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Sauvie Island Pedestrian Bridge Plans Saved

5 Comments

Posted By Mike Thelin on 04/25/2008

Despite opposition from the mayor, the old Sauvie Island bridge will be recycled as a pedestrian and bicycle span linking Flanders Street over Interstate 405.

5 Comments

By ericcantonaisgod on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 01:58PM PDT

there’s a lame duck in council chambers…

By ewol surr on Friday, April 25, 2008 at 05:19PM PDT

great news! no better place for it and in the end the reward will far outweigh the fuss. it will really enlighten that 5 block radius.

By Rob on Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 10:33AM PDT

The public relations value to Portland of this project is far more valuable than the incremental cost over a cheap concrete bridge. It’s the same for the Tram, New Urbanism planning, bike city, the Japanese and Chinese Gardens, Forest Park, art, food, and our area’s innovative clothing, footwear, energy businesses. You cannot purchase all the NY Times articles, video news stories and magazine mentions, as well as citations as a must see Portland tourist destination that will result. Activate the space year round with food carts (plan utilities and waste), art, pop-up stores and other outdoor businesses.

The Sauvie Island bridge recycle is Portland’s Steve Jobs product launch event which produces tons of free publicity echoing over years. It’s exactly this Portland brand building that draws business and future taxpayers to migrate here. You cannot buy that coverage, but it’s easy to put a dollar value to it. Dollars more than well spent!

By Mike Thelin on Sunday, April 27, 2008 at 11:37AM PDT

Well said Rob. It’s interesting that you use the term “brand building” in relation to Portland. As city’s compete to lure creativity, which is described by some economists as the new global currency, brand building is very important.

By Monforts on Wednesday, April 30, 2008 at 05:11PM PDT

Nicely put Rob- how many times have we already seen the sky tram in national/international publications? I feel like every time I open an in-flight magazine I see a photo of that tram with Mt. Hood in the background and some spanking new towers in the foreground. It is quickly becoming one of the most iconic structures in the city- a little like the space needle in Seattle. Maybe we can get the tower profile put on the new Blazers uniforms?