| Concept Bridge Creates Controversy |
The Hwy Trust Fund will remain solvent a few months longer as a Obama signs a $7 billion rescue bill. The measure passed overwhelmingly in both houses of Congress and sets the stage for interesting debate after the summer recess. (ENR)
Portland, OR, is building a bridge across the Willamette River that will serve only rail, bikes and pedestrians — no cars allowed. But there’s still some jockeying between competing interests, and cycle advocates have managed to secure wider lanes. Video above. (Oregonian)
A good selection of letters in the NY Times today about high speed rail. One reader suggests: pick one hihg profile project and build it out very quickly to inspire jealousy in the rest of the country. (NYT)
“The lowest cost solar project in history” came online last week in the high desert near Los Angeles. The concentrated solar facility features 24,000 computer controlled mirrors and generates a very modest 5 megawatts of electricity. (WorldChanging)
Not that there are plans to scrap it, but hypothetically what would NYC look like without a subway system? Gotham would need 78 Brooklyn Bridges to handle vehicle traffic and miles of parking lots. A tad more expensive even than the Second Ave Subway… (Frumination via GreenSheet)
The Spanish city of San Sebastian has just opened a half-mile bicycle-only tunnel. The $4 million project is meant to encourage two-wheeled commuting, and it features security cameras and public address system. (Copenhaganize)
You probably know that Washington is a planned city. But do you understand the intricate street naming conventions? Figuring the basics can really help you get around next time you’re in town. (Greater Greater Washington)
The man behind the Great Train Robbery in England 46 years ago is out of jail in time for his 80th birthday. Ronnie Biggs received clemency on health grounds after spending the last 8 years in prison. Prior to that, he’d been on the run in Brazil and Australia. Video after the jump features a clip of Ronnie cavorting with lingerie models. (Sky News)
August 10th, 2009 at 4:09 pm
The “controversy” in Portland, OR is almost entirely manufactured by our largest local newspaper, the Oregonian. Also they supplied the video to support their claims of controversy.
Apparently there has been some bickering amongst the architectural design community but this is wide scale controversy in the same way that a fight between two dogs is representative of all pets in Portland going on a rabid fight to the death.
+1 to Portland’s Oregonian for inventing news.
August 10th, 2009 at 7:08 pm
Speaking of dogs, is it not amazing that two weeks into Get A Car On Uncle Sam’s Dime, there are still yappy chihuahuas ready to go on newspaper sites and whine about subsidizing bikers?
August 10th, 2009 at 11:53 pm
The bridge accommodates three out of four major modes of ground transportation. Sounds like a great idea.
August 11th, 2009 at 1:27 am
Its interesting how its now become a ped/bicycle bridge with transit lanes. As opposed to a transit bridge with ped/bicycle paths.
All that is talked about in the media and at the public meetings on the bridge is the pathways, there is no talk whatsoever about the transit part of the bridge. All the designing and considerations are for non-transit portions of the bridge. Last I heard there was going to be 28 feet of bridge devoted to pedestrians and bikes (two 14-foot lanes, one on each side of the bridge). I certainly have no problem whatsoever with pedestrian and bike accommodations on the bridge (I walk, bike and ride transit very frequently) but please lets not forget this is a transit project that is first and foremost for transit and paid for with money coming out of the transit piggybank and quite frankly I am skeptical that this bridge location is a place where people will walk or bike much.
PS I agree that the Oregonian (as with the local TV stations) like to make a big deal and emphasize that no cars or trucks will be on the bridge because they want to fan the flames of a certain anti-city libertarian/constitution party part of our local population that gets irate at the thought of government money going to something they cant drive their car all over and whom are also equally angry about money going to non-highway transport. But the fact is the bridge would have had to have been designed completely different to handle auto traffic sharing the bridge (such as the constant flow of vehicles, creation of backups of waiting vehicles at signals, likely the need for multiple auto travel lanes, and this would slow down the transit vehicles using the bridge). Plus there are already 8 or so existing auto bridges within a few miles of this planned bridge.