Environmental Assessment for I-5 Improvement Project in Portland Promises Air, Traffic, Safety Benefits

The city Portland and the Oregon Department of Transportation released an environmental assessment [pdf] for the proposed I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project that would "add wider shoulders, merging lanes and cover a section of I-5," according to an article by Andrew Theen.

"The project includes a new pedestrian and bike bridge over the freeway and other street-level improvement the report says will make it safer for everyone to get around," according to Theen.

The environmental assessment (EA) promises a lot of benefits, including improved air quality, travel times, and traffic safety.

The environmental assessment kicks off a 45-day public comment period. As noted in a separate article from September 2017, the project is opposed by numerous local organizations and individuals. Planetizen has been tracking articles opposing the project—some directly countering some of the EA's findings on travel times.