(Lots of talk about stimulus funds around here lately. Hope you’re staying with me).
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) may get the largest chunk of federal stimulus money (about $232 million last time I checked), but Metro also gets a piece of the pie — $38 million to be exact. That’s a much smaller piece, but Metro is more likely than ODOT to fund non-highway projects.
Metro’s list (download PDF here) includes projects all over the greater Portland region, including paving and repairs to major arterials (and bike thoroughfares) like SE Madison and SE Hawthorne.
Metro Council will adopt the final project list at their meeting this week (3/5) and they’re accepting comments until the end of business today. Head over to their website if you’d like to comment.
Thanks for reading.
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A couple of bikey projects stand out on that PDF list:
“Bicycle Blvd Striping and Signage $1,000,000”
“Portland Repave Springwater Trail from Sellwood to City border $1,800,000”
I think I’ll drop a line to Metro pointing at those two, and do a little boosterism for bike trails and boulevards in general while I’m at it.
I guess from their perspective they’re going to focus on the projects that stimulate the economy. And certainly paying someone to do the work on these two would qualify as stimulus. Probably both could be used for getting people to work… does that count as stimulus? Are there any other stimulus-friendly reasons for supporting these things? (Anyone, anyone, Bueller?)
It would be great to be able to point at cycle infrastructure as an asset to commerce: shipping by bike, that kind of thing. If not today, then someday.
Its pathetic we have to use federal dollars to pave local streets, imo. We’re obviously doing something wrong if we can’t even maintain our local streets.
I’d love to see a gas tax increase. Say maybe a buck a gallon?
#2
Though our streets weren’t that great before the economy went into the shitter, it has not helped.
Everyone from schools to PDOT are reeling from the budget shortfalls, in fact I just got an email from my daughters school telling me they are going to shorten the school year for next year, WTF.
And, if Salem continues to allow the dreadful contraptions, at least can’t Portland pass a municipal ban on studded tires? In the short term, we get all the fine revenue; in the long term, paving lasts much longer!
The Springwater trail could be repaved? I for one am happy to hear about that – the pavement is rough and uncomfortable to ride on even with my 32mm tires once you get past Sellwood.
Where is the funding for River transportation!? How come we are one of the only river metropolises without water taxi or ferry terminals? Wouldn’t this make long distant commuting with your bike more viable?