Southwest Portland

Officials begin collecting information on how residents aim to share the cost of pedestrian improvements

By Shasta Kearns Moore

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.

On Wednesday August 8, Portland City Council unanimously voted to reduce the hourly threshold that triggers a lobbying entity's obligation to register with the auditors offices. The City Council believes that the threshold reduction will require more entities to disclose their lobbying activities. This action builds on Commissioner Adams' efforts to "daylight" political decision making and create a more accessible city government.

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.

 

Before

 Commissioner Sam Adams joined staff from both the Bureau of Environmental Services and Portland Office of Transportation, as well as community stakeholders in recognizing the newest green streets in Portland, SW Texas Street and its intersecting streets from SW 26th to 29th Avenue.

 

After

The SW Texas Green Street Local Improvement District project greatly enhances the safety, access and livability of the neighborhood by improving the gravel streets to sustainable, paved streets with new curbs, sidewalks and green stormwater management infrastructure.

GreenStreet on Division"Sustainable Communities" will be the theme of the community town hall hosted by Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams and State Senator Brad Avakian (District 17). The town hall, slated for Tuesday, October 2nd from 7 to 9 P.M. will be held at the Friendly House in northwest Portland, which is located at 2617 NW Savier St.

The town hall follows on the heels of 2007 legislative session, which was easily one of the ‘greenest' in recent memory. During the past session, Senator Avakian chaired the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee and worked to pass bills that promoted the development of Oregon's renewable energy and biofuels industries, expanded electronics recycling, and laid the groundwork for addressing global climate change.

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.

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:

Commissioner Adams and Congressman Wu at PSU Green StreetCommissioner Adams and Congressman David Wu recently took a tour of some of Portland's innovative green street projects. Sam took the opportunity to discuss the numerous benefits of sustainable stormwater practices. Congressman Wu appreciated the success that Portland has achieved in this area, and Sam urged the support of federal policies and funding for green technologies.

Congressman Wu is the new chair of the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation for the House Science Committee and supports expanding green strategies throughout Portland and the rest of the country. Sam has been invited by congress to testify at a subcommittee hearing in May about Portland's success with stormwater practices.

At Sam's urging, the Mayor and City Council directed PDC in December of 2005 to negotiate a new funding package with South Waterfront property owners that included a significant increase in affordable housing. As a result, in April City Council approved $18 million in new dollars for affordable housing in South Waterfront, bringing the total allocation to $25.7 million, which will fund 3-5 projects and funds completion of the first 200-unit project by 2009.

I want to thank everyone who voted (over 750) or left comments (240) on my blog to share your perspectives on the ideal tram fare. Thanks, in part, to your input, I have been able to look at this issue from most all angles and develop a new propsed tram fare structure.

Jean Richardson was the first woman in Oregon to earn a Civil Engineering degreeIt was a ceremonious scene on the second floor of City Hall: Two pioneers of their respective fields stood proud and smiled as Sam announced the new tram cars would be named in their honor.

So, Portland, we give you Jean and Walt.

We've asked the tram's executive management committee to hold off on making final decisions on what the tram fare will be so that we can make sure that all options to lower the proposed $4.00 round trip fare have been duly explored and considered.

There are a few options, and we'd like your opinion on the course we should take. First though, a little background.

You'll get to see this view very soon!!!

Currently, Burnside has uncomfortably narrow (and therefore uninviting) sidewalks in many sections.When I became the commissioner-in-charge of Transportation about 14 months ago, I inherited a host of different projects. Some were run-of-the-mill, while others were less straight-forward. The Burside improvements fell into this latter category.

While a previous council had okayed the plan, I was not familiar with the project. So, because some concerns had been raised about the Burnside-Couch plan, and also because of personal reservations I had about the cost-benefit ratio of such a big-ticket project, I decided that even though council had already approved it, I was not going to move it forward until I had personally and thoroughly reviewed it.

Dignitaries cut the ribbon for OHSU's new Center for Health and HealingLast Sunday, the morning light streamed through the big bright windows of OHSU's newest building on the South Waterfront. This facility represents one of the first of many innovative developments that will transform this once blighted land into a dynamic community.