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Week ¡n
the Review
Cogen Won’t Resign County Post
A week after Jeff Cogen’s extramarital
affair with a county executive was made
public, all four Multnomah County com­
missioners called for his immediate res­
ignation as county chair. But Cogen
refused after the commissioners voted
on Thursday, citing that he “doesn’t
understand the rush to judgm ent”
St Johns Bridge Closings
Oregon Highway officials shut down the
St. Johns Bridge to all motor vehicles on
Sunday night. The north Portland bridge
will close for maintenance from 9 p.m. to
5 a.m. every night, seven days a week
until Sunday, Aug 18.
Kyron Horman’s Mom Drops Suit
The mother of Kyron Horman who was
just 7, when he mysteriously went miss­
ing two years ago from Skyline School,
announced on Tuesday that she will no
longer pursue her civil suit against his
step-mother Terri Horman, due to the
ongoing criminal investigation.
“Private Benjamin” Star Dies
A fte r a b o u t
w ith c a n c e r
actress E ileen
Brannan, most-
known for her
TV and movie
roles, including
A rm y C a p t.
D oreen Lewis
in
" P riv a te
B e n ja m in ,"
M rs. Peacock in "Clue" and M iss Ban­
nister in "The New A dventures of
Pippi L ongstocking," died Sunday at
the age o f 80.
Health Fair
for National
Night Out
Bradley Manning Verdict
A military judge has ruled that Pfc.
Bradley Manning not guilty of aiding
the enemy. Manning, however, was
found guilty of most of the other charges
brought against him in the biggest re­
lease of classified information in the
history of the nation. He faces a pos­
sible 136 years in prison.
Country’s First Gay Divorce
After being wed in 2009, same-sex
couple Juli-Yim and Lorelei Jones have
successfully finalized the first gay di­
vorce in the country. The two were
married in Massachusetts, but the rul­
ing came down in the state of Colo­
rado.
Kids, families and community mem­
bers are invited to a free outdoor health
fair on National Night Out, Tuesday,
Aug. 6, at M ultnomah County’s North­
east Health Center, 5329 N.E. Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The fair, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., will
feature music, dancing, kids’ activities,
health screenings, a local youth art ex­
hibit and important information about
healthy living and health insurance op­
tions.
Community health centers provide
health care to nearly 21 million patients
nationwide, many of whom are living in
areas with limited access to health care.
Community clinics treat the whole pa­
tient through culturally-competent, ac­
cessible and integrated care.
T riM e t: B lin d Spot o n Bus Safety
In 2004, a TriMet bus that was turning left struck and killed a man in a crosswalk. The investigation that followed
determined that the design of the bus itself was partly to blame. The 8-inch windshield pillar was so wide that
it effectively blocked the operator's vision during left-hand turns. For small stature operators, the risk was even
greater. Further analysis of accident statistics showed that the wide-pillar buses were responsible for over 36%
of all crosswalk accidents, even though that model made up just over 10% of the TriMet fleet at the time.
SUBSEQUENTLY, the Union presented TriMet with videos, diagrams
While there is no question that TriMet needs new buses, it is
and expert witness testimony to demonstrate that this particular model
unbelievable that the agency would compromise public safety with
of bus was inherently dangerous to pedestrians. The Union went on
such a significant purchase. W hat’s even more unbelievable is that each
to request that TriMet provide special training to drivers, especially
L small stature drivers, so that more people would not be killed during
of these 365 buses is getting an $ 11,000 “nose job”.
That’s right. TriMet has decided to add a custom-fabricated “snoot”
left-hand turns. Lastly, the Union asked that those buses not be used
to each bus in order to match the look of the new Max trains. The
on routes that had left-hand turns.
expense alone seems questionable, but there’s more. The snoot further
TRIMET IGNORED BOTH REQUESTS AND
DID NOTHING TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
compromises safety by creating yet another visual obstruction near the
Fast-forward eight years to 2012, when TriMet signed a contract for
365 new buses. Operators were horrified to learn that the windshield
pillar of the new buses is even wider. As shown in the photos on the
left, a wide pillar like that on the new bus can “hide" as many as six
windshield pillar.
At a time when TriMet is blaming workers’ benefits for its financial
problems, the agency is spending over $4 million on cosmetic surgery
for 365 new buses. It appears that TriMet not only has a blind spot on
bus safety, but also has a blind-eye for prudent spending.
adults, two children and a baby in a stroller - all at the same time!
Sincerely, Your Transit Workers
When the side m irror is added to that width, the blind spot becomes
enormous, especially for short stature operators.
GO TO WEBSITE TO VIEW VIDEO AND INFO GIVEN TO TRIMET IN 2007
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