Think traffic's bad now? It will get worse (Portland: 2014, live in)

[skiffrace]

think-traffics-bad-now-it-will-get-worse

Now, rush hours for both the I-5 and the Interstate 205 bridges begin at about 5:30 a.m. and continue to 9 a.m. every workday, with the afternoon rush starting at 2:30 p.m. and continuing until 7 p.m.
...
“We’re likely going to see those hours extended as (road) capacity remains full for longer periods,”
...
commuters, including an estimated 65,000 who live in Clark County but hold jobs in the Portland area, will adjust their commute times either earlier or later to avoid the worst traffic snarls.
...
annual population growth in the seven-county Portland-Southwest Washington metro area of 1 percent to 1.5 percent during the next 15 to 17 years. That growth will add an estimated 600,000 to 650,000 more residents to the region’s total population of 2.29 million by 2030. That growth also will translate into more commuters.

[wanderbygrace]

We have a number of employees at my North Portland company that live in Washington. I would much rather have my commute from the Damascus area than any "short hop" they might make across the river. The only times I've ever tried to cross the I-5 bridge during evening rush hours, it hasn't been pretty, and I get on at the very last entrance before crossing it (Delta Park).

I'm not a huge proponent of the CRC (nothing really to gain by it), but if that thing does go down (e.g. mechanical failure on the lift, again), it's going to be a nightmare for especially those commuters from WA.

[gog8rs]

We need to expand mass transit to get these people off the road Report: 98 Percent Of U.S. Commuters Favor Public Transportation For Others | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

[hamellr]

Originally Posted by gog8rs

The Onion - America's Finest News Source

"The Onion is a satirical weekly publication published 52 times a year on Thursdays. "

Frequently Asked Questions - The Onion - America's Finest News Source

[EnricoV]

Originally Posted by gog8rs

We need to expand mass transit to get these people off the road Report: 98 Percent Of U.S. Commuters Favor Public Transportation For Others | The Onion - America's Finest News Source

Your basic problem is, those people live in Vancouver. And they don't want to pay to support transit. So ... they can sit in traffic all day, as far as I'm concerned.

[EnricoV]

This article from the Oregonian sums up the situation well.

A joint project was planned for the I-5 bridge spanning Oregon and Washington.

Washington decides it really doesn't want to pay for it, and pulls any funding. Oregon decides to continue, tacking on a toll.

Washington decides it really doesn't want to have to pay any tolls, either.

What's next. Are Washingtonians going to want Oregonians to cross over the river and tuck them into their beds at night?

[crisw]

Originally Posted by EnricoV

Your basic problem is, those people live in Vancouver. And they don't want to pay to support transit. So ... they can sit in traffic all day, as far as I'm concerned.

Yep. There's a letter to the editor in the Oregonian today (Letters: Columbia River Crossing | OregonLive.com) that pretty much sums up that attitude- "I feel that the city of Portland in general, and Gov. John Kitzhaber specifically, are trying to shove light rail down our throats. To put it bluntly, we do not want it. The bridge by itself should be more than enough to satisfy our growing traffic needs...The second objection is tolling....We here in Clark County would rather see the I-205 bridge burned to the ground than accept any kind of toll on it. "

[skiffrace]

Yep. There's a letter to the editor in the Oregonian today (Letters: Columbia River Crossing | OregonLive.com) that pretty much sums up that attitude- "I feel that the city of Portland in general, and Gov. John Kitzhaber specifically, are trying to shove light rail down our throats. To put it bluntly, we do not want it. The bridge by itself should be more than enough to satisfy our growing traffic needs...The second objection is tolling....We here in Clark County would rather see the I-205 bridge burned to the ground than accept any kind of toll on it. "

Sure. A lot of Portlanders (and quite a few Washingtonians) will not give a hoot that the Vancouverites linger in traffic forever.
However, there is more to it.
Question:
What does the "I" in I-5 stand for...?

[EnricoV]

Well, it definitely doesn't stand for "make Oregon pay for it."

[skiffrace]

Well, it definitely doesn't stand for "make Oregon pay for it."

How about "The Americans, no matter what their state, color or creed, will pay for it, so the country grows stronger and richer thanks to the free exchange of goods an services"

?