(Albuquerque) – Media outlets, politicians, and planning bureaucrats often cite Portland, Oregon as being a “model for urban (government) planning. Government officials from around the nation, including Albuquerque, have studied Portland. Many would like to make their cities more like Portland by obtaining the power to strictly limit land use and pour billions of dollars into transit and transit-oriented development. But should Portland be a model for Albuquerque?

While tourists visiting Portland may enjoy having rail transit to take them around town, John Charles, an expert on Portland’s urban planning and land use policies and President of the Portland-based Cascade Policy Institute, has a much different take on the “Portland model.” As Charles notes, Portland’s light rail system has been incredibly expensive to build and maintain and carry far fewer passengers for the cost than do roads and highways.

Charles also notes that transit has increased traffic congestion by actually taking the place of roads or at least sucking up funding for roads. Lastly, transit has not improved air quality. Worse, the urban land use regulations adopted in Portland have made the cost of living in the City unbearable. In fact, Forbes Magazine recently named Portland the 12th most difficult cities to live in based on a comparison of living costs and income levels.

Unfortunately, many of Albuquerque’s elected leaders, including Mayor Martin Chavez who continues to push his costly streetcar, are using Portland as a model to re-created Albuquerque in the image of Portland. Learn firsthand from Mr. Charles why Albuquerque should avoid following Portland down the path of heavy reliance on rail transit and intensive government planning.

• What: Discussion of transportation, land use, and planning issues with expert John Charles;
• When: Wednesday, June 3 from 6pm to 7:30pm;
• Where: The Albuquerque Museum located at 2000 Mountain Road, NW at the edge of Old Town Albuquerque;
• Event is Free of Charge, light snacks and beverages will be provided

To RSVP for this free event, please call us at 505-264-6090 or email us at rsvp@riograndefoundation.org. For more information on the Cascade Institute for Public Policy check out: http://www.cascadepolicy.org/.