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Transportation
Posted inNews

Industrial Northwest Redevelopment Plan Includes Streetcar Extension and Housing

The Montgomery Park Area draft plan envisions a new neighborhood in an underutilized part of the city.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Northwest Portland has seen significant changes over the last several decades. The Pearl District and Slabtown neighborhoods, formerly dominated by industry, are now some of the city’s chicest enclaves—with an impressive number of affordable housing developments and public transit options to boot.  But Northwest Portland’s transformative projects have mostly remained south of NW Vaughn Street, […]

Posted inNews

Portland Freight Train Derailment Spotlights Transportation and Environmental Risks

A Union Pacific freight train derailed on the east end of Portland’s Steel Bridge Monday, halting traffic for several hours. Advocates say it could’ve been a lot worse.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

A Union Pacific (UP) freight train derailed around 6 am Monday morning on the east end of the Steel Bridge, halting all travel across the bridge for more than four hours. While the bridge reopened to all modes of traffic after local transportation agencies conducted a safety inspection, some transportation and environmental advocates say the […]

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With Scant Evidence, City Commissioners Point to Fentanyl as Potential Contributor to Rise in Deadly Crashes

Transportation advocates say putting the blame on victims is a distraction from the real causes of traffic deaths.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

On October 21, 2023, James Brian Fenimore was walking on the sidewalk on SE 82nd Avenue near Burnside Street, heading to run an errand, when a drunk driver veered off the street and struck him with a minivan. Fenimore died as a result of the crash.  According to Montavilla News, Fenimore, 66, was an artist […]

Posted inNews

Despite Record-High Traffic Crash Deaths, PBOT Leaders Say Vision Zero Is Working

Advocates who have been tracking the city’s response to traffic fatalities aren’t so sure.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Nearly 10 years ago, the city of Portland first committed to a Vision Zero plan, setting a goal to eliminate all traffic crash fatalities and serious injuries on Portland’s streets by 2025. That year, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) reported 35 traffic crash deaths in Portland. City officials said at the time they didn’t […]

Posted inNews

New Plan Seeks to Help Lower Southeast Portland “Rise”

The Lower Southeast Rising Plan would add transit access, infrastructure and more housing. Residents worry it could transform neighborhood affordability and character.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Juxtaposed with the nearby bustling commercial centers on SE Hawthorne Blvd and Division Street, Portland’s Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood feels quiet and residential, even suburban.  Residents south of Foster Road between SE Cesar Chavez Boulevard and SE 92nd Avenue have enjoyed relatively low housing prices compared to parts of Portland closer to the city center. But the […]

Posted inStreet View

STREET VIEW: Public Transit Safety Concerns Deserve a Thoughtful Response

We can’t just sweep violence under the rug. But a punitive approach to public safety isn’t the way, either.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Last Friday evening, Michael Brady boarded an eastbound MAX train downtown. Tragically, he wouldn’t make it off the train alive. After being stabbed on the train near the 82nd Avenue station, Brady succumbed to his injuries. The suspected killer, Shondel Larkin, told police he had been hearing voices and was apparently afraid that Brady was […]

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.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

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

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.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

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.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

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

Portland Rideshare Drivers Call for Government Reform to Fix Unfair Working Conditions

Workers cite low pay, a lack of fare transparency, and differences in worker protections in Oregon and Washington. Advocates say the path to change is through government action.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

Bob Nesbitt had a long career in sales. After retirement, he turned to the gig economy to earn some extra income. Nesbitt, now 75, has been driving nearly full-time for Uber and Lyft in the Portland-Vancouver area for about seven years.  Nesbitt said it’s been harder to rely on income from rideshare companies lately. His […]

Posted inNews

At Long Last, Portland’s Bike Ridership Is on the Mend. What Now?

After an alarming report last year revealed a major drop in cycling, Portland’s bike advocates want to change the narrative.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) released the city’s 2023 bicycle count data this week, revealing an uptick in bike ridership compared to the year prior. But among local bike advocates, the verdict is still out about how to interpret the new numbers.  The initial findings from the 2023 report showed a nearly 5 percent […]

Posted inNews

PBOT Reveals Plan for Major 82nd Avenue Redesign

The transportation bureau released draft design documents for the dangerous east Portland arterial, showing potential for significant change on the street.
Avatar photo Taylor Griggs

The plan to turn 82nd Avenue— currently one of the city’s most dangerous arterials— into a safe, pleasant city street is starting to materialize. On Wednesday, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) revealed design drawings for the 82nd Avenue Critical Fixes: Major Maintenance project, a significant component of the city’s larger plan to redesign the […]

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