TriMet will get a new addition to its rail system later this month, when it opens the new Orange Line.
[Updated Sept. 4, 2015] Joseph Rose shares a short list of things to learn about Portland's forthcoming Orange Line, scheduled to open on September 12, connecting Portland to Milwaukie.
Included among the five factoids about the line, which will pass over the picturesque Tilikum Crossing (also known "as the first bridge in the United States to carry buses, bikes, trains, streetcars and people walking but no private cars"):
- "TriMet will test the first pay-to-enter fare gates on the Orange Line."
- "Construction of the Tilikum Crossing as part of the Orange Line will finally allow the long-truncated Central Loop line to link directly to downtown and the South Waterfront."
- Construction of the new line also included $65 million in improved bike commuting facilities.
- The Orange Line also adds additional capacity on the Yellow Line.
- New access toOregon Health & Science University, one of the largest employers in the state.
Read the full story: 5 things even MAX haters can love about the Orange Line opening
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority