April 2014
NEWS
The Southwest Portland Post • 3
Do your potholes qualify for repairs? Not if your street is unimproved
By Lee Braymen-Cleary
The Southwest Portland Post
Toodling about your Southwest
neighborhood one day, you spot
a blue and white sign, one of the
many strategically-placed signs an-
nouncing the city of Portland’s tele-
phone number to report potholes.
“Oh, happy day!” you shout.
“Now I can get that blankety-blank
collection of ruts and potholes I call
my street filled and get my car’s
alignment and suspension fixed
for good.”
So, confident citizen that you are,
you phone the Portland Bureau of
Transportation as the sign instructs.
When a pleasant – thankfully
not pre-recorded – voice at the
other end asks if you are a bona fide
Portland resident whose home falls
under Portland’s jurisdiction, you
heave a sigh of contentment as you
answer in the affirmative.
Then you move onto the next
question: “Do you live on an im-
proved street, avenue or road?”
“What do you mean, ‘improved?’”
you ask.
“Is your street paved?” the civil
servant asks. “Do you have side-
walks, good drainage, catch ba-
sins?”
“Well, um, not exactly,” you reply.
“But a good portion of Southwest
Portland’s residents don’t have all
of that.”
“Then I’m sorry. It’s the bureau’s
policy to repair only maintained
roads, those built to standards.”
Perhaps you want to hurl epi-
thets, maybe at your car or maybe
at your street that resembles a
war zone. But consider stifling
yourself before you lambast that
“do-nothing Portland Bureau of
Transportation.”
Weather permitting, all policy-
worthy potholes are checked out
within 48 hours of their reporting.
But a budget is a budget is a bud-
get, and striving to maintain 4,700
miles of byways and major city
roads and $8 billion in assets neces-
sitates no small outlay and explains
why our “poor sister” unimproved
roads remain unimproved.
Diane Dulken, media relations
manager for transportation, sheds
light on what is currently fiscally
feasible for paving city streets and
filling potholes.
“This year ’s pavement preser-
vation budget is $11.8 million,”
Dulken says. “If that funding level
remains the same for the next 10
years, we will see the city’s paved
streets decline. To meet our target of
maintaining most city streets in fair
or better condition would require
$91.6 million per year for the next
10 years.”
One might
say that short-
fall is our
“long fall”
and sadly
explains the
non-improve-
ment of some
unimproved
s t re e t s . B u t
there’s hope.
M a y o r
Charlie Hales,
known for his
interest in
urban infra-
structure, is
not twiddling This sign along Capitol Highway only helps if you live on an improved
his thumbs.
street. Otherwise, forget it. (Post photo by Lee Braymen-Cleary)
Along with
Portland City Commissioner Steve
So also is the Southwest Vermont
Novick and city staff, Hales is “en-
Street/Capitol Highway to South-
gaging neighborhood, business and
west 11 th Drive project, not to
transportation leaders to consider
mention one involving Southwest
what it would to take ensure that
Capitol Highway to Texas Street.
our transportation system remains
And by all means, if you live on
safe and well maintained,” says
an improved street with a pothole
Dulken.
problem, give the city a call.
Despite seemingly lackluster
Any interested citizen can check out
funding issues and an overabun-
transportation topics under discussion
dance of potholes, the city still
by visiting http://www.ourstreetsp-
forges ahead. It has instituted scores
dx.com. You will find an exhaustive
of street improvements since 2013
list of citywide paving, safety, and
and will complete many others in
other improvement projects by check-
2014.
ing out the City of Portland’s website
The Southwest Multnomah Bou-
at http://www.portlandoregon.gov/
levard project is a case in point.
transportation.
PoSt ClaSSifiedS adS
Text ads $2 per word: For display classifieds see our online
ratecard @ www.SWPortlandpost.com
Help Wanted
Advertising Sales Rep.
The Post is seeking a freelance advertising
sales representative to sell advertising to
neighborhood businesses. Work out of your
home, flexible hours, deadline oriented.
Great for semi-retired or college student.
Please send resume and cover letter to don@
multnomahpost.com, fax 866-727-5336 or
mail to Publisher, 4207 SE Woodstock Blvd.,
Box #509, Portland, OR 97206.
Miscellaneous for Sale
Several hundred antique
toy soldiers for sale.
Call 503-282-7139.
Office Space
Office Space
For Lease
Multnomah Village.
1000 square feet above
7832 SW Capitol Hwy.
503-295-7889 or 503-880-1408.
Have something you want to
buy, sell or trade?
Need help around the house?
Give Post Classifieds a try! Men-
tion this offer and receive a text
only ad up to 20 words, for $20.
Deadline is the 20th. Call Don at
503-244-6933. Visa, MC, Am Ex,
and Discover cards accepted.
503-244-6933
Massage
Construction starts April 21 on the Newbury and Vermont Street
Bridges on Barbur Boulevard, near the Hillsdale exit. The project is
expected to take four months.
Traffic will be reduced to one lane in one direction on one bridge at a
time, around-the-clock, seven days a week. When a lane is closed on
one bridge, the other will have all lanes open.
For more information on traffic impacts, visit the project website at:
www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/Pages/newbury_vermont/index.aspx