I thought weird was over now
The milquetoast editorial board at the O has produced a surprisingly decent editorial about the design of the proposed Burnside Bridge replacement, which is in the hands of the feckless Multnomah County commission. The whole opinion piece is here, and it's worth a read.
Apparently the committee working on the design for the new bridge has recommended something unusual and expensive, simply because it would look cool. But the public testomony was against it, and the O isn't buying it.
Portland does not need to compete on a global level for bridge bragging rights. Regardless of whether the federal, state or local funds could be diverted to other county needs, our leaders need to show they are good stewards of public dollars. This comes down to a question of priorities for a county that has struggled over and over to deliver on obligations and promises.
There’s nothing wrong with building a bridge that is attractive, functional and common. And as the county’s own engineering services manager said at a previous meeting, the more standard the construction, the easier and less expensive it is. Embracing an unusual design only sets the county up for unforeseen difficulties.
Tell 'em, editors! Although for that group, you're making too much sense.
The O's got this one perfectly right. You know what the say about stopped clocks.
It’s just a bridge. Not a tourist attraction.
ReplyDeleteWhy does Portland, Multnomah County, and the State of Oregon, need to be "exceptional", weird, unique, etc. for every damn project? From bridges and buildings to software replacements, they just can't seem to buy off the shelf replacements. That engineer is correct - getting a standard design will keep maintenance costs under control. And, what a slap in the face to the committee that DID choose a mundane but very functional design.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of grandiose, I'm still waiting for the grand opening ceremony and an on-line video tour of the new county courthouse. Are we waiting for it to ripen?
ReplyDeleteYou might want to ask that somewhere where you’ll get an answer. No one is responding here.
DeleteIt's just a bridge!....span the water and be done with it. Sellwood has sidewalks and bike lanes 3x the size of traffic lanes! For what?
ReplyDeleteIBR is the clusterfuck that will cost us and never get built. It doesn't need light rail. It does need to be high enough to accommodate river traffic. It does need to relieve congestion. Just build it. That's it.
This region's bridge builders
Vera Katz told us the Aerial Tram *rimshot* would be Portland's postcard. Then TriMet told us Tillikum Crossing would be Portland's postcard. Now, MultCo says the Burnside Bridge will be Portland's postcard ... while all along, Mt. Hood is the only postcard people want.
ReplyDeleteThe St. Johns bridge was authorized by a $4.25m bond. It was bid at $3.25m. $640,000 was saved by going with a suspension bridge rather than a cantilever. I think it looks rather spectacular. I bought a house once in large part because of the view of that bridge. A well-engineered design also looks good. When multco/portland does projects, the people doing the specifications seem to set a budget of whatever it takes to make them feel special.
ReplyDelete'Bridges should be built efficiently, economically, and aesthetically'
Delete-Conde McCollough
Form Follows Function.
DeleteThe problem with this type of bridge, as Big Vancouver discovered when they opened the new Port Mann Bridge, is that those beautiful cables that run over the travel lanes tend to accumulate ice in our frequent ice storms. The ice then falls off in huge chunks onto the cars below.
ReplyDeleteBut hey, since Portland hates cars, the bridge will not only be pretty but also discourage driving. So we get a two-fer.
While we're waiting we should go back to ferry crossings with brothels on the banks. Each visit helps pay off the cost of the new bridge.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I prefer the bridges and corresponding waterfront area of Pittsburgh way more than Portland. The whole waterfront, ballpark(s) atmosphere is immensely better than the Portland's west side concrete wall and broken down east side waterfront areas.
ReplyDeleteTotally. Pittsburgh’s rivers somewhat resemble Portland’s but are far more attractive. And because the Steel City doesn’t hate cars, the downtown area is easy to access and very drivable.
DeletePortland, by contrast, seems to always want to be the coolest kid in school and if its artistic aspirations happen to be of any remote benefit to the general public, it is merely an accident.
The new Burnside bridge will be another boondoggle typical of the fools at Multnomah County. Anything they can’t screw up, they’ll crap on. And the public will see more hundreds of millions circle the bowl.
I fully expect to see Ms Chevy Vega advocating for permanent tolls on all county bridges before this is over.