A new $135m bridge over the Willamette River will include designated lanes for pedestrians, bikes, and public transit vehicles, but not private cars.
Officials originally contemplated adding space for cars, but found the higher price tag, cumbersome federal design standards and projected traffic impacts forbidding, according to Michael Burnham. The structure is a key component of a 7-mile light rail extension and will be the first of its kind in the U.S. Completion is expected for 2015.
It may surprise some that even in transit-friendly Portland, the project has outspoken critics, writes Burnham:
"San Francisco-based architect Donald McDonald's bridge, more than 1,700 feet long, will feature two 181-foot-tall towers that anchor cables that rise from the river like a sea monster's fins...The Oregonian newspaper dubbed the bridge 'Godzilla on the Willamette' and charged it would 'severely limit' residential development on both sides of the river."
FULL STORY: Who's Scared of a Transit Bridge?

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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
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Michigan Bills Would Stiffen Penalties for Deadly Crashes
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Report: Bus Ridership Back to 86 Percent of Pre-Covid Levels
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