Jonathan Maus

well the backers feel like it's a very eco-friendly way to move lots of people with stops in Vancouver, NoPo, Downtown, South Waterfront, Sellwood, and so on.

Press release that states: "Frog Ferry Takes One Major Leap Closer to Hitting the Water: City of Portland Allows Use of Publicly-Owned Docks for Ferries “Like many in Portland, the Portland Diamond Project would support a ferry system on the Willamette River. Frog Ferry’s vision of connecting different corners of the metro area via the region’s main waterways would be a great asset in helping get baseball fans to the new ballpark on the south waterfront. We hope to see Frog Ferry operational by opening day.” - Craig Cheeks, President & Founder - Portland Diamond Project. PORTLAND, Ore.— The community-led initiative to bring a green, all-electric transit passenger ferry to the Willamette River in Portland has taken one big leap forward. On July 25, 2025, the City of Portland granted Frog Ferry, a 501(c)(3), permission to use the existing RiverPlace Marina Public Dock, located walking distance from downtown, and a Cathedral Park dock in North Portland. The City of Portland’s commitment enables Frog Ferry to expedite the implementation of a cost-effective ferry service. Using existing dock infrastructure cuts years of engineering and construction and saves the project tens of millions of dollars. The full proposed route encompasses nine stops spanning Vancouver, WA to Oregon City, OR. Frog Ferry Founder and President Susan Bladholm said, “In the ferry industry, being granted use of the docks is like being handed keys to a building. I sincerely thank City of Portland leadership. It’s taken four years to get to this point, and we are grateful that our new City Council found a path forward to allow usage so we can expand Portland’s transit network through ferry connections and increase overall transit ridership.”

Frog Ferry and Downtown N'hood Assoc. are announcing that City of Portland has granted use of publicly-owned docks for ferries. 😲

For months now, local group @bikeloudpdx.bsky.social has had volunteers at the PSU Farmers Market at a booth that encourages folks to chat about road safety and related topics. This past weekend they had a "Ask a planner" booth and it was popular. It's just such wholesome outreach. I love it!

I remember talking to a former PBOT Commissioner about this in 2021 and she said the city was so unhappy with the old vendor they consider firing them.

This seems like very good news for making our streets safer!

thanks! Maybe this is an excuse to spur a similar treatment here in Portland.

where was that photo of the 2-way bikeway taken? Minneapolis? Anything more specific? I'm really curious to see what they did there. thanks.

That looks a LOT like conceptual drawings of a Portland effort called the Urban Trails Plan
bikeportland.org/2023/10/05/u...

I agree. We can do both. Just because we ramp up holding individuals more accountable, doesn’t mean we stop working on reforming the system.

We need both. I think too many road safety advocates are afraid to focus on individuals because it goes against the left dogma of blaming systems. But that’s a mistake. Driving culture is horrific and individuals need to be better at driving. Period.

Opinion | 845,000 dead on U.S. highways. Why not address the main cause? We need to ramp up the standards for road tests and train people to be better drivers.

“… the problems lie with us. We aren’t very good drivers. And there is a potential solution: better driver training. If we can fix bad driving, at least partially, we can save thousands of lives.”

(Like I’ve been saying!!)

www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/202...

I’m happy this video has gone viral on Instagram and TikTok. More people need to understand this!

Also, a commenter on TikTok just referred to me as the “Bob Ross of driving” and I love that. 🤣🙏🏻

. Federal funding for two major projects intended to reduce congestion on Interstate 5 through North Portland —the Interstate Bridge Replacement program and the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project — has been rescinded, and both projects have been thrown into question. It is now unclear whether the federal government will fully fund its share of the planned replacement bridge. Trump's tax and spending bill reportedly rescinded approximately $400 million in federal funding for work on I-5 through the Rose Quarter. Though both projects are controversial, there are no backup plans to reduce congestion on I-5 through North Portland.

Yikes on this framing of Trump budget cut impacts in IBR and I-5 Rose Quarter projects by North Peninsula Review (small Portland n’hood newspaper)! It’s as if the only thing that solves congestion is wider freeways?!? 😲

ODOT has cancelled the 2025 Transportation Safety Conference due to, “a significant and immediate funding shortfall.”

Hoping to learn more next week, but what I know now does not bode well on many levels.

Ahhh yes.... Summer in Portland, where you can ride up next to your city councilor and meet him for the first time and have a nice conversation while taking the lane on the Burnside Bridge.

This person was thrilled to meet Councilor Mitch Green on a ride last night and asked to shake his hand.

yep! The person is already in touch with them. I gave a few other recs as well.

Met a Safe Routes to School coordinator in Portland area last night. Said currently struggling w a 48% absentee rate among latino students! Reasons shared: fears of ICE, worries abt walking next to homeless camps, no sidewalks, don't own bicycles (looking for free ones), traffic fears, etc. damn.

Here’s that IG post just for the record.

Hate to say it but I knew this was going to happen. I was in DC visiting museums back in January and posted to IG asking how long until Trump started censoring exhibits. Up next will be all the climate change exhibits at that natural science museum I bet.

We are doing lower speed limits & smarter design too. It's not enough!

The problem in the U.S. is personal behavior and a dysfunctional driving culture that has normalized bad driving, distraction, and selfishness. Unless we spend billions on infrastructure, our only hope is to look in the mirror.

What are your three big wishes for Portland's transportation system? PBOT wants to know.

The Transportation System Plan is being updated!

The TSP reflects our city's values and goals and provides a roadmap for the next 20 years of decisions about how to manage our roads and paths.

bikeportland.org/2025/07/31/w...

Thanks to my wife Juli for tolerating my backseat driving! 🤣

increasingly bigger dominos meme. small text reads legalize hot dog carts big text reads grade separate max

hear me out

we pursue an abundance agenda for sidewalk / park hot dog carts, which leads to a new growth regime, which supports regional scale investment in transit

This is basically all of America.

Anyone who says biking isn’t popular here is wrong. Americans absolutely love biking! But for most people it’s not worth the (real and/or perceived) risks.

Meet D2 City Council candidate Tiffani Penson She wants more police, better speed bumps, and cleaner streets.

yyep!
bikeportland.org/2024/09/25/m...

Emergency transportation bill will ditch tolls, Kotek says As lawmakers prepare for an Aug. 29 special session focused on funding ODOT operations, Gov. Tina Kotek indicates a 2017 tolling law is on the chopping block.

Gov Kotek reportedly said she would repeal existing law that created the tolling program in 2017 in order to appease Oregon Sen. Mark Meek and get him to vote for transpo funding in the special session. eeewwww.

I'm working to confirm and clarify impacts.

djcoregon.com/news/2025/07...

that WWeek story about AVT pulling support for the project is 5 years old. They were against the project before they were for it.

New org chart shows ODOT has closed their Urban Mobility Office (which always rubbed me the wrong way, so good riddance!) and will fold its current (new) leader Tiffani Penson into being Rose Quarter project leader.

I have not confirmed that. Have only heard several folks making that assumption. I'm going to delete that post now and will work to confirm package details in the coming days and weeks. Thanks for the reply.

Do Oregon DMV offices have educational posters on the walls and PSAs on TVs in waiting rooms that help folks understand what their fees pay for, how much driving actually costs the state, and how the roads they use are funded?

If not, they should!!