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Don’t worry about that – it only burns 1 gallon of jet fuel PER SECOND. Obola has control of the printing press – they just print the money for the fuel and anything else they want. That’s why boxes of cereal, jars of jam, cartons of orange juice, etc are getting smaller, but the price is staying the same: devaluation of the currency.
No, I don’t understand why you would choose exactly the location in the city that causes the most transit disruption. Move down to the Waterfront Marriott, or the convention center area. Be in the heart of the city. Just don’t plop yourself down right on the transit mall — it’s not that hard.
Obozo is raising money for Hillary to be elected in 2016 – she is carrying a lot of unpleasant baggage to overcome – so they are going to need A LOT of $$ to get the job done.
I guess we won’t see politicians on the other side of the spectrum like Michelle Bachman and Mike Huckabee involve themselves in such nonsense as political fundraising in the next year or so.
You are a baby. Make other plans. Imagine living in a city where this happens a lot.
Mike Quiglery
9 years ago
What the heck. If it convinces more people that riding a bike may not be such a bad idea after all, welcome President Obama.
Evan Manvel
9 years ago
I was in a presentation a couple weeks ago about Stockholm’s downtown traffic management, and the Swedish transportation planner argued Obama’s 2013 visit to Stockholm was a great experiment in low-car-traffic downtowns. People can actually figure out ways to get around, and like lower-traffic downtowns. http://blog.kalmstrom.com/2013/09/new-obama-effect-after-stockholm-visit.html
It’s a tactical urbanism demonstration, courtesy of the President.
But, it really isn’t. One time inconveniences are just that, they don’t do anything to change long-term behavior.
The way to encourage people to bike is by providing great infrastructure and raising the day-to-day cost of driving (e.g. higher gas taxes, which have lots of other benefits as well).
Having a one-day traffic cluster-f**k accomplishes nothing.’
Plus, what benefit does shutting down the transit mall give to those who are unable to bike? Why punish transit riders?
It’s not an either or scenario. I completely disagree that having a one day traffic cluster ‘accomplishes nothing’. If it gets even a few people out of their car, they might think, hey maybe I will try this some more when the weather is nice. Of course having great infrastructure and raising costs helps as well. That should be self evident to most people.
He hasn’t been here in 5 years. I don’t see it as that big of deal once every 5 years.
We have to forgive our electeds’ obliviousness, as when they are in office they are very far removed from mortals daily transportation (they often do not drive, bus or bike for years while they are in ‘protective custody’ of higher office, sadly) that they forget what their moments and events can inflict on the public for their brief visits. And this can have the greatest negative effect on fixed route transit vs. private vehicles that can reroute.
Though it might be worse to banish their activities to only the suburbs and airport bubble districts..then they might never see transit or a green bike box even if it were not working well during their brief look out their limo window … perhaps while day dreaming of a more normal life cycling to work on a tall bike…even if only briefly.
PS. If y’all think Portland has got it bad you should see Honolulu when any president visits…
The bike parking area in the garage under the office building I work in has an estimated 40-50% more bikes compared to the same time on an average morning. It’s probably compounded by the fact that it’s shaping up to be a nice warm day. 😉
Brad
9 years ago
Sad commentary on the state of our world. A presidential visit 50+ years ago would have probably only caused a slight blip in traffic from gawkers.
Portland was a different place 50 years ago. The world was a different place 50 years ago – a really shabby place.
K'Tesh
9 years ago
I wish I could come up with a better one than “Completely Avoid Area”.
Scott
9 years ago
I’d take the three words a little further: Don’t go there.
JAT in Seattle
9 years ago
Riding a bike is great, but if I recall correctly there can be some problems with locking a bike in the vicinity of a presidential visit. Any official word on which tubular metal suspected bomb conveyances the Secret Service will insist be cut away from their parking places and trucked to an impound area?
CaptainKarma
9 years ago
Ha, you can always tell Fox news watchers. To dispell the negativity, I shall pump up the tires and ride the Springwater, hoping to spot a bald eagle.
Thanks for reading.
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I just don’t understand why you would do this smack in the middle of the city’s transit hub. Was there nowhere else to stay and/or hold this event?
I get the need for road closures, but why mess up the alternatives to driving, too?
It’s incredibly disrespectful to the whole city.
Not to mention the cost of flying Air Force One here just to beg for money. So much for the environment.
Don’t worry about that – it only burns 1 gallon of jet fuel PER SECOND. Obola has control of the printing press – they just print the money for the fuel and anything else they want. That’s why boxes of cereal, jars of jam, cartons of orange juice, etc are getting smaller, but the price is staying the same: devaluation of the currency.
Thanks Obama…
You don’t understand why a visiting VIP would go to the most populated part of a city?
No, I don’t understand why you would choose exactly the location in the city that causes the most transit disruption. Move down to the Waterfront Marriott, or the convention center area. Be in the heart of the city. Just don’t plop yourself down right on the transit mall — it’s not that hard.
Obozo is raising money for Hillary to be elected in 2016 – she is carrying a lot of unpleasant baggage to overcome – so they are going to need A LOT of $$ to get the job done.
I’m loving these nicknames. Do you have any for the other political leaders of our country?
I guess we won’t see politicians on the other side of the spectrum like Michelle Bachman and Mike Huckabee involve themselves in such nonsense as political fundraising in the next year or so.
You are a baby. Make other plans. Imagine living in a city where this happens a lot.
What the heck. If it convinces more people that riding a bike may not be such a bad idea after all, welcome President Obama.
I was in a presentation a couple weeks ago about Stockholm’s downtown traffic management, and the Swedish transportation planner argued Obama’s 2013 visit to Stockholm was a great experiment in low-car-traffic downtowns. People can actually figure out ways to get around, and like lower-traffic downtowns.
http://blog.kalmstrom.com/2013/09/new-obama-effect-after-stockholm-visit.html
It’s a tactical urbanism demonstration, courtesy of the President.
Great way to encourage people to bike to work.
But, it really isn’t. One time inconveniences are just that, they don’t do anything to change long-term behavior.
The way to encourage people to bike is by providing great infrastructure and raising the day-to-day cost of driving (e.g. higher gas taxes, which have lots of other benefits as well).
Having a one-day traffic cluster-f**k accomplishes nothing.’
Plus, what benefit does shutting down the transit mall give to those who are unable to bike? Why punish transit riders?
It’s not an either or scenario. I completely disagree that having a one day traffic cluster ‘accomplishes nothing’. If it gets even a few people out of their car, they might think, hey maybe I will try this some more when the weather is nice. Of course having great infrastructure and raising costs helps as well. That should be self evident to most people.
He hasn’t been here in 5 years. I don’t see it as that big of deal once every 5 years.
lol…If this were a conservative politician causing this much gridlock this forum would be calling for their head. A little hypocritical I think.
We get it. You don’t like Obama.
We have to forgive our electeds’ obliviousness, as when they are in office they are very far removed from mortals daily transportation (they often do not drive, bus or bike for years while they are in ‘protective custody’ of higher office, sadly) that they forget what their moments and events can inflict on the public for their brief visits. And this can have the greatest negative effect on fixed route transit vs. private vehicles that can reroute.
Though it might be worse to banish their activities to only the suburbs and airport bubble districts..then they might never see transit or a green bike box even if it were not working well during their brief look out their limo window … perhaps while day dreaming of a more normal life cycling to work on a tall bike…even if only briefly.
PS. If y’all think Portland has got it bad you should see Honolulu when any president visits…
Is it worse just because hes there longer, or how the city is laid out?
Honolulu is bad anyway. Love when that zipper truck breaks.
The NE Everett-Davis bike boulevard is thus far unaffected.
Sounds like a good time for a demonstration or are people going to be sequestered off to the “free speech zone” cage a few miles away. Free speech as long as you can afford the $10,000 ticket to the democratic fundraiser. http://www.oregonlive.com/mapes/index.ssf/2015/04/barack_obama_will_be_in_portla.html
I love the incisive brevity of this post.
The bike parking area in the garage under the office building I work in has an estimated 40-50% more bikes compared to the same time on an average morning. It’s probably compounded by the fact that it’s shaping up to be a nice warm day. 😉
Sad commentary on the state of our world. A presidential visit 50+ years ago would have probably only caused a slight blip in traffic from gawkers.
Portland was a different place 50 years ago. The world was a different place 50 years ago – a really shabby place.
I wish I could come up with a better one than “Completely Avoid Area”.
I’d take the three words a little further: Don’t go there.
Riding a bike is great, but if I recall correctly there can be some problems with locking a bike in the vicinity of a presidential visit. Any official word on which tubular metal suspected bomb conveyances the Secret Service will insist be cut away from their parking places and trucked to an impound area?
Ha, you can always tell Fox news watchers. To dispell the negativity, I shall pump up the tires and ride the Springwater, hoping to spot a bald eagle.
I’ve only seen Osprey there for some reason. Farther south, or north I’ve seen eagles.
Osprey would have made a better national bird anyway.
Quote: “Osprey would have made a better national bird anyway.”
So why is there a Turkey in the WH?