Wednesday morning around 11:00am, Portland City Council will vote on Mayor Adams’ proposal to kickstart funding for the Bicycle Plan. To see the types of projects that will and won’t receive funding, take a look at the details of the Council agenda item.
Please join us at City Hall. There will not be public testimony, but you can print off a Build It sign and show your support for this innovative initial investment in Portland’s bike network.
The BTA sent the following letter of support to City Commissioners regarding tomorrow’s vote.
Dear Mayor Adams and Members of Portland City Council,
We write to you today in support of the proposal to build Green Streets and fund them through cost savings on the Big Pipe project. This ordinance is a win-win for clean water, city ratepayers, and livable communities. Here’s why:
Clean water – Green Streets take stormwater out of the pipes under our roads and keep urban runoff out of our rivers. They also help reduce pollution from cars and trucks on our roadways by encouraging active transportation. Green Streets are an integral part of Portland’s transportation network and sewer/stormwater system.
City ratepayers – The ordinance proposed by Mayor Adams protects ratepayers by ensuring that only Green Street features that add value to Portland’s sewer system are eligible for funding from sewer revenue. All signs, stripes, signals, and speed bumps will be funded from other local sources.
Livable communities – By spending our limited city resources efficiently, and meeting the needs of two programs at once, we create safer streets, more transportation options and better neighborhoods while saving money in the long run.
Slowing down traffic and reducing stormwater drainage in our sewer system is a win-win. The Green Street program is a cost-effective way to do it. In the past, we just built expensive pipes underground that only managed our stormwater. Today, we can build natural areas to manage stormwater with the added benefit of safe and pleasant neighborhoods.
This is precisely the kind of forward thinking that we need in Portland’s City Council. Please support the proposed ordinance for the benefit of all involved.
