Northeast Portland

Commissioner Adams joined developers Ray Leary and Jeana Woolley, PDC Commissioner Charles Wilhoite and Carl Talton to celebrate the grand opening of Vanport Square - located on NE Martin Luther King, Jr Blvd & Alberta. Sam's remarks follow:

Thank you Ray for that introduction. It's wonderful to join you all here today on this brisk morning for a project opening that warms the heart.

CEO Jake Nichol and Commissioner Sam at Leatherman Tools: It was love at first sight for Sam and Leatherman Tool's new gardening shearsSam visited Leatherman Tools' recently renovated headquarters and manufacturing center in NE Portland to hear about what the famously innovative folks are up to.   Sam got a chance to talk about his work with workforce development, support of Manufacturing 21 and other ways the City of Portland is working to support our local economy. 

As Sam's Public Advocate for transportation, the year 2007 continued to provide me with abundant opportunities to assist citizens with their questions and concerns regarding City services and projects. Specifically, the insightful and passionate inquiries we received challenged me, along with other bureaus throughout the City, to "think outside the box" and in turn to provide action-oriented responses to citizens seeking results.

Under the changes, lobbying entities who spend more than eight hours "attempting to influence the official action of City officials" must register with the auditor. Under the original ordinance sponsored by Sam, elected officials and bureau directors must publish their official calendars. This is an effort to disclose who is meeting with city leaders and whose interests are being represented in the decisions of the council.

Proposed changes to the City of Portland's Transportation System Development Charge (TSDC)  program, as well as the list of improvement projects, reflect the direct involvement of several hundred stakeholders over the course of the TSDC Update study.  The Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) -- representing a broad spectrum of Portland's residents, business community and interest groups -- oversaw the project from its inception.

Sam's comments to Council during today's work session:

Thank you for participating in this work session, where we will have the opportunity to discuss at length the status of the city, state, regional and federal efforts to secure capital and operating funds for the Portland Streetcar Loop Project.

This discussion is extremely important for many reasons, not the least of which is the fact that we have assembled more outside matching funds for this project than any previous Portland streetcar project. A big thank you is in order to U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Peter DeFazio for their efforts on the federal level and to the Oregon State Legislature for helping us get to where we are today.

Jennifer Anderson

The Portland Tribune

The unexpected downpour this week didn’t throw Eva Frazier for a loop at all.

Peggy Anderson

On Sunday, June 17, Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams joined ten Nob Hill business owners and residents in a walk along NW 23rd Avenue to assess the street's proposed reconstruction and to hear the views and concerns of those who live and work in the area.  Adams oversees Portland's transportation system - which Adams says is "in trouble." The commissioner's website www.commissionersam.com outlines the following facts about the city's transportation infrastructure:

Out with the people in ParkroseSam visited the Parkrose Business District today for a walk about. Parkrose was once the gateway to the Gorge before I 84 was opened. It was the last urban center on the road to Mt. Hood. Since then much of the traffic to the mountian has been diverted, but the main arterials, Prescott and Sandy, still carry a good amount of traffic both to Gresham and west though town. The District runs from about 70th to 122nd along those main thoroughfares.

We were able to learn about some of the main concerns of businesses in this traffic heavy part of NE Portland. Speed is a significant issue. Many businesses want traffic to be calmed, so that cars don't fly by their storefronts and safety is improved.

Residents of the Central North East Neighborhood Coalition discussed their safety concerns at the budget town hall meeting Monday night. Unsafe intersections, unprotected pedestrian crossings, unmarked islands and poor pedestrian routes were primary concerns of residents in the district that spans the Cully, Rose City Park, Sumner, Hollywood, Beaumont-Wilshire, Roseway, Madison-South and Sunderland Neighborhoods.

Sam and Clarence Larkins, President of 42nd Avenue Business AssoicationCommissioner Adams clearly stated that his top priority is safety; when having to choose between dangerous intersections and unimproved roads, he will choose to spend money to save lives.

In 2002, after more than a year of public planning, a bi-state task force appointed by Washington and Oregon Governors Gary Locke and John Kitzhaber published the Portland/Vancouver I-5 Transportation and Trade Partnership Strategic Plan.

The task force, composed of community, business, and elected representatives of Washington and Oregon, was responding to concerns about the growing congestion on I-5. The plan included recommendations for highway improvements, transit, traffic management, heavy rail, land use coordination, and environmental justice. The first recommendation for I-5 called for widening the freeway to 3 lanes between Delta Park and Lombard Avenue.

Bikers- Light up! Drivers-Be aware!On November 30th,  Sam launched Portland's first Bike Light Parade at the Community Cycling Center. This parade kicked off our winter cycling safety campaign, "See and Be Seen." We brightened up a chilly Alberta Street Last Thursday with an array of bike lights, Christmas lights, reflective gear, glow sticks, and more. Although Sam's bike was bright enough to leave you seeing spots, he had some serious competition in the all of the "Best and the Brightest" contest categories. Any bike that arrived without proper lighting departed with a free set of front and back lights installed by Jeff Bernards, the founder and operator of the Get Lit campaign.

Sam helps BOM fix Potholes...When Sam became the transportation commissioner a year ago, finding a way to improve Portland's roads was at the top of his list of priorities. He was concerned with the city's many unpaved gravel roads, the prevalence of potholes and bumps, and the overall quality of the road system.

Thursday, November 16, 2006
By Stephen Beaven

The surveys are complete. The data are in. And we now know this about North Portland: It's noisy up there.

Now for the hard part.

To limit noise in neighborhoods bedeviled by planes, trains and automobiles, a citizens' committee convened by City Commissioner Sam Adams will consider a variety of remedies before making recommendations to the City Council.

Still Open for Business

The focus of work continues to be along Sandy Boulevard where a second 600-foot-long section of pipe has now been lined with a “cured-in-place” liner. The liner is now in place from 37th to 39th, and from 39th to 41st, a total of 1200 feet.