pdxblakeFeb 24, 2023
Cathy Tuttle

Right Sizing for Reality

#Oregon has elected some brilliant political leaders. Rep #KhanhPham is one of them. She serves on the State #Transportation Committee.

Pham is challenging why $7.5 Billion of DOT money is going into an ill-defined mega-project rather than where our priorities must be: #PublicTransit, #Safe #Streets, connected communities and #Climate solutions.

None of the $7.5 Billion is for #LightRail, #BikeLanes, #Walkways.

#JustTransitAlliance #PCEF
https://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/2022/12/opinion-up-to-75-billion-for-interstate-bridge-replacement-project-time-to-rightsize-for-reality.html

Opinion: Up to $7.5 billion for Interstate Bridge replacement project? Time to rightsize for reality

Blowing as much as $7 billion on five miles of freeway between Vancouver and North Portland risks emptying our coffers at a time when neglected rural roads are crumbling, and our city streets are verifiably dangerous, writes Rep. Khanh Pham. Rather, we should scale down plans and emphasize a safer bridge and incentivizing transit uptake to make dollars available for other transportation needs.

oregonlive
Dec 18, 2022 at 9:26pmWeb
Show threadCathy TuttleFeb 23, 2023

Rep #KhanhPham just co-sponsored a bill that will allow money and staff time to go to kids, caregivers, and schools to choose walking, biking and public transit.

Right now Oregon, and most US school districts, force transportation money to be spent only on car travel and yellow schoolbuses.

Dozens of kids in bike helmets came to the state capitol to express support. Sweet photo of @ShawneMartinez from @bikeloudpdx testifying.

Photo RT https://twitter.com/KhanhPhamForOR/status/1628159360932417538

#BikeTooter

Khanh Pham for Oregon on Twitter

“Deep gratitude for the families & community leaders who took yesterday off to testify in support of House Bill 3014, our bill that will allow school districts greater options to invest in programs encouraging students to walk, bike, and take transit to school. Dozens”

Twitter
Show threadpdxblakeDec 19, 2022
@CathyTuttle It's an excellent argument for reconsidering the 20th century priorities that have been baked into transportation governance. Gov. Brown totally showed no concern about how captured the Oregon Transportation Commission is by the "freeway industrial complex". Hopefully Gov. Kotek will make changing this status quo a priority since she seems to be more willing to challenge vested interests. I am also glad for orgs like #BikeLoudPDX who are willing to do the same!
Show threadCathy TuttleDec 19, 2022

@pdxblake

Might be time to update ODOT Values. They are vague.
Integrity: Accountable & transparent w public funds & hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards
Safety: Share ownership & responsibility for ensuring safety in all that we do
Equity: Embrace diversity & foster a culture of inclusion
Excellence: Use skills and expertise to continuously strive to be more efficient, effective & innovative
Unity: Work together as OneODOT to provide better solutions & ensure alignment in our work

Show threadpdxblakeDec 19, 2022

@CathyTuttle I think the evidence of budget overruns on project after project without any accountability puts a question of whether there is the appropriate governance in place to make the values realistic.

Building on Gov. Brown's executive order on climate change and claimed commitment by the City of Portland (where many megaprojects are being planned) at the C40, there has to be explicit climate focus to shift from a polluting status quo to a clean, healthy & safe transportation future.

Show threadCathy TuttleDec 19, 2022

@pdxblake
#Oregon + #PDX talk #Climate #Cost #Equity.
Talk is not enough.

Check this #PCEF presentation on 12/15/22 by #Portland BPS Climate Policy Analyst Kyle Diesner (starts at 40:33) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9p_GUSpf7o

He was honest about #carbon #emissions:

We've done the easy stuff well
We've flatlined when we need to speed up
Reductions now are mostly not driven by #policy
25% of emissions come from #electricity generation (and Ecars won't save us)
#Transportation is HUGE emissions problem: 42%

PCEF Grant Committee Meeting 12-15-22

YouTube
Show threadpdxblakeDec 19, 2022
@CathyTuttle Holy cow, a near-lost decade of emissions reduction from 2012-2020!
Show threadpdxblakeDec 19, 2022
@CathyTuttle Transportation is a huge problem and where the least progress was made in the "lost decade" when population increased and VMT didn't decline. It seems like what you would expect from a city that is allergic to making driving harder and infill easier.
Show threadjsjFeb 24, 2023

@CathyTuttle Where can a layman go to learn more about how these priorities work for and against one another?

It makes perfect sense to allocate funds to public transit and encourage cycling and other modes of transportation. But to a layman like me who lives in a suburb and relies on a car, the Interstate Bridge seems woefully inadequate for the car travel needs of *today*.

I’d love to better understand the path from where we are to an ideal in practical terms for an area like VanWa-PDX.

Show threadjsjFeb 24, 2023
@CathyTuttle I hope I’ve phrased things well enough to make clear I’m not coming from a “well, but actually” perspective. Genuinely want to understand.
Show threadCathy TuttleFeb 25, 2023

@joseph I think a lot about your question Joseph. How to spend money so people who still need to drive, like you, can soon rely on transportation that doesn't force you to own & maintain a car.

We collectively make food, clothing, & other things so we don't need to own farms, looms, & other equipment. Cars are equipment you won't have to own if good transit is provided.

Short term? Tolls. Stop congestion w/out expanding lanes. A high % of WA-OR travel is to save sales taxes. Invest in transit.