KINK radio's "Speaking Freely" show recently featured an in-depth interview with Metro Council President David Bragdon. President Bragdon shared his thoughts on what he believes led to the bitter campaign over Measures 66 and 67, the local business environment moving forward and his philosophy on what governments can do to help local economies. He also talked about the key transportation projects, the benefits of land use planning and the urban growth boundary, renovations coming up at the Oregon Zoo and the future of Metro's newest natural area, Chehalem Ridge. Go to the audio cast
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Category: transportation
Metro Council President Bragdon, local leaders send message to governors on I-5 bridge replacement
Four local elected officials, two from Oregon and two from Washington, today warned the governors of Oregon and Washington that the current Columbia River Crossing project "as currently proposed still imposes unacceptable impacts on our communities."
According to Metro Council President Bragdon, "The proposal currently on the table is stalled in controversy, with an unacceptably high financial and environmental price tag. We believe this re-direction - lead by a stronger local role -- can get us back on the path to an affordable effective project that serves the public well."
David Bragdon on KGW's "Straight Talk"
Metro Council President David Bragdon discusses the regional government's actions to in the future of the region. Hear his thoughts on the urban growth boundary, urban and rural reserves, transportation and other aspects that will continue to make our region prosperous.
More concerns about Columbia River Crossing
A personal message from Council President David Bragdon
This morning's meeting of the Columbia River Crossing Project Council brought to light even more troubling concerns about the state highway divisions' controversial proposal. While many of us support a replacement crossing because of the age of the existing structures and the lack of transit between the two communities, the more we learn about the highway divisions' particular proposed solution to that problem, the more it seems their version of a project would actually cause more harmful impacts than positive ones.
"No more blank checks" for the Columbia River Crossing project
The Columbia River Crossing Project Sponsors Council received a large dose of public opinion at their meeting today – most of it telling them the current refinement proposal isn't good enough.
In testimony at times heated and at times tearful, members of the public called for the council to send the project back to the drawing board, although the reasons for their disapproval varied. Hayden Island residents objected to the new bridge footprint that would wipe out much of the commercial area on the island, including the lone grocery store. Others expressed disappointment at the lack of improvements in bike and pedestrian facilities, the size and cost of the new option, and failure to consider all options in the environmental impact study.
A realistic road to construction for the Columbia River Crossing project
A personal message from Council President David Bragdon
Today Portland Mayor Sam Adams and I released a joint policy statement to our colleagues on the Project Sponsors Council of the Columbia River Crossing project. Although we support the general direction of the project refinement on the table for discussion at the PSC meeting tomorrow (Dec. 4), we feel it doesn’t go far enough or contain enough analysis to achieve specific performance measures, match the scope and scale of the project to realistic revenues, or enable us to make urgent project decisions. The current proposal contains incomplete and potentially flawed assumptions and lacks performance-based criteria that have been requested by PSC members.
OTA honors Metro's high capacity transit plan
On Oct. 28, Metro's Regional High Capacity Transit System Plan was recognized with the Oregon Transit Association's Innovation Award. This was Metro's first award from the OTA, which is composed of mostly transit operators.
Tony Mendoza, who managed the HCT project, accepted the award, which in part reads, "Metro broke new ground by integrating land use and transportation while achieving quality communities with vibrant economies. Metro's progressive thinking and commitment to innovation continues to make the Portland metropolitan area a great place to live."
Celebrate Family Bicycle Transportation Day on Sunday, Oct. 25
Oregon Manifest's six-week celebration of the art, craft and community of cycling continues this weekend with a Family Bicycle Transportation Day on Sunday, Oct. 25 sponsored by Metro and Drive Less/Save More. The free event will include a huge selection of family biking products in a fun atmosphere at a single convenient location. You can try many easy and flexible options for cycling with the family and hauling cargo. There will also be tips and resources about safe routes to school and work, riding with children and bicycle maintenance.
We need a Columbia River Crossing that works
A personal message from Council President Bragdon
The Columbia River Crossing controversy continues to be in the news this week. As reported on the Portland Tribune web site yesterday (Oct. 13), U.S. Rep. Peter DeFazio once again cautioned Oregon and Washington State to be realistic about expectations for the federal government's contribution to the project, and he reiterated once more that the huge price tag being bandied about these days is not reasonable. That news this week echoes an article by Dylan Rivera in the Sept. 18 Oregonian, entitled "Big Idea but no money," which accurately described the diminishing prospects for this project in the unrealistic "jumbo" form currently being promoted. And a Sept. 19 editorial in the Oregonian, entitled "Right words but a frowny face," further described the eroding local support for this huge version. So, members of Congress from both Oregon and Washington State have given us that good advice earlier, and local officials have been saying it for months. What needs to happen? The two state governments need to start listening, or we won't have any project at all.
Europeans: Oswego, Portland – so close and yet so far
A personal message from Council President Bragdon
On this misty last day of September in Oregon I am trying to cycle from downtown Portland to downtown Lake Oswego with five intrepid European transportation engineers. These experts in planning and traffic are here for three days as part of the German Marshall Fund's Trans-Atlantic Cities Network, which last year selected the Portland region as one of its 25 participating cities in the US and Europe. This morning we are literally and figuratively heading upstream.
