After decades of lagging the nation, Oregon’s income now exceeds the national average. While some seem to think its a mystery: It’s not. It all about a flourishing Portland economy, especially in the central city of the region This success has been powered by an influx of talent, especially well-educated young adults drawn to close-in […]
Oregon’s economic success: The triumph of the city Read More »
What City Observatory did this week Why we shouldn’t be whining about higher gas prices. Gas prices are going up, and it’s annoying to have to pay more, but let’s take a closer look at how much we’re paying for gas. Even with a recent uptick, gas prices are still lower than they were a decade ago. Cheap
The Week Observed, November 19, 2021 Read More »
What City Observatory did this week Has this city discovered how to solve traffic congestion? Why aren’t they telling everyone else how this works? A miracle in Louisville. Louisville charges a cheap $1 to $2 toll for people driving across the Ohio River on I-65. After doubling the size of the I-65 bridges from six lanes
The Week Observed, November 12, 2021 Read More »
Gas prices are going up, and it’s annoying to have to pay more, but let’s take a closer look at how much we’re paying for gas. Even with a recent uptick, gas prices are still lower than they were a decade ago. Cheap gas is burning the planet, and undercuts all of our efforts to
Let’s stop whining about gas prices: Gasoline is cheap, too cheap. Read More »
Louisville charges a cheap $1 to $2 toll for people driving across the Ohio River on I-65. After doubling the size of the I-65 bridges from six lanes to 12, tolls slashed traffic by half, from about 130,000 cars per day to fewer than 65,000. Kentucky and Indiana wasted a billion dollars on highway capacity
How to solve traffic congestion: A miracle in Louisville? Read More »
What City Observatory did this week The Opposite of Planning: Why Portland’s Metro government needs to turn down the highway department request for more money to plan future freeway widenings. On paper, and to admirers, Portland has a pretty potent regional government. Metro is directly elected, and empowered to make important regional transportation decisions. It’s
The Week Observed, November 5, 2021 Read More »
Portland’s Metro regional government would be committing planning malpractice and enabling lasting fiscal and environmental damage if it goes along with state highway department freeway widening plans The proposed $5 billion, 5-mile long, 12-lane freeway I-5 bridge project is being advanced based on outdated traffic projections using 2005 data. ODOT is pushing freeway plans piecemeal,
The opposite of planning: Why Metro should stop I-5 Bridge con Read More »
