While you've been staying away from downtown
I found myself in downtown Portland yesterday, for work. And I discovered on the way that while normal people have been avoiding downtown, the bike children and their City Hall pals have taken away an entire lane of Southwest Broadway, from the Broadway Bridge all the way down to Portland State.
The way they have it set up, our precious cyclists get the right lane next to the curb. Then the city has planted those hideous traffic-blocking sticks from hell, so that cars are supposed to park in the second lane. That leaves two lanes for car traffic.
Now, back before downtown completely went to pot, Broadway had always been slow going, and during busy times it was downright congested. With its capacity for motor vehicles now reduced by one third, it's a guaranteed fustercluck if things ever get going down there again.
Then again, downtown may never recover, at least not for decades, and so maybe it won't be an issue. But it's almost as if they're trying to ensure that it never does come back.
Most people would prefer a car to any other way to get around, including going downtown. As I stood on Broadway waiting for my Uber – Tri-Met is way too sketchy for me any more – a hundred cars went by, but only two bicycles. Yet the 2 percent get 33.3 percent of the space.
Making it miserable to get around in an automobile is not helping Portland. Not. At. All. But we do it, because... because... wait, I'll think of a good reason... any minute now...
Growing up, Broadway was the center piece of downtown with all of the theaters and shopping. Even into the late 80’s and mid 90’s, it was still “the place to go” for some escape from the boredom of neighborhoods and suburbs alike.
ReplyDeleteNow it all looks so unwelcoming, as does most of downtown, thanks to the city planners who seem to be “planning” for only a few of their own kind. I remember when Broadway hosted Artquake, and how lively and fun it all was. No more fun allowed downtown anymore apparently.
Since I don't work anymore I have no reason to go downtown or even any desire to do so the little bike brats can have it. Also if you go by the terrain (I think but I am not sure) from the west side of the Broadway Bridge South to PSU is probably more up than down.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as you get past Burnside it's uphill. I remember that from the old Cascade Runoff foot race.
DeleteThis past summer I had a softball teammate who was wearing a Bridge Pedal shirt and asked him how it went, as I did the inaugural one whenever that was. He said it sucked as the route took them basically through nothing but tent cities and squalor.
DeleteAnd yes, Burnside is all uphill until about Skyline blvd. My dad who was an avid cyclist used to do those kinds of rides daily. Once I went with him on a promised “short ride”, that ended up at the top of Germantown road. So much for a short ride.
I always chuckle that the Katz-era "No Cruising" signs are still up. It's surreal that there was a time that cruising Broadway was seen as one of the city's most pressing problems.
ReplyDeleteBroadway cruising may have been one of the last accurate indicators of Downtown vibrancy.
DeleteI remember Crusin Broadway back in the 70's, I even took pictures for a photo journalism class I was taking at PSU taught by David Falconer(who was very impressed with the pictures). I have one photo of a young man standing on the sidewalk talking to an officer. He appears to be flipping the officer off with his hand in his back pocket turned away from the officer but what impressed me about the encounter was the body language of the officer who was just talking to him from his patrol car and the young kid leaning down to listen to him. The officers body language is almost submissive and in no way threatening. I can recall from the 70's police officers being polite with citizens (as long as you were doing the same of course). At some point that shifted to a more adversarial approach the first thing being to establish dominance and accusatory. I once watched from my office about 6 officers outside a Starbucks across the street from the Police Station in downtown talking to a young man who was sitting outside the Starbucks. They surrounded him one even was behind the kid with his hands on the back of his chair and he was ever so gently kicking the leg of the chair with his jackboots. The kid never budged and the police eventually left him alone. I think the last time I had a positive encounter with a cop was a Detective who came to our home after a break in. He was polite, funny and concerned with us. That was 1987 and every encounter I've had since that has been either pointless or unpleasant so I don't bother with them anymore and for the last couple of years the attitude of citizens towards police is unless someones dead why even bother.
DeleteTruthfully, I think the beginning of the end for Broadway was the closure of the theaters combined with NW 23rd becoming the new hotspot. I seem to recall a big shift in the early 90’s to the more “upscale” 23rd Ave.
DeleteI certainly wouldn’t say that ‘all’ cops were rude after a certain point. I knew one for sure that was an in-law who was known for being very nice and helpful to the community.
DeleteAlso, I remember that in the mid-90’s we had a female cop come to our house because of one of our neighbors, the wife of a certain semi-famous late musician, hit one of my roommates car and denied it after initially taking the blame. The roommate(s) were born-again types that were harmless save for their habit of talking the ears off of anyone in their paths.
The lady cop showed up and I answered the door and she was young and not unpleasant to the eyes. My roommate proceeded to talk with her for 30 minutes before she left, and the one that called never spoke to her. I think she probably forgot why she even came, and I can’t blame her.
In the late 40’, Broadway was the territory of the nonexistent “Broadway Gang”. They were easily identified by their “ducktail” hairdos. Their behavior was civil and the cops responded in kind
ReplyDeleteWhen the skies go dark, the winds come up, and the whole world in these parts goes moist, those blessed with decent tackle and little sense will have a wealth of pavement to themselves. And they will relish their exclusivity and simmer in the soft glow of self-rightousness. (All while denying ever having been a member of the Timber Army.)
ReplyDelete1/3 of population cannot drive. So this lane will be great! It brings freedom of choice. Previously a car was the only option.
ReplyDeleteIf you can't drive, you can ride a bicycle in the rain on busy city streets?
DeleteWhat do you think make up the reasons why 1/3 of the population can’t drive?
Delete