“Bridge Cures Cancer,” announces CRC opposition group
Posted by Elly Blue (Editor) on March 26th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
The grassroots group that is forming to oppose plans for a new 12-lane Columbia River Crossing (CRC) bridge project on I-5 has released the second in their series of mock sales pitches.
In the first episode, host (and local author) Joe Kurmaskie tackles the bridge’s cost (“…only one million easy payments of $4,000 each!”) and its potential impact on transportation spending and priorities in coming decades.
The second episode, titled “Bridge Cures Cancer,” focuses on the public health costs of highway projects.
Here’s the second “Have We Got a Bridge to Sell You” video (youtube link):
The video, created by Dan Kaufman of Crank My Chain, is about a minute and a half long and contains details about the April 5th CRC Opposition and Alternatives rally in Waterfront Park planned by Kurmaskie and others.
Confirmed speakers at the rally include former Oregon Secretary of State Bill Bradbury, Portland City Commissioner Amanda Fritz, Metro Councilor Robert Liberty, and Bicycle Transportation Alliance advocate and educator Michelle Poyourow.
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March 26th, 2009 14:35
"The organic garden that they're planting on those unused lanes" LMAO!
March 26th, 2009 14:38
Does anyone here find it funny that Amanda Fritz is the lone city council member speaking out against the CRC? Perhaps Charles Lewis would have been too, but I recall last year Fritz sure got the short end of the stick in the comments section here while everyone fawned over Adams and Lewis. Anyways, Kudos to Amanda Fritz.
March 26th, 2009 14:56
@ jeff, word.
I kind of want to apologize to her for not voting for her in the primary. She's the only one sticking to her guns in this mess. Thanks Amanda Fritz!
March 26th, 2009 16:01
Ditto the apology to Amanda. She's carried through with the right actions, not just the feel-good talk.
BTW, remember the rally is under the Morrison Bridge. See you all there!
March 26th, 2009 16:18
I think picketing city hall would be more of a real statement...
March 26th, 2009 17:06
Love the dig at the congestion backing into the rose quarter. A megabridge will open up the flood gets to widening I-5 and 405 right through Portland.
March 26th, 2009 18:23
If all you Sam-bashers had voted for me last year there would have been a different outcome.
March 26th, 2009 18:49
had been in town only a little more than a week when I met Amanda Fritz at the depaving of the parking lot at NE Williams and Fargo. had not even registered yet to vote in Oregon, did not know yet that commissioners are elected at large, but knew I wanted to vote for her.
March 26th, 2009 19:53
The reason Amanda Fritz didn't get more support was because bikeportland was so busy endorsing/sucking up to Sam Adams that nobody else got any attention. I guess we are seeing what a "real bike/transportation" advocate Adams is! Maybe if Amanda had made up what a bike commuter she is like Sam ($1000 in parking tickets last year) she would have gotten more coverage here.
March 27th, 2009 01:58
When will our representatives represent us?
March 27th, 2009 09:53
Gov can help in places and be a force for good but I lean on the theory that the best elected officials will help bring out the better nature of a community while trying to do no/ less harm in the process and fight allowing power to corrupt them. The big changes come down to us, people taking personal responsibility with their choices. Cool thing about that is we get to choose every day, so we can collectively shift the direction things go. I've chosen to fight this project and offer up other solutions. hope you'll join me and others at the kick off April 5th Waterfront park - noon of a sustained campaign to keep portland bike friendly and from turning our region into a very wide I-5 corridor.
March 27th, 2009 10:59
Haha, genius! Keep up the good work!
March 27th, 2009 22:33
More over on the Portland Architecture Blog:
Notes on the Columbia crossing
Two weekends ago, while making an overnight trip to Seattle, I couldn't help but think about the proposed new Columbia River bridge as I crossed the existing Interstate Bridge on Interstate 5.
Today I was reminded of that ride as I read a blistering Oregonian editorial that takes the Bicycle Transportation to task for opposing the new bridge. The BTA is organizing a rally on Sunday, April 5 to protest the bridge.
March 27th, 2009 23:20
So far it seems the bulk of portland's print media voices don't even know who is organizing this rally - what a hoot - this should tell you something about the depth and breath, thoroughness of their reporting and thoughtfulness of their coverage. Willy Week, The Oregonian and Brian Libby all think it's spearheaded by the BTA even though we set TWO press releases and the video to these media outlets- ( and while we appreciate the support of the BTA at the rally and their stance and opposition and ALTERNATIVES to the scope and direction o fthe current project,) but if they are organizing this thing then they owe me some $ for permitting and misc costs out of pocket. What's most disturbing about the coverage so far is that The O's editorial focused entirely on the opposition - even though they don't bother to even investigate or report on who is opposing this, they focus on the bike vs car smoke screen when evertything, from the name of the rally to the alternatives in the press release and the resources website of smarterbridge.org spells out that this event is the kick off for a sustained campaign to change the scope and direction of a megabridge, not stop anything from being done about the region's transportation needs. It would be funny in a keystone cops sort of way if these weren't are dominat media sources and this wasn't a matter of importance for years to come.
I think it confuses the media when a group of citizens gets together from different political and economic backgrounds to oppose something and offer alternatives - without giving ourselves a name and letting them box us into one compartment.
See everyone - whether you ride a bike or not, at the rally Sunday April 5th waterfront park - noon.
March 30th, 2009 20:06
tru dat.
think this will suck for bikes and peds (and anyone who breathes in N/NE...)?
it will, but not half as bad as it will suck for motorists. I mean this bridge is gonna suck for everyone!
why are we still paying people money to be so vastly incompetent?