While I am feeling a little bit jaded about the possibility of this actually happening, "A" for effort to Sam for thinking creatively about what to do with this. How to pay for it? How about going the way London is and charging people a toll to drive into the city? Put the money towards more public transportation in more areas, and focus on safer access for bicyclists not only coming into downtown but in all of the neighborhoods! We don't have to absorb all the traits of the California lifestyle that has infiltrated over the decades - Portland is about standing out from the crowd and doing what we think is best for our environment, no matter what anyone else says. And I agree about paying more attention to outlying areas of the city as well - while more and more money is spent on millionaire's condos, 82nd looks very similar to how it did 20 years ago...yikes! Get a MAX going down 82nd, get a MAX going down MLK! Not everything needs to tailor to those in the suburbs -what about those of us who are actually living IN Portland and paying taxes for public schools and public transportation, yet see more and more schools closing, violence on the busses and MAX (I've seen security on MAX once in 3 months, and never on the bus in the 2 years I've taken the 6, 8, and 72 lines...we simply wait for the gunfire to stop and drive around it...). There is so much possible to do with what we already have, let's get our priorities straight and focus on creating a cleaner city that cares about all of its citizens, not just the ones in the higher tax brackets. Amen!
"A" for effort
While I am feeling a little bit jaded about the possibility of this actually happening, "A" for effort to Sam for thinking creatively about what to do with this. How to pay for it? How about going the way London is and charging people a toll to drive into the city? Put the money towards more public transportation in more areas, and focus on safer access for bicyclists not only coming into downtown but in all of the neighborhoods! We don't have to absorb all the traits of the California lifestyle that has infiltrated over the decades - Portland is about standing out from the crowd and doing what we think is best for our environment, no matter what anyone else says. And I agree about paying more attention to outlying areas of the city as well - while more and more money is spent on millionaire's condos, 82nd looks very similar to how it did 20 years ago...yikes! Get a MAX going down 82nd, get a MAX going down MLK! Not everything needs to tailor to those in the suburbs -what about those of us who are actually living IN Portland and paying taxes for public schools and public transportation, yet see more and more schools closing, violence on the busses and MAX (I've seen security on MAX once in 3 months, and never on the bus in the 2 years I've taken the 6, 8, and 72 lines...we simply wait for the gunfire to stop and drive around it...). There is so much possible to do with what we already have, let's get our priorities straight and focus on creating a cleaner city that cares about all of its citizens, not just the ones in the higher tax brackets. Amen!