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Steel Bridge Skatepark Rolls Forward After Major Land Swap Approval

A land transfer between the state and city is officially in motion, putting the long-awaited Portland skatepark closer than ever to actualization. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Portland is closer than ever to breaking ground on the long-envisioned “crown jewel” skatepark on the west side of the Steel Bridge in Old Town.  The Steel Bridge Skatepark has been in the works for nearly two decades, with progress waxing and waning throughout that time. But the project has seen significant momentum in the […]

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Fueling Portland’s Future: Renewable Fuels Come Under the Microscope at City Hall

New Portland leaders are pushing back on the city’s narrative around alternative fuels and their climate benefits. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Biofuels, created from organic matter like crops, garbage, vegetable oils, and human and animal waste, are often heralded as an ideal form of renewable energy. These energy sources have been touted by industry groups, scientists, and government bodies as a cleaner-burning alternative to fossil fuels, with advantages for air quality and carbon emissions.  Here in […]

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The Promises and Perils of TriMet’s Safety Response Team

Former and current staff say the program, which TriMet launched as part of an initiative to reimagine public safety in 2021, is exploitative of employees and hasn’t lived up to its potential.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

When TriMet launched its Safety Response Team in 2021, sending unarmed workers trained in de-escalation onto Portland’s public transit system, the agency emphasized the program as part of a wider movement to rethink public safety beyond armed police and security guards. The program was developed in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd […]

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Portland Protesters Rally for “Tesla Takedown”

As Tesla stocks tumble, hundreds of people are holding regular protests outside the Portland dealership to protest Elon Musk’s government takeover.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Hundreds of people gathered outside Portland’s Tesla dealership during the afternoon rush hour on Monday, March 3, chanting and waving signs with messages like “Stop Musk’s coup,” “We Didn’t Elect Elon,” and “Send Elon Musk to Mars.” The roughly 300 protesters stood on both sides of South Macadam Avenue, attracting supportive honks from many drivers […]

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New Council Committee Grapples With Portland’s Slipping Climate Goals

Councilors hope the new Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee can help the city reduce carbon emissions and advance environmental justice.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The climate crisis presents unique challenges for local policymakers, trying to make a dent in a global emergency from their desks in Portland. The complexity and scale of the climate crisis was on full display during the first meeting of Portland City Council’s new Climate, Resilience, and Land Use Committee on February 13.    Councilor […]

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Proposed Legislation Threatens Oregon’s Plan to Reduce Diesel Truck Emissions

Some truck manufacturers say they can’t meet requirements under the state’s Advanced Clean Trucks rule and need more time. Climate advocates say the regulation is feasible and important. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

When Oregon’s Environmental Quality Commission approved the Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) rule in 2021, many people celebrated the move as an important step toward reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality.  Emissions from diesel trucks make up a significant chunk of national and statewide greenhouse gas emissions, and exposure to diesel particulate matter is […]

Posted inLove/Sex 2025 ❤️🍆🍑

STREET VIEW: Love and Bicycles

How Portland’s bike scene facilitates romance in the age of dating apps and loneliness. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

[Read all of the articles in our Love/Sex issue HERE! Looking for a print copy? Look at this handy-dandy map!—eds.] When Carey Booth and Jack Coleman met in the spring of 2023, neither of them had any inkling of their future together. Both were in their mid-60s, retired, and single, but they were in different […]

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Federal Transportation Program Eyes Another Albina Reconnection Project at I-405 Ramps

The US Department of Transportation will give Portland $1 million to study alternatives for the “overbuilt” I-405 ramps in North Portland, which have contributed to neighborhood disconnection for more than 50 years. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

North Portland’s Boise and Eliot neighborhoods are some of the most walkable and bikeable in the city, with easy access to cafes, bars, and parks. New residential and commercial developments are popping up regularly in the neighborhoods, especially along North Mississippi Vancouver, and Williams Avenues.  But some neighborhood residents and advocates say the area is […]

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Earl Blumenauer Reflects on Long Political Career and “Bike-Partisanship”

After 28 years in Congress, Blumenauer will return to Portland as a civilian with big plans for the city and state’s future. 
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Throughout Earl Blumenauer’s 28 years in the US House of Representatives, his constituents back home have taken a certain pride in knowing their congressman brought a distinctly Portland flair to Washington, D.C.  The Democratic congressman, who will officially pass the baton to incoming Congresswoman Maxine Dexter on January 3, is known across the country for […]

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With $850 Million Secured, ODOT Plans to Break Ground on Rose Quarter Project

A recent funding allocation gives ODOT enough to start the long-awaited I-5 expansion—but the agency doesn’t have enough to finish the rest of the project.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) officials say after years of planning amid financial and political uncertainty, the state can finally begin work on its plan to expand and cap I-5 through Portland’s Rose Quarter next year.  But the agency is still hundreds of millions in the hole for the project, and its current construction plan […]

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As Public Comment Deadline Looms, Critics Elevate Case Against Current I-5 Bridge Replacement Plan

There’s a rare opportunity to comment on controversial environmental impacts of the plan to replace and expand I-5 from Portland to Vancouver.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Monday, November 18 marks one of the last opportunities to comment on environmental impacts of a current plan to replace and expand the I-5 bridge from Portland to Vancouver. The Interstate Bridge Replacement (IBR) project is currently projected to cost north of $7.5 billion. As the project undergoes evaluation by the US Department of Transportation, […]

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STREET VIEW: Gravel in the Bike Lane

PBOT’s maintenance woes aren’t just a problem for people who travel by car.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

[Editor’s note: Read all our holly jolly HOLIDAY GUIDE articles here. Looking for a print copy? Good! You can find it in more than 500 spots across Portland with this handy map!] In the bike-friendly cities of Northern Europe, a phrase is sometimes used to lightly chastise those who are intimidated to cycle in the […]

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