I-5 commute to Portland: how bad is it really? (Tigard: extended stay, hotel)

[Fortaz]

Thats the price you have to pay for growth, either tear down some houses or sit in traffic all day. There is always room for more improved roads, the problem is people never want it in their backyards. Cities need to take some tips from Salt Lake City. Their road system is a dream compared to Portland.

[oldtintype]

Yeah, and our public transit is a dream compared to theirs.

[Fortaz]

I don't use public transit, I like being on my own schedule

[oldtintype]

That's great for you, but that doesn't mean we need to build monster freeways for people who can, but choose not to use public transport. Both are a necessity but in the future people are going to have to come to terms with the fact that we're not going to be able to drive like we do forever. Investing in public transport makes good sense for the long haul more than freeways do. Again, I think freeways are a necessity but not the ONLY thing people need to think about. All you have to do is look at Seattle traffic to see how they blew it when they voted down light rail. Imagine San Francisco without BART. Not only is traffic a long term issue but where do you put all the cars that belong to people who don't take public transport? There are only so many parking spaces.

[fojo]

Originally Posted by Fortaz

I don't use public transit, I like being on my own schedule

..says person stuck behind stopped cars whilst yellow line MAX on its dedicated light rail line passes him by.

[fojo]

Originally Posted by Fortaz

Thats the price you have to pay for growth, either tear down some houses or sit in traffic all day. There is always room for more improved roads, the problem is people never want it in their backyards. Cities need to take some tips from Salt Lake City. Their road system is a dream compared to Portland.

Southern California has seen a lot of "growth" in the last 40 years. Fortunately, they've put in plenty of freeways and no longer have to sit in traffic all day.

[Fortaz]

There are ways to let people keep their mobility without having to rely on being crammed into mass transit. They need smart cars here like they have in Canada, that way they take up less space on the road and in parking lots. Also, freeways can be built with minimal impact on the surrounding area, Just look at the H-3 freeway in Hawaii..

[fojo]

Originally Posted by Fortaz

There are ways to let people keep their mobility without having to rely on being crammed into mass transit. They need smart cars here like they have in Canada, that way they take up less space on the road and in parking lots. Also, freeways can be built with minimal impact on the surrounding area, Just look at the H-3 freeway in Hawaii..

True, and each city poses its own unique challenges, and the solution isn't always more freeway. I think Portland provides many alternatives to car travel and they are often not at the cost of convenience. With its mild climate, small city centers and numerous bike lanes, Portland is a great city to bike in, if you can live close enough to get where you need to go. Its not that difficult to relocate to different areas of town, as most parts of the city has housing pockets that are affordable.

For those unwilling to get out, public transportation is very convenient, runs quite reliably and is more comfortable and modern than many other cities. If its packed to the brim, maybe the solution is to add more frequent service on the busiest routes? It's probably a sign that public transportation works for many people.

If you drive, there are typically multiple routes to get to where you need to be. This is no San Diego with one-freeway-to-take except in circumstances when one must cross a bridge (I'm thinking of Washington commuters especially). But bridges are always necessary bottlenecks for this reason. The fact that there is no dedicated light rail service across the bridges seems to be a popular issue these days.

Of course, the car-culture mindset is permanently at odds with the concept of many people transporting conveniently in confined space (i.e. city areas). One can even argue that the existing convenience cars have in accessing every part of the City prevents further expedition of the American Commute. It perpetuates people traveling miles from remote homes to high density workplaces and believing the fastest transportation route should be their own.

[brandonlbrinegar]

its not bad..15 - 30 minutes gets you anywhere in this little town

[Ethirtysex]

The suburbs you mentioned do not all require the use of I5 to get to the city center. WL and LO are along highway 43 which goes directly to the south waterfront and becomes front street/naito parkway. I did this commute every day for a while, and it was relatively painless. The I5 commute can get a little ugly at times, but doesn't compare to California in any way.