Boones Ferry Road was closed by permit. On a Sunday. We assembled at the Triangle down by the historical marker at 3PM. Quite a few people, including a Cub Scout troop. After the dedication, we had a parade, including kids on bikes with streamers, all the way to Collins View School, where we had a potluck picnic with folk-dancing and games.
John Miller gave the dedication speech.
7 score and 10 years ago... (150) Jesse Boone built a road and began a ferry across the Willamette.. connecting this place to Salem. Since that time, this route has seen many changes including the introduction of the automobile.
Before this project. we had thousands of commuters cutting through various part of our neighborhood trying to avoid the light at the top of the hill.... speeding... cars going off the road in the middle of the night... frustration... anxiety... dogs cats killed on the road -- even the loss of human life here at the fork in the road.
You all recall how it was coming up the Hill, very dangerous to cut over, but we did it anyway, and the adrenalin rush lasted up the road past the children.
The neighborhood association tried radar enforcement, speed watches, tried brainstorming solutions to the problem...
Then we got into the city's Traffic Management Program, and 20 residents worked together for a year and a half to develop what you see here today.
March 3, 1993 the Portland City Council voted to make this diversion a permanent place in the transportation landscape.
Let's all give a holler for the city council and for the difference that this project has made In our lives!
It's all yours Earl...
Earl then gave a short statement presumably about the program, and how he knew about this situation from his days attending Northwestern School of Law (now Lewis & Clark Law School). (Did anyone else speak?) We then proceeded to parade along Boones Ferry to the School.
