Poll: Do You Want a Streetcar Linking Lake Oswego and Portland?
The Sunday Oregonian on March 27th led off with the question of whether a $458 million streetcar project between Portland and Lake Oswego was worth it. Portland politicians want it. Lake Oswego politicians want it. Developers want it. But do you want it?
We decided to take a poll, and put a different spin on it. We are NOT asking if you support the streetcar. We are asking if you want it. Forget how much it costs, who pays for it and who uses it. At the most simple level, do you want a streetcar linking Portland and Lake Oswego? Take our unscientific poll below and let us know. We will report the results by April 1st.
Reading via RSS? Click here to take the survey at polldaddy.com.
How can you possibly separate "wanting" something from its costs? I believe your wording of the question will skew the results to the point of uselessness.
Easy….you can want something but not agree with its cost. I figure that there may be people in Lake Oswego that want a streetcar but not at the hefty cost proposed. I want a new new I-5 Columbia River crossing, but not at $4 billion.
If folks would do their homework they would realize the streetcar does not cost 450M but it is valued at that amount. $100M of the $450M is the value of the right of way which is already owned by Metro et al. The federal money at 50% or 60% match is essentially sunk cost because the money is budgeted for transit and will not be used for any other purpose.