Meet the new gridlock, worse than the old gridlock. (Portland: neighborhood, living)

[jjpop]

Traffic is bad on Portland area freeways. To deny that means you don't drive the freeways at busy times.

The length of time it takes to go 10 miles in Portland during rush hour is the same length of time it would take to go 30 miles in many other cities.

And based on this survey (How do Portlanders want to live? Planners' survey finds complex picture of housing preferences | OregonLive.com), more people that are coming to Portland want to live in the suburbs than urban neighborhoods. Those of us who live here now may grumble about what a bad idea it is to expand freeways (on one side) or how Trimet is a boondoggle and we shouldn't waste any more money on it (on the other side), but the fact of the matter is that something will need to be done.

Or we just leave it like it is. I guess I wonder what all of you think would happen if we just kept bumping along on our infrastructure as we are now while our population of (apparently) suburban-loving newcomers continues to grow?

[pdxMIKEpdx]

If back in the 1980's is what is meant by "pre recession times", that's a probably a true statement.

Or we just leave it like it is. I guess I wonder what all of you think would happen if we just kept bumping along on our infrastructure while our population of (apparently) suburban-loving newcomers continues to grow?

That's exactly what has happened.

Other than MAX/Light Rail, no real improvements have been made for decades.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by bler144

I used to live in NoPo and I would vehemently disagree with that.

MLK or Interstate are only useful to/from certain places, and frankly between the lights (particularly in 2 lane stretches where traffic backs up trying to turn left across the MAX line) and all the other cars trying to bypass I-5 even Interstate is slow going now. Sure, you might not be sitting in stop-go traffic on I-5 anymore, but it can still take 15 minutes to go 3 miles. [Greeley is a bit better]

Even where I live on the eastside now I'm often having to detour to get around backups on local roads for traffic trying to get on 205-north. There's no question the inefficiency of traffic bound for Vancouver has a significant impact south of the river.

I was just driving through that area and it wasn't that bad. I wasn't sitting through light cycles to get through intersections.

From my experiences with different metros, Portlanders tend to complain about the traffic because this is all they know.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by jjpop

Traffic is bad on Portland area freeways. To deny that means you don't drive the freeways at busy times.

The length of time it takes to go 10 miles in Portland during rush hour is the same length of time it would take to go 30 miles in many other cities.

And based on this survey (How do Portlanders want to live? Planners' survey finds complex picture of housing preferences | OregonLive.com), more people that are coming to Portland want to live in the suburbs than urban neighborhoods. Those of us who live here now may grumble about what a bad idea it is to expand freeways (on one side) or how Trimet is a boondoggle and we shouldn't waste any more money on it (on the other side), but the fact of the matter is that something will need to be done.

Or we just leave it like it is. I guess I wonder what all of you think would happen if we just kept bumping along on our infrastructure as we are now while our population of (apparently) suburban-loving newcomers continues to grow?

Then don't use the interstates if you don't want to sit in that traffic. Though your issue is less to do with Portland traffic and more to do with the suburbs around Portland. If suburbanites want more highways in their suburbs, they should push for that. Though the better idea would be to push for more rail and alternative transportation ideas.

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

Then don't use the interstates if you don't want to sit in that traffic. Though your issue is less to do with Portland traffic and more to do with the suburbs around Portland. If suburbanites want more highways in their suburbs, they should push for that. Though the better idea would be to push for more rail and alternative transportation ideas.

You refuse to see Portland through anything but optimistically biased and rose colored goggles don't you?

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by KJoe11

This site claims that Portland is 13 for worst commutes. Do you have anything... anything at all to back up your claim? -- besides your personal observation and opinion?


Portland metro among nation's worst commutes

Your own article backs up my claim. Click on the interactive link and you will see only I-5 northbound ranks in the top 20 for bad traffic, every other traffic point in Portland doesn't even make the top 100.

If you don't want to sit in the worst traffic in the city, don't live on the Washington side of the metro. That traffic is Vancouver's problem, which they seem incapable of fixing and expect Oregon to do all the work for them.

[urbanlife78]

Originally Posted by VTHokieFan

You refuse to see Portland through anything but optimistically biased and rose colored goggles don't you?

Ah yes, I don't see Portland as the liberal hell hole that you see it as. if you think Portland traffic is that bad, more back to Virginia, I am sure traffic there is much better.

[PDXNative2Houston]

Traffic in PDX is one aspect that absolutely sucks about the town. The amount of time it takes to go a very short distance is absurd. With that said...the political climate is difficult to navigate in regards to solving this problem as the left folks don't want expanded highways and the right folks don't want to pay significantly higher taxes to overhaul the freeway system.

Having lived in Seattle, Honolulu, the Bay Area, the Middle East and now Houston...PDX is pretty awful in this regard.

[oldtintype]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

Ah yes, I don't see Portland as the liberal hell hole that you see it as. if you think Portland traffic is that bad, more back to Virginia, I am sure traffic there is much better.

I think Portland is great, however living right by the Fremont bridge and seeing the traffic outside my window on 405 every day in BOTH directions I agree--it's terrible. And while I like to say stick it to Vancouver too and blame them for their own commute because they choose to live there, unfortunately that back up messes it up for just about everyone, even if you're not trying to get to Vancouver. And if 5 is particularly bad MLK, Interstate, Williams, etc. become bumper to bumper too.

[VTHokieFan]

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

Ah yes, I don't see Portland as the liberal hell hole that you see it as.

I've said nothing about it being a liberal hell hole

Originally Posted by urbanlife78

if you think Portland traffic is that bad, more back to Virginia, I am sure traffic there is much better.

That's a great solution. Everyone who opines that Portland's traffic is bad should leave Portland. Love it or leave it is the dumbest response to anything.