Class Bisque Kiln

As we near the end of the Winter session, many of my students are rushing to get their “challenge projects” completed & glaze fired for the last class. So we opted to load a class bisque kiln with some of their pieces last night. It will speed up the process a smidge, and it was a great first-time kiln loading experience for most them.

Sure, not my tightest packed kiln ever…
but I did manage to squeeze in a few of my own pieces as “kiln filler.”

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Sweet Peeps!!!

A super “sweet” class last night when a former student brought us some “peeps”…
and a current student brought two packages!!! Thanks Laury & Steven!!!
The new Peeps OREO’s are VERY bright, VERY pink and VERY sweet!!!

Just one small bite was more than enough for my friend Pam who stopped by to check on our class festivities!!! So I “just had to” finish it off for her!!!

 

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Guest article: The Street Trust’s goals for the 2017 transportation funding package

(Author’s note: This article is the second part in a three-part series from The Street Trust, the Portland-based nonprofit fighting to win $161 million for safe streets, transit operations, and clean air in the 2017 Oregon legislative session. See part one here)

Cover of Transportation for Oregon’s Future legislative plan outline.
(PDF)

Oregon is in the best position to pass policy improvements and transportation funding in the 2017 legislative session, since the highway-heavy Jobs and Transportation Act of 2009. This is our chance to win $161 million in funding for safe streets.

The Street Trust is part of Transportation for Oregon, a coalition of progressive partners including Oregon Environmental Council, OPAL Environmental Justice Oregon, 1000 Friends of Oregon, Transportation for America, Better Eugene-Springfield Transit, the Oregon Conservation Network, as well as many others who are focused on winning the following key priorities in this session’s forthcoming transportation package:

Goal: A new state and/or local revenue source for transit needs.

Currently, transit providers across the state are unable to keep up with increased ridership, the needs of youth, the needs of older adults, and the needs of people with disabilities. Oregon contributes proportionately much less funding to transit than most other states—only 3% of operations funding, compared with state contributions of over 24% nationally. We’re asking the legislature to provide state funding to match and leverage local, regional and federal funds; to invest in more transit service (a lifeline in rural communities and key growth strategy in cities and suburbs).

Goal: Launch a statewide youth transit program to fund transit passes and improve transit service that expands youth access to schools, jobs and other opportunities.

Due to limited transportation options, some students are chronically late or absent, fall behind, and simply drop out of school altogether. We’re asking the legislature to help youth succeed, by providing free or reduced-price transit passes to youth and improving transit service to meet youth’s transportation needs, including access to broader opportunities (after-school activities, tutoring and jobs).

Goal: Achieve zero serious traffic and work zone injuries and fatalities in Oregon by 2035; establish a broad task force to help build consensus around shared safety goals focusing on policy, roadway improvements, outreach and enforcement

The number of pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists killed on Oregon roadways each year has increased the last two consecutive years. During that time period, 973 people have died on our streets (492 in 2016 and 445 in 2015). To achieve zero deaths or serious injuries, our transportation system must be easy to navigate and safe for all ages and physical abilities, while providing safe transportation options. Improving roadway design, speeds, enforcement, behaviors, technology, and policies will make our roads and streets safer for all users.

Goal: Expand the Safe Routes to School program to build safe places to walk, bike, and access transit to school, prioritizing Title 1 schools where a majority of students are eligible for free and reduced lunch.

Kids who can safely walk and bike to their neighborhood school get regular physical activity and perform better in school, but far too many Oregon communities lack safe sidewalks, bikeways and crosswalks. Comprehensive Safe Routes to School programs (including safety education and street safety improvements near schools) are very effective, increasing walking and biking to school by 40%. Keep an eye out for our April legislative update, which will include a deep dive into the Safe Routes to School For Every Kid Campaign.

Goal: Identify new revenues for biking and walking safety projects, inside and outside the highway right of way.

Better bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure provides critical and affordable connections, while improving community health and well-being. As Oregon’s population grows—putting greater demands on the transportation system—giving more people the choice to walk or bike will be critical to reducing congestion. Additionally, the state’s economy benefits from people who travel by foot or by bike to visit Oregon’s scenic beauty and tourist destinations; bicycle tourism brings millions spent annually in local communities. We’re asking the legislature to dedicate increased revenue toward making bicycling and walking infrastructure safe and plentiful.

Goal: Increase state funding for planning and projects that achieve greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals.

Transportation is the single largest source of climate-changing greenhouse gases (GHGs) in Oregon. Recognizing this, the legislature provided the state’s major urban areas with the authority and planning tools to create land use and transportation plans that result in less climate pollution over time. Each major urban area now has a transportation-related GHG reduction target, but only the Portland metro area is required to meet its target. Oregon’s Department of Land Conservation and Development (DLCD) and Department of Transportation (ODOT) have provided technical assistance to other urban areas around the state that recognize the many co-benefits of this type of planning (e.g., better health, lower household transportation costs, and less expensive infrastructure). We’re asking the legislature for a small infusion of funding to enable DLCD and ODOT to provide continued technical assistance.

Goal: Support the purchase of zero emission electric vehicles.

Electric vehicles are inexpensive to operate and maintain: several models can be leased for less than $200 per month. However, upfront costs can still be a barrier. A rebate of up to $2,500 will help cover the cost of a down payment, expanding the market and helping Oregon clean up its air and keep more fuel spending circulating in the local economy. Additionally, we’re asking the legislature to provide rebates to help transit districts cover the upfront costs of clean electric buses and pilot ways to ensure that low- income families benefit from clean electric transportation.

Goal: Ensure Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) management structure and spending decisions are transparent and accountable to Oregonians.

The public has low confidence that the state is investing in the most cost-effective transportation projects or those that will yield the greatest benefits in communities across the state. ODOT has the opportunity to rebuild trust in two ways. First, it will adapt its management based on recommendations from a current audit of agency. Second, by creating a consistent, objective scoring process reflecting Oregon’s values to evaluate projects and clearly communicating that process online, ODOT can help the public more clearly see how decisions are made.

Goal: In order to maximize accountability, transparency, and return on investment, utilize principles from project prioritization, least cost planning and practical design.

ODOT’s transportation investment decisions are largely stakeholder-driven, with inconsistent application of techniques that maximize return on investment, reducing taxpayers’ confidence that they are getting the most for their tax dollar. Three strategies work in tandem to maximize accountability, transparency and return on investment:

1. By creating a new, objective scoring process to evaluate projects, the Oregon Transportation Commission will be able to pick projects that have a strong return-on-investment, and legislators and taxpayers will have a clear way to see the results from spending on transportation projects.

2. Least cost planning applied to priority corridors around Oregon will allow stakeholders to apply their values to come up with groups of projects that work together to solve challenges on each corridor.

3. Giving ODOT greater flexibility to design projects and tasking the agency to reduce project costs (i.e., practical design) will allow for more cost-effective designs that can still increase safety and access but at a lower cost and more appropriate scale.

As a coalition we’ve been working with legislators and people across the state to ensure that we have the support we need to win at least $161 million worth of annual funding for these priorities. By focusing the transportation funding package on a broad array of safety improvements, bicycle and pedestrian investments, and environmental safeguards, we can create a more balanced transportation system that offers Oregonians more choices for how we get around.

Here’s how you can help:

Contact your legislators. Have conversations around the importance of investing in new transit, safety, safe routes, and bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure. In the coming months, follow up your conversations with legislators to remind them how important our ask is, and attend hearings (currently scheduled on Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.) at the Capitol in Salem.

Deliver testimony. Share your personal story about why you want safe streets; convince the Legislature to invest.

Sign up and stay informed. Receive action alerts from The Street Trust, throughout the legislative
session. This is one of the best ways to stay involved in the process; our coalition partners will be pushing for your support as well. For more information on Transportation for Oregon’s future, check out our coalition’s website.

— Gerik Kransky, Policy Director, The Street Trust

BikePortland is supported by the community (that means you!). Please become a subscriber or make a donation today.

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How Vision Zero became the City of Portland’s top transportation priority

With plan in hand, the Vision Zero Task Force is getting down to the business of implementation. And they’re not messing around. This photo is from their meeting in City Hall earlier this month.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

Just three short years ago Portland’s commissioner-in-charge of transportation hadn’t even heard of Vision Zero. Now the traffic safety concept is the target of more attention from the Bureau of Transportation than any other issue. More than paving streets, more than responding to historic snowstorms, and more than patching potholes.

“Every death on our roadways is a failure of government, a failure of our community, and a failure we refuse to accept.”
— Leah Treat, PBOT Director in a speech to Portland City Club in 2014.

On February 16th, the City of Portland notched their Vision Zero efforts up yet another level. At the first meeting of their Vision Zero Task Force since the Vision Zero Action Plan was adopted in December, the 26 city staffers and community advocates turned their energy toward implementation. This high-powered and impressively diverse group from a range of agencies, bureaus, and community organizations is just the tip of the spear when it comes to Vision Zero in Portland.

In three years, Vision Zero has become a potent coordinating principle that has galvanized city staff from a number bureaus, focused PBOT’s energy toward specific policies, programs, and projects, and brought a host of activists and community leaders to the table for important conversations about how to improve daily life on our streets. How did this happen? I’ve noticed several factors that have played a significant role…

PBOT Director Leah Treat
The Vision Zero relay began before Leah Treat was even on Portland’s team. But she grabbed the baton on the first days of her job and hasn’t stopped running since.

The idea of Vision Zero originally came from Sweden and Portland transportation leaders didn’t start to hear about it until 2010. Since then it grew in popularity and in practice with local transportation advocacy groups like Oregon Walks and The Street Trust (formerly the Bicycle Transportation Alliance). Former Mayor Charlie Hales supported the idea of Vision Zero, but never embraced it as an organizational compass the way Treat has.

Treat made Vision Zero a priority from Day One. She told the KBOO Bike Show in 2014 that she talked up the idea that “one person being killed on our roads is too many” to her staff during her first week on the job. After saying she’d include Vision Zero in a PBOT action plan document, Treat told City Club in April 2014 in her first major speech as director that, “Every death on our roadways is a failure of government, a failure of our community, and a failure we refuse to accept.”

PBOT staff support
Policy language and plans can seem like empty promises to activists, but they’re often required precursors to action. With Treat’s commitment and other key PBOT staff — like Active Transportation and Safety Division Manager Margi Bradway and Policy, Planning and Projects Group Manager Art Pearce (both of whom were at the February 16th task force meeting) — lined up in support of the idea, the Portland City Council unanimously passed a Vision Zero resolution in 2015. That was followed by passage of the Action Plan a year later. The plan included a robust public and stakeholder committee process that wouldn’t have happened without strong support from then PBOT Commissioner Steve Novick and former Mayor Charlie Hales. The passage of the plan gave PBOT and the public an opportunity to educate City Council members about the importance of traffic safety and the Vision Zero approach. That support from Council is a major reason why Vision Zero has such a full head of steam today.

The Task Force

Notes taken by PBOT staff during February 16th Vision Zero Task Force meeting.

I’ve followed many stakeholder committees over the years. I’ve never seen one as eager to volunteer their evenings than the one behind the Vision Zero Action Plan. And I’ve never seen one that not only has remained intact after the plan they worked on was adopted by council, but now wants to meet even more frequently than PBOT originally envisioned in order to get all the work done.

Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Steven Todd discussed enforcement with Black Parent Initiative Co-founder Charles McGee at their February 16th meeting.

The committee itself is admirably diverse in terms of gender, race, and organizational representation. It includes members from; a health insurance company, a trauma nurse, the co-founder of the Black Parent Initiative, a transportation researcher, a circuit court judge, police officers, a deputy with the Portland Fire Bureau, and others. At their recent meeting they discussed issues like automated enforcement, the city’s legislative agenda, how to make crash data more timely and accurate, and how an increase in uniformed officers looking for traffic safety violations might impact places where many people of color live and work.

A Tragic 2016
Despite Portland’s best efforts, traffic deaths skyrocketed in 2016. With 45 deaths — several of them being high-profile incidents that put PBOT under pressure thanks to activists and the local media — PBOT had a real-life crisis on their hands. The freshly passed Vision Zero Action Plan and the support of staff and elected officials who helped pass it, gave them the ability to respond with authority and credibility. The city’s response to the safety emergency on outer Division is a prime example of how this played out.

Geography matters
Another factor that explains Vision Zero’s rise in Portland is geography. It just so happens that the same part of our city that has been historically neglected by transportation investments is also the place that suffers the most negative consequences from unsafe streets. Even before Vision Zero became a household word in Portland, East Portland advocates had begun to turn the trend of disinvestment around. Once the Vision Zero safety lens was added to the equity lens, the argument for putting money into programs and projects east of 82nd that would save lives became even stronger.

A new transportation commissioner
Commissioner Dan Saltzman is the most senior member of Portland City Council. When he was named as commissioner-in-charge of PBOT by Mayor Ted Wheeler, we didn’t know what to expect. So far what we’ve seen is a rock-solid commitment to traffic safety that is another reason why Vision Zero has so much momentum right now.

On February 16th, Saltzman started the day by telling Metro’s Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (where he represents PBOT), that, “Division Street is not a high crash corridor. It’s a death corridor. We are losing too many people there.” Later that same day he addressed the Vision Zero Task Force meeting by telling members, “We are very concerned about increasing accidents in our city and we’ll be listening very carefully to your wisdom and advice.” And just today he again used the “death corridor” line in a story about PBOT’s emergency speed limit plans published by The Oregonian.

Taken together, all of these elements have combined to make Vision Zero a powerful political force and organizing principle in Portland.

Evidence of momentum is easy to find. At the recent Task Force meeting PBOT unveiled a list of 15 safety projects on high crash corridors that will break ground this year. Seven of those projects are called out in the Vision Zero Action Plan. And fresh off their success garnering $1 million for a safety project on outer Halsey last fall, last week PBOT shared their first major Vision Zero-specific budget ask: a $2.2 million request of the City’s General Fund that would be split up between eight projects from the Vision Zero Action Plan (we’ll share more details in a separate post). PBOT has many needs. They could asked for General Fund money to pay for other projects or programs. But the agency has a clear directive right now: Vision Zero is their top priority.

I hope they don’t prove me wrong.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

BikePortland is supported by the community (that means you!). Please become a subscriber or make a donation today.

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Portland Congressman Earl Blumenauer introduces Vision Zero bill

When it comes to road safety, Blumenauer (shown here riding in rural Washington County in 2013), has more skin in the game than most of his Capitol Hill colleagues.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

U.S. Congressman Earl Blumenauer introduced a bill today to help cities across the country to move forward with Vision Zero policies, plans and projects.

The “Vision Zero Act of 2017” was co-introduced with Representative Vern Buchanan, a Republican from Florida.

The bill is split into two sections: One to fund the creation of Vision Zero plans, and the other that would fund the implementation of those plans. $5 million would be set aside each year for the next five years (starting in 2018) for the planning grants and $25 million a year for the implementation grants, which could be split by up to five different entities (any political subdivision of a state is eligible, including; towns, cities, counties, and so on).

This bill is similar to one Blumenauer introduced in 2015. This version however, offers a more detailed list of potential plan elements and reads like a list of Vision Zero best practices. Among the suggestions in the bill are, “an examination of how development and implementation of safety-focused automotive technologies, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication can help eliminate transportation-related fatalities and serious injuries,” and “a focus on reducing speeds to the extent practicable within State law and separating modes of transportation.” The bill also specifically calls out the need for plans to, “equitably address the safety needs of low-income and minority communities and ensure that such communities are not disproportionately targeted by law enforcement.”

The bill also requires grantees to report back to Congress (and make available to the public) all the projects and programs funded by the grant and the demographics of the people who received the benefits of the grant.

For cities like Portland, who have already passed a robust Vision Zero Plan, the project implementation grant program requires 20 percent in local matching funds.

The timing of this bill is no accident. One week from today, hundreds of bike advocates from across the country will be on Capitol Hill as part of the National Bike Summit’s Lobby Day. The Vision Zero Act is one of three official “asks” the Summit’s organizers, the League of American Bicyclists, will encourage attendees to talk with their Senators and House Representatives about.

Before you get too excited about the impact this bill could have, consider that its passage isn’t likely. The 2015 bill had 32 cosponsors and only one of them, Rep. Buchanan, was a Republican. The bill never made it out of committee. With the 115th Congress being the most partisan of all time, the power of this bill will likely be in how it helps spur conversations about Vision Zero among advocates and lawmakers on The Hill.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

BikePortland is supported by the community (that means you!). Please become a subscriber or make a donation today.

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The skinny on the three Portland-area freeways lined up for state funding

The projects would add supply to a high-demand system.
(Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)

By now you’ve probably heard whispers and/or seen the headlines about the three freeway widening projects in the Portland region that are a top priority of lawmakers statewide. The goal of the projects is to improve driving conditions for motor vehicle users on Interstate 217 south of Beaverton, I-5 adjacent to the Rose Quarter, and I-205 south of Oregon City.

These three projects represent an estimated cost of $1,000,000,000 — that’s a billion with a “b”. Lawmakers won’t be able to fully fund them in their forthcoming transportation package, but it’s expected they’ll get a significant jumpstart.

Because freeway expansions tend to be very controversial in our region (with good reason), these projects have flown under-the-radar of most people (except those working to get them funded). Another reason there hasn’t been a robust public debate about these projects is that — even though they’ve been listed in various plans (like Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan) for many years — they’ve been unfunded and relegated to “wish lists”. But now that real money is on the table, the tone around these projects has quickly gotten a lot more serious. Everyone who cares about the future of transportation in our region should learn more about them.

Like I mentioned above, these three projects alone are estimated to cost about $1 billion. Now that I have your attention, here’s what I’ve found out about each one…

I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan – Cost estimate: $450 million (including $200 million for surface streets)

Freeway and local surface street changes between I-84 and I-405

Recommended project.
(Graphic: City of Portland)

Planners at the Oregon Department of Transportation have wanted to expand I-5 at this location for well over a decade. In 2010, the project was dusted off and became a major component of the City of Portland’s N/NE Quadrant Plan, which was adopted by City Council in October 2012.

The main issue planners have with this section of the freeway is congestion. At two lanes in each direction and with no shoulders for a segment near the Rose Quarter, it has become a notorious chokepoint (the Federal Highway Administration ranks it as the #36 in a ranking of 50 “freight bottlenecks” nationwide). In addition to high volumes of local and regional traffic, ODOT says the weaving and exit ramps contribute to a high number of rear-end crashes that make the congestion unpredictable. This “non-recurring” congestion caused by random collisions is especially problematic for freight companies because it means even if they plan trips outside of peak hours, their cargo still might get held up. This freight congestion is why the project has strong support from lawmakers, elected officials, and business owners from around the region and the state.

Years ago, when ODOT first looked at a “fix” for this problem, their initial plan included numerous new through lanes and interchange expansions. But realizing that a massive highway expansion in the Portland’s central city is a non-starter, ODOT saw an opportunity to partner with the Portland Bureau of Transportation in the N/NE Quadrant Plan. Together, the two agencies came up with a plan that dramatically scaled back the highway expansion elements of ODOT’s original concept and added a significant amount of local surface street improvements. It was a compromise made in planning heaven: ODOT could get some additional capacity for the freeway and PBOT would get a host of changes to local streets around the freeway to help spur development and improve traffic flow in a crucial corridor between the Lloyd District and downtown.

Another key reason the City of Portland supports this project: One of the concessions they received from ODOT was a Multimodal Mixed-use Area (MMA) designation. This gives Portland the ability to not be bound by state planning laws that can limit land-use development if freeway capacity is constrained. In other words, with the MMA designation in hand, the City of Portland can re-zone the Lloyd/Rose Quarter area for new development without worrying about how that development will impact congestion — in effect, giving Portland the ability to prioritize the movement of people over the movement of cars.

Here are the basic elements of the plan (taken from official project document):

– Transportation Demand Management strategies to help reduce demand and manage trips in peak hours.
– Extend auxiliary lanes (for local traffic that gets on-then-off) in both directions.
– Add full-width shoulders in both directions
– Relocate I-5 southbound on-ramp to Weidler/Williams (from current location at Wheeler/Winning Way/Williams)
– Convert Williams to a reverse traffic‐flow connection between Broadway and Weidler (includes a barrier‐separated pedestrian/bicycle path in the middle).
– Construct Clackamas pedestrian/bicycle overcrossing (establishes connection over I‐5 from Winning Way to Clackamas).
– Re‐construct the Vancouver Structure and Remove the Flint Structure; Reconfigure streets North of Broadway to include Hancock/Dixon Structure and Lid.

Last night at the Portland Planning & Sustainability Commission meeting, Commissioner Chris Smith proposed an amendment to the Central City Plan to take this project out of the city’s Transportation System Plan. Smith, the sole PSC commissioner who voted against the project in 2012, thinks a project that “makes driving easier” is not the best use of scarce funds. His amendment received support from several other commissioners but was ultimately voted down. Stay tuned for a recap of that meeting. We’ll also report much more on this project in the coming weeks and months. For now, learn more by reading the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan (PDF) and check the BikePortland archives for past stories and comments.

I-205 “Operational Enhancements” – Cost estimate: $450 million

Add lanes in six-mile segment between Stafford Road and Abernethy Bridge

(Graphic: Clackamas County)

Metro’s RTP (PDF) includes a list of over $510 million in “improvements” and expansions of I-205 in the 25-mile segment between the I-5 interchange in Tualatin and the Portland Airport. It appears to me that two specific pieces of that plan are being considered for funding.

According to a fact sheet published by Clackamas County, the project would add a third lane in both directions for a six-mile segment from the Stafford Road interchange to the Abernethy Bridge, and then widen the bridge itself with auxiliary lanes. A wider freeway is needed, say project backers, because I-205 is a “freight and commuter bypass” to the I-5 corridor (see above) and it frequently backs up with congestion. As the region around the freeway grows, there’s a concern that traffic will only get worse.

Highway 217 Auxiliary Lanes – Cost estimate: $100 million

Add lanes between Beaverton and Highway 99 in Tigard

(Graphic: ODOT)

This project aims to improve safety and ease congestion on a seven-mile stretch of Oregon State Highway 217. In a fact-sheet on this project produced by ODOT, the agency makes a very similar case for improvements here as they do for the I-5 project. They say the lack of width and numerous ramps cause weaving, which leads to crashes, which leads to unpredictable and frequent congestion. ODOT says safety is main motivation for this project. The two new lanes and an interchange improvement, reads the project description, “are not intended to address capacity-related congestion problems, but rather to provide immediate and long-term safety improvements at bottleneck locations.”

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ODOT and other agencies and leaders around the state are working on numerous highway expansion projects (did you hear the one about the “Northwest Passage”?) — but these three are the hot ones right now.

Like them or not, all three of these projects are very well-positioned to receive funding. They are recommended in Metro’s latest Regional Transportation Plan, have broad support among electeds and other leaders, and they are seen as the answer to the loud drumbeat of “we must fix congestion in Portland!” that is being heard loudly in Salem right now on both sides of the political aisle.

And perhaps the strongest sign of the State’s commitment to these projects is their inclusion in a letter (PDF) from Oregon Governor Kate Brown’s Washington D.C. office to the National Governors Association. Dated December 28th, 2016 and written in response to a request from the NGA for a list of “shovel-ready” projects in need of federal funding (a list they could forward to President Trump’s transition team), the letter included the following passage under the heading, “Congestion Mitigation”:

We are also ready to get to work to increase the capacity of our statewide highway system. The 2016 report issued by the Governor’s Transportation Vision Panel found communities in every corner of our state are facing tremendous challenges with Portland-area congestion and bottlenecks statewide. This is slowing commuters and freight movement up and down the I-5 corridor and posing a serious roadblock to a thriving Oregon economy. Oregon agricultural producers and manufacturers are struggling to get their products to market reliably as congestion worsens, and strategic highway enhancement and safety projects will strengthen Oregon’s competitiveness and help spur economic growth.

A $450 million investment in operation enhancements on I-205, along with a $100 million to make improvements on OR 217 will enhance freight mobility, improve safety, and reduce congestion throughout Oregon. Capacity along 1-205 will increase from the Abernethy Bridge to the Stafford Road Interchange, and . These improvement projects will jump-start Oregon’s economy, create thousands of new jobs for Oregonians, and support the domestic manufacturing industry.

Governor Brown and leaders around the state think the completion of these projects will “create thousands of jobs,” “facilitate a freer flow of freight and local traffic” and “support the economy.” Unfortunately the truth is much less optimistic.

Stay tuned for more coverage of these individual projects and the soon-to-be-released transportation package.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

BikePortland is supported by the community (that means you!). Please become a subscriber or make a donation today.

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Training Little Ones to Keep a Schedule

If you have been reading OMF for long you know one of Becky's top organizing tips is to keep a schedule!  Whether its her own weekly cleaning routine, or her kids Schedule, she keeps much of her home and family running by being consistent about her schedules.  In this post I will share a few ideas for how to train your preschooler to be more independent in keeping their daily schedule.  

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