2018 Regional Transportation Plan Appendix C Online survey comments on Public Review Draft and Strategies August 31, 2018 Appendix C: Online survey comments on Public Review Draft and Strategies What would you like to share about this balance of investments and your transportation priorities? Answered: 637 Skipped: 244 # RESPONSES DATE 1 There is too much allocated to highways 8/17/2018 6:12 AM 2 Really? After all the pomp about sustainability and trying to make Portland a more dense, dynamic city, Metro is proposing $4.6B 8/15/2018 11:36 PM on highways? That's a stale and unambitious idea. Build it and they will come--so lets build what the planet and our society are begging for people to use. Also, more on transportation demand management and systems--streamline it all so bikes always have an earlier green light, cars can flow freely when driving is necessary, etc. 3 Firstly and most importantly, absolutely no money should be spent on highway expansion considering the current situation with 8/15/2018 11:26 PM climate change. Investing in highway expansion is the same materially as climate change denial. Metro, the State, and the City of Portland will not meet our low-bar climate goals if investments are made in highways. Instead, the current infrastructure should be used efficiently through use of tolling either by tolling the entire system, or use of market-based pricing toll lanes. The current plan does does little to actually build a transit or active transportation system where residents can quickly travel throughout the region without a car. Although I support many of the particulars of the active transportation plan, it does not go far enough to develop a dense enough network of protected lanes to induce more bicycle (or e-scooter etc.) usage. It is critical to provide that protection from cars to attract new users and to keep them safe. I strongly support rapid study and construction of downtown train tunnels to alleviate bottlenecks in the Max network. I believe this project has the highest potential out of any suggested here to improve mobility in the region for any groups of users. I am far more skeptical of any expansion of the streetcar network until the current routes can provide 10 minute or less wait times at all stops. Furthermore, I'd rather the current lines get some transit-only lanes and queue-jump priority to speed up travel time instead of network expansion. I strongly support sufficient capital expenditure to ensure current roads and bridges are properly maintained and retrofitted to withstand the inevitable Cascadian Subduction Zone events. 4 Too much investment in highways. 8/15/2018 11:26 PM 5 Remive money for highways. 8/15/2018 10:25 PM 6 More for Transit and bikes please 8/15/2018 8:25 PM 7 50% to mass transit. More frequent, faster, trains and buses. Take it out of highways. New and wider highways will increase the 8/15/2018 8:24 PM number of cars and air quality will suffer. 8 That is a horrible question. 8/15/2018 7:01 PM 9 I'd rather see and equal distribution of funding for combined Active Transportation and Transit with, combined, highways road 8/15/2018 6:15 PM and bridges. 10 Too much for highways. 8/15/2018 6:00 PM 11 There is far, far too much dedicated to highways considering given the high cost to livability and climate. There is no way Oregon 8/15/2018 4:25 PM and Portland will meet climate goals if you continue to invest in highway infrastructure. 1 / 39 1 Appendix C: Online survey comments on Public Review Draft and Strategies 12 I think 4 billion for highways is absurd. We need to transition away from fossil fuel centric infrastructure and towards transit, in a 8/15/2018 4:10 PM more serious way. 13 4.6 billion dollars towards highways is absurd. We need to transition away from a fossil fuels, and that sort of investment flies in 8/15/2018 4:06 PM the face of that because that infrastructure will be around for decades. 14 I would take half the money for Highways and split it between Transit and Active transportation. 8/15/2018 3:23 PM 15 More active transportation, less highways 8/15/2018 3:04 PM 16 If we are going to survive as a species, we need to divest ourselves from fossil fuel infrastructure. These priories are at best a 8/15/2018 2:43 PM sunk cost, and at worst will lead to our extinction. 17 While I appreciate the allowances for public and active transit (and of course upkeep of roads and bridges), I do think that more 8/15/2018 2:19 PM money could be spent towards public and active transit. They are healthier for the environment and make for a much more liveable city, contributing to less pollution, less traffic, and more accessibility for more people. 18 Public transportation, affordable mass transportation, should be number one priority! 8/15/2018 2:12 PM 19 I believe transit capital requires more robust funding. 8/15/2018 2:11 PM 20 Less on highways, more on transit and active transportation. 8/15/2018 2:02 PM 21 The excessive focus on highways, particularly widening and new construction, is at odds with strong evidence suggesting that 8/15/2018 1:51 PM congestion is not alleviated by new construction. Future development patterns will be, to a large extent, dictated by transportation options and policies. In order to mitigate climate change driven by carbon dioxide emissions, along with hazards associated with other pollutants, we need to focus on integrated strategies that make it practical for people to decrease the need for automobile and long-distance fossil fuel transit systems. Where are covered bicycle highways in this plan, for example? Those would cost much less per mile than roadway construction, last longer, and have a higher capacity per lane. I would like to see Portland and the Metro area become true leaders in alternative transit rather than just playing lip service to it. 22 Much more investment in public transit options. Do. Other expand capacity of freeways. Stop subsidizing car transit. Invest in 8/15/2018 1:46 PM more physically separated bike paths on major streets. 23 Less money in highways and more in public transportation and bike access. 8/15/2018 1:46 PM 24 Reduce "highways" to zero, and Roads and Bridges should be only improved for transit, bus or walking and biking. Increase all 8/15/2018 1:43 PM the other sectors. 25 Highways, and also Roads and Bridges should be dropped way down in priority. While they are appropriate for freight, most auto 8/15/2018 1:37 PM trips are only further warming the planet, when other modes of transportation are available. Increasing funding for transit, specifically for not only rail, but also separated bus-only lanes (not combined with turn lanes, either), could be constructed and funded to make transit a more viable option for more trips. The only bridge improvements should be for transit, biking or walking. 26 I'm glad that transit capital has the highest share, but I would want that budget to be higher. Highways should only get what they 8/15/2018 1:16 PM need to maintain them, NO EXPANSION. Also, a larger share for active transportation options. 27 Spend more on public and active transit! Portland is falling behind on bike infrastructure, and we desperately need more dollars 8/15/2018 1:15 PM in public transit. Widening highways does not reduce traffic! 28 More bikes and electric committments 8/15/2018 1:10 PM 29 Less on highways, more for public transit, active transport and existing road and bridge repair. 8/15/2018 12:18 PM 2 / 39 2 Appendix C: Online survey comments on Public Review Draft and Strategies 30 I'd like to see less in Highways, more in Transit, as well as roads and bridges 8/15/2018 12:02 PM 31 12% of the budget to Active Transportation with more than double that (30%) to Highways is an imbalance an not in line with 8/15/2018 11:37 AM regional mode split or climate action goals. 32 remove or greatly reduce the spending on Highways. They contribute too much pollution and cause too many deaths. We need 8/15/2018 11:12 AM investments in alternatives. The only investments in highways should be seismic upgrades to bridges, no more widening! 33 Less for highways, more for transit and active transportation. 8/15/2018 10:36 AM 34 I would like to see an increase in public transportation mobility and proximity. 8/15/2018 10:35 AM 35 I would rather see a larger investment in mass transit and a lower investment in highways. The metro area's current highway 8/15/2018 10:23 AM system is sufficient. I live about 8 miles from downtown Portland (where I work), and it takes about an hour to get there if I took Trimet. Driving is less than 20 minutes. 36 I want to see a reduction in highway expenditures in favor of more transit spending. I live 8 miles from downtown Portland, and it 8/15/2018 10:20 AM takes about an hour to get there via trimet. It takes 20 minutes to drive. 37 There should be less money allocated for highways. Funding should be directed in line with carbon emission reduction policies, 8/15/2018 10:16 AM environmental justice concerns, and human health and safety.