Gas, Hydrogen, Hybrid, or Electric, our cars aren't going anywhere. In 20 years, there will still be more cars and trucks on the road than there are now, so it makes complete sense to build now for that future traffic. A 12 lane bridge, painted with just ten (for now)and including mass transit, is a smart move and definitely beats the hell out of having to go through all this again in 20 years. However, I do agree that the egos at City Hall could use a beat down.

 

Part of the problem is that the impacts of the bridge proposal were only examined in its immediate area. The bridge would temporarily ease congestion at the river, but it would shift it deeper into the heart of residential sections of Portland. This is clearest on the east side of the river at the I-84 & I-5 juncture plus the other bridges there to downtown that connect to 99E etc. Easing congestion at the bridge is going to make both I-5 and I-84 worse, and the pollution-related health consequences will fall on more heavily populated areas.

It also seems possible that there will be a similar effect on congestion issues relating to I-405 & Hwy 26 junction, though that is less clear.

This bridge design process simply did not take the whole metropolitan traffic system into account. Changing just this one element is like a game of cat's cradle.

 

Next week's rogue: the liquidators handling the Joe's liquidation

I went out to the "sale" this morning. It's a complete scam. The child's bike I almost bought for my daughter two weeks ago at Joe's, which was then priced at $99, has now been marked up by the liquidators to $149, with a 30% off sticker. That means it's actually $5 more expensive now.

I price checked several other items (shoes, socks, bike helmets, camp stoves) and found similar mark-ups.

Don't shop there!

 

This is one of Adams' pet projects that he wants to see pushed through before he is recalled from office in June, and Leonard -- who knew of the whole Breedlust affair and kept his mouth shut -- is trying to jockey himself into position to take over for Adams (not realizing that most people vying to collect petitions to recall Adams are also going to be collecting signatures to recall Leonard.)

 

Forget I-5 for a few years and concentrate on HWY 26! Only one lane on-ramp west from I-405.

Merely city streets on the east side.

Two lanes over the pass to Bend.

Let's get our priorities right and do something for the locals, not the pass through travelers..