ODOT and WSDOT are over-estimating future traffic on the I-5 bridge because they’re over stated the willingness to pay for travel time savings The result will be an under-utilized, over-built I-5 bridge, and congestion on
Value of Time: Mis-estimating tolls and traffic Read Post »
The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) blames its financial crisis on declining revenue from cleaner, more efficient cars. The reality is that the agency suffers from chronic overspending on highway megaprojects. Motor fuel revenue is
OregonDOT’s real financial problem isn’t revenue. It’s mega project cost overruns Read Post »
Gentrification: Â Here’s your all-purpose list, from artists to zoning, of who and what’s to blame We first published this list in 2019, but the realm of suggested scapegoats has expanded, and now includes fire, gray
Our 2025 list from A to Z of everything that causes gentrification Read Post »
Portland transportation: PBOT is broke, the city has a $600 million annual O&M deficit, 50% of streets are in “poor or very poor” condition, and traffic deaths are up sharply. So why is spending $1.9
If we’re so broke, why are we spending $2 billion to widen a mile of freeway? Read Post »
What City Observatory Did This Week Profligacy for freeways, penury for city streets: Why Portland’s transportation system is broken.  There’s a glaring chasm in transportation finance in Portland. While the city is broke and half
The Week Observed, February 28, 2025 Read Post »
Highway department’s are selling multi-billion dollar highway widening projects based on flawed traffic projections. The projections prepared for the predecessor of the proposed $7.5 billion Interstate Bridge Replacement project predicted traffic would grow 1.3 percent
History shows IBR modeling is simply wrong Read Post »
