Why can't Portland repave its rutted roads?

[MNMike]

I don't think this has been posted?

The former head of the Urban Studies department at the U of M and the Minneapolis planning commission, Judith Martin (a brilliant woman who sadly recently died at only 63), use to always caution against giving too much praise to "perfect Portland" and saw trouble ahead with their policies and thinking. Anyway, she may be right, in many ways it isn't as perfect as many of us urbanists like to think...and this is indicative of a larger problem, I think. Canceling all reconstruction of seriously deteriorated roads for at least 5 years?! Cutting bridge inspection? I like investing in rail and other improvements as much as the next guy, but this budget proposal stinks. Thoughts?

http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/i...tml#incart_mce

Why can't Portland repave its rutted roads?
Published: Sunday, February 26, 2012, 6:00 AM Updated: Monday, February 27, 2012, 7:20 AM
Beth Slovic, The Oregonian By Beth Slovic, The Oregonian The Oregonian


he steering wheel rattles. The car jostles side to side. But this is no arcade racing game -- it's a drive on Portland's Northwest 23rd Avenue, the main drag in a dense destination district.

Worse, the rutted street won't get better anytime soon. The Portland Transportation Bureau, the agency in charge of street maintenance, has shelved plans to repave Northwest 23rd north of Lovejoy Street -- or to overhaul any other badly deteriorating road in its 5,000-mile system -- until at least 2017.