City's Plan to Limit Cars in Central Portland Includes Massive Investment in Parking
A plan to improve transit options and decrease the number of cars in central Portland just received a last-minute addition—one that would include investing in more parking options in the city center.
Central City in Motion (CCIM) is an 18-project plan from the Portland Bureau of Transportation that's been a year in the making. CCIM promises pedestrian crossing improvements, redesigned roadways that will better accommodate busses and trucks, and safer biking options in downtown Portland and the Central Eastside, among other things.
The Portland City Council is scheduled to adopt a final CCIM report and implementation plan on Thursday. It will also consider a just-added CCIM parking supply strategy report—one that essentially recommends the city invest in more parking spots, despite CCIM’s focus on making the area more bike, public transit, and pedestrian-friendly.
Many of those suggested strategies would serve as temporary transitional measures to keep the area’s number of parking spaces the same, as the city center is expected to lose an estimated two percent of its parking spaces due to CCIM projects. But three proposals would likely add more permanent parking spaces to the area.
Portland’s Populations Boom Slows Down
Portland State University’s (PSU) Population Research Center released early results for its annual Oregon population report Monday morning, and key findings include the state’s lowest birth rate in decades, as well as continued population growth from out-of-state transplants.
Oregon’s population grew by over 50,000 people last year, with 88 percent of new people coming from out of state. It's a slight decrease from 2016, a year that saw more than 60,000 people moving to Oregon.
Charles Rynerson, a research faculty member at the center, told the Mercury that about a quarter of 2017's transplants come from California. Interestingly, Washington is the only state Oregon has a net loss with—that is, more people moved from Oregon to Washington last year than vice-versa.
The other 12 percent of new people in Oregon were born here last year—but 2017 saw the lowest birth rate in the state since 1995. Birth rates in Oregon peaked at about 49,000 in 2007, and have been dropping steadily since then.
Tuesday Morning Shootings
26 year old James J. Barquet is in police custody on charges stemming from the shooting deaths of a man and a woman Monday night and early Tuesday morning.
Police first responded to southwest First Avenue under the Morrison Bridge at around nine PM and found the body of an unidentified woman who had been shot. Then less than four hours later at around 12:30 AM police found an unidentified man shot to death on the Burnside Bridge.
Security cameras on the bridge captured the shooting and police were able to use the video to identify Barquet.
Homicide investigators working on the case of the woman also were able to identify Barquet as the shooter in that case as well.
In the interim between the shootings Barquet also walked into the Chevron gas station on West Burnside brandishing a hand gun and demanding cigarettes.
Police found Barquet and arrested him without incident. He is being charged with two counts of aggravated murder and one count of armed robbery.
He has no criminal record in Oregon but in Washington State he has a ong history that includes drug position, theft, robbery, domestic violence, and firearms charges.
It is unclear if he knew either of the victims.
Man Shot in Southeast
A man who was shot early Monday in southeast Portland has died.
According to police, 41 year old Dominique Eivers was shot at the Court Louise Apartments on 130th and Powell Boulevard. After being shot Eivers was able to flag down a passing car that took him to a local hospital where he died this morning.
Police have arrested 38 year old Nathan Moore on charges of suspicion of murder and took him to the Multnomah County detention Center, where he remains in custody.
Police have not released and details in the circumstances leading up to the shooting and are asking for anyone with information to contact Detective Rico Beniga at 503-823-0457.
Oregon Marijuana Sales Soar as Prices Drop
Rampant overproduction in Oregon's market for legal, recreational marijuana has produced a 50 percent drop in prices, according to state economists. That widely documented collapse has been tough on farmers and retailers - but a boon for consumers.
A new state analysis finds the price collapse sparked a big uptick in marijuana purchases and a corresponding increase in associated tax revenue, the Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
Recreational marijuana sales in Oregon will be nearly $543 million this year, up 29 percent from 2017 and well above economists' expectations, forecasts show.
When Oregon legalized marijuana four years ago, expectations were enormous for the newly legal market. The state created incentives for producers to leave the black market, leading to overproduction and the ensuing price decrease.
Recreational marijuana remains a small industry, relative to the size of Oregon's economy. For comparison, economists note that cigarette sales are 40 percent higher than marijuana sales. But legal marijuana is growing fast - state forecasts suggest it will be a billion-dollar market in 2025.
While Oregon has no general sales tax, it does levy a 17 percent sales tax on marijuana. Marijuana taxes generated nearly $70 million in revenue last year and are forecast to generate nearly $90 million in 2018.
State forecasters believe marijuana may eventually play a more important role in the state's economy.
E-Scooters are Gone Officially
The Portland Bureau of Transportation has announced that the cities e-scooter probation period will end as of today. As of tomorrow morning scooters belonging to the three companies, Lime, Skip, and Bird, will no longer be available for rent.
It is expected that the scooters will be gone from Portland in about a week, and Bureau of transportation spokesperson, Dylan Rivera has asked that anyone seeing an E-scooter on public right of way is encouraged to report it to the company of which it belongs.
The e-scooters, however may not be gone for good, Rivera has said that PBOT plans to release findings from the piolet program early next year and from there to seek public input. City Commissioner Chloe Eudaly is the overseer of PBOT and is expected to take a hands on approach to the future fate of the scooters.
Rivera stated that the major complaint about the scooters during the piolet program has been people riding on the sidewalk, and said that scooters need to be more respectful when riding, in example staying off the sidewalks and not riding through public parks.
Portland Parks & Recreation Presents Native American Marketplace & Family Day
Portland Parks & Recreation will present this year’s Native American Marketplace & Family Day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 24 at Mt. Scott Community Center, 5530 SE 72nd Ave. This is an opportunity to celebrate Native cultures during #NativeAmericanHeritageMonth with food, crafts, vendors, and free activities for all ages.
Activities include:
- Native arts and crafts vendors
- Free roller skating from 12 p.m. – 3 p.m. (please bring socks for skating)
- Free swimming 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. (note: children under 48” and non-swimmers must be accompanied in the water by an adult)
- Indian Taco sale (fundraiser) at 12 p.m.
All proceeds go to support the Delta Park Pow Wow.
For info or questions, including vendor inquiries, please contact Portland Parks & Recreation’s Sheryl Juber at 503-830-2780 or Sheryl.Juber@gmail.com, or visit the event’s Facebook page.
- KBOO