Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 9, 2002)
Ill,JJorthuib (!f)hseruer October 09, 2002 MED Week Page B3 Making Connections Interstate Max cements lasting ties with minority businesses and community continued from BI “Tri-met has people working for you,” Burrel explains, “but they can’t make people hire you.” But Watts is pleased with the overall results the growing transit company has accomplished on the project. “It’sheen a very unique experi ence because Tri Met has walked its talk," he says. “This is one of the few projects where the commu nity has had the opportunity to participate from the very begin ning.” A continued willingness to work with, not against community inter ests, keeps the project moving ahead of schedule. A revamping of the original layout of the rail de sign has produced no business or home condemnations. When plans were made to put in a sub-station directly on the align ment, neighbors protested. The presence of the station, they ar gued, would make it difficult to develop the block for any other purpose. In response, T ri-M et looked long and hard before finally securing a piece of Oregon Depart ment of Transportation property that the community felt worked better. “From the very beginning, we were telling the community you’ re going to be a partner in this,” Watts said. Though many of the businesses located along Interstate Ave. agree that construction of the light rail line has significantly affected busi ness, Tri-Met has taken notable strides at working to offset losses. “Nobody is saying construc tion isn’t disruptive,” says Hansen. "The question is. What can we do to be able to mitigate it?” James Dixon of D ixon’s Rib Pit at 5804 N. Interstate Ave. says the drop in business since construc tion started has been significant. Dixon’s seen traffic delays, lim ited access, and dust and dirt all drive away potential customers. “Tri-M et couldn’t have antici pated the impact this would have on business,” says Dixon. Still, Dixon admits that Tri- Met has been a "cooperative partner” providing signage, fliers, and even a redesigned menu. When parking became an issue out front, Tri-Met cleared a space behind his restaurant, paved it for parking and then rented it from him for several months. All in all, the effort has helped offset losses. James Dixon o f Dixon's Rib Pit (left), meets with Tri-Met General Manager Fred Hansen, outside Dixon’s north Interstate restaurant. Dixon calls Hansen and his transit agency a cooperative partner in helping make his business a success. photo by D avid P lechi TT he P ortland O bserver “I don’t want to bad-mouth Tri- Met,” says Dixon. They did what they could do...They did as much for me as I asked.” “We wanted to make sure the community we went through would benefit from construction as well,” Hansen explains. “We focused on individual businesses.” One hairdresser along the Inter state corridor was so small, she didn’t even have a bank account. Tominimizeimpact,Tri-M et work crews scheduled all sidewalk work on Monday, the one day a week she was closed. What all this outreach amounts to is a transit system that fits with the people it serves. The model Tri-Met has created is attracting a lot of attention. Hansen says representatives from transit systems across the country are coming to Portland “every 10 days” just to see what Tri-Met is doing right. What has made this project dif ferent? ForBruce W atts,itall goes back to one reason: Fred Hansen. Watts says Hansen recognized that the community had been ig nored or left out of other projects. “Fred has demonstrated the will to make Tri-Met a completely dif ferent kind of transit agency," says W atts. In order to ensure the same com mitment to community interests on future projects, Hansen has as signed Watts to a totally new agency. “W e’re going to make sure ev erything we do is permeated with this concept," explains Watts. "Are we being equitable? Do we have all of the community at the table?” Will Interstate Max be the end o f the line? "A bsolutely not,” sa y s th e f o rw a rd th in k in g Hansen. Projected ridership numbers estimate that by 2020,18,000 com muters will use Interstate Max daily. If the line reaches Vancouver, that number is expected to double. It is an incentive and a duty Hansen just can’t ignore. “When we go to Vancouver,” he says, “it’s not a question of if.” C h a s e & Weil, LLP S alutes Minority B usinesses Honoring Minority Enterprise As a Strong and Dynamic Force for the Health and Vitality of Portland Minority Enterprise Week G e ra ld M. C h a s e R ic h a rd L. W eil A tto rn e y s at L a w 7 2 2 SW 2 n d A ve . S u ite 2 4 0 P o rtla n d O re g o n 9 7 2 0 4 P h o n e 5 0 3 -2 9 4 -1 4 1 4 Neil Kelly Designers/Remodelers Home Repair Team Windows & Doors K a is e r perm anente % S a lu t e s a n d S upports M in o r it y a n d W o m e n O w n e d 503.288.7461 www.neilkelly.com B u s in e s s e s ! Kaiser Permanentes pledge to champion and aid small, minority and women owned businesses is more than a moral and social commitment It is a valuable investment for the enrichment of the diversity they contribute to our organization and the communities we serve. We encourage and welcome any small, minority or women owned businesses to explore the opportunities present within Kaiser Permanente. For more information call (503) 571-5101. Explore our website for more inform ation on all our current job 915 NE Alberta Portland, Oregon 97211 (503) 281-6388 openings. An on-line application is available. Or you may visit our Employment Office. EMPLOYMENT OFFICE 500 NE M u ltn o m ah St., P o rtlan d , OR 97232 H ours: M onday - F rid ay 8 am -3 :3 0 p m P hone: (5 0 3 )8 1 3 -4 7 0 1 Alberta Street Market Salutes M inority Business Week w w w .kp.org/nw KAISER PERMANENTE. Drug Free W o rkplair/A ltirm a tive Aclion/1 qual O pportunity Employer J
