The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Boy, it sure was nice out yesterday, huh? Well, […]
Taylor Griggs
Taylor Griggs is a news reporter for the Portland Mercury. She is interested in all of your ideas, comments and concerns, particularly those related to transportation, climate, labor, and Portland city government. Send Taylor an email at tgriggs@portlandmercury.com, and find her on Bluesky @taylorgriggs.
Posted inNews
Portland is Updating its Tree Management Plan, Last Edited in 2004
The city is poised to update its Urban Forest Management Plan, modernizing it for a changing climate and funding landscape.
Portland’s trees are an integral part of the city’s character, shrouding neighborhood streets in distinctive, charming Pacific Northwest greenery. Portland’s Urban Forestry leaders want to make sure it stays that way, despite new threats to the city’s tree canopy. A lot has changed since Portland last updated its Urban Forest Management Plan 20 years ago. […]
Posted inNews
Portland’s Government Transition Team Wants Your Input on Future Council Operations
Charter reform will usher in a wave of new processes and transform how City Council conducts business.
Portland’s government structure will look a lot different come January, when 12 city commissioners representing four geographic districts will take their seats in City Hall, which will be renovated to accommodate them. Portland’s charter reform will also herald in a new system of voting, a reformed organizational chart for governmental departments, and a new role […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Zenith Flouts Lobbying Rules, Rural Oregon School District Sues Over Logging Rollback, and Trump’s America-Themed Bible (Get Yours Now For Only $59.99!)
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! It’s going to be another drizzly and chilly March day […]
Posted inNews
Portland Elections Office Finds Zenith Energy Violated City Lobbying Rules
Activists hope the findings will substantiate their concerns about Zenith’s operations and promote further action against the oil transport company.
Oil transport company Zenith Energy spent time courting Portland elected officials in 2022, hoping they would approve a Land Use Compatibility Statement (LUCS) allowing the company to continue its operations in the city. While Zenith’s efforts were successful—the Portland Bureau of Development Services (BDS) approved the LUCS in 2022 after an initial denial the year […]
Posted inOpinion
STREET VIEW: Soho House and Portland’s Disappearing Public Spaces
The meaning of public space is being tarnished and sanitized for the rich.
Need a new place to hang out? Look no further than Soho House, which just opened in Portland’s Central Eastside: A combination community workspace, gym, restaurant, social club, and solution to any isolation you may feel. We all know about the demise of American public gathering places—what could be better than a local Soho House […]
Posted inNews
Portland Preservationists Think the Future of New Housing is in Old Buildings
At a recent City Council meeting, members of Portland’s Historic Landmarks Commission asked elected officials to rethink the “new build” approach to housing production.
Considering the housing crisis plaguing Portland and Oregon at large, figuring out ways to increase housing supply has been a top priority for city and state elected officials across the political spectrum. But so far, most of the initiatives meant to boost housing production have been focused on building new units from scratch. Portland’s advocates […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: State Lawmakers Are Too Rich, Fish Pathogens, and Electric Cars: The Law of the Land?
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! Hope you got your vitamin D up over the […]
Posted inGood Morning, News!
Good Morning, News: Federal Money for Freeway Caps, TikTok on the Brink of Ban, and HERE COMES THE SUN!
The Mercury provides news and fun every single day—but your help is essential. If you believe Portland benefits from smart, local journalism and arts coverage, please consider making a small monthly contribution, because without you, there is no us. Thanks for your support! GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! If you’ve been checking the weather app, you might […]
Posted inNews
Despite Funding Windfalls, the Future of the Rose Quarter I-5 Project Remains Uncertain
ODOT says funding for freeway project could transform the Albina neighborhood. Critics say the transportation agency should cap the freeway to restore Albina— no need for more lanes on I-5.
Without federal support or funding for the project, momentum on the Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) plan to widen and add caps over I-5 through the Rose Quarter has stalled over the past few months. But after a series of recent wins, ODOT wants to change the narrative about the I-5 Rose Quarter project— even […]
Posted inStreet View
STREET VIEW: “The Bike Lanes That Drive Everybody Crazy”
Portland needs a more clear-eyed vision for transportation.
People who advocate for bike transportation improvements are very familiar with the tactical deployment of the phrase “avid cyclist” by someone on a crusade against bike infrastructure. “I’m an avid cyclist,” the person will say, “but taking away space from cars is ridiculous. People need to drive. You crazy bike people are never going to […]
Posted inNews
Multnomah County Board of Commissioners Adopts Gaza Cease-Fire Resolution
County leaders unanimously approved a resolution after amendments, contentious back-and-forth between commissioners and the public
Though the audience at Thursday morning’s Multnomah County Board of Commissioners meeting engaged in some heated squabbles, county commissioners were united in their “aye” vote on a resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. The resolution, submitted by Commissioner Lori Stegmann, has been in the works for weeks, and the contents of it remained in […]