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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 6, 2019)
Page 4 March 6, 2019 Avalon Flowers 520 SW 3rd Ave., Portland, OR 97204 • 503-796-9250 A full service flower experience Cori Stewart-- Owner, Operator • Birthdays • Anniversaries • Funerals • Weddings Open: Mon.-Fri. 7:30am til 5:30pm Saturday 9am til 2pm. Website: avalonflowerspdx.com email: avalonflowers@msn.com We Offer Wire Services Harris Photography 503-730-1156 Your Home Photo Sessions $158.00 2-8x10 & 10-4x6 Not on Board C ontinueD from p age 3 and contradict the numerous head- lines we’ve seen in local and na- tional newspapers throughout the past eighteen months,” the coali- tion said. Not one urban freeway expan- sion in North America has suc- cessfully lowered congestion lev- els, due to a phenomenon known as “induced demand,” according to the group’s website. The project, which received funding through a 2017 statewide transportation package, would add auxiliary merging lanes through- out the 1.8 mile area broadly be- tween the I-84 and I-405 inter- changes on I-5, as well as 12-foot shoulders on both sides of north and southbound travel lanes to make way for emergency vehicles or for minor collisions to be dealt with. Those additions would cut fur- ther into a hillside near Tubman middle school, which is already perched adjacent to the highway, according to a video commis- sioned by the coalition that used ODOT’s own schematics. A Portland State University study completed back in April warned against Tubman kids playing outside for extended pe- riods, especially during high traf- fic times, due to the current poor air quality. Linda A. George, one of the PSU scientists who con- ducted the study, told Willamette Week that widening I-5 could re- sult in higher concentrations of the pollutants from vehicle ex- haust—which include arsenic and petroleum byproducts--and that they could extend further onto the property. The coalition’s stance is that congestion pricing—also known as variable tolling--should be enacted as a way to reduce con- gestion, instead of widening the freeway. Coalition spokesperson Aaron Brown told the Portland Observer the tolling can be enact- ed in a way similar to TriMet’s low income fare program: discounted or free fares for those who are low income. He said congestion pricing discounts based on income could mitigate the disproportionate im- pact the tolling would have on low income communities locat- ed near inner north and northeast Portland, such as those who attend Tubman, which has 48.9 percent of its students qualified for free or reduced price meals and is over 68 percent students of color. The school’s proximity to the freeway and the accompa- nying pollutants was previous- ly addressed by Portland Public Schools by spending $12.5 million on a new roof and state-of-the-art HVAC system to eliminate toxics in anticipation of its re-opening last fall. A proposed sound wall, that ODOT included in its assessment, to reduce noise levels of nearby traffic for Tubman was of little comfort to Edwards, who is a par- ent at the school and also works at Urban League of Portland as an outreach specialist helping the chronically homeless get housed. “Whether it decreases noise level or not, our concern is more of the air quality,” she said. The public comment period for the proposed I-5 Rose Quarter Im- provement Project will close on Monday, April 1 at 5 p.m. Until then, ODOT will hold a drop-in open house on Thursday, March 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Leftbank Annex Clubroom, 101 N. Weidler St; a public hearing on Tuesday, March 12, with speaker sign ups from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m., and a program starting at 5 p.m. at the Oregon Convention Cen- ter, Room A108; and an online open house will be available now through April 1 at i5rosequarter. org. antonioharris.com State Farm R Michael E Harper Agent Providing Insurance and Financial Services Home Office, Bloomingon, Illinois 61710 We are located at: 9713 S.W. Capitol, Portland, OR 503-221-3050 • Fax 503-227-8757 michael.harper.cuik@statefarm.com TriMet Hires Experienced Executive A transportation industry ex- ecutive from Seattle will begin working for TriMet this month as its new chief operating officer, supervising the agency’s transpor- tation, maintenance, IT and safety and security divisions. Samuel “Sam” Desue Jr. brings 22 years of public and private transportation experience to Port- land. Desue previously worked in transportation services in the Se- attle and Kansas City metropoli- tan regions. He moved up through the ranks at the Kansas City Area Transportation Authority, starting there as the director of transporta- Sam Desue Jr. tion in 2013 and serving as chief operating officer, interim general manager and, most recently, dep- uty chief executive officer. Desue set priorities for the agency by developing a five-year strategic plan; improving on-time performance; promoting industry best practices and technologies; implementing a safety/securi- ty task force; and forging strong partnerships with community and business groups, first responders and city leaders, TriMet officials said. Prior to Kansas City, Desue C ontinueD on p age 14
