Bollards show failure

Thank you very much for reporting about the intersection of Northwest 25th Avenue and Westover.

I traverse this intersection every time I leave or drive home and can report that the right turn from NW 25th to Westover is very tight. The bollard experiment shows the failure of this layout, and making it permanent will result in problems for large trucks or vehicles towing trailers.

Additionally, the bollards on the south side of Westover complicate right turns for vehicles trying to remain in the right-hand lane after turning.

Please keep us informed about this project.

Chris Curtin

NW Westover Circle

Cancel intersection project

Excellent piece [“Cutting corners just business as usual,” May 17 nwexaminer.com]. I pass this corner two to six times a day on foot, on my bike or driving. Supposedly this temporary barrier is intended to protect pedestrians. I cannot conceive of a danger to pedestrians from the prior configuration.

To better protect pedestrians, why is the striped crossing not sufficient? Where is the data from recorded observations of driver-pedestrian interaction? As an aviation safety expert, I would guess, without a proper study, that forming this in concrete will increase risks to drivers, with no effect on the few daily pedestrians.

Keep the heat on our elected officials, Allan, and advocate cancellation of this experiment. Like all experiments, it was instituted with good intentions, but has not resulted in the desired outcome of increased safety.

Geoffrey W. McCarthy

NW Melinda Ave.

Return our statues

Portland is known for its distant mountains, 1850s architecture, ingenious Bull Run water system, lovely residential areas, for its care for its residents, for its hiking groups, for its prize-winning parks with tailored gardens, indigenous woods, endless trails and open green spaces, and for its public sculpture and historic markers. From Bach to Blues, from Thai cuisine to Tex-Mex, Portland has something for everyone.

But many of us have been missing the 19 public sculptures that were vandalized, toppled and removed in 2020. Fortunately, the Royal Rosarian sculpture in Washington Park has been repaired and returned. And the Thompson Elk Fountain is being prepared for return.

We have been promised that the sculpture of President Abraham Lincoln is in process of restoration and reinstalled, with that of President Theodore Roosevelt and President George Washington next in the queue.

Memorial Day is a fitting day to join with other citizens who appreciate the country’s origins, its democratic government and ongoing efforts toward equality. It is a day to articulate the gratitude for our country's greatest accomplishments and remember the 600,000 who died to save our union and rid it of the evils of slavery. Lincoln, too, made the ultimate sacrifice for his nation. It is a day to seek the return of his statue and all our presidential sculptures as promised.

We have waited years. Please return the symbols that stand for the establishment of our democracy, for our striving to rid the country of slavery and racism, for all those significant moments in the country’s quest for the “better angels of our nature.” Let us put out the hand of brotherhood—not endlessly drive wedges—and observe the wisdom embodied in our historic emblems.

William J. Hawkins III

SW Davenport Lane

End camping on street

Good for Aaron Bass for activating the city and getting a response from Outside In [“Encampment removal crews’ work is never done,” May]. I am sure there are many people like me who would be happy to advocate for stopping camping in the streets.

Thomas Dodson

NW Slocum Way

Parks need maintenance

I have been involved with Portland parks for more than 50 years and have supported every park levy over that span of time. I have also always supported use of levy funds solely for park acquisition. Times have changed. Our parks, trails, and natural areas are at serious risk due to decades of underfunded capital maintenance.

Sadly, the city has failed to invest the $60 million annually needed to address deferred maintenance. Portland Parks & Recreation cannot deliver the “Gold Standard” park system Portlanders have come to love and expect without maintaining its assets. That should be the city’s priority at this time. We have to prioritize capital maintenance for the future health of our parks, trails and natural areas.

As a park advocate and member of the Portland Park Alliance, I join my fellow park advocates in urging Portland to do the following:

1). Require that at least 10 percent of levy funds go toward Major Capital Maintenance projects, equitably distributed across the city.

2). Include clear language identifying the programs and services the levy will fund in addition to capital maintenance.

3). Establish measurable outcomes to ensure PP&R is held accountable.

4). Create an independent Levy Oversight Committee. The city should pay attention to the Budget Office’s recommendation that PP&R avoid creating unrealistic expectations around recreation services. PP&R cannot sustainably expand programs without maintaining its existing asset base.

Mike Houck, Director

Urban Green Spaces Institute

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