The Reconnecting Communities Program Isn’t Undoing Highway Expansions—It’s Decorating Them

For some, the Reconnecting Communities Program symbolizes an auspicious reversal of values that have characterized the past 70 years of transportation planning. For others, it's business as usual.

End Highway Expansion, Federal Government, Top StoryAsia MieleszkoMarch 23, 2023End Highway Expansion, Louisiana, Oregon, highways, freeway widening, federal funding, federal government, USDOT, DOT, transportation spending

ODOT Proposes That Commuters Pay $600–2,200 per Year for Highway Expansion

ODOT’s expansion of I-205—and subsequent tolling—might make it so that the average household will be spending 8.7% of their household income on transportation needs.

End Highway Expansion, Transportation, Top StoryJoe CortrightFebruary 28, 2023End Highway Expansion, highways, highway spending, Infrastructure, transportation, transportation spending, Oregon, toll roads, freeway widening

What’s Behind PBOT’s $4.4 Billion Street Maintenance Backlog Excuse?

The maintenance backlog excuse should not be the end of the conversation—it should be the start of a new one.

Infrastructure, Safe & Productive Streets, Transparent Accounting, Top StoryJonathan MausFebruary 2, 2023maintenance, Maintenance, infrastructure maintenance, street repair, Transparent Local Accounting, Safe and Productive Streets, Oregon

Portland’s Cully Neighborhood To Use “The One Ring” for Good

In the past, urban renewal projects have displaced people and destroyed neighborhoods, yet Portland’s Cully neighborhood aims to launch an urban renewal plan…but this time, in a good way?

Podcast, Upzoned, Top StoryStrong TownsFebruary 1, 2023Podcast, podcast, Upzoned, Oregon, Urban Renewal, neighborhood revitalization, Neighborhoods

McGilchrist Still Isn’t an Improvement, but Here’s the Math

We've said it'll take 39 years for Salem, OR, to recoup the money they're spending on the McGilchrist Street “Improvement” Project, and you've asked us to provide more proof for this assertion. So, let's do the math.

#DotheMath, #NoNewRoads, Marohn, Transportation, Top Story, Safe & Productive StreetsCharles MarohnNovember 2, 2022#DoTheMath, Safe and Productive Streets, Oregon, transportation, transportation spending, traffic engineering, projections, local finance, #NoNewRoads

Why I Started Reading the Local Newspaper

Sometimes, it’s worth it to take a step back from national news and pay attention to the things that are happening in your own community.

Community, Pattison, Top StoryJohn PattisonJuly 20, 2022local conversations, politics, localism, local government, Small Towns, small towns, Oregon, community, Community

Affordable Housing in Oregon Is About To Catch a Big Break From Parking Mandates

Finally, homes for people will no longer be conditional on car parking.

Housing, Parking, Top StoryCatie GouldJuly 13, 2022parking minimums, parking, End Parking Mandates and Subsidies, affordable housing, housing, housing cost, housing crisis, Housing Crisis, Housing, housing policy, housing affordability, zoning, Oregon

Oregon Nears Green Light for Big Parking Reform

Oregon’s statewide land use board declared its support Thursday for rules that, among other things, reduce or remove parking mandates in 53 jurisdictions in the state’s eight largest metro areas.

Local Government, Parking, Top StoryMichael AndersenJune 21, 2022success, success stories, Oregon, Parking, parking minimums, parking landing page, parking maximums, minimum parking requirements, Land Use, local government, state government, End Parking Mandates and Subsidies

Freeway-Fighting Tide Has Turned

The halting of three in-city freeway expansions highlights a new momentum on reversing the damage of highways through urban areas.

Flying Blind: Why Public Leaders Need an Investment Grade Analysis

Portland and Oregon leaders shouldn’t commit to a $5-billion project without an investment grade analysis (IGA) of toll revenues.

#DotheMath, #InfrastructureCrisis, Infrastructure, City Observatory, Top StoryJoe CortrightJune 17, 2022Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure cost, infrastructure spending, Oregon, Washington, DOT, #DoTheMath, City Observatory

Yet Another Exploding Whale: ODOT’s Freeway-Widening Cost Doubles

The Oregon DOT has experienced massive cost overruns on all of its largest construction projects…and has systematically concealed and understated the frequency and scale of those cost overruns.

#InfrastructureCrisis, Infrastructure, City Observatory, Transportation, Top StoryJoe CortrightJune 3, 2022Infrastructure, infrastructure, infrastructure cult, infrastructure cost, infrastructure spending, Oregon, DOT, City Observatory, Joe Cortright, transportation

I (Don’t) Want More Than This Provincial Life

When the pandemic shut down our town, I realized how much I'd taken for granted the neighbors who showed up every day to make our community work.

Community, Pattison, Rural, Top StoryJohn PattisonApril 27, 2022community, community building, neighborliness, Small Towns, small towns, Oregon, rural

Freeway Widening for Whomst?

Widening freeways is no way to promote equity.

State and Local Policy Tensions Focus Zoning Reforms

Let’s step back and evaluate the status of some recent, high-profile zoning reforms.

Housing, Zoning, Top StoryTheo Mackey PollackJanuary 25, 2022housing, housing crisis, housing affordability, zoning, upzoning, Minnesota, Minneapolis, Oregon, California

ODOT Needs to Stop the I-5 Bridge Con

Next month, the Portland Metro government is being asked to approve $36 million in additional funds for further planning of a massive freeway project. It should say no.

City Observatory, Environment, Infrastructure, Transportation, #NoNewRoads, Top StoryJoe CortrightNovember 12, 2021DOT, Portland OR, Oregon, transportation, transportation spending, highways, highway spending, freeways, freeway widening, City Observatory, Infrastructure

10 Reasons to Not Trust ODOT's Environmental Claims

Oregon’s Department of Transportation is making phony claims that widening highways reduces pollution. Here’s why they’re wrong.

Freeway-Widening Grifters: Woke-Washing, Fraud, and Incompetence

ODOT has resorted to some truly cheap and deceptive marketing tactics to promote their new freeway-widening project.

The Way We Tax Properties Is Broken. Here Are 5 Steps to Fix It.

The inequities in the tax assessment system are national. But the solutions will have to come from the bottom-up.

Race, Davis, Housing, Urban3, Top StorySarah DavisSeptember 1, 2021Assessments, Urban3, Tax Code, property tax, race, Poverty, North Carolina, Deschutes County, Oregon, Buncombe County series, housing

Selling Oregon into Highway Bondage

The Oregon Department of Transportation has been authorized to issue revenue bonds to finance potentially billions of dollars of highway widening projects.