Comments for Portland Urbanista

Comment on For Fear of Hitting a Cyclist by Amelia Gage

Amelia Gage — Thu, 19 Jul 2012 08:42:26 +0000

“The old is dying and the new cannot be born.” What a parallel you have drawn to describe your current situation. But the fact remains that we have to coexist side by side. I just hope that the city elders make appropriate arrangements for the safety of both.

Comment on For Fear of Hitting a Cyclist by Bert

Bert — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 18:34:24 +0000

I think I’m right there with Streetdog: The old is dying? Sometimes I wish I could choke it and stomp on it and make it go quicker.

As I’ve slowing managed to move my career into a home-based model, I am loving my bike more and more (just got a new one!) But we live in rural Colorado where cycling of every sort is huge.

Since I can avoid driving more and more, it makes me think more and more about driving at all. Our new Honda Fit gets great mileage but why drive at all?

I haven’t arrived at the place of being afraid of hitting someone on a bike but I can see how it would be a serious concern living in a metro setting.

Thanks for taking time to call attention to the circumstance and causing some forward motion to remedy the situation.

Bert

Comment on For Fear of Hitting a Cyclist by Sally

Sally — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 11:28:04 +0000

I live in London where the bike culture is the opposite of Amsterdam and Copenhagen. We have thousands of cyclists – of whom I am one – but the separation of cyclists and motorized traffic is poor (our cycle superhighway concept is a laugh) and result is that each ride feels like a dice with death. I wish the car, bus and freight drivers here had your worries about an accident because they seem to have no conscience at all. Problem is that cars and trucks seem so insulated and cocooned away from the outside world that drivers lose their sense of danger. Long may you keep yours!

Comment on The Kids Are All Right by Mim

Mim — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 17:44:30 +0000

wow, this is really depressing. But hey, I have 9 years to work on changing the systemic problems before my kindergartner hits high school (coincidentally, Grant). Maybe it’s time to roll up my shirtsleeves and… hmmm, and what? Run for city council? Agitate for tax reform til i’m blue in the face? Or just wait and see and do what i can with my puny little vote from year to year?

Comment on Overkill by Linda Baker

Linda Baker — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 23:51:04 +0000

Mim, As someone who writes almost exclusively for the MSM, I can say there is a market for stories following corporate money—it’s just very difficult for reporters to investigate private companies, especially as newspaper/magazine budgets wither away.

Comment on Overkill by Mim

Mim — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 22:06:59 +0000

Yeah, I am no frothing “mainstream media SUX” hippie, and hey, the occasional writing for MSM has helped pay my bills at times, but it sure does seems unlikely that any major newspaper or magazine is going to become known for following the money the way you describe. For one thing, corporations ultimately buy advertising space, so I’m guessing magazines and newspapers tend not to want to alienate them. Even if that’s never overtly said to the reporters writing stories (“don’t say anything negative about citibank!”), I’d imagine it has some bearing on what stories get assigned in the first place.

I’m glad to see you posting more again! I’d love an update sometime about how things are going at Grant HS with the new blocks of time for classes you mentioned a while back… My kids are only 3 and 5, but I figure it’s never too early to start obsessing over high school educational fads.

Comment on Cradle to Grave by Susan Barrett

Susan Barrett — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:15:20 +0000

The Governor actually thanked Knowledge Universe for their assistance with the LearnWorks plan. ugh.

Comment on For Fear of Hitting a Cyclist by Sarah

Sarah — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 23:51:24 +0000

I completely understand your fear of hitting a cyclist! I am always excited when I see that we are adding a bike path in the road… which I know is not shared by many. I unfortunately have to drive a half hour to work. If I did not have to take the highway and work so far away I know that I would live car free. I just hope we continue to help the bikers receive the paths needed so we can share the road.

Comment on School Items of Note by Ted Wolf

Ted Wolf — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 23:02:33 +0000

Thanks, as always, for highlighting our petition and Oregon Parents for Quake-Resistant Schools! Happy to report, less than a week in, more than 150 signatures so far and official endorsements from the Oregon Chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers and Oregon PTA (how’s that for unlikely bedfellows!).

On study halls, it is a regrettable circumstance but I fear the path to resolution does not run through language like “holding tanks” (ironically, used by a principal) and “warehousing” (frequent in letters columns). Such phrases express frustration, but (like “death panels”) they stop thought in its tracks, and we are in need of creative ways to engage kids who don’t need to study in their study halls, but who don’t have a classroom alternative. Another wicked problem.

Comment on “Bicycle Supported Development” in the Times by Linda Baker

Linda Baker — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 15:32:00 +0000

Thanks Zef. I think coordination between transportation and planning departments will help address social ramifications of transport projects, a point raised by planner Don Arambula in one of my earlier North Williams posts.