"Apparently, IBR officials don’t intend to tell us how much money tolls will produce, or what toll levels will be–until after we make an irrevocable commitment to move forward with the $15 billion project."

- @cityobservatory.bsky.social's Joe Cortright on the latest IBR shenanigans

Vancouver City Council could vote to oppose shorter I-5 light rail route Planned light rail stops were reduced from two to one, with light rail terminating at the Vancouver waterfront.

Seems like the City of Vancouver isn't pleased with the IBR team making significant cuts to the length of the light rail for the massive highway expansion!

www.opb.org/article/2026...

ODOT is guilty of every single one of these

www.pew.org/en/research-...

Glad to see Prosper Portland learning from ODOT’s mistakes

The Highway That Never Was  - Portland Mercury [What follows is one of the many articles in the Mercury‘s 2026 Transportation issue. Find a print copy here, subscribe to get a copy mailed to you here, and if you’re feeling generous and want to keep these types of articles coming, support us here.—eds.] Over fifty years ago, a freeway almost destroyed a large […]

Portland almost demolished a good chunk of Southeast for a freeway. Almost! I wrote a bit about the never-constructed Mount Hood Freeway for the @portlandmercury.com Transportation Issue.

🗣️🗣️🗣️

would love to hear this from more portland electeds 👇

Car ownership costs the average household upwards of $1,000 a month if you consider depreciation, gas, maintenance, tires, and insurance.

The most expensive TriMet pass is around $100 a month.

Poster of the route to the Bike Bus to Providence Park will take.

Bike Bus to Thorns' Home Opener!

Ride leaves Friday March 20 4:45 Laurelhurst Skate Park (3800 SE Oak) & 6PM from Sports Bra (2512 NE Broadway)
Game 7PM Providence Park

Led by two BikeLoud Board members!
Look for the pennanted bikes of the leader and corkers

www.shift2bikes.org/eventimages/...

I-5 Bridge Replacement Project Finally Comes Clean on Skyrocketing Price Tag That cost is so high that the governors of both states have abandoned their goal of redoing the entire 5-mile stretch of Interstate 5 from North Portland to Vancouver.

@wweek.com quotes NMF co-founder @cityobservatory.bsky.social and @senkhanhpham.bsky.social about the latest cost escalation hijinx for the Interstate Bridge Replacement

www.wweek.com/news/state/2...

"IBR likes to blame inflation, but that’s not the reason the cost of the project has doubled in the past three years. This isn’t merely “inflation”–the project’s own estimates of the effects of higher inflation explains only about $1b of the almost $10 billion increase in project costs since 2022"

Local economist & No More Freeways co-founder Joe Cortright thinks I got this totally wrong. His email subject to me just now was "You've been conned: WSDOT and ODOT have NOT agreed to right-size the bridge."

So he's sending me an op-ed. Watch for it tomorrow.

The "core set of projects" is effectively half of Solomon's baby; once you build a new high level bridge, you have to rebuild the interchanges. ODOT & WSDOT have designed this so once you start, you must build everything. They're signing us up for $15 billion and 20 years of construction hell.

The highway right-sizing trend that’s sweeping the nation. First NJ, now OR/WA.

Freeway expansions value-engineered out of Interstate Bridge Replacement project, for now The bike paths made the cut!

"...project officials have finally relented and have decided to right-size the project in the way dozens of environmental and social justice organizations in the Just Crossing Alliance have been encouraging them to do for years now." - @bikeportland.org

Building with $5.5 Billion in Available Funding Major infrastructure programs are often constructed in phases over time to align with available funding and workforce, and to minimize disruption to the local communities. With the updated cost estimate, the Program has identified a core set of projects to advance with available funding while working toward building the full five-mile program: Replacement Columbia River Bridge Bridge connections to I-5 Extension of light rail to Waterfront Station in Vancouver Removal of existing bridge The cost estimate for this core set of projects is $7.65 billion, leaving a funding gap of $1.2 to $2.2 billion depending on the availability of funding from the Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grant.

Plenty of need for continued skepticism, oversight and accountability, but Governors Kotek/Ferguson have essentially acknowledged there's no way in hell to build a fifteen billion dollar freeway expansion and should instead just replace the bridge + add transit
www.interstatebridge.org/CostEstimate

Fittingly, when you click on the link for the cost estimate, the IBR press release sends you to a 404 page

Looks like Ferguson and Kotek will be announcing the prioritization of a "core set of projects" that includes replacing the twin spans and building light rail, but doesn't include I-5 widening or new interchanges.

They still have a funding gap of $1.2 to $2.2 billion on that.

Advocates for right-sizing the replacement of I-5 between Washington and Oregon are poised for a big win, if only because there is no way for the two states to pay for the full $14.4 billion (!) project.

#Minneapolis and #SaintPaul friends, the Better 94 page has been updated with an explanation of municipal consent and its perils. We have until Monday, March 23 to submit formal comments on the highway. Don't delay or we'll get another 60 years of induced demand, dangerous neighborhoods and poison.

We've all been so conditioned to think climate = energy = electricity that the very basic fact that oil is used for burning in cars (and is the largest source of pollution in the US) is like ... invisible?

search your camera roll for hell

Portland Ebike Rebate Program – Clever Cycles Clever Cycles is a participating retailer in Portland's PCEF e-bike rebate program. Get up to $1,600 off a new e-bike plus $300 for accessories in 2026.

Portland ebike rebate program begins April 6. You must be at 60% AMI (Area Medium Income) to qualify. Get up to $1,600 off a new e-bike plus $300 for accessories in 2026.

Paid for by PCEF Portland Clean Energy Fund.

@clevercycles.com + other local participating bike shops

Hey does anyone remember how we had like a decade of near zero interest rates? Thank god the USA spent that time investing in infrastructure! What a calamity if we had just squandered the last best chance of our lives

What if I told you that Transportation is the highest-polluting sector of the American economy?

Now what if I told you that ~100% of that is from oil?

Now what if I further told you that we can do something about it but mostly aren't even trying?

With new funding on hold, Oregon Legislature raids grant programs to avert ODOT layoffs Lawmakers' Band-Aid fix for the short legislative session was to take $218 million in funding from transportation-related programs like Safe Routes to School.

"By gutting these programs, the state is failing its duty to remove barriers for kids, seniors, and people with disabilities to move safely around their communities. We shouldn’t be balancing the budget at the expense of our most vulnerable neighbors." - Oregon Walks

www.kgw.com/article/news...

"this is to protect our integrity and maintain trust with our partners" is some orwellian stuff from ODOT/IBR

Portland’s light rail system hasn’t expanded in ten years, has no plans to do so in the future btw

But don’t worry we’ve got billions lined up to spend on continued freeway expansions!

truly exceptional timing for the oregon legislature to abandon the effort to properly fund transit.

can't afford the price of gas? want to drive less? too bad, we're cutting transit service statewide! #orleg