian-only bridge across the freeway at Northeast Clackamas Street.

The main improvements, however, would be on I-5. Currently, motorists trying to reach I-84 from the Rose Quarter must briefly merge into I-5 southbound traffic. The merging causes problems for travelers on both freeways.

Under the new plan, news lanes would be added to I-5 and dedicated specifically to traffic headed for I-84, eliminating the need to merge...

...A cap across the freeway, similar to the one found in downtown Seattle, could create new space for a park or other facilities...

[tworivers]

^^^
Sorry to be Mr Negative all the time but this plan is another example of the hallucinations of highway engineers in a dying age. They've done a much better job here of throwing bones to the right people but this is still fundamentally about expanding capacity, not safety. Furthermore, I guarantee you that the freeway caps will be the first thing to go when the inevitable cost-cutting begins.

[NJD]

^ The freeway caps are necessary for construction staging: rerouting the on/off ramp traffic and the Streetcar during construction. Leaving them permanently as parks or development land (after construction) is purely a bonus.

Also, this whole project is designed to fix one of the last problems created by cancelling the Mt. Hood Freeway decades ago... This section of freeway was never designed to be a major expressway interchange: the (thankfully) never-built Mt. Hood and Rose City freeways were designed and planned (see ghost ramps) to eat this traffic not the pre-Interstate designation US 30 Banfield merge at I-5. I think this is a great project honestly, and I welcome any help with those particularly dangerous merges on I-5 from I-84 to the Fremont Bridge. This is a far cry from the CRC as it actually makes the whole area better for walking, biking, auto, and transit!

[MarkDaMan]

TriMet to vote on ending free rail zone downtown
by Tim Gordon kgw.com

http://www.kgw.com/news/Free-rail-zones-likely-coming-to-an-end-158717695.html

...TriMet is set to vote Wednesday on ending the free rail zone in downtown. And the city’s bureau of transportation says it will follow suit, if it happen.
There are two reasons for the planned end of free rides, according to Portland Bureau Of Transportation spokesperson Dan Anderson; One is to stay consistent with TriMet’s plans. The other is to be fair to people east of the Willamette River when new east side streetcar service begins September 22nd.

"We understand that’s a difficult decision for us to make but also for people who ride street cars for free but we think it’s an equity and fairness issue,” said Anderson. “If people on the east side have to pay for the streetcar, then people on the west side should as well...”

[Derek]

TriMet adopts new fiscal year budget, eliminates Free Rail Zone
By FOX 12 Staff

http://www.kptv.com/story/18783565/trimet-eliminates-free-rail-zone


TriMet board members voted Tuesday to adopt a fiscal year 2013 budget that will enact a flat fare system and eliminate the Free Rail Zone.

[zilfondel]

Stopped using transit here. You guys?

[MarkDaMan]

I bought a car in March, for many more reasons than pending TriMet cuts, but when they announced some early drastic cuts they were pondering the spring, it was the final straw that pushed me to search for a car. I drive to Gateway Transit now and take the MAX.

[2oh1]

Stopped using transit here. You guys?

Not me. I'm carless and happy, though I wasn't happy when I saw this show up on the news a few days ago. Obviously, I'm against it, but it's inevitable.

I want downtown to be a tourist friendly place. I see tourist dollars as mostly freebies, and I want them flowing to Portland. Perhaps free is a bit of a stretch since we have to invest in things that make Portland a place tourists want to come to, but I want outside dollars flowing in and I see easy tourist-friendly downtown mass transit as a big bonus.

I was sorry to see free busses ended downtown last year (or was that 2010?), but really, I didn't see that service as being THAT important to the city as a whole. But free rail matters. Tourists walk out of their hotels and hop on trains. MAX is easy. Streetcars are easy. I'm very sad to see that sort of free infrastructure taken away from Portland.

I think most Portlanders have a negative view of tourists, but not me. When I see tourists, I see out of town dollars flowing in for our local businesses. I saw the free rail zone as a big plus for making downtown more tourist friendly.

Trimet isn't going to see the gains they predict from ending the free rail zone. I suspect they know that but are at the point where they're grasping for straws to save face. If they can't balance the budget, they probably hope to at least buy time while showing they're doing *something*.

I lost my faith in Trimet's leadership quite a while ago.

[Downtown_Gal]

A while back I remember reading that the streetcar was thinking about charging a flat fee of $1 for all rides... does anyone know if that plan is still in consideration. I would pay a buck to hop on the streetcar, but more than that and I would just walk.

[JordanL]

^^^
Sorry to be Mr Negative all the time but this plan is another example of the hallucinations of highway engineers in a dying age. They've done a much better job here of throwing bones to the right people but this is still fundamentally about expanding capacity, not safety. Furthermore, I guarantee you that the freeway caps will be the first thing to go when the inevitable cost-cutting begins.

That area of I-5 needs to be widened if only for freight traffic.

EDIT:

I'll expand a bit. I-5 is a huge corridor for freight, and that is actually the main reason that the Feds have pushed so hard on the CRC, as the I-5 bridge is the only spot on the entire I-5 freeway with a lift bridge. Several years ago, Portland created is comprehensive transportation plan, which considered the next 50 years of growth, and how to manage it across all modes.

While it emphasized alternative modes for commuting, it noted that the current freeway system would be inadequate within 50 years, even if freight was the only thing traveling on it. That is, if all commuting was done by modes other than cars, our freeway system would still not be adequate for the amount of freight traffic that would be using the system at that time.

It proposed many ways to deal with this, (one of it's big suggestions on this was updating and improving our freight rail infrastructure), but it came to the conclusion that we have almost no choice but to partially expand I-5 (particularly through the Rose Quarter and through North Portland) if goods continue to be transported by vehicles which use roads over the next 50 years.

This particular interchange is a nightmare for everyone involved. Car traffic is very hazardous because of how dangerous the area is for freight. There is a legitimate safety problem with this section of freeway, where freight from I-84 merges and splits with I-5, and it creates both traffic and safety hazards for cars.

Categorically opposing all highway projects is very similar to the Clark/Clackamas County groups which oppose MAX/Streetcar. It doesn't make logical sense, and benefits no one.

[MarkDaMan]

Bridge engineers say they have less control over projects
POSTED: Wednesday, July 11, 2012 at 03:47 PM PT
BY: Reed Jackson
Daily Journal of Commerce

http://djcoregon.com/news/2012/07/11/bridge-engineers-say-they-have-less-control-over-projects/

If it were up to the engineering community, the long-delayed and highly controversial Columbia River Crossing project would be completed by now, according to Christopher Higgins, a Slayden Construction faculty fellow and an engineering professor at Oregon State University.

“One of the key issues for me is that I see the present (project) process being driven by vocal special interests,” he said. “I would not say a faulty structure is going up, but one that is driven by many demands.”

Higgins, known by his students as the “bridge doctor,” believes the CRC’s drawn-out process demonstrates what sort of challenges bridge engineers face today. Projects are increasingly becoming more regulated by public and environmental processes, he said, which often dictate their outcomes more than the engineers themselves.

“I would say that engineers have a more restricted role in the modern era,” he said. “We are caught up in the public process … this almost invariably increases the cost and time to deliver projects. It sometimes makes us choose more complex solutions to simple problems.”

Bridge engineers have less control of projects now than in the past, according to Dennis McGee, principal engineer of McGee Engineering. For instance, CRC alternatives – such as a tunnel concept – were not fully developed, he said. Instead, outside influences determined a large portion of the bridge’s final design, which has led to potentially problematic elements like the bridge’s low height, he said.

McGee has faced similar project challenges himself. McGee Engineering recently was hired to design an Interstate 84 bridge over the Sandy River; however, because of environmental processes, the bridge’s piles could not be driven into the river as planned, McGee said. Although McGee acknowledged that the processes serve an important purpose, he believes they are too restrictive.

“The scientists are driving the bus right now, and I say that as a 66-year-old engineer not being able to get anything done that we used to do,” he said. “(The I-84 project) was an absolutely impossible job to build by the time it got to the engineers.”

Project restrictions may not be the fault of scientists or environmentalists, however. They can be attributed to rigid regulations imposed by government agencies, according to Bob Murray, chief bridge engineer at Parametrix, a firm based in Auburn, Wash., that employs both engineers and scientists.

The regulations sometimes force Parametrix engineers to redesign bridges to be longer, cost more and not noticeably benefit the environment, according to Murray.

“(Our scientists and ecologists) don’t agree with a lot of it either, but their hands are tied because it’s all dictated by the agencies,” he said. “I personally think some of those restrictions, although with good intentions, have just kind of blossomed and made some things very restrictive.”

Public processes can sometimes complicate projects too, according to Higgins. The CRC is facing delays, he believes, because its project managers are trying to please every public group rather than focus on engineering aspects.

Of course, public and environmental processes were put in place to ensure that bridge projects do not cause severe damage to communities and wildlife. Before policies were established, projects moved faster, but often at a price, said Bert Hartman, bridge program managing engineer for the Oregon Department of Transportation.

“I’ve seen times in the past where we completely replace streams with bridges – we don’t do that anymore,” he said. “There’s less freedom maybe than there was in the past, but that’s good sometimes.”

Higgins also acknowledged that regulatory processes can be beneficial, which is why he believes engineers must become more accustomed to them. He cited the Sellwood Bridge replacement project, in which Multnomah County officials and local residents and business owners reached an agreement, as a good example of engineers going through the processes but also maintaining the bridge’s structural integrity.

“Engineers need to better adapt to this process and be more proactive with the public to better communicate the technical requirements,” he said.

However, there needs to be more cooperation by governmental and environmental interests as well, McGee said.

“There’s going to have to be some environmental pushback from our engineering sector,” he said. “We can’t do anything anymore.”

[RED_PDXer]

That area of I-5 needs to be widened if only for freight traffic.

Several years ago, Portland created is comprehensive transportation plan, which considered the next 50 years of growth, and how to manage it across all modes.

While it emphasized alternative modes for commuting, it noted that the current freeway system would be inadequate within 50 years, even if freight was the only thing traveling on it. That is, if all commuting was done by modes other than cars, our freeway system would still not be adequate for the amount of freight traffic that would be using the system at that time.


I don't believe this for a second. I think Portland is in the process of updating its comprehensive plan documents. If this statement is in there, I imagine it'll be revised back to reality. Freight regularly makes up anywhere from 2-10% of traffic on the highway system, depending on where you are. Freight truck traffic would need to grow by about 1000% to take up the current capacity. Neither the ports, population, or employment are expected to grow anywhere near that level. The CRC project just found itself in a $900 million budget deficit (from lost toll revenue) when it updated its traffic models to reflect actual growth levels. That update just a year ago shows how poorly the older models predicted actual traffic.

[2oh1]

I don't believe this for a second.

Agreed. Widening there is the sort of thing that sounds good in theory but would be a disaster in reality so long as I-5 is routed straight into Portland instead of around it.

[Shilo Rune 96]

Tigard City Council approves final land-use plans for high capacity transit

TIGARD -- At tonight's meeting, Tigard City Council unanimously approved a final report for land-use plans tied to bringing light rail, commuter rail or bus transit options to the city.

The approval, the latest step in a multi-tiered effort, accepts the blueprints for creating station communities around Metro's Southwest Corridor Plan for high capacity transit.

It is a green light for the city to start looking at implementation strategies for the community concepts in the plan.
More to come.

-- Findley Merritt

http://www.oregonlive.com/tigard/index.ssf/2012/08/tigard_city_council_approves_f.html#incart_river_default

[Grantenfuego]

Great news, but the timeline on this makes me anxious. Most articles read that this project is at least a decade away from even starting.

[bvpcvm]

Clackamas County, King City voters approve anti-rail measures (http://www.oregonlive.com/oregon-city/index.ssf/2012/09/clackamas_county_king_city_vot.html)

The measures passed 60-40.

[tworivers]

37.3% turnout in Clackamas.

Embarrassing all-around.

[65MAX]

Clackamas Co can't un-sign a contract, no matter what the idiots behind this measure say. Also, who gives a s*** what King City wants. Light rail can very easily skip King City altogether and nobody would care.

If this had been on the Nov ballot, I doubt it would have passed. Who schedules a special election 7 weeks before a general election? They counted on low voter turnout in an off-election because it's only the zealots who bothered to vote on something like this.

[MarkDaMan]

^Exactly!

I spent the weekend down in Silverton and as I was driving home north on some highway, I could tell I was in Clacky County when I started spotting the big yellow "LET US VOTE ON LIGHT RAIL" signs planted in the middle of farm fields 30 miles or so from Milwaukie.

I'm all for democracy, but jeebus, why are the farmers and rural conservatives so uptight about what is going on in the densely inhabited western county? I can guarantee them no "loot" rail will be coming to their farms in the next 100 years. With more rail, we could probably stop the "Portland Creep" at Oregon City.

[bvpcvm]

I assume that out there they're up in arms because they may have to pay a few dollars a year in taxes that go to it.

[maccoinnich]

I don't think this is going to have a lot of actual effect. PMLR is well under construction, and Clackamas County have now paid TriMet their share. The voters can't retroactively ask for it back.

As far as the future goes, Metro's High Capacity Transit plan has plenty of lines through Clackamas County, but only one designated as "Near Term Regional Priority": Beaverton to Willsonville, parallel to the WES corridor. As far as I know, this hasn't yet reached the planning stage, and would be some length of time away. The corridors that are being studied now, Barbur and Powell, don't touch Clackamas County.

I happen to think Milwaukie-Oregon City, or Clackamas TC-Washington Square via Milwaukie and Lake Oswego would be great additions to the regional transit network, but they are very far off anyway.

[MarkDaMan]

Does anyone know what's being built on the east end of the Hawthorne Bridge? I think it's an art project, but there's steel being erected, about 20 or 30 feet high now.

[NJD]

Art for the Streetcar project. One at Hawthorne and one at Morrison. There was a rendering in one of the papers a while back... It looked promising.

[bvpcvm]

Speaking of this sort of thing, has anyone seen the art at the reconstructed Rockwood/188th MAX station?

[MarkDaMan]

^^^Yep, it's...bold. Looks like something you'd see as part of the carnival during the Rose Fest.

Thanks you NJD, I was able to track down the article on google.

From the Oregonian (click link for news story):
http://www.oregonlive.com/art/index.ssf/2012/08/two_public_art_projects_underw.html

http://media.oregonlive.com/ent_impact_arts/photo/11497424-large.jpg
Regional Arts & Culture Council
Jorge Pardo brings the sun inside to a shelter on the east end of the Broadway Bridge.

http://media.oregonlive.com/ent_impact_arts/photo/11497454-large.jpg
Regional Arts & Culture Council
Lead Pencil Studio will create two ghostly buildings on Hawthorne Boulevard and Belmont Street.

[tworivers]

Holy awesome! The Hawthorne one looks particularly cool. Wait, are we in Portland?

[zilfondel]

Whoa. I was wondering what that was. Thats crazy!

[Demolished Portland]

In case you're wondering what used to be where the ghost building on Hawthorne is going up.

http://i1287.photobucket.com/albums/a638/DemolishedPortland/Eastside/GrahamTransferBuilding-GrandHawthorne_zps522fbebf.png

Courtesy Stephen Ingham and William Joseph Gallery
http://208.56.96.178/cgi-bin/photo/imageFolio.cgi?action=view&link=All_Catagories&image=Ingham%20PA_R13425-5%20Graham%20Transfer%20Building%20Grand%20Avenue%20at%20S.E.%20Hawthorne%20Street%20%201946%20%20Portland%20Oregon%20historic%20bw%20photo.jpg&img=45&search=hawthorne&cat=all&tt=&currentOrder=

[bvpcvm]

Sorry, not transit, but too lazy to look for a more appropriate thread:

Portland City Council endorses freeway widening plan, focuses on smaller roads around Rose Quarter for now (http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/10/as_portland_city_council_plan.html)

[MarkDaMan]

from TriMet.org

Maintenance work will mean a better ride on MAX between northeast Portland and Gresham
November 29, 2012 by Roberta Altstadt

http://media.trimet.org/maintenance-work-will-mean-a-better-ride-on-max-between-northeast-portland-and-gresham/

Work being done overnight Sundays-Thursdays for about 4 weeks

A rail-grinding project is underway on the MAX tracks from NE 82nd Avenue in Portland through Gresham. The result will be a better ride and lowered maintenance costs.

The rail grinding needs to be done in the overnight hours when MAX trains are not running. The work is scheduled for 11:30 p.m. to 4 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays for the next four weeks or so. Residents along the tracks from Gateway to Gresham may hear the equipment during the work. The grinding does generate sparks. Contract crews are following necessary fire watch precautions to suppress any sparks that may ignite.

Grinding restores rail’s curved top

Wear and tear from regular train activity creates bumps on the rails and flattens out the profile or curve on top of the rail. Every year or so, TriMet brings in a piece of machinery called a rail grinder that looks similar to a small freight train. The grinder is equipped with stones underneath. It is run back and forth over a section of the track to grind away the bumps. For the current project, TriMet is bringing in a specific type of grinder that not only smooths away the bumps, it also restores the curve on the top of the rail.

End result? A better ride

This work, known as profile grinding, will result in a better fit between the steel wheels of the MAX trains and the rails. This will mean trains will sway less; the ride will be smoother and quieter. The grinding also reduces maintenance costs for the MAX system by extending the life of the rails.

[philopdx]

Sellwood Bridge Update:

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8207/8236813654_2038dd9436_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8489/8236813252_bae83bb451_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8347/8236812302_2a7826cd7b_b.jpg

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8067/8236811812_67e180c4e0_b.jpg

[Photogeric]

ODOT has updated their Flikr page with some new pictures. It looks like the new trainsets have made it to Colorado for testing. I haven't read anything about how long testing is supposed to take before they are shipped to Seattle and then onto Portland.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oregondot/sets/72157629281025352/

(It's been said before, and I'll say it again...God those new engines are horrendous!)

[bvpcvm]

Those are indeed incredibly ugly.

[northbay]

They seriously look like vans. But at least they're new trains!

[bvpcvm]

I didn't know anything about this - are they replacing the current trainsets? Or adding more trips?

[NJD]

^ Washington State is taking back their loaned set to use for improving service between Portland and Seattle. Oregon had an agreement to buy our own set for Portland to Eugene service by the time some of those HSR funded projects finish in 2017. In reality, the new trains will be put into the pool of Cascades service for use anywhere in the system.

Some other political interests wanted to start offering a pilot Boise to Portland service until the new trains are actually needed, but that appears to be a pipe dream due to funding mechanisms, Amtrak issues and UP resistance. However, that conversation has made some headway for future planning, since an extension of Cascades service south of Eugene has had very poor performance marks in recent studies.

[maccoinnich]

They really need to retime the trains on the Eugene-Oregon section of the Cascades. Presently they have two trains leaving Eugene in the morning, and two trains leaving Portland in the evening. It's impossible to use the train service to take a day trip to Eugene or Salem from Portland.

[davehogan]

They really need to retime the trains on the Eugene-Oregon section of the Cascades. Presently they have two trains leaving Eugene in the morning, and two trains leaving Portland in the evening. It's impossible to use the train service to take a day trip to Eugene or Salem from Portland.

I'd guess the Eugene to Portland AM trip and Portland to Eugene PM trip is a result of wanting the trains to be able to start at the north and south ends of the lines. Until they get more trains to serve Portland to Seattle, Portland to Eugene seems kind of stuck with what's left over. It's odd they don't at least offer the Amtrak buses for the reverse trips.

[electricron]

I'd guess the Eugene to Portland AM trip and Portland to Eugene PM trip is a result of wanting the trains to be able to start at the north and south ends of the lines. Until they get more trains to serve Portland to Seattle, Portland to Eugene seems kind of stuck with what's left over. It's odd they don't at least offer the Amtrak buses for the reverse trips.

You're looking at the service as just a Portland to Eugene service, which it is not. it's really a Vancouver B.C. to Eugene, OR service. Trains leaving Vancouver in the morning are arriving in Eugene in the late afternoons, and vice versa.

A train leaving Portland in the morning must turn around in Eugene and return to Portland before heading further north towards Seattle and Vancouver. Will there be sufficient passengers between Eugene and Portland midday? Are there sufficient trains to keep a train idling in Eugene till late afternoon?

They have to answer these questions positively before scheduling the trains as you wish.

[tworivers]

Those are indeed incredibly ugly.

My first reaction was disbelief. Did they just let the engineers do all the design or something? How does something like this get approved and who does the approving? God... it just feels like a slap in the face, a reminder of how f*cking stupid we are as a culture. Leave it to the rest of the developed world to enjoy their sleek high-speed trains, we'll take... these things.

[tworivers]

Lest I sound overly negative, my girlfriend's reaction was: "I can't even look at that, it makes me too upset. How did that happen?"

I kind of want to give it a name, like Herbie.

[llamaorama]

Cleary the train is this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4d/Talgo_350.jpg/800px-Talgo_350.jpg
(they call this thing "el pato" in Spain, quack quack)

breeding with this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/WES_train.JPG/800px-WES_train.JPG

I think I found it's little brother:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Ford--Econoline.jpg/800px-Ford--Econoline.jpg

[zilfondel]

I would say that train design isn't America's forte, but then these were designed by a Spanish company. So... lay the blame there. :\

[downtownpdx]

Amtrak rail ridership thriving in Oregon, Washington, study says

By Joseph Rose, The Oregonian The Oregonian
on March 01, 2013 at 10:43 AM, updated March 01, 2013 at 10:45 AM

Benjamin Brink/The Oregonian/2012

http://blog.oregonlive.com/commuting/2013/03/amtrak_short-route_rail_riders.html#incart_river

Is a passenger-rail renaissance picking up steam in Oregon and Washington?

A new study on Amtrak ridership and financial performance in 100 U.S. metro areas holds up the two Northwest states as models for future rail service in an era of fiscal restraint.

In fact, Portland now has the 16th busiest Amtrak terminals in the country, according to the Brookings Institute report (PDF) released Friday.

During the past 15 years, the troubled national rail system has actually experienced a 55 percent increase in passengers, with the vast majority of that growth coming from short-distance routes such as the Eugene-to-Vancouver, B.C., Cascades line, the study shows. ...

According to a 2012 story by The Oregonian, daily Amtrak ridership between between Salem, Oregon City and Portland on Amtrak has jumped more than 22 percent, making it the rail carrier's fastest growing West Coast corridor. ...

In the Brookings study, Washington and Oregon are commended for their “innovation” with generating $32.4 million in state funding through a dedicated portion of revenue from personal license plate fees, motor vehicles sales taxes and car rental fees.
“In contrast,” the report says, “other states restrict the use of other transportation funding, such as state gas tax proceeds, for anything but highways.” ...

According to the data analyzed by the Brookings researchers (XLSX), annual ridership at the Portland, Oregon City and Vancouver Amtrak has grown 97 percent in the past 15 years to more than 778,791, making it the 16th busiest metro area for passenger rail and accounting for 1.2 percent of the nation’s ridership.

That, despite the fact Portland’s Central Station has only 10 daily departures.

The Seattle metro area, with six active stations, saw 59 percent growth to 903,882 during the same period, placing it as the 11th busiest area. ...

[davehogan]

Re: Amtrak rail ridership thriving in Oregon, Washington, study says

That doesn't surprise me at all. Last fall I went to Seattle for a weekend with my dad and brother, and the train was apparently sold out on the way up because of Oregon State fans who were going up to watch the game against he Huskies that weekend, and even on a non-holiday Monday afternoon (we left sometime around 2:30 or 3 pm) in the fall heading back to PDX the train was probably 70-80% full.

The guy in the bistro car said it was the first slow trip he had seen in a few days, and it still had at least three out of four seats filled. We even got in early both directions, so that was a pleasant surprise, too. I loved the video screens showing the map w/location and estimated time to the next stop as well. I can use the GPS on my phone to figure all that out, but it was really cool having it on the overhead TV's.

I can't figure out why people are opposed to such a popular method of travel that (last I read) recovers over 80% of the operational costs from ticket sales, and is projected in the next decade to get that up to 99%. Still, it's nice to know apparently I'm not the only person who loves the heck out of the Cascades.

[MarkDaMan]

Mar 6, 2013, 1:02pm PST
United Streetcar's Chandra Brown appointed to U.S. Commerce post
Erik Siemers Business Journal staff writer-
Portland Business Journal

http://www.bizjournals.com/portland/blog/2013/03/united-streetcars-chandra-brown.html?ana=e_du_pub

President Barack Obama has selected Chandra Brown, CEO of Clackamas-based United Streetcar LLC, to be the U.S. Commerce Department's deputy assistant secretary for manufacturing.

Brown, who has led the streetcar manufacturing subsidiary of Oregon Iron Works since 2007, begins her new job March 18. While there, she'll help shape national policy as it relates to increasing domestic manufacturing and job creation through manufacturing...

[davehogan]

Wow, the right wing should have a field day with this.

[Derek]

That socialist commie strikes again!



;)

[bvpcvm]

Some exciting new developments (http://portlandtransport.com/archives/2013/04/city_of_portlan_2.html) in Portland transit technology

[dabom]

not shur if serious

[MarkDaMan]

^It was an April Fools joke, I'm sure.

[Grantenfuego]

Even though it's a joke, it sounds pretty cool. It could be a silly tourist attraction, and probably would move about the same speed as the streetcar.

[dabom]

have the street horse only lol

[2oh1]

From KGW: Rocks on track knock MAX train out of service (http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Rocks-on-track-knock-MAX-train-out-of-service-205858821.html)

A Portland MAX train was damaged and taken out of service after it ran over two large rocks on the Blue Line tracks. TriMet officials think someone put the rocks there purposely.

The train was heading into the Millikan Way MAX station when it hit the rocks at about 5 a.m. Thursday, said TriMet spokeswoman Roberta Altstadt. A hydraulic line was damaged on one of the cars and the train was removed from service.