I want the new freeway to be this wide! U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has some explaining to do. LaHood, who famously stood on a tabletop and thanked bike advocates for their hard work at the 2010 National Bike Summit and later posted on his blog that, “This is the end of favoring … Read more
“This project is very risky. We shouldn’t gamble by skipping the steps provided by Oregon’s land use process.”— Mara Gross, Coalition for a Livable Future This morning the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN) and the Coalition for a Livable Future (CLF) announced an appeal of Metro’s decision last month to pass the project’s Land Use … Read more
The CRC FEIS, now available for viewing at locations throughout Portland.(Photo © J. Maus) It’s been several months since I last chimed in on the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project. Somehow, despite many lingering questions — especially around its funding plan — the $3.5 billion project which has been a roller-coaster of controversy and stops … Read more
Parking garages will cost $178 million. Love it or hate it, the Columbia River Crossing project is marching forward. Fast (in mega-project terms). Below is a run-down of recent developments and news tidbits… Metro’s Leap of Faith On June 9th, Metro voted 5-1 in favor of a CRC resolution (Councilor Carl Hosticka was the lone … Read more
Local scrutiny on the controversial, $3.6 billion Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project is heating up again ahead of a key Metro Council vote on the project Thursday. At stake with the vote is whether or not to grant full approval of the locally preferred alternative Metro adopted back in 2008. At that time, Metro adopted … Read more
One of three park-and-rides being proposed by the CRC project. Image taken from a presentation on the facilities which you can download here.
Still from video showing proposed new bridge to Hayden Island.— Watch it below — Citizen activist Spencer Boomhower (the man behind the widely acclaimed Idaho Stop Law animation, among others) has released a new video that highlights a different approach to improving mobility between Oregon and Washington. Boomhower’s latest compares and contrasts the Columbia River … Read more
House Joint Memorial 22, a bill in the Oregon legislature that some feared would have sent a strong message to the federal government in support of the controversial Columbia River Crossing project, made it out of committee yesterday; but the version that was voted on is much different than the original. As we reported last … Read more
“We believe that there are important unresolved questions that demand further scrutiny before the commitment of additional public dollars to this project.” 20 Oregon legislators — 8 Republicans, 12 Democrats — have issued a letter of concern over the Columbia River Crossing highway expansion project. The letter, dated March 28th, comes on the heels of … Read more
“The BTA is concerned about the cost of the CRC… Though this bill does not have a fiscal statement the bridge itself puts the State of Oregon on the hook for at least $400 million dollars.”— Gerik Kransky, BTA Oregon lawmakers will weigh in on the controversial Columbia River Crossing project this Monday when House … Read more
Signs of life abound for the controversial project.(Photo © J. Maus) Rolling with momentum in recent weeks from national and statewide elected officials, the Columbia River Crossing (CRC) project will be the focus of a public forum in Northeast Portland tonight. The event is being hosted by the Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods, an umbrella non-profit … Read more
