Guest Opinion: Freeway fight moves to Salem and we need you!
Fighting freeway expansion is a marathon, not a sprint, but right now we need to sprint to Salem.
chris smith
Planning Commission members question PBOT’s Hawthorne bike lane decision
There was a notable debate at the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission meeting Tuesday night on a topic near and dear to our hearts: the Portland transportation bureau’s recent decision to re-stripe Hawthorne Boulevard without bike lanes.
Metro candidate Mary Nolan’s record on freeway expansion projects
“I trust ODOT to deliver the plan… They’ve made compromises. And I think we should move on.”— Mary Nolan on I-5 Rose Quarter project (5/5/20)
After OTC vote, Metro candidate Chris Smith calls for new highway governance model
Chris Smith is outraged by what just happened. The Portland Planning & Sustainability Commissioner member, transportation activist, and Metro Council candidate watched this morning as the unelected, five-member Oregon Transportation Commission brushed aside considerable concerns about the I-5 Rose Quarter project and voted unanimously to let the Oregon Department of Transportation move forward without any … Read more
Regional leaders greenlight $129 million for I-5 Rose Quarter project
We’re at that awkward stage in a highway mega-project when the agency in charge is under a cloud of controversy and still (after years of planning) doesn’t have an official endorsement to start construction, but still wants money to keep the project moving forward. Of course I’m talking about the Oregon Department of Transportation and … Read more
Governor Brown asked about I-5 Rose Quarter project at City Club event
Governor Kate Brown spent about an hour with members of the City Club of Portland today. At the event, a preview of the 2020 legislative session, Brown fielded two questions about the controversial I-5 Rose Quarter project. As we reported Thursday, the Oregon Department of Transportation and their bosses at the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) … Read more
Guest post: Biking away (some of) my Amazon Prime guilt
This story is by northwest Portland resident, Planning & Sustainability Commissioner and devoted civic activist, Chris Smith. I confess, I’m a heavy user of Amazon Prime. Not in the “I’m too lazy to go to the grocery store” way, but more of a “there’s so much selection, I can get exactly the thing I’m looking … Read more
City of Portland wants to make side guards mandatory on all garbage and recycling trucks by 2022
It’s been a long time coming, but Portland is finally about to take a big step forward in road safety. The Bureau of Planning & Sustainability (BPS) announced today they’ll propose a change to the City’s administrative rules that would require all garbage and recycling contractors to fill gaps in the sides of their trucks … Read more
Planning Commission finds ‘missing middle,’ votes for more housing citywide
It’s a big deal for bikeable neighborhoods.
Planning commissioner forces City to defend I-5 widening project
Chris Smith calls the question — and almost gets his answer.
Comment of the Week: The cost of mobility