PORTLAND - Five community advocacy organizations filed a lawsuit Friday against the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) demanding a moratorium on the planning for the proposed $1.9 Billion Rose Quarter Freeway Expansion. The lawsuit alleges that ODOT’s proposal fails to comply with the City of Portland’s Comprehensive Plan and Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan, citing numerous specific details of the proposed expansion that are demonstrably out of alignment with the city’s tentative approval of the expansion back in 2012. Most notably, community groups are concerned with ODOT’s proposal to double or triple the width of the roadway wide enough to include ten lanes of freeway, in direct contradiction of the city’s formally adopted climate, transportation and lane use plans. No More Freeways joined Neighbors for Clean Air, Oregon and SW Washington Families for Safe Streets, BikeLoudPDX, and the Eliot Neighborhood Association as litigants in the complaint. 
“It’s absurd for ODOT to claim that their proposed $1.9 billion 10-lane highway is in compliance with the city’s existing plans for climate action, sustainable transportation investment or neighborhood development,” said Chris Smith, a spokesperson for No More Freeways. “We filed this lawsuit because state law requires ODOT to follow the city’s clean air and climate goals. ODOT shouldn’t be allowed to advance a project that brazenly violates the city’s adopted plans.” “For generations, ODOT has been prioritizing moving car traffic through the Eliot Neighborhood instead of protecting the health and well-being of local residents,” said Allan Rudwick, the Chair of the Eliot Neighborhood Association’s Land Use and Transportation Committee. “Recently, we have seen several new residential construction projects between I-5 and the Willamette River for the first time in nearly a century. The Eliot Neighborhood needs more homes, not more highways. Routing lots of extra traffic onto our roads may put a damper on this revitalization for another century and we continue to oppose ODOT’s road-widening project.”
“Make no mistake - ODOT’s plans to dramatically widen I-5 would significantly pollute the air in the Albina neighborhood and actively harm the health and well being of North Portland residents,” said Nakisha Nathan, co-executive director with Neighbors for Clean Air. “We are joining this litigation as local advocates for clean air and healthy communities who know that ODOT needs to prioritize transportation improvements that support investments in the Albina neighborhood, which has already suffered enough from reckless, polluting expansions like this one.”
“ODOT has continued to prioritize investment in endless freeway expansion instead of targeting improvements to streets like North Lombard, where my son was killed,” said Michelle DuBarry, whose 22-month-old son was struck by a driver in a crosswalk in 2010. “Traffic fatalities in Oregon are up 70% since 2010, and as an advocacy organization comprised of Oregonians who have been injured or lost loved ones to traffic violence, we’re proud to stand with community partners in demanding ODOT be held accountable and forced to reconsider this mindless expansion.”
“We’ve asked for years for basic investments in safety on the state roads that kill Portlanders every year,” said David Binnig, a spokesperson with BikeLoudPDX. “Instead of honoring its responsibility to keep all road users safe, ODOT is intent on pouring billions of dollars into freeway widening projects. We hope this lawsuit will force the agency to consider investments that better meet our city’s most urgent needs.”
Since 2017, No More Freeways has continued to demand that ODOT conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on the Proposed Rose Quarter Freeway Expansion that considers alternatives to expansion. Seven years later, after numerous cost escalations, design flaws, legal initiatives, multiple advisory committees, over $110m of ODOT spending and literal thousands of public comments from the public, we continue to call attention to this project in hopes that state and federal leadership will direct ODOT to pursue more cost-effective alternatives that do not include additional expansion of freeway capacity. 
This is the third lawsuit filed against ODOT regarding the proposed $1.9 billion Rose Quarter Freeway Expansion. In 2021, No More Freeways joined Neighbors for Clean Air and the Eliot NA in filing a complaint that ODOT had not fully considered alternatives to expansion in line with federal standards dictated by the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA). No More Freeways also filed a lawsuit against ODOT contending a lack of compliance with Portland’s Comprehensive Plan. Both lawsuits were voluntarily dismissed in 2022 after FHWA withdrew their approval of the project. With federal approval of the modified project regranted this past spring, No More Freeways has resubmitted this complaint, again challenging ODOT’s assertion this project is in line with Portland’s comprehensive plan.
As stated in March, No More Freeways remains a vocal champion of remediating the Albina neighborhood with an investment in freeway caps. The opportunity to heal the injustice inflicted into this neighborhood must not be paired with ODOT’s attempt to further harm this community with greater air pollution, freeway traffic and carbon emissions. The organization continues to demand that ODOT conduct a full Environmental Impact Statement that considers alternatives to build these caps and remediate the neighborhood without the additional freeway lanes and attendant negative consequences.

This meeting will be on google meet. see link at the bottom for details.
May Agenda:

Welcome [6:30pm]

Updates on existing projects

• Event Parking Pilot
• Kerby
• News
• Letters

Public comment

Announcements

• [Coming in June]: Developer Presentation: 2416 N Flint Ave (at N Page)
  • Proposal Description:
  • 19 unit, 5 Story building with vehicular parking below and rooftop deck. 
  • Zoning of site: CM3d
  • Amount of square feet of new building area: 14,995 SF 
  • Number of proposed lots for land division or planned development review: 1

LUTC Meeting
Monday, May 13 · 6:30 – 8:00pm
Time zone: America/Los_Angeles
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/zss-vqyk-jca
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 563-293-5954‬ PIN: ‪887 956 769‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/zss-vqyk-jca?pin=4246301771784

<text from flier>

INTRODUCING
Prism Health | Morris
A second Prism Health facility opening on North Morris Street in Portland, OR in 2024.

ABOUT PRISM HEALTH
We aim to deliver exceptional primary care, behavioral health, and pharmacy services to those who have faced barriers to accessing quality healthcare, including Black, Indigenous, and all other People of Color; LGBTQ+ people; and all those seeking compassionate care.

WHY CHOOSE PRISM?
Cascade AIDS Project (CAP) is opening its newest Prism Health integrated healthcare clinic at 15 N. Morris Street in Portland. This new location in the Eliot neighborhood of Portland will offer residents a convenient way to access Prism Health’s unique, fully integrated behavioral health and primary care experience. Our providers specialize in gender-affirming care, substance use disorder treatment, and HIV care. Prism Health provides quality care to all people regardless of insurance status or income level.

The 15 N. Morris Street building has a rich legacy. It is there that Dr. Walter Reynolds, the first Black graduate of the University of Oregon Medical School (now Oregon Health & Science University), served the Black and African American community in the historically Black Eliot neighborhood. Later, the Native American Rehabilitation Association of the Northwest (NARA) opened their integrated health clinic in the building. We are committed to honoring the legacy of those that have come before us by providing exceptional healthcare services to Black, Indigenous, and all other People of Color, in addition to LGBTQ+ people and those who have intersectional identities. By choosing Prism Health, you are helping advance compassionate, whole-person care to cultivate a healthier, more vibrant community!

The Eliot land use and transportation committee has cancelled it’s meeting this month.

Dear aspiring writers, the next edition of the Eliot News is going to be printed in 2 weeks and arrive in mailboxes starting mid-April. If you can write an article, create a photo-essay, or have any other desire to have a byline, please reach out to news@eliotneighborhood.org

Our advertising rates are posted here – copy due ASAP. Please reach out to news@eliotneighborhood.org with questions or orders

A message from Principal Kaveh (kpaksere@pps.net) of Boise-Eliot/Humboldt elementary:

Our first opportunity for families of incoming kindergarten students for next year to come and learn more about what Kindergarten looks like at BEH is this Thursday at 5:30 pm. If you know families that will be or are considering coming to BEH for kindergarten, let them know to come by. Additionally, we will have two more of these opportunities in May and August. I am also always open to catching families when it works for them as well, so feel free to have them reach out to the school directly if they want to schedule a time to come and connect this spring. 

If you live South of NE Thompson and between Williams and MLK this message is for you especially.

The city is collecting ballots on a Pilot Parking Program for neighbors closest to the Moda Center that are impacted by event parking in the neighborhood. There are several blocks in the area with low turnout in this election.

Paper ballots must be postmarked by Friday, Feb. 9, 2024 and can be submitted to PBOT using the included business reply envelope. Households can also vote online. Online voting closes at 11:59 p.m. on Feb. 9, 2024.

more details here
https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/eliot-parking/eliot-permit-proposal

February Agenda:

Welcome [6:30pm]

Of note: Eliot Parking program permit voting will be happening this month. Details here: https://www.portland.gov/transportation/parking/eliot-parking

Parking Permit ballots closed

Updates on existing projects

Public comment

Eliot LUTC recurring meeting
Monday, December 11 · 6:30 – 8pm
Time zone: America/Los_Angeles
Google Meet joining info
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/sie-kbrb-fpc
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 413-438-2335‬ PIN: ‪285 484 290‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/sie-kbrb-fpc?pin=5302750939203

TriMet is proposing to re-route Line 24 through Eliot in a fairly substantial way.

The Eliot Land Use Committee has crafted a letter in response to this proposing a smaller route change that would still be faster but would better serve destinations in the neighborhood:

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) and the Eliot Parking Task Force are hosting an open house to collect feedback and input on a proposed parking permit program for the Eliot neighborhood. PBOT kicked off the project last summer and has been working with the Eliot Parking Task Force to look at parking issues in the neighborhood. Together, we have co-created a proposed parking permit program that would make it easier for residents to find parking when there are large events nearby. We want to hear from you! Stop by our in-person open house at the Matt Dishman Community Center (77 Knott St, Portland, OR 97223) in Classroom A on May 16, from 5-7 p.m. to learn more about the proposed parking permit program and give feedback. Learn more on the in-person open house webpage.

Can’t make it to the in-person open house? A virtual open house and online survey will be available on the project webpage from May 12-29. PBOT and the task force will use feedback collected at both open houses to finalize the details of the permit program.