A Streetcar Named Sam’s Desire
Commissioner Adams wants to shift $1 million from 23rd avenue potholes to a new trolley.
May 14th, 2008
Cover Story • Higher Ed | Reed College is exceptional for more than academics. It’s one of America’s most permissive colleges for experimenting with drugs.344 comments
May 14th, 2008
Game On | Is Portland big-league enough for a second sports radio station?2 comments
May 14th, 2008
Murmurs • Vote, Vote, Vote, Vote.0 comments
May 14th, 2008
Rogue of the Week • Women’s Voices, Women’s Vote | An Orwellian approach to universal suffrage.0 comments
May 14th, 2008
Communication Breakdown | The city budget gets delayed, thanks to hard feelings, the mayor’s race and a cocker spaniel. 3 comments
May 14th, 2008
Quick Picks | WW’s election selections1 comment
May 14th, 2008
Six Minutes With Barack | The Democratic Presidential frontrunner talks timber payments, Gordon Smith and of course tattoos.42 comments
May 14th, 2008
The Score • Home improvement for elephants. Protesters and kids out in the cold.0 comments
May 14th, 2008
Letters to the Editor • Inbox0 comments
May 7th, 2008
Cover Story • Best New Band 2008 | Portland music insiders take our local scene to the chopping block—and come out with 10 new faves. 0 comments
 |
[February 20th, 2008]
Money budgeted for repaving potholes on one of the city’s most pockmarked streets may be shifted to a controversial streetcar project.
Late last month, City Commissioner Sam Adams wrote to business owners on Northwest 23rd Avenue that long-planned reconstruction of their street between Burnside and Lovejoy streets would not happen.
“It was not an easy decision to cancel the project,” wrote Adams, who’s running for mayor. “Maintaining city streets is one of my priorities, but I could not proceed with the project knowing that it would have an adverse impact on our local businesses.”
Adams says merchants along the popular shopping thoroughfare who are nervous about economic conditions lobbied him to delay the $3.2 million project, which had increased in scope as city engineers discovered that fragile water and sewer lines might double the time needed for the project from six months to a year.
“We agree that the patch option is the best one right now,” wrote Gwenn Baldwin of the Nob Hill Neighborhood Association in an email to Adams. The Northwest District Association also endorsed Adams’ decision.
But one immediate consequence of Adams’ decision is that his bureau, the cash-strapped Portland Office of Transportation, must write a hefty refund check to the Federal Highway Administration.
That’s because the feds contributed $1.64 million to the 23rd Avenue repaving project. And transportation office project manager Greg Jones says the agency has already spent $400,000 of the federal money on design work for the repaving.
“It’s as if $400,000 doesn’t mean anything anymore,” says Jason Williams, director of the Taxpayer Association of Oregon. “This council does not value people who drive to work, or on a balanced budget.”
So where’s the rest of the money going? Maybe to a new streetcar line.
Adams has spent much of the past six months trying to convince Portlanders that the Transportation Office lacks the money to tackle the city’s 422-mile backlog of deferred street maintenance.
Story continues below
advertisement
As a solution, and at considerable political risk, he has promoted a new $464 million, 15-year tax, which, after extensive wrangling with critics, is now tentatively scheduled to appear on the November ballot (see WWire.com for more).
But rather than shifting the remaining federal money to another paving project, the Transportation Office wants Metro, the regional government agency that serves as a conduit for federal transportation dollars, to green-light putting it toward a new streetcar on West Burnside and Northwest Couch streets.
That project, pushed strongly by Adams, is part of a realignment of Burnside and Couch into one-way streets east of Northwest 14th Avenue. After considerable opposition, Adams won support for the so-called Burnside-Couch couplet last year, in part by proposing a new streetcar line there.
Finding the money for the project is another story.
Project manager Jones says his agency needs about $1 million that it doesn’t currently have to do a study called an “alternatives analysis” that could pave the way for federal funding of the new streetcar line.
Andy Cotugno, Metro’s transportation manager, says the Transportation Office could legally redirect federal funds to the Burnside-Couch project for a feasibility study of a new streetcar, although he noted that project has not yet qualified for more significant funding under the “Small Starts” program.
Adams denies that the need to find funding for Burnside-Couch played any role in his canceling the 23rd Avenue project.
“It’s a reality of trying to maintain a transportation system that you have to minimize disruptions and not put people out of business,” Adams says. “I’ve made a commitment that [23rd Avenue] will get done. It just may take another three to five years.”
Because those who hate streetcars will make any mention of them a controversy. And those who hate government will make anything a controversy. So put government and street car together and its "obvious" that government is out to completely screw its citizens. Didn't you know that's a fact?
The thing is, put all these whiners and complainers in the position to make decisions and they'd have just as many people whining and complaining about them.
"Project manager Jones says his agency needs about $1 million that it doesn’t currently have to do a study called an “alternatives analysis” that could pave the way for federal funding of the new streetcar line."
So the money just goes for a study? Street cars are great, but decent street repair should come first. Yeah, I see a controversy here.
There's reason we call him Sam, the scam.On a corner in downtown Portland there are shell games that are more honest than the scams from Sam.
All these whiners must work for Sam, or...
Why can't someone organize a pick up truck with some asphalt in it, some shovels and some volunteers........
Why would you have to dump $1 MILLION dollars on a short street?
NO, I'm not a redneck.
I'll bet the business association could find some labor.
This will get you steamed: liquid asphalt now costs almost $400 a ton. Although a quick search doesn't yield any standard number for Oregon, other states seem to use between 600 and 2000 tons of the stuff per mile. That's at least a quarter of the million in question right there, before labor, gravel, etc. Ouch!
We can fix Portland's street safety problem by sending Sam Adams to the private sector.
What has more of an "adverse impact on local businesses," a scheduled however many months' long repair project, or a permanent street closure because it's degraded to mud, dirt, and chunks of asphalt?
@Callused Hands - They have to make sure there's a competitive bid process, that everyone working on it is paid a certain amount of money, so many dollars go into 'this business open' signs for everyone, including the local strip club and watering hole, and probably adding bicycle lanes and new TriMet bus stop signs. Although this is a bit sarcastic, I'm probably not that far from the truth.
It's obvious what Sam is saying: "No street repairs unless you vote for the street maintenance fee!" (and maybe not even then, especially if a bunch of the money is going into bike paths.)
BTW, I received an e-mail about two city budget forums on the 21st and 27th, where they want to know what to do with a supposed "surplus" in funds. Guess what I think they should spend it on before more Wifi, a broadband network, streetcars, etc...
Yes, labor costs in the City are wildly inflated - estimates are that "Little Davis Bacon" alone inflates costs 15 - 25 percent. If the City were to waive all the crazy requirements, a lot more street work could get done for half the cost. Business disruption could also be minimized as a private contactor could be offered a "bonus" to get the job done quickly and less money would still be spent then under the usual City rules.
Exactly what will happen if we pass Sam's road repair proposal. Folks, this man has no conscience, I hope every voter in this city now sees his final goal. DO NOT VOTE SAM ADAMS IN AS MAYOR!
I applaud the Willamette Week for tracking the budgeting and spending of Portland city government. How else is the electorate to be informed about how the city is spending tax dollars. The Oregonian is nothing more than a mouth piece for those in control of the purse strings. Cityhall itself is full of half truths and omissions when it comes to spending. For instance, it took Jack Bog, a local blogger and lawyer, quite a bit of work to tabulate total city and local government debt obligations, and this number is pretty staggering in the 4+ billion dollar range. So, thanks Willamette Week for helping raise awareness of local government budgeting and spending matters.
bs; It's not always about an anti-government bias. People have a right to know how their money is being spent and why. There is much more needed in terms of "sunshine" at all government levels. I support government's role in improving our lives, but I also don't trust them to always make the most sound decisions and so should you. :)
I thought fixing potholes was sort of a basic, expected function of city government. Far be it from Portland to function on that prosaic level when there are other far more luminous gewgaws like streetcars, condos, developing the "creative class," and aerial trams to which city resources can be diverted.
Portland should be ashamed of its preoccupation with its own "liveability." I wish it were as fixated on providing basic services. We need to vote these idiots out of office.
I so agree Ian. I think PDX is making too much ado over this so called "creative class". To me, it's a lot of hype. We should be focusing on the research by PSU's School of Urban and Public Affairs and start looking at improving neighborhoods in the outer east side, instead of focusing all our attention on the attention getters. This is the same problem that has diminished other cities, devotion to the core of the city at the expense of the neighboring areas. The livability, as I've mentioned before, is going to be lost if we rest on our laurels or believe the hype of outside reviews. Our public education system is failing, the crime rate is not laudible, despite what the Oregonian may report, restaurant service and quality is spotty, despite what some food critics may say and the natives are restless. Forget about supposed affordable housing. Our closest friends are moving to San Diego, of all places, and are finding housing just outside the city more affordable!!!
Why does everything you ever write have to be a controversey no matter who or what it is? It just seems so disengenous after awhile.