east columbia blog...
Jan 7,2009
Potential Hazards Due to Heavy Rain and Flooding
by pearlgirl
From the Portland Bureau of Transportation... The National Weather Service forecast calls for heavy rain and potential flooding of Johnson Creek tonight or early Thursday morning. These conditions could create a number of driving hazards in the Portland metro area. The Portland Bureau of Transportation crews have staged barricades at several locations in anticipation of heavy rain and flooding, and sandbag pile locations are re-stocked with sand and sandbags. Other City bureaus will partner to respond to conditions as necessary. The public is advised of the following potential hazards associated with heavy rains: Street flooding, clogged catch basins, and drainage problems Pools of standing water all over the city Fallen trees blocking streets Landslides and debris flows blocking streets Issues of house flooding and sewer backups Traffic signal outages Downed power lines and power outages The following sandbag locations are open and stocked with s
Read More...
posted at 01:10 PM
0 comments 
Jan 7,2009
Snowpocalypse Hangover » Potholes
by pearlgirl
From the Portland Bureau of Transportation... This winter's early heavy snowfall caused treacherous driving conditions for motorists, and it is also creating another potential hazard - potholes. The combination of heavy snow and rain, freezing and expanding of moisture under pavement, and thawing has produced potholes, and Maintenance Operations crews busy with sand and gravel cleanup, flood preparation and response, and more snow removal efforts in the West Hills have had limited time and resources to make needed repairs. But pothole patch crews are rolling. "It's an ongoing battle," said Mayor Sam Adams. "On Monday we received two dozen calls to our Pothole Hotline. On Wednesday we received five dozen calls." Call the Pothole Hotline at 503-823-BUMP (2867). Listen to the recording and be prepared to provide some basic information, including the location of the pothole, nearest cross street, your name and contact information, and the time and da
Read More...
posted at 12:46 PM
2 comments
Dec 17,2008
City Encourages Commuters to Take Transit Thursday
by pearlgirl
The City of Portland advises commuters to expect variable road conditions throughout the day Thursday and therefore to take transit. If you have to drive, pre-fit and carry chains in your vehicle. According to the National Weather Service, the system that arrived today may bring more precipitation and freezing temperatures through tonight, the Thursday morning commute, and the evening commute. Portlanders could wake to freezing rain or snow, with snow showers expected throughout the day. Most highways, transit routes, emergency response routes, and major arterials are in good condition today. The public is advised, however, that conditions are still variable. Although most major streets have clear pavement, expect patches of ice, packed snow, and black ice on side streets, neighborhood streets, and particularly in the hills. The West Hills are especially icy still. Maintenance Operations crews continue to remain on full callout to clear main streets of ice and respond to this new s
Read More...
posted at 03:33 PM
0 comments
Nov 4,2008
Steel Bridge Back in Service
by pearlgirl
The Steel Bridge is now open for MAX and bus service. Earlier this morning during a test lift, the bridge was stuck 10 feet above the deck due to an electrical malfunction with Union Pacific RR equipment.
posted at 11:48 AM
0 comments
Nov 4,2008
Steel Bridge Closed
by pearlgirl
The Steel Bridge has an electrical malfunction that has caused it to remain open. Obviously, it is closed to all traffic. At this time, TriMet does not know when it will reopen. Stay tuned. Shuttle buses will take riders between the Rose Quarter Transit Center and the Old Town/Chinatown stations. The seven bus lines that typically cross the Steel Bridge will use either the Broadway or Burnside bridges. Bus lines: 4-Fessenden, 8-NE 15th Ave, 10-NE 33rd Ave, 33-Fremont, 35-Greeley, 44-Mocks Crest and 77-Broadway/Halsey. Read more at Portland Tribune .
posted at 08:24 AM
0 comments
Nov 3,2008
15 Mashup Tools for Your Local Neighborhood
by dariusmonsef
Want a donut? Want to know if you'll need an umbrella today? Trying to avoid traffic? Want to know if it's safe for your kids to play in the front yard? We'll look a dozen-ish mashups that provide useful, helpful, interesting and fun information about the local area that you you live in. For those asking what a mashup is? The web 2.0 world spawned thousands of social networks and user contributed content sites... The same world has connected even more sites and people with the ability for developers to take the APIs from a couple different sites and mash them together to create new and interesting ways to share information and data. WalkScore | Find What's In a Walkable Distance
"Walk Score shows you a map of what is nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. Buying a house in a walkable neighborhood is good for your health and good for the environment." Portland rates in their top 10 cities. You can even see their directory of Portl
Read More...
"Walk Score shows you a map of what is nearby and calculates a Walk Score for any property. Buying a house in a walkable neighborhood is good for your health and good for the environment." Portland rates in their top 10 cities. You can even see their directory of Portl
Read More...
posted at 08:15 AM
12 comments
Nov 3,2008
Portland Streetcar Advisory Committee Meeting
by pearlgirl
Event Date: 11/05/2008 03:30 PM
Event Location: Shiels Obletz Johnsen, 1140 SW 11th Avenue, Suite #500
Event Location: Shiels Obletz Johnsen, 1140 SW 11th Avenue, Suite #500
Portland Streetcar Citizens Advisory Committee meeting. 3:30PM - 5:00PM. This meeting is open to the public. AGENDA 1. Call to order / Approve minutes of 9/3/08. 2. Public Comment. 3. Portland Loop Project. Progress Update Bicycle Plan Northrup Loop/Lovejoy Option status 4. System Plan Update 5. Project Updates: Burnside/Couch Couplet (eastside) Burnside/Couch Couplet (westside) Future Conway Project with streetcar Portland/Lake Oswego Project 6. Streetcar Carbon Neutral commitment. 7. Other Business. 8. Next Meeting: Wednesday, February 4, 2008, 3:30pm - 5:00pm at Shiels Obletz Johnsen. If you have any questions regarding this committee, please contact Kay Dannen at 503/478-6404 or email at the address below. dannen@portlandstreetcar.org
Read More...
posted at 07:55 AM
0 comments
Oct 27,2008
Hawthorne Bridge Closure Tomorrow
by Calendar Girl
A damaged cable on the 98-year-old Hawthorne Bridge will be repaired Tuesday morning, closing the bridge to traffic for most of the day. See the Portland Tribune article. Due to the emergency repairs, Multnomah County will be closing the Hawthorne Bridge on Tuesday, October 28 from 9:00am until approximately 1:00pm. Buses that normally use the Hawthorne Bridge will be rerouted to the Morrison Bridge.
posted at 08:57 PM
0 comments
Oct 6,2008
National Transit Passenger Advocates Hold Outreach Meeting in Portland
by pearlgirl
Event Date: 10/15/2008 07:00 PM
Event Location: Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room C
Event Location: Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Avenue, Room C
The Rail User's Network (RUN) will hold an outreach meeting in Portland on Wednesday, October 15th at 7pm. The meeting will be held in Room C on the 2nd floor of the Portland Building, 1120 SW 5th Ave. The meeting will present a rare opportunity for rail advocates in Portland and elsewhere in the Northwest Region to meet with the counterparts from elsewhere in the nation, to exchange ideas for improving both transit in the region and advocacy efforts toward better transit. "Cities like Portland and Seattle represent the future in American transit, where new lines get people out of their automobiles and into downtown" said David Peter Alan, a RUN Board member and a rail advocate in New Jersey. He also stated: "We also want to help the advocacy movement grow in places like Portland, so transit riders can have as much of a voice as possible in making decisions about their transit." The RUN meeting will feature representatives from the Citizens' Advisory Committee
Read More...
posted at 10:33 AM
0 comments