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It's always been hard to go anywhere quick in Portland and Seattle, especially at rush hour. I used to live in Portland, and for many years I visited family and customers in Seattle. I have driven plenty in those cities and seen their traffic problems firsthand.
One of the advantages to living in a smaller town is better traffic. Or at least it used to be an advantage. I am noticing more and more it's getting hard go anywhere quick in the mid-Willamette Valley. Our infrastructure here is much more limited than in Portland and Seattle. Recently a large influx of transplants has turned an orderly flow of traffic into a morass. No longer can I use my lunch hour to run errands. I see more red-light runners and more road rage. I hear more police sirens at night. I spend precious chunks of time sitting at intersections burning gasoline. And a homeless person recently took a dump in the parking lot our company.
When I left the Board of my local Neighborhood Association (2021) the City predicted 30,000 additional residents for Salem-Keizer in the next 5 years. I think that estimate was way, way, low. People are coming here in droves.
I guess there is no stopping "progress". But lately I'm also thinking I need to make plans to leave the mid-Willamette Valley. At least, I need to leave the I-5 Corridor. If I wanted to deal with big city problems, I would move to a big city.
Anyway, this has all been very frustrating. Maybe some of you have observed the same thing.
Rant over.
One of the advantages to living in a smaller town is better traffic. Or at least it used to be an advantage. I am noticing more and more it's getting hard go anywhere quick in the mid-Willamette Valley. Our infrastructure here is much more limited than in Portland and Seattle. Recently a large influx of transplants has turned an orderly flow of traffic into a morass. No longer can I use my lunch hour to run errands. I see more red-light runners and more road rage. I hear more police sirens at night. I spend precious chunks of time sitting at intersections burning gasoline. And a homeless person recently took a dump in the parking lot our company.
When I left the Board of my local Neighborhood Association (2021) the City predicted 30,000 additional residents for Salem-Keizer in the next 5 years. I think that estimate was way, way, low. People are coming here in droves.
I guess there is no stopping "progress". But lately I'm also thinking I need to make plans to leave the mid-Willamette Valley. At least, I need to leave the I-5 Corridor. If I wanted to deal with big city problems, I would move to a big city.
Anyway, this has all been very frustrating. Maybe some of you have observed the same thing.
Rant over.