Bing Blog the Which is Where?

Ding! Dong! The Witch is dead!

The CRC, a massive highway expansion project to place 5 lanes of travel from SW Washington into a 2-lane bottle neck, may have finally breathed its last breath.

Or on its deathbed?  Fatally wounded? Maybe a zombie? Okay fine, it could just be playing possum. It is rather confusing. Take, for example the fact the CRC office has admitted defeat and initially decided that it would spend the next 6 months packing up the office.

Curious. Ya know how sometimes ya hear people ask, "who does your hair?" we have a similar question about who is cutting their checks.

Either way the little guys celebrated a victory. We have been in the business of trying to encompass this titanic behemoth of 1950s design for so long (this blog itself has been pumping out the hits since Spring of 2009) we are not completely sure what we will do now.

We would like to believe that our reporting and testimony means something to the people who would call themselves our "representatives". But what really killed it was that Olympia doesn't like Vancouver (Washington) very much (in fairness it is mutual).

The fact is as long as there are people benefiting from bad design we will continue to get more sprawl and more of all the crap that comes with it. We should stay vigilant as these insane projects are popping up all the time. Meanwhile everywhere our infrastructure is failing.

At least there are good opportunities for lols. 

Office of Executive Abuse

[trigger warning, this post makes sexual assault analogies]

 News that Washington Goveneor's veto of the Senate's Columbia River Crossing plan rocked the few dozen people paying attention to every detail so you might have missed this somewhat important news.

Legislators had allocated $81 million to the CRC for 2013-15, far short of the $450 million identified as Washington’s share. Aware of concerns that including light-rail track below the project’s bridge deck could hamper navigation on the Columbia River, Benton, vice chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, wanted that money to pay for a redesign of the project to make sure it would meet Coast Guard requirements.

When that effort was blocked by the committee’s Democratic co-chair and others, Benton spearheaded a move to set nearly all of the new allocation aside until the Coast Guard’s permit decision, expected later this year. If the Coast Guard endorses the design the remaining money will be released for further work; if not it must be used to redesign the project – which almost certainly will eliminate the light-rail extension from Portland.

via http://donbenton.src.wastateleg.org/benton-praises-governor-for-veto-of-crc-funding/

This is pretty great news for people who think the CRC as designed is an abomination of design, set to wreck havoc on Cascadian budgets, transportation and environmental systems.*

Still this is no time to relax. You can bet the mysteriously inept, yet powerful forces behind the CRC will continue to push for more money to waste trying to figure out how to fit a round peg into a square hole. Over the past few months both the Oregon and Washington Governors have regularly pressured the legislature into taking premature action. Saying we must act now to take advantage of the paltry amount of federal money** that might be made available should everything else work out. Governors Inslee and Kitzhaber repeating "It is now or never" like some sort of creepy sexual predator, pushing their innocent partner into having sex before the magic spell is broken. If the trusting partner agrees they will be promptly used and disregarded, their phone calls and pleas for open communication ignored, while the predator, indifferent to anything but their own desires, will move on to the next conquest.

They decided now wasn't the time. How long do you think it will take for a Cascadian politician to use this line again? (We have created a poll on the side bar, vote now!)

This sort of behavior should not be rewarded. We must raise our voices and work to organize against these abusive, manipulative Governors. Together we can stop the transit rape.

*in other words, the vast majority of people
** try this game with a friend: ask for $4000, tell them if they act now you will give them $750. 

Savior from the North

Bizarro World keeps turning. As if watching the Oregon Legislature approve to fast track funds for the CRC a couple weeks ago was not insane enough, having Olympia step in to say, "OMG CRC WTF" was nearly as stunning.

With the appearance of federal transportation director Ray LaHood in Olympia standing beside the Washington Governor pleading that "it is now or never" many were convinced that Washington would soon find itself in a similar position as Oregon pushing the Columbia River Crossing forward and that all of the Northwest could all rest easy snuggled up in a blanket of debt, forever.

But thank be to logic for the Senators and Representatives in the state of Washington have balked on "keeping up with the Joneses". According to this other CRC hating blog, the Columbia River Crossing might be dead in the water (or unsound in the Sound, perhaps?)

Sure, the added pressure of having a neighbor pay 450 million dollars for a big hunk of infrastructure might give the backers of the CRC some clout, but then perhaps those members didn't count on the Washington legislature to say, "Vancouver? That's in Canada!" 

The state of Washington has some major road projects in the works and most of their big highway improvement dollars are not leaving the vicinity of the Sound. Asking for legislatures to commit all their dollars for what most in Olympia view as a "Portland project" especially when the Representatives from Vancouver are decrying the project as a boondoggle.

We hadn't expected conservative neighbors to the north to be our saviors, but if they can kill this project we may be sending them a candygram.

Vancouver Rally to Stop the CRC

With the Oregon legislature expediting wasteful spending the fate of Cascadia turns to Washington where they hate tolls almost as much as they hate lightrail. They have even organized a rally coming up soon!
 
We shall not go quietly. Gather the forces and connect with others!

Date: Friday, March 29th.
Time: 2:30pm to 4:00pm; 4:00 to 6:00pm – Post-Rally Social Gathering

Location: Grand Ballroom at the Vancouver Red Lion at the Quay, 100 Columbia Street, Vancouver, WA 98660


Want more info? Here the organizing group's website: http://www.crcfacts.info/

President demands bridge... also wants pony

This article in the Willamette Week reveals a happy truth to the startling news that President Obama has given the Columbia River Crossing "Expedited Status"

'Obama is not the first president to offer such encouragement to the CRC', the Wweek noted, 'President Bush ordered the same expedited status in 2008. But neither Bush nor Obama offered anything more than encouragement. 

Permitting has not been the issue, as local, state and federal agencies have rubber-stamped the plan developed by the Washington and Oregon Departments of Transportation.

What is preventing construction is that no one wants to pay for it. And why should anyone want to pay to replace a working bridge that is rated better than the bridge, which a few miles south of the CRC as you leave Portland on I-5 (the Marquam Bridge)

But Congress—which is supposed to provide a third of the $3.5 billion cost—is not looking to send money to blue states these days; neither Washington or Oregon's Legislatures have approved the $450 million each state is supposed to provide; and the projected toll revenues that are to provide the final third have been found to be wildly inaccurate.

 Even looking at USA Today's coverage the press release stating support from the White House seemed tepid, even passive. (note the other projects listed request 25 million for a bridge in Maine and 89 million for railroads in Washington, as opposed to the 3500 million for the CRC. That's TWO extra zeros if you weren't paying attention.)

Finally our favorite economist, Joe Cortright offered some scathing words for the project costing taxpayers a million dollars each month:

"The sooner the CRC faces its day of reckoning, the sooner we can stop wasting money on a project that we don't need, can't afford, and doesn't solve the region's transportation problems," says Portland economist Joe Cortright, a longtime critic of the project.

 Thanks for setting the record straight!

The bridge that couldn't get it up

Heyo, its been a while since we checked in but as it turns out the powers that be have still not given up on this embarrassment they call a "public works project." Im all for spending money to build things, but it would be nice if those things didn't cost us

A) massive, untold environmental destruction
B) 3-10 BILLION (thats NINE zeros people )


 What factor could be worth all this?

Clearly this bridge is about jobs...  killing the few jobs we have left that is:
 http://www.columbian.com/news/2012/mar/02/official-planned-bridge-too-low/

A pretty damning article if we have ever read one. 

YIKES! What do you suppose we can do to make it more absurd?

well since we are not updating this blog very often you may want to join a Facebook group where we got this bit of news: http://www.facebook.com/groups/flatbridgenow/

So many meetings so little time

It has got to be hard building a massive bridge. You gotta get lots of little detail work done, papers filed, taxes levied... it's work!

That is part of why Oregon Governor Kulongoski made 30 million available for the CRC. It is gonna take a lot of money to convince all these people that their kids should be saddled with a massive debt.

But it takes more then money. Like George Burns said, timing is everything. So why have one community meeting when you can have two, at the same time!

* CRC community meeting @ Former Hayden Island Yacht Club
12050 N Jantzen Drive
Portland, OR 97217
Thu, September 10, 7:00pm – 8:30pm

* CRC community meeting @ Vancouver Housing Authority
2500 Main Street
Vancouver, WA 98660
Thu, September 10, 7pm – 9pm

Not enough meeting in your Thursday diet? This could help us loose our shirt and our lunch.

* Congestion Pricing Meeting @ Metro Regional Center
council chamber
600 NE Grand Ave., Portland
Thu, September 10, 12pm – 1pm

The idea that some force is conspiring to keep CRC opposition as diffuse as possible would be considered strange, outlandish even. What does our government have to fear from its people?

So more volunteers are needed to help ask the right questions.

Todays burning question is: Why are so many people willing to burden the future for their own comfort?

Couve Traffic Warning

TRAFFIC ALERT

ALL THOSE DRIVING IN THE CITY OF VANCOUVER[break] IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON[break] TODAY ON THE DATE OF 9/4/09[break] BETWEEN THE HOURS OF FIVE PM AND TEN PM[break] TAKE WARNING. ON THESE STREETS

• SEVENTH
• EIGHTH
• NINTH
• TENTH

YOU WILL BE ASKED TO GO AROUND[freak].WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE

Car-Free Couve

Vancouver Car Free day is this Friday!
September 4th from 5pm - 10pm,
On swanky Main St between 6th and 11th.






There is no telling what will happen in that space. It was only a couple months ago that a naked cyclist was arrested after being hit by a cop car.

Most Portland Bikers:
A) loose their frigging minds over Sunday Parkways and
B) do not happen upon car free streets in Vancouver often.

Therefore I invite you all to join me, revphil (the top score holding writing person on this whole blog) on a bike ride from Farragut Park (7700 N Vancouver Ave) to Car-Free Vancouver
We will meet at 4pm and ride shortly after 5pm.



My Amazing google skills demonstrate the northern Delta Park to I-5 bike path.

View Larger Map
There will probably not be a truck blocking the way tomorrow.



That this has not been more publicized (or even publicized at all?) is of significant concern. Internet searches for Vancouver Car Free Day 2009 (w/ a variety of non-BC qualifiers, and relevant dates and places) came up with no results for anything from Southwest Washington.

Is Car-Free Couve totally underground?

Is Greg Raisman the next Jonathan Maus? maybe not but we are thankful for his photo just the same.

volunteer to help

Sometimes folks feel daunted by the massive force that is pushing the CRC agenda. While it is true that the people working to oppose the CRC do not have a newly approved 30 million dollar budget, it is also true that the opposition have people. But they always need more and your opportunity to join in the fight is coming up soon!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

email volunteer[-AT-]stopthecrc[-DOT-]org to get on board with any or all of these events:

Vancouver Peace & Justice Fair
http://vancouverpeaceandjusticefair.org/
Saturday, Sept. 12th
9am – 4pm
Esther Short Park
8th and Columbia St.
Vancouver, Washington

We are looking for folks to table as we connect and network with Vancouver’s progressive community. Two cities, one love! Help represent & create a unified Vancouver, Portland resistance to the CRC!

Muddy Boot
http://muddyboot.org/
Saturday, Sept. 12th
12pm – 6:30pm
and
Sunday, Sept. 13th
12pm – 6pm
St. Philip Neri Church
2408 SE 16th Avenue (near 18th & Division)
Portland, Oregon

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lots more volunteer specific info available over at:
http://stopthecrc.wordpress.com/2009/08/28/help-us-outreach-at-2-events-sept-12-13th/

How bad do you want it?

The Columbia River Crossing has many different players and affects many groups and as such is getting lots of interesting cross talk.

Sometimes they talk about freight and the poor, pathetic semi-truck drivers who for whatever reason are not bright enough to use the I-205 crossing (when in fact professional drivers have access to technology that helps them avoid traffic by not driving in cities during rush hour, amazing!).

Other times they talk about safety. Usually about the condition of the current bridge itself and specifically the timber pylons. "Did you know we are trusting our lives to wood?!?" But they don't bring up that nearly every other bridge in Portland has a lower safety rating according to their own investigations.

Then sometimes they talk about the river boat captains who run the risk of hitting the I-5 bridge because the opening does not line us up the railroad bridge just to the west. Alas, they never mention how the railroad bridge actually does need to be replaced, and could be done so for 1/400th of the cost of the current CRC proposal.

But today good reader we are all about the Tolling!

The pro CRC people have created a survey that is pretty interesting. I hope that everyone take 5 min to fill it out. http://survey.columbiarivercrossing.org/

They dance around the issue of tolling like a pro bowl quarterback dancing around defensive linemen. What a study in framing the discussion! The survey is awe inspiring in its ability to pacify the otherwise rabid opposition. I think, however that we can greatly simplify the matter for the majority of people:

Would you be in favor of a replacement I-5 bridge if it had a $4.00 toll?

This is the blunt question the CRC does not want to ask (especially the "build it now!" - type dittoheads in Vancouver). Even though the CRC folk haven't been forthcoming with all the information they have gotten the hint from Obamma that the federal government wouldn't pay for it outright, and since they are only a few billion dollars short... hey with a $8 toll (adjusted to $10.50 by 2017) we could pay for this bridge by 2050.

So would you be in favor of replacing the I-5 Bridge if it means paying a $4.00 toll to cross it?

third bridge option

The CRC moves on despite calls and emails and letters to the editor. We believe that since the 20-30 person task force was able to think of their options as

1. 10-lane bridge
2. 12-lane bridge
3. no build. leave it as it stands.

As the 1st two options are pathetically close to each other we feel it is our duty to bring some new ideas to the table.

Another alternative to the "one bridge to fix them all" thinking. This one advocates for leaving the existing bridge and adding more capacity to the west.




We hope to hear more from these cats about the prospect of digging a tunnel from swan island to the Columbia.

The Economy of the Future Part 3

Joe has some pretty good numbers. In this final episode of his testimony he explains the fallacy of the Safety concerns the CRC people are selling us.


Moreover He shows hos important it is that we improve the railroad bridge for moving freight.



Here is Joe Cortright's 6 Prudent Steps for solving the problems the CRC is trying to solve.

1. Toll the existing bridge
2. Improve transit
3. Fix the railroad bridge
4. Seismic upgrade for I-5 bridge
5. Modify Hayden Island ramps
6. Light rail to Clark County

The Economy of the Future Part 2

What about funding?



Yes he said the CRC is "80 times more expensive than the Ariel Tram"

Not to sound like a jerk, but how dense is PDX? How about the Couve? What about the planners who expect that planners who think that we can build our way out of congestion?

Stand by for the conclusion of Joe Cortright's testimony to City Hall, "The Economy of the Future Part 3" " available here tomorrow.

The Economy of the Future Part 1

Joe Cortright provides some spirited info about the future of building more driving capacity.

Get your econ on.



Thanks for sharing, Joe!

Wait for "The Economy of the Future Part 2", coming tomorrow!