Below are some of the many opportunities to get involved and make a difference on transportation projects and issues throughout our region this week…
Tuesday, November 8th
TV Highway Corridor Plan Open House
4:00-7:00 p.m. Hillsboro Civic Center (150 E Main St, Hillsboro)
ODOT is considering rebuilding the Tualatin Valley Highway, either as a 6 lane freeway or a 4 lane highway. From the website it’s difficult to tell how serious they are about building a freeway, and the survey focuses more on trip reduction than road size. But that could just be greenwashing for a freeway project, like the N/NE Quadrant study in Portland is a mask for widening I-5.
If you have opinions on this or would like to learn more, come to the Open House or take the survey and speak your mind.
Portland Plan Open House
The Portland Plan is a road map for what the city will prioritize in the next 20 years. Rather than a geographic plan, it’s more of a business plan or management plan. According to Planning and Sustainability Commission member Chris Smith, “The Portland Plan will create the strategy that drives the update of the Comprehensive Plan (which includes the Transportation System Plan). The “Comp Plan” will be finished in about two years, but if you want to see a policy in the Comp Plan you better look for the strategy that supports it in the Portland Plan.”
If you think bicycles should be prioritized in the city’s decisions over the next 20 years, come to an open house and see what they’re presenting, and speak your mind. There are three Open Houses this month in N, E and downtown Portland.
Expect to spend an hour to go over the posters and make comments. As with all open houses, you can speak to the city staff and ask questions, but if you want your comments to be weighted, you should plan to write them down and submit them.
Race Talks: Coming Together on North Williams Avenue: Reconciling Neighborhood’s Past with Proposed Bike Lane
6:00 – 9:00 pm, McMenamins Kennedy School Gym (5736 NE 33rd Ave.)
(Doors open at 6, program begins at 7)
“Race Talks” is a monthly meeting to discuss racial issues in Portland. This month’s topic is the N Williams Ave. Traffic Safety and Operations project. BikePortland publisher Jonathan Maus is one of four panelists. For more info, see the RaceTalks website or last week’s BikePortland post.
Wednesday, November 9th
Skyline Blvd Traffic Safety Community Forum
7:00 – 9:00 pm, Skyline Grange (11275 NW Skyline Blvd)
The West Hills offer safety challenges to bicycles. At this forum, all road users will discuss the issues and hopefully learn how to safely, appropriately and legally interact. More info.
Thursday, November 10th
Presentation by urbanist Gordon Price
6:40 – 8:40 pm, Portland Building, 2nd Floor Auditorium (1120 SW 5th Ave)
Gordon Price is a former City Councilor from Vancouver BC. For over 30 years he has taught, practiced and theorized the building of the post-car city. He is an engaging speaker, and always has a new presentation each year. He’s been following Portland closely, and is one of the few people intimately acquainted with both of the Northwest’s leading “green cities.” Expect about 50 people. For best results, be seated about 5 minutes before the event begins. More info.
Monday, November 14th
Portland Bicycle Advisory Committee (Note: not the usual date)
6:00 – 8:00 pm, City Hall, Rose Room
The BAC meets once a month to review bicycle plans and policies. Expect about 20 BAC members, a few city staff, and about 10 members of the public. Come and go at any time, coffee and refreshments provided. Agenda will be posted a few days before the meeting.
Upcoming
Tues Nov 15
* Portland Pedestrian Advisory Committee meeting More info
* Portland Plan Open House, Parkrose High More info
Tues Nov 15
* Adult Bike Riding Class, Part I (PBOT). More info.
Wed Nov 16
* Adult Bike Riding Class, Part II (PBOT). More info.
Thurs Nov. 17
* Bicycle Brown Bag discussion series More info.
* N/NE Quadrant Stakeholder Advisory Committee Meeting More info.
* BTA Open House More
info.
Mon Nov 21
* Start Your Own Bike Train workshop. More info
Mon Nov 28
* North Williams Community Forum More info.
Tues Nov 29
* Portland Plan Open House, 1900 SW 4th More info
Wed Nov 30
* Streetcar Open House More info.
* Deadline for comments on The Portland Plan
Comments, corrections, additions?
What are in your plans this week?
a
2 additional notes on tonight’s calender —
* The Portland Plan Open House is at Jefferson High, on N Kirby between Alberta and Killingsworth.
* The Bicycle Advisory Committee is not meeting tonight, but is rescheduled for next Monday.
Enjoy,
Ted
Friday 11.11.11 Occupy Your Bicycle – ride to the General Assembly nearest you.
I’ll be leading ride from Col. Summers at 5:45 here in Portland.
This just in from Rebecca on the AROW list
There’s an Open House for the Pearl District Access and Circulation Plan Wednesday from 4-7 at 1015 NW Lovejoy (between 10th and 11th).
This is a really interesting Plan – look for some interesting proposals regarding a green street on NW Pettygrove that would connect the Pearl parks all the way to Wallace Park in NW PDX; the determination of road status of (bike boulevard) NW Overton; new cycle tracks; road diets; and possibly even the re-routing of a one-way street
Hi, Jonathan – Thanks for mentioning the Portland Plan, our community’s strategic, inclusive and integrated plan for the next 25 years. However, the upcoming Portland Plan events are not “open houses”; rather, they are formal hearings in front of the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission to help them prepare a recommendation City Council for adoption. Could you please correct this in your post? The public is invited to give their testimony to the commission either in person at these three hearings or in writing by Nov. 30. Find out how and read the plan at http://www.pdxplan.com. Thx!
Eden — thanks for the correction, we’ll get it changed.
Can you give us a little more on what happens at these hearings, and when to get there in time to speak?
i.e. “arrive at 5, wait in line, sign up to speak, listen to 3 hours of others give their testimony, then get 90 seconds to speak”
or
“show up at any time, get in line, and get up to 5 minutes to speak?
and, are there copies of the Portland Plan at the hearings for review?
Thanks,
Ted Buehler
Sellwood Bridge Pre-Construction Open House November 16, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Llewellyn Elementary School, 6301 SE 14th Avenue in Sellwood. You may drop by at any time.
The goal for this open house is to update the public on the project, review the latest designs and discuss the upcoming construction phase with the project team. Work is scheduled to begin in December 2011.
Can’t make this meeting? Sign up for future construction updates at http://www.sellwoodbridge.org.