Events will re-visit ghosts of freeways past - bikeportland.org

Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on October 28th, 2008 at 11:16 am

This defunct freeway ramp serves
as a reminder of Portland’s freeway-fighting past.
(Photo:
John Russell)

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
–philosopher George Santayana

Much of the why Portland is a city where bikes, pedestrians, and transit can flourish, is because we have taken a stand against freeways. Two events coming up in November will educate a new generation about Portland’s proud history of freeway fighting and removal.

In the late 1960s and early ’70s, plans for the Mt. Hood Freeway (that would have run through the heart of Southeast Portland) were canceled after neighborhoods revolted and city planners threatened a lawsuit.

Bikes enjoy a ride in Waterfront Park,
perhaps unaware that it used to be
a freeway.
(Photo © J. Maus)

In 1974, a piece of the 99W freeway (known as Harbor Drive) along the western shore of the Willamette River in downtown Portland was removed. In its place was put Tom McCall Waterfront Park, which stretches from the Steel Bridge to the Riverplace Marina — and Portland became the first major U.S. city to remove an existing freeway.

It’s important to note that both of these areas (Southeast Portland and the Waterfront) now see some of the highest levels of bike and pedestrian activity anywhere in the city...

Read the rest of the article at bikeportland.org

Solving transport challenges rather than just building roads

A good opinion piece on where the State Government has it wrong, and some suggestions where it could get things right.

I have been perplexed by successive Victorian governments fixation on building roads and freeways and not providing more rail transport. In this regard, the Brumby Labor government is no different from its predecessors.

It seems to me that that both the government and Vicroads have made incorrect assumptions that cars, trucks, roads and freeways will meet most of our transport needs now and for the future.

I wonder if they listen to the radio reports every morning of the congestion and delays on all freeways as increasing numbers of commuters try and get to work along "freeways" blocked with congestion by single occupant cars whose drivers obviously don't believe they have adequate public transport options available to them. 30-minute delays over the last 10 to 15 kilometres are common in the mornings, and very slow speed due to congestion are now chronic over similar distances in the afternoon and early evening.

The government must be aware of this very real problem, yet their answer seems to be "we need more freeways, tunnels and links" - as the Brumby governments terms of reference seem to suggest for the Eddington report - which seems to be focusing on reasons why building an east-west tunnel link between the Eastern and Tullamarine freeways should proceed.

I have just read recent reported comments by Transport Minister Lynn Kosky in this article, including:

"We are working to find ways to meet increasing demand for public transport services," Ms Kosky said.

The Government had just ordered 18 new six-carriage trains that would carry 14,500 more people during peak times — "equivalent to more than 12,000 cars and more than six freeway lanes of capacity".

So they do know that trains are much more efficient than cars for mass transit. They would also know that car transport produces around 8 times more carbon emissions (using dwindling oil reserves) compared with urban rail transport.

However, just buying more trains and trams will not solve the problem for those who don't have easy access to local rail transport...

I'd encourage you to check out the whole thing at http://petercampbell.blogspot.com/2008/03/solving-tranport-challenges-rather-than.html

New orbital freeway plan for city

A CONTENTIOUS proposal to build the "missing link" in Melbourne's outer ring road network will be considered as part of a wider plan by the State Government to deal with Melbourne's transport chaos.

Premier John Brumby has confirmed that a freeway link through some of the city's most environmentally sensitive areas will be among a series of proposals considered in a far-reaching new transport plan.

By linking the Metropolitan Ring Road to the the EastLink tollway, the road would create a continuous "orbital" freeway of outer Melbourne, running about 100 kilometres from Altona in the west to Frankston in the south.

Two alternative routes will be looked at: a six-kilometre link from the Greensborough Highway to the Eastern Freeway, and a more ambitious 15-20 kilometre road from Greensborough to EastLink.

Motoring group the RACV said it expected the Government to provide "a strong commitment to the planning and implementation" of the new freeway.

But putting the project on the agenda would amount to a policy reversal by Labor, which has repeatedly promised not to build the missing link in the ring road since winning power in 1999.

In 2001, then transport minister Peter Batchelor told Parliament that any suggestion Labor would ever allow a freeway link between the Eastern Freeway and the ring road was "a fear campaign, a smear campaign".

Yesterday Mr Brumby confirmed that the ring road plan was among a range of potential projects other than those in Sir Rod Eddington's transport blueprint, released in April. "There have been a lot of other proposals about other things that we might do (including) outer ring roads," Mr Brumby said.

Among the main proposals from Sir Rod was a $9 billion freeway to link the Western Ring Road to the Eastern Freeway via a tunnel under Royal Park. However, it is believed Sir Rod was frustrated by his narrow brief, which looked only at the links between Melbourne's eastern and western suburbs...

Read the rest at http://www.theage.com.au/national/new-orbital-freeway-plan-for-city-20080707-34em.html

Who-da thunk it? Mr Brum-brum-brumby want's to build another road!