Congestion Relief in Portland?

I was at an Awards dinner May 19th at the University of Portland. I laughed when I heard one community award was about relieving congestion and transportation alternatives.
The people at my table became serious ~
“ Portlanders are experiencing congestion the last 10 or so years. WE have been experiencing this for generations. In the 1960’s the beating from traffic the St. Johns’ Bridge and it people live with was inhuman. Why do you think we have been going to Portland City Council for decades talking about congestion, unsafe amounts of traffic and some of the worst asthma in the entire State of Oregon? This is not the first community thank you award (unnamed) and her groups have received.” “ she’s also had her alternatives accepted into formal transportation processes and then recommended for further study because they work, we need something permanent that works!” My table mates were nice but firm.

Paperwork ~
A citizens’ led “bridge push” has kicked-off! We believe it is important to initiate and support another citizens led bridge project! What if citizen leadership is successful? Why not give it a shot? At the very least do you know what the proposed alignments of the Third Bridge Now are? Or that a new freeway connecting our ports and Hwy 30 to Vancouver and Portland downtown’s is possible. What will it do for your business, the community, and environment? Will it strengthen our ports and lessen congestion responsibly? Do more routes provide more safety? This continually studied problem since 1979 for additional bridges between Oregon and Washington have spent $100’s of millions of our tax dollars without a solution.

Community led projects can receive the same funding as Government plans
when its provides for the public good