Page 4
March 6, 2019
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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.
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Home Office, Bloomingon, Illinois 61710
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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