What: Rally to support the Sauvie Island Bridge relocation, followed by foot and bicycle tours of the proposed relocation site
When: Thursday, April 17. Press event at 5:00, tours leaving at 5:15 and 5:30.
Where: NW 15th and Flanders, Portland, Ore.
Who: Concerned citizens, northwest Portland residents, transportation and neighborhood advocates
Why:
The community will rally to support the relocation of the former Sauvie Island Bridge span to form an urgently-needed safe crossing over I-405 and a world class connection between Portland’s two densest neighborhoods.
The rally will be followed by short walking tours by local transportation and history experts of the bridge relocation site. Tours will highlight current dangers for people traveling within and through Northwest Portland. Tour guides’ first priority will be to assure participants’ safety.
The proposed relocation of the Sauvie Island Bridge to cross I-405 at Flanders street will:
– Connect the two densest neighborhoods in Portland
– Provide the only safe freeway crossing for pedestrians between Burnside and Johnson
– Provide safe, direct access to Washington Park, the northwest industrial area, and northwest Portland businesses and neighborhoods.
– Serve over 2000 children who live in the bridge’s immediate area
– Represent the biggest recycling/reuse project ever undertaken in the City of Portland
– Showcase our region’s international leadership in sustainability
– Cannot be completed without strong public support
“Moving the bridge is about sustainability, but even more than that it’s about access,” said transportation activist Elly Blue, who is a member of the informal coalition organizing the event to support reusing the bridge. ” It’s currently impossible to travel safely and directly between two halves of our city. That’s just wrong. The basic right to free mobility is at stake here. We intend to use this effort as a springboard to take on dangerous intersections all over the city, particularly around freeways.”
Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, contact me via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a paying subscriber.
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