Expansion of I-5 at Rose Quarter just got almost impossible
Expansion of I-5 at Rose Quarter is so costly, draining on ODOT, it seems like it should be dropped
Adding Auxiliary lanes to the Rose Quarter section of I-5 is expected to cost $1.4 to $1.9 billion. The Federal Government is now denying this expansion project $700 million in funding, putting the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) short $1 billion to $1.5 billion in its funding.
Here is KOIN news reporting on the loss of federal funding for the Rose Quarter I-5 expansion project:
U.S. Dept. of Transportation denies ODOT new funding for Rose Quarter freeway expansion
There is a number of people who live along I-5 who oppose the expansion of I-5, reducing public support for the project.
One of the justifications for implementing blanket road tolls on both I-5 and I-205 from Wilsonville to the Columbia River was for funding the Rose Quarter I-5 expansion project.
ODOT's proposed budget includes hundreds of millions of road toll dollars for the Rose Quarter I-5 project, and ODOT is short of funding for all its activities.
At this point, given the Federal Government's denial of helping the Rose Quarter with $700 million, the Rose Quarter I-5 project should be dropped.
But maybe in the vane of trying to relieve traffic congestion, the state should dust off the West side Bypass freeway project from the 1960s, which was canceled in the 1990s. And put out a Request for Bids by road building corporations to build this new bypass-of-Portland highway road, funded by road tolls on just this new road. The West side bypass highway would go from North Vancouver, Washington, to somewhere in Hillsboro and connect to Highway 26. Freight shippers might be willing to pay up for tolls to avoid the congestion of I-5, thereby lessening traffic congestion on I-5 between Vancouver, Washington, and the city of Portland.
(posted Elvis Clark on October 20, 2024.)
The I-5 Interstate Bridge rEplacement (IBR) project advances
Tolls for traveling on the new IBR could cost anywhere from $1.55 to $4.70 one way.
The proposed New Interstate Bridge would have 2 levels, one level for cars and trucks (top level) and the other level for light rail train and bicycles/walkers (drawing rendition just above here). This new I-5 bridge project will also add auxiliary lanes for getting on/off of I-5 from/too on both sides of the bridge, and this should help alleviate current traffic congestion (at least until population growth comes along and fills up the extra lane space).
Weekday tolls on this new I-5 Columbia River bridge are estimated to range anywhere from $1.55 per trip across, one way, up to a whopping $4.70 - the latter level would cost Washington drivers working in Oregon as much as $9.40 per day.
Amazingly, the Glen Jackson Bridge is not going to be tolled, making it a less expensive way to drive between Washington and Oregon than the new IBR.
A big chunk of the cost of this new replacement bridge is the cost of extending the Yellow line MAX from the Expo Center to down town Vancouver. It doesn't seem economical to build this Yellow line over this new bridge, because those who commute on this proposed light rail expansion will have to meander as riders through North Portland in order to get to downtown Portland.
But the federal government is paying for most of the light rail construction costs it seems so far.
Here's the link to KGW's reporting on the toll rates being discussed for the new Interstate Bridge, I-5 Replacement: 4 tolling proposals for the Interstate Bridge move ahead | kgw.com
Here's the link where you can comment on the Interstate Bridge Replacement project, whose construction may start as early as the year 2026: Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement | Interstate Bridge Replacement Program
(posted by Elvis Clark on October 5, 2024)
Transportation chair favors tax increases over prioritizing
The legislative state transportation czar discusses upping gas tax/fees at a recent conference
Co-Chair of the legislative committee for Oregon highway transportation (Representative McLain, photo to right) and the director of the Oregon Department of Transportation (Kris Strickler) hold road maintenance and snow plowing hostage by threatening sharp cuts to it if gas taxes and transportation fees are not increased.
Here's the link to the Tualatin Chamber of Commerce conference McLain and Strickly speak at, some two weeks ago now, regarding the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) budget for the next two years and beyond:
TUALATIN KEY LEADERS BREAKFAST (youtube.com)
ODOT director Strickler discusses indexing the gas tax and other ODOT fees to an inflation index, so as inflation pushes costs/prices higher, the gas tax (an ODOT revenue source) would go up correspondingly. This discussion occurs around the 32-minute mark of the video link just cited. Talk of not adding an auxiliary lane to I-205 at its Oregon City segment is discussed at the 41-to-44-minute mark in the above video link. Road user fees are talked of as a new tax funding source for ODOT at the 51-to-54-minute mark.
(posted by Elvis Clark on September 29, 2024)
trimet a costly, but necessary beast
TriMet Ridership peaked over a decade ago, yet its budget continues growing nearly 6% per year
Over the last ten years, TriMet's ridership is down more than a third, although it is recovering in the last two years from a Covid led drop. But TriMet ridership is not likely to fully recover for many years going forward, because of remote working reducing the number of commuters going to their offices, like in downtown Portland.
At the same time, TriMet continues consuming more and more tax dollars with a payroll tax feeding it - TriMet's payroll tax take grows over 6% per year. (Portland area inflation is maybe 4% per year over the last ten years, but still ... flat rider demand for TriMet while its real cost climbs.)
So, TriMet is a financial blackhole, and you have to wonder if it will ever get better, as vehicle automation - like driverless, robotic vehicles - might make fixed line transport systems like TriMet's Max light rail system obsolete.
Still, in the meantime, a public bus system goes is almost unavoidable in the case of urban areas like Portland.
(In another note in the graph above, the Orange line Max traveling from Portland downtown to Milwaukie, was added in 2016 with little to no increase in TriMet's total ridership. It is likely the Orange line just eliminated bus ridership, in the net. Max line construction costs are a heavy burden for taxpayers, and yet are likely just replacing lower cost bus transportation.)
(posted by Elvis Clark on July 28, 2024)
Re-allocate Oregon's Clean Fuel charge to roads and bikes?
The Clean Fuels Program costs almost ten cents per gallon of gas and $140 million in total revenue
The Oregon state legislature is going to be trying to increase funding for the Oregon Department of Transportation, road tolls having been shelved for the time being, in the next legislative session in 2025.
But the thought occurs to me that Oregon's Clean Fuels Program which is costing automobile drivers nearly ten cents per gallon could be tapped to fund ODOT, in place of increasing the gasoline tax or imposing road tolls. Perhaps the re-allocation of the Clean Fuels Program revenues from buying such things as electric motorized vehicles - $ 140 million per year in total - could be reallocated instead into $40 million for road maintenance, $50 million for building new road lanes, and $50 million into building out City and County bicycle and pedestrian and/or robotic-drone delivery systems (in the vane of "15-minute cities").
As a candidate for House District 41, I am trying to find solutions to finding sufficient funds for improving our roads and building out our bicycle networks.
(posted by Elvis Clark on July 18, 2024)
Portland is among the 20 worse cities for traffic congestion
Koin news reports on a study that shows Portland is the 19th worse U.S City for Traffic congestion.
The most congested stretch of Portland Highway is said to be from I-405 onto I-5 and up to the Columbia River I-5 Bridge.
Here's the link to KOIN's reporting on this traffic congestion finding:
Portland traffic congestion worsened in 2023, study finds (koin.com)
(posted by Elvis Clark on July 13, 2024)
Portland pushed for Vision zero and got more crashes instead
It's over ten years ago now that Portland started putting in road diverters - it's not working
Here's KOIN news' reporting on increasing traffic fatalities in the City of Portland - as against Portland's ten year plus planning goal called Vision Zero (transportation plans for achieving zero traffic fatalities, that is): Portland's traffic deaths increased in 2023 despite Vision Zero initiative (koin.com)
You would think Portland city officials and staff would step back and say to themselves: 'maybe closing off neighborhood roads to drivers with diverters and cramming parked cars on main roadways is causing the city to see an increase in traffic fatalities, and not the publicly communicated goal of reducing traffic fatalities.'
The City of Portland used to have a great street grid system, whereby drivers could drive more simply on almost any neighborhood street without encountering heavy traffic. But the City of Portland did away with its highly effective street grid system for vehicle drivers, replacing it with a street grid system more resembling a matrix where drivers come to abrupt dead ends because of diverters placed in neighborhoods.
Unfortunately, the City of Milwaukie has bicyclists and Portland planners on its Transportation System Update committees who want to put in these maddening road diverters, ultimately making Milwaukie's road system the same maddening transportation system maze as that of Portland. Portland has also been big on population infill and limited off-street parking requirements for new housing developments, causing streets to be lined and crammed with parked cars. Parked cars limit visibility for bicycle riders, pedestrians, and drivers.
(posted by Elvis Clark on April 18, 2024)
Portland experiments with red lights triggered by speeding
Portland experiments with a smarter traffic signal that turns red if car(s) are speeding
This new traffic signal technology is being implemented with nighttime speeders in mind when the road (Southeast Powell Boulevard) is emptier than at rush hour. It seems worth a try to improve safety. Maybe one day, traffic signals will be smart enough to see that there is no cross traffic coming and allow red to switch to green for drivers waiting for green at an intersection redlight.
But the issue might be complicated because traffic signals are currently synchronized with each other to keep traffic flowing more continuously. And so having these smarter traffic lights might throw off synchronization. But that's the beauty of experimenting and seeing if the smarter traffic lights improve overall traffic flow and safety.
Here's KGW's reporting on Portland's new traffic light experiment:
PBOT's new pilot program hopes to reduce traffic deaths | kgw.com
(posted by Elvis Clark on March 17, 2024)
Map of Portland's red light and Speeding cameras
Below is the map of Portland photo radar spots for red light and speeding infractions
Milwaukie doesn't have photo radar currently, to my knowledge. You will see signs in Milwaukie saying there is photo radar, but the program for operating photo radar in Milwaukie is discontinued over 5 years ago now. The signs remain but no cameras actually present.
Looks like Holgate and Foster streets in nearby Portland are getting new speeding and red-light photo radar cameras. So, when driving into Portland from Milwaukie be careful not to trip one of the photo radar cameras in the diagram just above here - the fines are pretty heavy I bet for traffic infractions caught by photo radar.
Meanwhile red light and other signaling technology is getting smarter. For instance, maybe one day the red light or other signaling technology could determine that there is no cross-street traffic at an intersection and turn the signal to green for those cars lined up behind a red light.
Here's KOIN's reporting on Portland's new and existing traffic photo radar sites:
Portland City Council votes to increase red-light cameras (koin.com)
Here's KGW reporting on new traffic signal technology that could one day very possibly reduce the time spent at red light stops while there is no traffic on the crossroad in front of the red light:
PBOT's new pilot program hopes to reduce traffic deaths | kgw.com
(posted by Elvis Clark on February 15, 2024)
The Data say people prefer to drive - but metro is tone deaf
Nearly 94% of physical commutes in Clackamas County are by car
The Above table shows that Clackamas County is best served by spending most all of the public's transportation dollars on better, more physical road capacity - not transit, walking or bicycling.
(posted by Elvis Clark on December 27, 2023)
Effective public transit, walking and bicycling requires density - it's out of reach for Clackamas
Metro regional government wants the public's transportation dollars to go hugely into transit, walking and bicycling; but this makes little sense for Clackamas because our population is way too low to travel the required distances via these alternative modes of transportation.
Here's a link to Metro regional government's out-of-touch transportation plan for Highway 212: Packet.pdf (oregonmetro.gov)
On page 1 of this Metro Transportation Plan outline for highway 212, it is stated:
"Current residents will have alternative modal options to access their public schools, regional parks, public transit, employment, etc. without driving."
How insane is this Metro objective for this segment of Highway 212? Does it make sense to spend huge amounts of the public's transportation dollars on public transit, walking and bicycling pathways when so very few people live in the area to access these alternative modes of transportation? Clearly, what is happening here is that Metro is wanting to use the same tired old plans it uses for the much denser county of Multnomah.
Oregon's samson sky test flies its flying car - first time
Donald Trump, 45th President, proposes ten new cities designed for flying cars. Could it happen?
Redmond (Or) based Samson Sky tested, in-flight, its car-plane concept (photo of such a car to the right). It was the first in-the-air test for the company's flying car concept, test date of early November 2023.
The Samson Sky flying car is called Switchblade, because the wings are retractable when operating as a car. The car is powered by a hybrid gasoline-electric engine - hybrids requiring less weight than an all-electric power system.
Here's the KGW news reporting link for this flying car concept:
Flying car 'Switchblade' completes first test flight | kgw.com
Meanwhile, Donald Trump in his 2024 presidential campaign has talked about building 10 new cities using federal lands, and these cities would be designed to allow for flying cars - maybe also to accommodate more drone Amazon-like home delivery shipments. Sounds fascinating, too me. CNN news reports on Trump's proposal in the link below. It questions how these new cities would be funded. But I should think selling the underlying federal land to a consortium of builders and planners might just fund and make reality such new type cities.
'Freedom cities' and flying cars: Donald Trump unveils latest proposal | CNN Politics
(posted by Elvis Clark on November 24, 2023)
Diverter placed at King and 42nd ave. Roundabout maybe later
Drivers blocked from using King and 42nd intersection to drive east on King
In the first few days of this month (October 2023), the City of Milwaukie installed a diverter that blocks drivers from heading east on King Road from the intersection of King and 42nd Avenue (above photo is of this new diverter).
A number of my Ardenwald neighbors complain to me about this diverter causing them to drive further, more circuitous routes in order to get on King headed East.
I myself am now forced to drive on Drake Street from 40th Avenue to get to 43rd Avenue, because of the new diverter installed at King and 42nd. Drake Street is largely a one lane road in very bad shape. At 43rd and King there is a stop light which allows me to take a left onto King headed east.
The City was moved to put in a diverter because of the confusion that had frequently occurred for drivers at the intersection of King and 42nd. Drivers headed west on King and onto 42nd Avenue would often stop at this intersection, not understanding that they were supposed to continue driving from King onto 42nd (a 90-degree turn).
(posted by Elvis Clark on October 12, 2023)
Roundabouts better than diverters, typically.
Generally speaking, if you have ever driven in the City of Portland, you understand how the massive use of diverters in the City of Portland has turned what was once an easy to navigate road grid into a maddening maze of dead-end roads for drivers.
But there may be a good substitute for diverters, namely roundabouts as pictured above. Indeed, the City of Milwaukie is considering, as a long-term solution for reducing traffic confusion at King and 42nd, installing a roundabout in place of the new diverter - the new diverter is being thought of by the City engineers as being maybe only temporary.
The one obstacle to installing a roundabout at King and 42nd is the large, mature pine tree shown in the photo to the left above here (across from the stop sign and intersecting the crosswalk). A roundabout at the intersection of King and 42nd would require removing this pine tree - the roundabout being of some width in size.
But, to me, the pine tree obstacle should be removed, as hundreds of drivers in my estimation use the intersection at King and 42nd. And new trees can be planted elsewhere in the City to compensate for the loss of this one pine tree.
Hopefully, the City comes to its senses and removes the pine tree and installs a roundabout in place of this new diverter.
The Federal Highway Administration is very supportive of roundabouts, as it summarizes the following:
"Roundabouts are not only a safer type of intersection; they are also efficient in terms of keeping people moving. Even while calming traffic, they can reduce delay and queuing when compared to other intersection alternatives. Furthermore, the lower vehicular speeds and reduced conflict environment can create a more suitable environment for walking and bicycling."
Cascade Policy Institute advocates remaking trimet
TriMet runs most all of its lines thru downtown Portland. Cascade says this is an archaic design.
Cascade Policy Institute which has long been a critic of TriMet's operations, commissioned a rather thorough review of how TriMet can be redesigned to meet the changed demands of public transit riders in the Portland Metropolitan area. It recommends redoing TriMet's service lines to not waste commuter's time by having them had to ride into downtown Portland, only then to have to transfer to another line to get to their cross-town destination. Downtown is no longer the dominant center that commuters want to access.
Here's the link to Cascade's newest TriMet Review:
(posted by Elvis Clark on October 7, 2023)
Milwaukie redoing king road bike and walking paths
The City of Milwaukie plans new bicycle and walking paths on its segment of King Rd(43rd to Linwood)
New bicycle and pedestrian paths are now being designed for King Road and these new pathways should be completed sometime in year 2025!
Milwaukie has got a number of positive things going for it these days, as it adds new pathways that can take advantage of the new electric bicycle technologies - which extend the reasonable range for commuting by bicycle or other small electric transportation vehicles.
If only Clackamas County would follow on with bicycle pathways up King Road from Milwaukie's Linwood street to 82nd street in unincorporated Clackamas; this would make accessible for Milwaukie bicyclists many of those low cost retail outlets and service businesses located along nearby 82nd Avenue. I think I will write and testify to Clackamas County Board of County Commissioners to add a new bicycle pathway to 82nd from Linwood on King Road - listing it as one of the projects in the Portland Metro Regional Transportation Plan.
One question about electric bicycles is that they are susceptible to theft when unattended outside stores - especially on 82nd. But maybe this problem can be overcome somehow.
If not for the risk of rapid population infill and the problems that come with increased density, Milwaukie's star would shine most brightly.
(posted by Elvis Clark on June 9, 2023)
these 2 pics are posted sidebyside by BikeMilwaukie Facebook
Notice a bias in these juxtaposed photos. Bike-only road, dry weather vs. old, polluting cars
There is a reason car drivers in Milwaukie should be worried about the upcoming Milwaukie City government Transportation System Plan Update. Bike Milwaukie members seem to be repeatedly voicing a disdain for motorized vehicles like cars and trucks. And yet Bike Milwaukie has a lot of influence with the current Milwaukie Mayor (Lisa Batey) - well beyond the level of political influence it should have- given that Bike Milwaukie's membership count is a relatively low, niche like number.
Bike Milwaukie members are over-represented on the Milwaukie Transportation System Update advisory committees. One plus is that Mark Gamba - a Bicycle Authoritarian figure - is no longer Milwaukie's Mayor and Kathy Hyzy (a big bicycle proponent) is no longer on Milwaukie City Council. We may actually have a more balanced Council than the one we had for the previous 6 years.
It is clear from random surveys that Milwaukie residents want to maintain automobile and truck mobility while simultaneously wanting neighborhoods improved with the addition of walking pathways or sidewalks. I intend to carry this (Multi-modal) message that is most prevalent among the majority of Milwaukie residents to Milwaukie's Transportation System Update Advisory committees, Milwaukie's City Engineer, and Milwaukie City council itself. I might have a little pull with these groups - as I am a member of Milwaukie's Public Safety Advisory Committee, having been appointed by the Ardenwald Neighborhood Association. We shall see.
(posted by Elvis Clark on March 24, 2023)
By most measures, the Orange Line Max is a failure
TriMet forecast - when it planned and promoted the building of the Orange Line Max light rail extension between Milwaukie and Portland - that the Orange line would have average daily boardings of about 19,500 by the year 2020. But as you can see (chart above) TriMet's own data shows that the Orange line at its peak use in the year 2017 was only a little more than 12,000 boardings, some 30% below the forecast used to justify building the $1.3 billion Orange line project in the year 2015.
(posted by Elvis Clark on February 9, 2023)
Very few people use the Max station in Down Town Milwaukie.
The novelty of the Milwaukie Orange line light rail train wore off shortly after it (the light rail line) opened in the Fall of 2016. (Chart of average daily boardings in down town Milwaukie by year - just above.)
The cost of each person boarding the Orange line Max in down town Milwaukie is well over $55 per ride. A ride that is only an average of 4 to 5 miles in length.
And now the Portland down town destination of the Orange line for Milwaukie residents is no longer very attractive at all. And more people are working from home remotely, reducing the need to commute to work in down town Portland.
But government wasteful spending on light rail lines is still a goal of our existing regional leadership, as it wants to extend the Max to Vancouver Washington. This proposed light rail extension would meander from Vancouver, the Expo Center and on through North Portland. Yeah that really sounds like a real winner alternative to driving one's car and getting door-to-door service.
Ardenwald Transport Survey says multimodal
Just over 90% of Ardenwald Neighborhood survey respondents say Vehicle Mobility Important
About a quarter of Ardenwald Neighborhood Survey respondents want more bicycle lanes, too. Combined with healthy numbers in favor of Public Transit and Ride Share. We can say Ardenwald favors the Multi-modal approach to transportation improvements and investment.
(posted by Elvis Clark on August 9, 2022)
While two-thirds of Ardenwald Neighborhood Survey respondents say Public transit/rideshare important
Hit and Run Driver remains at large, supposedly white truck is said of interest
I hear from Milwaukie's City Engineer, Steve Adams, via an e-mail yesterday to Public Safety Advisory Committee members....that it is not thought speed is a factor in the death of this 2 year old....even as Milwaukie in the aftermath lowers the speed limit to 20 mph from 25 mph on Witchita Street. I think the lowering of the speed limit makes sense since Witchita street is largely a single family neighborhood road with children; and Witchita seems to be a cut through street when traffic backs up on King and/or Johnson Creek.
It sounds like the hit-and-run driver is still not known. A white truck is a vehicle of interest in this case. I am wondering if this is the same white truck that a video camera photo is taken of and then posted on the Bike Milwaukie facebook page. At one point this truck is said to not have been involved. But in yesterday's Clackamas Review reports that a white truck is of interest.
(posted by Elvis Clark on July 17, 2020)
Witchita Street tour, after 2 year old dies from hit and run
Witchita Street - site of 2 year old
Witchita runs from Johnson Creek Blvd south all the way to King road (maybe a mile in length).
The Hit & Run driver still not found
The 2 year old reportedly had slipped out the front door on his grandparents, leading up to this tragedy. As of the last I can tell here on July 5, the hit and run driver is still at large. This site of tragedy is about half way between Johnson and King on Witchita street.
Witchita has no sidewalks thru out
Witchita is largely a single family hood with children at play.
Witchita is only partly in the City of Milwaukie proper. So, the road is mostly a Clackamas County road. Witchita is not slated by the City of Milwaukie for any improvements in its street master plans. Maybe Witchita could become a joint improvement project funded out of our new vehicle registration fee.
Witchita is largely a single family hood with children at play.
I notice most all signs to slow down are posted only on one side of street
Witchita is largely a single family hood with children at play.
The speed limit is the standard 25 mph.
This tour is posted by Elvis Clark on July 5, 2020
I notice most all signs to slow down are posted only on one side of street
I notice most all signs to slow down are posted only on one side of street
I notice most all signs to slow down are posted only on one side of street
Witchita runs between Johnson and King. It is sandwiched between Stanley and Linnwood streets. Witchita probably suffers from cut through traffic; especially when traffic is backed on either or both Johnson and King.
This is Stanley street just west of Witchita.
I notice most all signs to slow down are posted only on one side of street
I notice most all signs to slow down are posted only on one side of street
Stanley is all within Milwaukie proper and it is part of a City master plan for adding sidewalks and bike lanes. But it is almost like Witchita in lack of improvements currently.