Month: February 2022
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The Week Observed, February 25, 2022
What City Observatory did this week Freeway widening for whomst? Woke-washing is all the rage among those pushing highway projects these days, and there’s no better example that Portland’s I-5 “bridge replacement” project (really a 5 mile long, 12 lane wide, $5 billion road expansion). It’s being sold as a boon for low income workers…
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Freeway widening for whomst?
Widening freeways is no way to promote equity. The proposed $5 billion widening of I-5 between Portland and Vancouver is purportedly being undertaken with “an equity lens,” but widening Portland’s I-5 freeway serves higher income, predominantly white workers commuting from Washington suburbs to jobs in Oregon. The median income of peak hour, drive alone commuters…
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The Week Observed, February 18, 2022
What City Observatory did this week Oregon’s highway agency rigs its projections to maximize revenue and downplay its culpability for climate challenge. ODOT has two different standards for forecasting: When it forecasts revenue, it says it will ignore adopted policies—especially ones that will reduce its revenue. When it forecasts greenhouse gas emissions, assumes policies that don’t…
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ODOT’s forecasting double standard
Oregon’s highway agency rigs its projections to maximize revenue and downplay its culpability for climate challenge ODOT has two different standards for forecasting: When it forecasts revenue, it says it will ignore adopted policies–especially ones that will reduce its revenue. When it forecasts greenhouse gas emissions, assumes policies that don’t exist–especially ones that will magically…
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The Week Observed, February 11, 2022
What City Observatory did this week The “replacement” bridge con. It’s telling that perhaps the largest single consulting expense for Oregon and Washington transportation departments’ efforts to revive the failed multi-billion Columbia River Crossing project is $5 million for “communications” consultants. The project has emphasized a misleading rebranding to call it mere “bridge replacement” project,…
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The I-5 bridge “replacement” con
Oregon and Washington highway builders have re-branded the failed Columbia River Crossing as a “bridge replacement” project: It’s not. Less than 30 percent of the cost of the nearly $5 billion project is actually for replacing the existing highway bridge, according to independent accountants. Most of the cost is for widening the freeway and rebuilding…
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The Week Observed, February 4, 2022
What City Observatory did this week Climate and our Groundhog Day Doom Loop. It’s Groundhog Day—again—and we’re stuck in exactly the same place when it comes to climate policy. Scientists are regularly offering up increasing dire warnings and every more irrefutable evidence of climate change. Extreme weather events: fires, floods, drought, hurricanes are becoming increasingly…
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Climate: Our Groundhog Day Doom Loop
Every year, the same story: We profess to care about climate change, but we’re driving more and greenhouse gas emissions are rising rapidly. Oregon is stuck in an endless loop of lofty rhetoric, distant goals, and zero actual progress Another year, another Groundhog Day, and another bleak report that we’re not making any progress on…