Readers Respond to Plans For Bus-Only Lanes: “If Anything would Ignite a Voter Revolt in Portland, That Would Do It.”

Last week, WW wrote about a plan by City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly to create miles of bus-only lanes along Portland's busiest streets ("Paint the Town Red," WW, June 12, 2019). Roadside parking and traffic lanes would be painted red to make uninterrupted routes for buses to speed up public transit times and thereby encourage ridership. But Eudaly is likely to face a political fight. Here's what readers think.

Scott Pesznecker, via Facebook: "These changes are bothersome and inconvenient, but the whole point is to change attitudes and behaviors over time. Eventually, people will learn how public transit makes navigating downtown easier, and today's inconveniences will be worthwhile."

James Ta-Dao, via Facebook: "I'm all for removing street parking downtown and in the Rose Quarter/Lloyd District. The No. 1 reason I don't ride TriMet more than I do is speed."

Reaalistx, via wweek.com: "LOL. Do it. Take away a traffic lane on Powell so that a bus can use it once every fifteen minutes, while all the car and truck traffic is crammed into the one remaining lane, moving at about 2 miles an hour. If anything would ignite a voter revolt in Portland, that would do it."

Katy Liljeholm, via Facebook: "Kinda seems like not having to wait behind a bus while I'm driving could be a good thing."

GerryG, via wweek.com: "What these geniuses in government fail to understand is that less than 10 percent of the region's jobs are downtown. For people who have to go through downtown to get to their job, this will be a nightmare."

ITMFA, via Twitter: "We should be encouraging people to drive less, not provide subsidized parking and roads. Make taking the bus the sensible decision."

Brian Allen Martinez, via Twitter: "This is a right step—car travel has proved to be an utter failure and devastating to our health and environment. The city is effectively crawling, and public transit needs to run more efficiently and encourage exponential increases in ridership to fix the damage that's been done."

George Babnick, via Facebook: "I like driving. I refuse to use public transportation. If I can't drive there and park, I don't go."

Correction

A story on the resignation of acting Wilson High School Principal Maude Lamont contained several errors ("The Room," WW, May 15, 2019).

The story implied that Lamont was under investigation by Portland Public Schools for taking narcotics from the school's evidence room. The story also stated that a locked file cabinet in the evidence room was meant for the safekeeping of narcotics and weapons confiscated on school property, and WW mistakenly believed the contraband associated with the investigation of Lamont was categorized as narcotics. The school evidence room was meant to house any contraband confiscated on school property. WW does not have information that the contraband associated with the investigation of Lamont was properly categorized as narcotics.

The story said that if Lamont had disposed of contraband herself instead of contacting a school resource officer, she would have violated PPS policies. Those policies state "contraband will be destroyed or held for School Police and stolen items will be returned to the owner or the police." The story also implied that Portland Police Bureau procedures for handling evidence are PPS's procedures and that Lamont would have violated PPS policy by failing to follow police procedures. This is not the case.

WW regrets the errors.