npGREENWAY

npGREENWAY Coordinator Job Posting

2015-04-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

npGreenway is preparing for the final push to trail completion. To get there we are looking for help from you. We are currently in process of hiring a Coordinator to support our grassroots movement advocating a trail for jobs, nature and recreation. The Coordinator will work closely with the npGreenway Board to engage community members - including businesses, organizations and under served communities - through outreach, awareness and advocacy. Applications will be reviewed starting May 11, 2015.

For more information and full job description go to the job posting at npgreenway.org

In Memorial to Barbara Walker, Portland's Trail Champion

2014-11-19T19:59:00.000-08:00

We sadly share the news that Portland's trail and green spaces champion Barbara Walker recently passed away. Some npGreenway members were lucky enough to know Barbara Walker through the 40 Mile Loop Land Trust. Barbara's quiet determination preserved the Marquam Nature Park; she worked to make the Springwater Corridor Trail a reality and she founded the 40 Mile Loop that links them. The North Portland Greenway Trail is considered a 10 mile gap in that 40 Mile Loop that now measures 140 miles!

Inspired by Barbara Walker and other trail champions, npGreenway will continue to pursue completing the North Portland Greenway Trail. Join us!

Portland Tribune Write-up

2013-10-22T22:00:00.001-07:00

What's latest news about North Portland Greenway Trail? The Tribune has written a nice article about what npGREENWAY and Portland Parks and Recreation have been up to this summer. Go to article at portlandtribune.com

Please get your comments in for ODOT funding!

2013-06-25T20:14:00.002-07:00

As you may know an important trail link is on the 150% list for ODOT funding. This project would connect the Pier Park bridge and Chimney Park with a bridge over Columbia Boulevard and trail up to the St. Johns Landfill overlook. It’s a key link in both the NpGreenway and the 40-Mile Loop. It’s approximately $5 million in transportation funding.

Comments in support are due by June 30^th. It’s so important that people write in and support this application. Please forward to the largest possible list and let people know that comments are due by June 30. The project is listed under Metro and is titled Willamette Grnwy Trail: Chimney Park/Kelley Pt Park. The comment is in the form of an e-mail and could be as simple as “ I support this trail project with the bridge over Columbia Boulevard and the connection to the St. Johns Landfill.”

Here’s the link. http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/Pages/stip/stip_enhance.aspx

If the link does not work, you may also send comments to this e-mail address: STIPEnhanceAppsRegion1@odot.state.or.us

npGreenway Annual Meeting

2013-04-28T09:30:00.002-07:00

npGreenway Annual Meeting

Wednesday, May 1^st

6 to 7:30 p.m.

McMenamin’s Chapel Pub

430 N Killingsworth St. Portland, OR 97217

Come join us! Find out the most recent status of the npGreenway Trail and how you can help make this plan a reality.

Contact: Francie Royce, co-chair

info@npgreenway.org

Crucial Opportunity For Trail Construction

2013-01-27T14:12:00.002-08:00

npGREENWAY Supporters,

A crucial opportunity to complete the northern-most segment of the Willamette Greenway trail is here. Metro has submitted a grant, that if funded, will construct the segment between Kelley Point Park and Pier Park (Segment 1 http://www.portlandoregon.gov/parks/article/429520).

ODOT is going through a project selection process NOW. Review the grant application and fill out the 5 minute survey to make your choice known. Deadline for survey submission is Thursday, January 31.

Metro grant application (http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/TD/AT/TEOBPAC Applications/087_Portland Park and Rec_Metro.pdf)

ODOT Survey (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TE_OBPAC2012)

Following is the complete message from Metro:

Greetings,

Are you interested in plans to build a 4-mile section of the Willamette Greenway Trail between Chimney and Kelley Point parks in North Portland? Then please take a minute to let the Oregon Department of Transportation know what you think about this and other projects being evaluated for active transportation grants.

Just go to the survey, fill in the required information, select the “Portland and Washington County” area of interest, then weigh in on project #87: Willamette Greenway. The more support a proposal receives, the stronger its chance of being funded. The deadline for comments is next Thursday, January 31.

Metro and Portland Parks submitted a proposal to do the design and engineering work needed to complete this section of the Willamette Greenway, which is also part of the 40-Mile Loop and the North Portland Greenway Trail. You can read the full application here. A separate application to build the trail was submitted to another ODOT grant program, and is working its way through the process.

Greenway Open House

2012-12-22T12:17:00.001-08:00

North Portland Greenway Trail Alignment Study Update

2012-11-08T20:02:00.001-08:00

npGREENWAY

from the willamette to the columbia

North Portland Greenway Trail Alignment Study and the preferred Swan Island access route

npGreenway is pleased to share that Commissioner Nick Fish has assured us that he and his Parks team agree that “the alignment along the river is, and always will be, the preferred Greenway route.” At the October 3rd trail alignment study advisory committee meeting comments by Parks staff and the study consultant raised concerns that the trail was being set away from the river south of Swan Island. npGreenway’s vision has always been to use the existing Cement Road. Two members of the npGreenway board met with the Commissioner and his Park Bureau team in late October, then received a subsequent email committing to following up on several things to move this vision forward.

Portland Parks and Rec Greenway Comments Needed

2012-09-18T21:31:00.002-07:00

It's time to give comment on the different segments of the trail. Go to Portland Online to enter comments. The deadline for comments is Wednesday, September 26, 5:00 PM.

Controlled burn in Baltimore Woods

2012-09-08T18:20:00.001-07:00

Volunteers Needed

2012-06-13T21:33:00.003-07:00

Hello npGreenway Supporters

Share your passion about the future North Portland Greenway Trail! Volunteers needed at the npGreenway booth during the North Portland Sunday Parkways, June 24th.

Shifts are:

10:00 AM to noon

noon to 2:00 PM and

2:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Let us know when you can help out.

Info@npgreenway.org

A Message From The Board

2012-05-08T21:51:00.000-07:00

npGREENWAY

from the willamette to the columbia

Dear North Portland Greenway Trail Supporter,

Now is an important time for you to make comments on the Trail Alignment Study the City of Portland Parks and Recreation and their consultant, David Evans & Assoc. are working on. There are maps of 5 trail sections on the PP&R blog, linked here. http://northportlandgreenwaytrail.wordpress.com/current-npgt-documents/

A public open house to review their work and comment will be hosted by PP&R on Wednesday, May 16 6:30 to 8:30 with formal presentation 7:00 -7:30,

5000 N Willamette Blvd, University of Portland Chiles Center, Hall of Fame Room.

npGREENWAY is concerned that PP&R's effort to create a trail alignment that is reasonable to construct in a short time frame loses the vision of a trail along the Willamette River. Therefore we propose the following:

1. The trail alignment must be consistent with that shown in the River Plan that was adopted by City Council following years of public involvement.

2. In locations it is not possible to build the trail in the near future due to river related industry must have two alignments shown, ie. Preferred Alignment and Near Term Alignment.. Specific areas are north of the Broadway Bridge where there is an active grain elevator and another is the former Crown Cork and Seal site north of Baltimore Woods.

3. A trail east of the Rose Quarter as shown on the PP&R blog is totally unacceptable. Both the Near Term Alignment and the Preferred Alignment must be closer to the Willamette River. The maps miss the opportunity of the former Thunderbird Motel site and a connection to the Steel Bridge and the Eastbank Esplanade. The trail must be a multi-purpose trail for walking and biking, not just biking in existing bike lanes.

4. The PP&R blog map misses the opportunity to utilize the street that is adjacent to Interstate, use the Larrabee signal and continue north on Larrabee. This route enables one to see the working waterfront.

4. The PP&R blog map and matrix miss the significance of Colombia Blvd and the need for a protected crossing,

5. The PP&R blog misses the opportunity of connecting the two sides of the Willamette River using the BNSF bridge.

Please take a look at the PP&R blog and leave a comment. npGREENWAY suggests the 5 comments above as immediate concerns. http://northportlandgreenwaytrail.wordpress.com/current-npgt-documents/

Looking forward to meeting you at the Open House. If you can't come, please go the the link and make your comments.

Thanks, Your friends at npGREENWAY

A Note To Vote

2012-04-25T20:47:00.004-07:00

Hello fellow npGreenway Trial advocates:

Its that time of the year again when we are called upon to vote for candidates to fill our public offices. The mail-in ballots are scheduled to be mailed out to us later this week.

npGreenway sent out a questionnaire earlier this year to most of the Metro, Mayor of Portland and Portland City Council candidates asking six questions pertaining to their thoughts regarding the Willamette River Greenway Trail that we are advocating for.

We received responses from:

Charlie Hales, for Mayor of Portland

Mary Nolan and Amanda Fritz, both are running for City Council Position 1---elect 1

Bob Stacey, Metro District 6, and

Sam Chase and Helen Ying, Metro District 5

You are invited to check out their answers here on our blog. We hope these assist you in making your decision on these important positions and the Willamette River Greenway Trail.

On Behalf of npGreenway Board

Curt Schneider, Co-Chair

Francie Royce, Co-Chair

Pam Arden, Treasurer

Joe Adamski, Secretary

Beate Hoelscher

Shelley Oylear

Lenny Anderson

Helen Ying's response to questions about the Greenway

2012-04-25T20:40:00.001-07:00

Metro District 5 candidate Helen Ying's answers below are in response to questions sent to candidates running for Metro elections. To see the original request click here. All responses from Helen Ying are shown in there entirety:

1. Please explain your familiarity with the Willamette River Greenway Trail between the Eastbank Esplanade and the Columbia River?

I have met with one of the board members and my campaign manager attended the first planning meeting. I look forward to the day that my family can use the trail to ride from our home near downtown Portland to the tip of Kelley Point Park.

2. What experience do you possess in working with a railroad company to procure use of or purchase of some property to place a multi-purpose trail on?

My experience lies with bringing people together and work toward solutions through collaboration. Successful negotiations with railroad companies have been accomplished by the painstaking work of previous leaders. Historically, railroads are very difficult bargaining partners. Acquiring the necessary land will require finding the right combination of inducements and public pressure to allow these federally protected national companies to recognize the benefit of their participation in a project that will benefit everyone.

3. ‘Taking’ is a concern for both the government entity and the private property owner when requiring the owner to construct a portion of a trail when development is proposed. Would you be willing to work to develop standards that would enable the trail to be constructed in exchange for requiring fewer parking spaces?

Right-of-way takes can be a very difficult process requiring an immense amount of time in negotiations. If easing requirements (creating fewer government regulations on the business) is an incentive to allow completion of a section of the trail, then I would gladly make that part of negotiations. I believe all stakeholders will see the benefit of fewer incentives to drive to work.

4. What funding proposals would you propose to construct the trail?

Metro MTIP funding and Rails to Trails Conservancy could be possible sources as a start. However, it will most likely require other sources such as a bond to get the project completed. Metro has convened a group of community members to examine new funding revenue streams through its Community Investment Initiative. It would be helpful to explore their recommendations.

5. If a bond measure were to be submitted to the public for trails would you support the Willamette River Greenway Trail being one of the trails to be constructed? If so, would you support construction of the entire trail at one time or a portion or portions of the trail?

I definitely support the Willamette River Greenway Trail. It is one of the top priorities for neighbors in the district I wish to represent. There are other important priorities as well, such as the Sullivan’s Gulch Trail. Funding a project in full or in part really depends on where the project is in its development, as well as where the other projects are in the funding queue.

6. How can npGreenway assist you in getting the trail constructed?

Help me get the message out about my support for this great path. It's a regional priority that has many benefits. We're talking about a project that can stimulate the local economy with local jobs, offer healthy commute options, and improve livability. I would love to work with NPGreenway to help make sure there's a clear path to success in our region's vision for multi-modal connectivity.

Contact information for Helen Ying:
www.helenformetro.com
Helen@helenformetro.com

Mary Nolan's response to questions about the Greenway

2012-04-19T20:48:00.001-07:00

City Council candidate Mary Nolan's answers below are in response to questions sent to candidates running for City Council elections. To see the original request click here. All responses from Mary Nolan are shown in there entirety:

1. Please explain your familiarity with the Willamette River Greenway Trail between the Eastbank Esplanade and the Columbia River?

I’d describe my familiarity with the Willamette River Greenway Trail plan as modest and growing. I’ve visited some of the key sites included in the plan and already begun to get briefings from advocates and some affected property owners. I have long been supportive of regional and statewide trail expansion programs, and helped lead efforts at the legislature to support these programs by adopting strong policy frameworks, improving land land use laws and assuring funding through natural resources agency budgets.
I’d also mention my lifelong support -- and string of successes -- for open space, environmental stewardship and livability enhancements at the local, regional and statewide levels.

2. What experience do you possess in working with a railroad company to procure use of or purchase of some property to place a multi-purpose trail on?

I’ve negotiated dozens of very complex agreements. Among the most challenging were:

creating a funding mechanism for the Healthy Kids Program in which after being defeated by big tobacco in our first attempt, I came back the following session to help lead negotiations with hospitals, insurance companies health care experts and advocates for children to craft an agreement that insured over 80,000 and leveraged over $100 million annually in federal funds.

bringing together river users, ratepayer advocates, major polluters, small business owners and environmental groups to formulate the Clean River Plan to clean up the combined sewer overflows on the Willamette and Columbia Slough.

updating the state’s land use laws for the first time in nearly 20 years through a complex process involving conservationists, local governments, developers and public health leaders into the Big Look.

chairing a joint public-private consortium with FAA and NASA to modernize certification regulations for airplane safety, in which companies in direct competition with each other came to agreement on a regulatory framework to improve safety for all general aviation passengers.

Co-chairing the complex process to develop and pass the budget for the entire state of Oregon, involving over 150 different agencies, hundreds of funding sources, 50,000 employees and over $25 billion in annual expenditures.

But I’ve never negotiated with a railroad. Perhaps the closest analogy would be negotiations I led for the City of Portland in ownership rights and maintenance costs for street light equipment in the public right-of-way in which we faced similar challenges relating to long-established rights, shared costs and long-term commitments.

I have established effective and respectful relationships with a growing number of players with interests in the trail plan area. By reaching out to understand the needs and interests of neighbors, trail advocates, public health proponents, property owners and major industrial facilities, I’ve positioned myself as a credible, even-handed, open-minded and effective negotiator who can earn and retain the trust of all parties.
I mention my other successes in the hope that they illuminate my effectiveness in a wide range of challenging negotiations. In particular, the key skill I bring to this effort is a proven capacity to lead a diverse, sometimes competing or opposing, group of stakeholders to find common ground where it is possible.

3. ‘Taking’ is a concern for both the government entity and the private property owner when requiring the owner to construct a portion of a trail when development is proposed. Would you be willing to work to develop standards that would enable the trail to be constructed in exchange for requiring fewer parking spaces?

I like to look at the underlying purpose a rule or requirement is aimed at when considering whether to waive, relax or even undo it. Parking requirements are mostly imposed to protect adjacent property owners and reduce congestion. But they tend to increase total single-car traffic and work against efforts to shift to alternative transportation like transit, bike and pedestrian modes, so absent proof of their value I tend to question their usefulness anyway.
Having chaired the House Land Use Committee in 2009-2010, and having received 1000 Friends of Oregon’s Tom McCall Legacy Award for my leadership on land use, I applaud your astute recognition of the tension around property rights and public benefits. While I hold strongly to principles of fairness, stewardship and equity, I have found that the best solutions are most often found or developed when parties come to the conversation with a willingness to authentically understand each others’ concerns and give validity to each others’ needs. As a result, I encourage all parties to enter collaborations willing to realistically explore a range of options, and I would myself approach negotiations for property or right-of-way acquisition with an open mind guided by a vision of healthy neighborhoods, healthy neighbors and a healthy economy.

4. What funding proposals would you propose to construct the trail?

The success of funding proposals is most often dependent on the strength and breadth of the coalition supporting both the project to be funded and the funding source. In particular, if those who will pay the cost are the loudest advocates, the funding proposal is most likely to be successful. Instead of proposing my own favorite funding mechanism, I’d work to build a robust coalition with uncommon partners to develop and then advocate for funding.
That’s the approach I used successfully to raise hundreds of millions of dollars each year for the Healthy Kids Program, and to craft the budget-balancing plan that included bills that became M66 & M67 which preserved natural resource programs and parks programs (not to mention 3,000 teacher jobs and basic public safety services).
Among the options for funding the trail project should be existing City Parks funds, City and State pedestrian funds, Metro’s Intertwine program, state and federal grant funds for healthy communities and alternative transportation and new initiatives like the bond measure you mention below.

5. If a bond measure were to be submitted to the public for trails would you support the Willamette River Greenway Trail being one of the trails to be constructed? If so, would you support construction of the entire trail at one time or a portion or portions of the trail?

This is the point in candidate questionnaires that gets pretty sticky. I am impressed with the inclusive and ambitious work that has gone into the planning and initial implementation of the npGreenway project, and look forward to working with your team to implement. My enthusiasm extends to committing to exploring and actively promoting as ambitious a trails program as possible. But until the kind of strong, effective coalition I referenced in question 4 above is built, I think it is unwise to promise any one project or group that it/they will be included.
I’m a pragmatist. There are times when presenting a big visionary proposal resonates best with the public (the original Measure 66 which set aside lottery funds for open space and watershed programs and was recently extended through M76). There are other times when incremental approaches are more successful when the public (project specific bond measures for public safety and libraries come to mind). Having put in the groundwork to build winning coalitions that have been able to achieve lasting success, I know what it takes to get to the finish line with results worth celebrating. I will support whichever approach -- entire trail all at once or successive portions -- is most likely to win public approval.

6. How can npGreenway assist you in getting the trail constructed?

Build and expand the coalition that is committed to this vision. Make sure you ask as much of yourselves as of others. Be both visionary and practical. Support candidates with a proven track record of delivering important results in environmental stewardship and livability -- like me. And then push us to stretch our thinking outside conventional wisdom.

Contact information for Mary Nolan:
www.marynolanforcitycouncil.com
(503)248.9930

North Portland Greenway Trail Alignment Maps

2012-04-11T21:16:00.002-07:00

North Portland Greenway Trail alignment maps are available for viewing at the Portland Online Greenway project site Look in the March meeting notes for the link. What do you think? Leave us some feedback.

Amanda Fritz's response to questions about the Greenway

2012-04-11T21:04:00.003-07:00

City Council candidate Amanda Fritz's answers below are in response to questions sent to candidates running for City Council elections. To see the original request click here. All responses from Amanda Fritz are shown in there entirety:

1. Please explain your familiarity with the Willamette River Greenway Trail between the Eastbank Esplanade and the Columbia River?

I was familiar with the trail before being elected, as a community organizer working on neighborhood and environmental issues. I served on the Citizen Advisory Committee/Task Force that planned standards for exemptions for recreational trails in the City’s Environmental Zone regulations, allowing some trails to be built by right without Environmental Review. While serving on the Portland Planning Commission for seven years, 1996 – 2003, I acted in support of refinements to the Greenway regulations, such as adoption of the “q” regulations in 2002. This zone is intended to protect the functional values of water quality resources by limiting or mitigating the impact of development in the setback. As a citizen activist and neighborhood land use chair, I was also aware of the community’s advocacy protecting Baltimore Woods.

When I started my job on the Council in 2009, one of my first actions was to create the Office of Healthy Working Rivers. This small, nimble bureau is designed to address the Willamette and the Columbia in a comprehensive manner, looking after both human and wildlife needs in the water and in the adjacent neighborhoods. I was given a tour of the npGreenway by Francie Royce and others. The tour convinced my staff and me to put trail development high on our priority list, to be considered whenever a project in the area is planned. I worked with the Council and made sure there was some (still not enough) public process for the University of Portland project. I supported funding for purchase of parcels in Baltimore Woods, and attended the Open House celebrating the major purchase. And I spoke with Congressman Wu, urging him to add extra funding for trail development whenever appropriations for dredging and other industrial projects are considered by Congress.
I will continue to be a firm supporter and active partner with npGreenway if re-elected.

2. What experience do you possess in working with a railroad company to procure use of or purchase of some property to place a multi-purpose trail on?

I don’t have any experience negotiating with railroads. My expertise is in working with neighborhood activists to get your voices heard, and in finding the right City or Portland Development Commission staff with the experience to get a particular job done. Occasionally, I have met with leaders of companies, outlining why it is in the company’s best interest to work with neighbors rather than annoying their customer base. I have had significant success in using virtuous appeals on principles, in getting to mutually satisfactory outcomes. I will bring these skills and experiences to the table, if I am in the position of being the City’s chief elected negotiator with the railroads in the future.

4. What funding proposals would you propose to construct the trail?

I will consider all potential funding proposals. We need citywide and Metro-wide discussions to evaluate potential funding mechanisms for a range of needed transportation improvements, including recreational/transportation trails. I have served on the Metro Policy Advisory Committee for the entire time I have been on the City Council. I asked consultants hired by Metro to look into a Metro-area funding proposal, which is currently being developed. I suggested it should be on the lines of the Greenspaces bond measures in terms of identified projects/services voters would be buying, but not necessarily based on property taxes. This measure would be for regionally significant and inter-jurisdictional projects. Clearly, npGreenway would qualify due to connections with the Springwater Corridor and inclusion in the 40-mile loop and other regional trails.
The City Council also must lead conversations with our communities about funding for transportation infrastructure citywide and multi-modal, including but not limited to trails. The recession was not the right time to propose additional fees, and we are not through the dark days yet. Yet we have huge holes in all transportation funding areas, from major bridge and road projects through trails and basic street paving and sidewalks. Once the economy starts expanding instead of shrinking, and after the Portland Plan is completed, I want to be on the Council to push for and participate in those discussions. I am committed to good public process leading to outcomes that are accepted and work, and I will continue to make decisions ensuring community voices are included, heard, respected and acted upon. Elected leaders should propose a range of options, and be open to other suggestions from the community. Then it is up to all of us to decide what we want to pay for, and how to pay for it.

5. If a bond measure were to be submitted to the public for trails would you support the Willamette River Greenway Trail being one of the trails to be constructed? If so, would you support construction of the entire trail at one time or a portion or portions of the trail?

Yes. Inclusion of the Greenway Trail would be a major selling point for any bond measure for trails. It is the showcase example of trails, given our investments in a cleaner Willamette and our dependence on the river for both industry and human welfare over many centuries.
I will support construction of the trail however we can get it, whether in one big project or in many smaller ones. I support consideration of trail potential in every development application on sites where the Willamette Greenway is identified.

6. How can npGreenway assist you in getting the trail constructed?

Help me win re-election, please! I have demonstrated my commitment to issues npGreenway and I both care about, over the past three years. What you have seen from me in my first term is just a downpayment on the results you can expect in the next four years. I will no longer be the rookie, and I will build on the good working relationships I’ve developed with both Dan Saltzman and Nick Fish, the two Commissioners continuing in 2013, and with the communities of Portland, to get even more done. I face an opponent who has accepted large donations from industrial owners along the Willamette. I ask npGreenway volunteers to help me win the election on May 15, by contacting your friends and neighbors and urging them to send in their ballots with my bubble marked. A local car salesman used to say, “If you don’t come see me today, I can’t save you any money.” My paraphrase is, “If you don’t get me re-elected on May 15, I can’t help you any more.” If you help me win the election, I will continue to be your voice in City Hall, advocating for the npGreenway whenever and wherever I can.

Contact information for Amanda Fritz:
www.Amanda2012.com
Amanda@portlandoregon.gov
(503) 823-3008

University of Portland Master Plan Open House

2012-04-11T20:50:00.003-07:00

April 17, 2012 7 - 8pm

U of P Campus Buckley Center Room 163

The University is presenting the latest Master Plan draft that will include the recently purchased Triangle Property along the Willamette river.

Peninsula Crossing Trail Annual SOLV-IT Cleanup Day

2012-04-11T20:15:00.001-07:00

Saturday, April 21st, 2012 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

We’ll make a difference, rain or shine! Light lunch provided.

Meet at the Fessenden Trailhead (on Fessenden between the RR tracks and Wall St.)
[ From I-5 north, take exit 305B for Lombard West. Take Lombard west to Wall Ave. Turn right and proceed to Fessenden. Parking will be along Wall Ave. and east on Fessenden. ]

Come explore this great North Portland biking and walking trail! Help make the trail more beautiful and safer by removing invasive plants, eliminating graffiti, picking up litter, mulching around plants, and more! Meet your neighbors and bring your friends!
Dress accordingly - bring work gloves if possible, though some will be provided. Some tools will be available, but if you can, bring a shovel, bucket, hand pruner, loppers, or rake.

Please register at www.solv.org at the “Peninsula Crossing Trail Cleanup” project site.
This will give us a better idea of how many are coming – for tools and food.

For more information, please contact
Pam Arden at pam_arden@hotmail.com or 503-708-4697 or
Mark Wilson at mark.wilson@portlandoregon.gov 503-823-6736

Registration Questions:
Briana Goodwin 503-844-9571x322 or 800-333-7658x322 briana@solv.org

Sam Chase's response to questions about the Greenway

2012-02-22T20:57:00.000-08:00

Metro Council District 5 candidate Sam Chase's answers below are in response to questions sent to candidates running for Metro 2012 elections. To see the original request click here. All responses from Sam Chase are shown in there entirety:

1. Please explain your familiarity with the Willamette River Greenway Trail between the Eastbank Esplanade and the Columbia River?

Metro District 5 includes the Greenway. I have lived in the district for 20 years and explored many of the areas that would be linked together by this critical piece of our region’s trail infrastructure.

The Greenway will provide much more than just a trail through North Portland. It will link a critical set of regional trails and support the Intertwine structure that seeks to provide active transportation options for recreation, work, and exercise. That also means we’ll reduce vehicle miles traveled, reduce smog and sprawl, and create a healthier population.

I will be a champion for efforts to promote and fund the Greenway.

2. What experience do you possess in working with a railroad company to procure use of or purchase of some property to place a multi-purpose trail on?

Railroads are a challenge throughout the region for a number of reasons and are federally protected. Part of our regional agenda needs to be working with our congressional delegation to seek changes in Federal law.

In the mean time, we’ll need to develop plans that show a benefit to the railways by ensuring that populations can more safely navigate their way around tracks by building bridges, fences and other tools that will divert people from crossing tracks dangerously.

It will take resources to navigate these challenges. When elected leaders are faced with funding challenges like the Columbia River Crossing, or downtown projects, they have found a way to fund them. I am committed to finding resources that will serve our neighborhoods, and the Greenway will be a priority for me.

3. ‘Taking’ is a concern for both the government entity and the private property owner when requiring the owner to construct a portion of a trail when development is proposed. Would you be willing to work to develop standards that would enable the trail to be constructed in exchange for requiring fewer parking spaces?

Yes. I am not a fan or parking requirements in the first place.

4. What funding proposals would you propose to construct the trail?

I’ll look to both Flexible Funds and Open Space Bond funds. But I also believe we need to fund the Greenway and other Intertwine projects with a long term solution that will help not only acquire trails and open space, but for maintenance. I’ll look to partner with existing efforts such as the Community Investment Initiatives to make trails a regional infrastructure priority.

5. If a bond measure were to be submitted to the public for trails would you support the Willamette River Greenway Trail being one of the trails to be constructed? If so, would you support construction of the entire trail at one time or a portion or portions of the trail?

Yes on both fronts. However, I will not hold up the project if it turns out phasing will be the most feasible strategy.

6. How can npGreenway assist you in getting the trail constructed?

Community leaders must be active and present in the conversation. They have the vision and knowledge to carry solutions forward. We need to be flexible by providing alternatives and different options that will get the greenway funded. I’ll look to npGreenway to provide guidance, and will bring Metro’s convening, facilitation, and physical resources to the table where I can.

Contact information for Sam Chase:
http://www.samchase.org
Friends of Sam Chase
PO Box 10513
Portland OR 97296
503-810-4504

Bob Stacey's response to questions about the Greenway

2012-01-31T18:31:00.000-08:00

Metro Council District 6 candidate Bob Stacey's answers below are in response to questions sent to candidates running for office in the City of Portland or Metro 2012 elections. To see the original request click here. All responses from Bob Stacey are shown in there entirety:

1.Please explain your familiarity with the Willamette River Greenway Trail between the Eastbank Esplanade and the Columbia River?

On at least three occasions over the last two years I’ve met with members of the npGreenway board, including a walking tour of portions of the existing and proposed trail alignment at Swan Island, and a bike tour of the general alignment between Swan Island and Cathedral Park in the summer of 2010. These conversations and first-hand experiences have given me a strong appreciation of the recreational, commuting, and natural area access benefits the trail will provide, and I want to do what I can to get it built.

2. What experience do you possess in working with a railroad company to procure use of or purchase of some property to place a multi-purpose trail on?

I have followed efforts in this region to reach agreements with railroads to acquire portions of rail rights of way. What experience I have in this area indicates that railroads are not inclined to share the use of active rights of way, ordinarily will not part with portions of those rights of way, and often are reluctant to engage in a discussion of the subject. In some cases a railroad has sold or traded a rail corridor after determining it no longer has value to the railroad (e.g., Southern Pacific’s transfer of the Jefferson Street line between Portland and Lake Oswego to public ownership, in which I had a small role). It’s also possible to persuade railroads to accept joint use of a ROW where the public provides substantial improvements that benefit the railroad (e.g., TriMet’s WES service along a privately owned rail line). Any agreement for trail construction on right-of-way will have to be based on negotiations (the State of Oregon and its local governments have no power to condemn railroad property) and will have to benefit the railroad as well as the public.

3.‘Taking’ is a concern for both the government entity and the private property owner when requiring the owner to construct a portion of a trail when development is proposed. Would you be willing to work to develop standards that would enable the trail to be constructed in exchange for requiring fewer parking spaces?

Yes, absolutely. I’m skeptical of the value of regulations that establish minimum parking requirements for businesses in general, and would be happy to relax them in cases where public and private benefits result.

4. What funding proposals would you propose to construct the trail?

Metro has two funding pools that can help: federal flexible transportation funds and proceeds from Metro’s parks and natural areas bond measure. Both sources are already in very high demand that exceeds their capacity. Our region should be looking toward a future third parks, trails and natural areas bond measure that would include the npGreenway and other regional trails; there is a lot of work that must precede such a measure, including figuring out how to fund needed development and maintenance of already-acquired parks and open space. The region should also be exploring how we might raise our own resources for funding active transportation facilities beyond the limited number of federal flexible funds we receive. A group of private-sector community leaders calling itself the Community Investment Initiative is studying the region’s infrastructure needs and possible ways of funding some or all of those needs, with research and other support from Metro. Their deliberations have been private, and may or may not include trails and parks funding. They are expected to issue recommendations in mid-2012, which may serve as a starting point for widespread discussion of new infrastructure funding strategies.

5.If a bond measure were to be submitted to the public for trails would you support the Willamette River Greenway Trail being one of the trails to be constructed? If so, would you support construction of the entire trail at one time or a portion or portions of the trail?

Yes. As I said in the answer above, I think we should include projects to expand the regional trail network, including npGreenway, in a future parks and trails bond measure. The best package for voter consideration would probably be complete trails serving many parts of our metropolitan area.

6.How can npGreenway assist you in getting the trail constructed?

There will need to be broad-based public discussion of our region’s open space and active transportation needs, and widespread agreement on those needs, before a funding measure to meet those needs can proceed. NpGreenway should be active in community discussions, engaged in the Intertwine alliance, and should review and respond to the Community Investment Initiative’s proposals and recommendations when they are released later this year. If I’m elected, I’ll look forward to working with you to get this and other needed trails developed.

Contact information for Bob Stacey:
bob@bobstacey.com
http://www.bobstacey.com
3140 SE Hawthorne Blvd, Suite 200
Portland, OR 97214
(503) 232-3255

Charlie Hales on the Willamette Greenway

2012-01-08T12:27:00.000-08:00

Mayoral candidate Charlie Hales' answers below are in response to questions sent to candidates running for office in the City of Portland or Metro 2012 elections. To see the original request click here. All responses from Charlie Hales are shown in there entirety:

1. Please explain your familiarity with the Willamette River Greenway Trail
between the Eastbank Esplanade and the Columbia River?

I was personally involved as Commissioner-in-Charge of Transportation and
Parks in the development of the Eastbank Esplanade, and I'm very proud of
that. I have been briefed on the current state of your effort and I find it
VERY exciting - I can't wait to help with the next chapter!

2. What experience do you possess in working with a railroad company
to procure use of or purchase of some property to place a multi-purpose
trail on?

While I served as Commissioner-in-Charge of Transportation, we worked at
length to secure the right to extend a waterfront trail connection across
the lower level of the Steel Bridge - it required a long and difficult
negotiation with the railroad, up to and including multiple trips to Omaha
by then PDOT Director Vic Rhodes.

While I served as Commissioner-in-Charge of Parks, Zari Santner and I helped
lead the development of the Springwater Corridor trail...this also required
extensive negotiation with Bob Samuels, the owner of the short line railroad
that operates alongside it.

I'm the only candidate running for Mayor with any local government
experience and this is precisely the kind of challenge that makes in-depth
local government, land use and transportation experience essential for
GETTING THINGS DONE while in office!

3. 'Taking' is a concern for both the government entity and the private
property owner when requiring the owner to construct a portion of a trail
when development is proposed. Would you be willing to work to develop
standards that would enable the trail to be constructed in exchange for
requiring fewer parking spaces?

...or anything else we can use in the negotiation, that maintains the
purpose and effect of our policies while "getting to yes" on expanding the
trail network.

4. What funding proposals would you propose to construct the trail?

I plan to propose some specific local funding tools for transportation in
the course of this campaign, since state and federal sources are constrained
and likely to continue in that condition, or worse.

Yes! And as I mentioned in my Bike Portland interview (in which I mentioned
your specific project as an example), we need some compelling Big Idea
projects to inspire support for such a measure. I employed this samejavascript:void(0)
strategy in composing the first successful Parks Bond Measure in fifty
years: we included several spectacular new community centers in the mix of
projects...114 projects, mostly relatively modest improvements to
neighborhood parks, but three Big Ones to capture the imagination.

6. How can npGreenway assist you in getting the trail constructed?

You can help by informing your members about my passion for this agenda and
my eagerness to be your effective partner as the next Mayor of Portland! I
can help a little as a private citizen; I can help a LOT MORE if...with your
members' involvement and support...my campaign succeeds and I win this
election!

Contact information for Charlie Hales:
charliehalesformayor@gmail.com
www.charliehales.com
1220 SE Grand Avenue
Portland, OR 97214
campaign office: 503-567-9430

Thoughts from Candidates of the 2012 Election on the Greenway Trail

2012-01-08T11:49:00.000-08:00

The 2012 elections are not far off. There are a number of Council positions at the city of Portland, Mayor of Portland and Metro Council that are open and have drawn considerable interest. Of significance for the construction of the Willamette River Greenway Trail is how these candidates view the trail and what kind of support will they provide in seeing that it will get constructed. The npGreenway Core Group has not and does not intend on formulating a position on these candidates. We felt it most important for our followers and supporters to formulate their own positions based on information they can gather.

Accordingly, the npGreenway Core Group (Board) developed six questions that were emailed to each of the candidates below and asked them to respond to them. We offered to meet with them and some, at this writing, have taken us up on the offer. Included is an offer to tour the proposed route. We will post the responses as they are received.

Below are the questions along with the candidate’s responses.

Please explain your familiarity with the Willamette River Greenway Trail between the Eastbank Esplanade and the Columbia River?
What experience do you possess in working with a railroad company to procure use of or purchase of some property to place a multi-purpose trail on?
‘Taking’ is a concern for both the government entity and the private property owner when requiring the owner to construct a portion of a trail when development is proposed. Would you be willing to work to develop standards that would enable the trail to be constructed in exchange for requiring fewer parking spaces?
What funding proposals would you propose to construct the trail?
If a bond measure were to be submitted to the public for trails would you support the Willamette River Greenway Trail being one of the trails to be constructed? If so, would you support construction of the entire trail at one time or a portion or portions of the trail?
How can npGreenway assist you in getting the trail constructed?

Charlie Hales response

North Lombard Street – North Marine Drive re-opens after bridge construction

2011-11-30T20:33:00.000-08:00

From the Desk of PBOT:

TRAFFIC ADVISORY

North Lombard Street – North Marine Drive re-opens after bridge construction

(Portland, Ore.) – The Portland Bureau of Transportation advises the traveling public that the bridge which carries traffic on North Lombard Street over the Columbia Slough near Kelley Point Park has re-opened after an extended closure since mid-April for bridge deck replacement. The Columbia Slough Bridge is now open all hours, all days to all traffic.

The majority of the work to replace the deck, install the curb and upgrade the guardrails is complete. However, single lane closures will be necessary during daytime hours through the end of the year for structural steel sidewalk installation to connect pedestrian and bicycle traffic to existing trails on each side of the bridge.

The public is advised that Kelley Point Park will remain open with no restrictions for access due to the project.

The Columbia Slough Bridge deck was deteriorated and needed to be replaced. Signs of distress due to heavy freight traffic were evident in structural cracks that were visible in the old concrete deck and approach slabs. Failure to replace the deck would have resulted in weight restriction of the bridge, which would have limited traffic movement at the crossing.

The project included replacing the bridge deck to carry increasingly heavy freight loads and upgrading bridge rails to meet current safety standards. Additionally, the new cantilevered sidewalk for bicycle and pedestrian use will connect approximately nine miles of previously isolated off-street trails and increase pedestrian and bicycle safety and mobility in the area.

Waud Bluff Under Construction

2011-11-30T20:09:00.000-08:00

For those traveling through by car, bike or on foot please slow down around the construction zone at the top of the Waud Bluff trail on Willamette Blvd. Its going to be a bit of a tight squeeze for a few months. See the trail here http://g.co/maps/5fu85 along with an Oregonian article.