Debates over Portland-area rail transit and land-use issues typically pit city residents against the suburbs, with urbanites favoring more transit and land-use restrictions and suburbanites opposing them. But a recent poll by Portland’s city auditor reveals that even city of Portland residents are becoming increasingly disillusioned about Portland’s policies.
The complete survey is here. The same survey has been made for each of the last five years, and support for Portland’s land-use and transportation policies in particular has steadily eroded during that time.
The survey found that satisfaction with the city’s policies in general had fallen from 52 percent support in 2010 to 47 percent in 2014. Dissatisfaction was greatest with regard to transportation policies. Where 38 percent thought the city was doing okay on street maintenance in 2010, just 29 percent did in 2014. Where half of the city residents felt they could live with existing levels of traffic congestion in 2010, just 41 percent did in 2014.
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Meanwhile, the share of people who think that recent residential developments in their neighborhood are “bad” or “very bad” has grown from 16 percent in 2010 to 27 percent in 2014, while they share who think recent ones are “good” to “very good” has shrunk from 61 to 46 percent. The share who think housing affordability is “bad” to “very bad” has grown from 21 to 31 percent.
How accurate is the survey? One check is to compare with the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey, as both surveys asked how people usually get to work. Portland’s 2013 survey estimated that 69 percent of Portland workers drove alone or carpooled to work in 2013, compared with a 70 percent estimate by the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey; 12 percent took transit to work compared with 10 percent in the American Community Survey; 6 percent walk & 7 percent bicycle compared with 7 percent each in the American Community Survey; and 6 percent “other” (including working at home) compared with 9 percent in the American Community Survey.
In short, the survey appears to be pretty accurate, which should worry Portland officials. If they can’t even keep the support of inner-city residents for their policies, how are they going to persuade the suburbs or people in the rest of the state to help fund their transit plans and maintain the state laws that are the foundation of their land-use polices?
8% of respondents in NW/downtown feel unsafe or very unsafe walking downtown by themselves during the day. 24% of respondents in east Portland felt unsafe/very unsafe walking alone during the day downtown. At night its 30% and 63% respectively. Why are east portlanders so much more afraid of downtown than the people who live in it or at least closer to it?
The pendulum has been swinging in one direction for so long in Portland it seems about right that it’s starting to come back a little. We’re starting to see the inverse here in TX.
“8% of respondents in NW/downtown feel unsafe or very unsafe walking downtown by themselves during the day. 24% of respondents in east Portland felt unsafe/very unsafe walking alone during the day downtown. At night its 30% and 63% respectively. Why are east portlanders so much more afraid of downtown than the people who live in it or at least closer to it?”
This is a bit off topic. But interesting nonetheless.
Having lived in downtown Portland for three years and a year in east county, I’d explain the difference as one of experience. Living downtown, my first time ever living in a downtown, I learned how to deal with the panhandlers, gutter punks, the homeless, then mentally ill, the gangbangers, etc. It was a bit frightening at first, but you become accustomed to it and street savvy. Those who are not used to dealing with such people may be more afraid than those who have become desensitized.
The optimism in today’s post is rather premature. Porklanders aren’t even close to becoming disillusioned in the Progressive statism that has caused the rampant problems in Oregon. Any criticism of Oregon governments (unless they happen to be east of the mountains or south of Eugene), their policies, or any attempt to suggest improvements, even marginal, are met with utter disbelief and hateful rejoinders.
Good points metrosucks. It is a statist’s paradise, and the survey shows a small minority critical of government failures.
Back to ahwr’s fear comment:
Maybe it’s demographics? Respondents downtown were 52% female and 48% male. In east PDX, they were 65% female and 35% male. Maybe women generally feel less safe downtown than men? The east county respondents also trend older. Maybe older people/women generally feel less safe downtown than younger people/men?
Let’s see in the last year at least 2 storekeepers downtown have been attacked and put in the hospital by the homeless youth that populate the streets downtown. That accounts for those of us who feel Downtown is dangerous. The reality is that west Portland is openly at war with those who live on the east side of the Willamette. The AP has chronicled how the bureaucracy, and the politicians actively seek to marginalize a large number of residents, by squandering their tax dollars on projects that don’t serve the community. A large number of those living on the east side actively avoid Downtown in favor of shopping south toward Clackamas, east to Gresham, and North to Vancouver. Downtown is to be avoided, because it represents the investment not made as promised by the Portland City Council to the east side of town. If you live on the west side – the more affluent side of the river – the city repairs and replaces the aging water/sewer system and doesn’t charge residents. On the east side they charge the individual for sewer repair in front of and leading to your house. That is just a sample – the fact remains the Downtown Portland is where those of questionable character, hang there hat and they are the most dangerous of all.
“the fact remains the Downtown Portland is where those of questionable character, hang there hat and they are the most dangerous of all.”
Certainly I’m guilty of type casting, but the whole “those of questionable character, hang there hat” (and I’m not completely ignoring the homonym error) is a bit much. As a former resident of downtown, I’d say that the other residents were generally above board, to use a cliche. It was the homeless, the gutter punks, the mentally ill, the frat boys from other neighborhoods who puked on the sidewalks, the gangbangers…in short, the people who DON’T “hang there hat” downtown who are the problem.
Take a look at the stats before spouting off. East PDX residents had nearly 2x more home burglaries than residents downtown, and car burglaries were nearly 2x higher in E PDX.
So. If you’re going to talk about crime, at least come clean about property crime rates: That is, they are MUCH higher in E PDX than downtown.
BTW, parks closest to respondents are rated very unsafe by by 28% of people in E PDX; the rate is 9%, or a third as much as E PDX, for downtown respondents.
So before you bash the actual residents of downtown, check yourself.
Stick it in your ear Frank – you don’t live here, I do. The report was about perceptions, and why people don’t go to Downtown Portland. Maybe its because people like you chose to live there – that would certainly be a deterrent that would keep people from wanting to go there. Your point of view doesn’t dominate this site Frank.