We’re giving our quarterly cheers and thanks to colleagues celebrating five, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, and 35 years of service to the city! Help us celebrate our fellow PBOTers who were hired in December, January, and February.  

35 Years 

Shelley Knezevich, Parking & Regulatory Services  

30 Years 

Russell Kreis, Maintenance Operations 

20 Years 

Terry Aplington, Maintenance Operations 

Eric Wilken, Maintenance Operations  

15 Years 

Mark Gach, Maintenance Operations 

Clinton McCulloch, Maintenance Operations 

Demetrius Proctor, Maintenance Operations 

John Buechler, Parking & Regulatory Services 

Michael Molinsky, Parking & Regulatory Services 

Eric Brennecke, Traffic Systems & Operations 

10 Years 

Robert Demars, Maintenance Operations 

Milton McCombs, Maintenance Operations 

Thomas Poulton, Maintenance Operations 

Erich England, Parking & Regulatory Services 

Erick Moe, Policy, Planning & Projects 

5 Years 

Martin Small, Development, Permitting & Transit 

Joshua Huber, Engineering Services 

Jesse Owens, Maintenance Operations 

Tara Wasiak, Office of the Director  

Shaina Hobbs, Policy, Planning & Projects 

Kimberly Phillips, Policy, Planning & Projects 

Elisabeth Rickles, Policy, Planning & Projects 

Leeor Schweitzer, Policy, Planning & Projects 

Michael Serritella, Policy, Planning & Projects 

Kyle Smetana, Traffic Systems & Operations 

Happy December PBOTers,  

We can’t believe 2022 is nearly over and we’re once again signing off Street Cred for the year. We spent time with so many of you in 2022, learning about your work at PBOT but, more importantly, about you. This marks the 24th edition of Street Cred this year. This is no small feat to produce every other Wednesday. It’s a labor of love from your editors Kailyn Lamb, Stacy Brewster, and Abby Hauth.  

Our small but mighty team wrote over 30 features, most from Abby Hauth. The year kicked off with a feature on Shoshana Cohen, highlighting the honor of receiving the Betsy Ames Leadership award, followed by a series of articles featuring the work of PBOT’s Development Review team, a recap of Redditors showing PBOT love, a March Madness-style PBOTers’ Picks, a look at North Lombard Main Street Repair project, a walk down the NE 47th Avenue LID, an introduction to Jody Yates, and so many more it’s impossible to list them here. Thank you to all PBOTers who submitted stories, shared thanks to colleagues, and spent your time talking to us for features. And a hearty thank you for reading.  

We are signing off for 2022 but will be back in January. We are already at work on features for 2023 including a look at the Portland Aerial Tram and the Portland Streetcar Ambassadors. Until then, make sure to read the Scoop email bulletin each Friday.  

Meanwhile, have a story you’d like to share in Street Cred? Contact Kailyn Lamb. Don’t be shy. 

Sincerely, 

Your Street Cred Editors (Kailyn Lamb, Stacy Brewster, and Abby Hauth) 

Director Chris Warner invites you to bid a fond farewell to Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty and her staff Tuesday, Dec. 13, from 2:30 - 3:30 p.m. in the Portland Building, Room 100. Sign a card for her and share thanks for all she's done for PBOT and the City of Portland. Refreshments provided by Director Warner. 

See last Friday’s Scoop email for a calendar hold of the event. Hope to see you there! 

If you’re holiday shopping, PBOT hopes you’ll add a gift for the Rosewood community to your list. PBOT is partnering with the Rosewood Initiative on a holiday toy drive. Rosewood’s work focuses on Black, Spanish-speaking, and Rohingya families. Gifts for toddlers and youth are welcome.  

See this post on the PBOT People Social Channel on Microsoft Teams for specific drop-off locations. Please leave gifts unwrapped and drop toys off by Dec. 19.  

Questions? Reach out to Wendy Serrano.  

“What a wonderful update,” read an email sent to Eileen Dent Nov. 22. “Happy Thanksgiving to you and thank you so much for all your help and patience!” 

Eileen responds to non-urgent traffic safety concerns that come in through 823-SAFE. Requests run the gamut, from safety for pedestrians, people biking, or taking transit, to speeding drivers, speed limits, traffic safety around schools, visibility, signage, and signal timing. People often mistakenly use 823-SAFE for urgent road hazards or other concerns not appropriate for 823-SAFE.  

Recently, a community member reached out about the speed limit on SE 144th Drive and Clatsop Street. The 45-mph zone was too fast, they argued. Eileen has helped move this request through the review process with the Oregon Department of Transportation, a process that should be much easier going forward! The requester was grateful for Eileen’s updates and letting them know they weren’t forgotten.  

“I don’t think anyone realizes how much Eileen Dent does for PBOT,” said Elieen’s manager Rick Nys. “She is the first point of contact [at PBOT] for 823-SAFE, but so many things that are not 823-SAFE related end up in her lap, and like magic, she gets these things taken care of. Eileen does so much for not just the Traffic Operations team, but also PBOT." 

Thank you to Eileen for all she does for PBOT, but more broadly, all she does for the city. 

PBOT’s Maintenance Operations crews have begun another season of Gravel Street Service. Every year in late fall, PBOT’s grind-and-pave crews transition to doing Gravel Street Service, which improves the condition of the more than 50 miles of unpaved gravel roads in Portland. These streets are not maintained by the city and over the years have deteriorated, filling with potholes and ruts. As part of this free service, PBOT crews fill in the holes then grade and gravel the street. The freshly smooth streets help people get around their neighborhoods and access their homes more easily. This year, crews are back in Southeast (north of SE Division Street), Northeast, and North Portland. 

PBOT started the Gravel Street Service in 2018. Over 5,000 Portland households live along gravel streets. Crews work on a three-year cycle, from November through February, tackling one section of the city a year. Thanks to Portland voters who renewed Fixing Our Streets, Portland’s 10-cent gas tax, Gravel Street Service is funded through 2024. 

Watch a video about Portland’s Gravel Street Service to see crews in action grading and graveling: 

Submitted by Lisa Strader  

Last month I highlighted the challenges people with disabilities face trying to vote. Some post-election articles that grabbed my attention were about the U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania and the coverage of the winner, John Fetterman, who had a stroke during the campaign. They highlighted Fetterman’s treatment during the campaign and the assumptions made about his abilities which are everyday experiences for people with disabilities. 

His candidacy was most visibly questioned when he asked for closed captioning during a televised debate so that he could both see and hear the questions, a method that allowed him to process more accurately. During that debate, his response time was slower, he occasionally missed words, and his speech was sometimes halting. Although Fetterman’s doctor made clear his abilities to do the job without restrictions, the media, his challenger, and even some of his supporters openly questioned whether he could do the job if he were elected.  

People with disabilities and other advocates weighed in on Fetterman’s treatment with frustration and an acknowledgement how common such misconceptions are. The president of the Center for Independent Living in Pennsylvania talked about the stigma of being disabled and the assumption that weakness and lack of intelligence go along with any kind of disability. She added that Fetterman’s performance during the debate was a function of his disability, not his capability. Remember my example of the wheelchair user told by a poll worker she wasn’t smart enough to vote?  

Requesting closed captioning is an accommodation and a right under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Disability rights advocates point out some of the “accommodations” people without disabilities rely on every day such as elevators, smartphones, and eyeglasses. There are no stigmas associated with such widely used tools. However, when people with disabilities ask for accommodations not in wide use, their need for them is commonly questioned as is their ability to function because they need them.  

Fetterman of course won’t be the first person with a disability to serve in a national role. Perhaps the most well-known was President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. More recently were former Sen. Tim Johnson who had a brain hemorrhage in 2006 and served until 2015 and former Sen. Mark Kirk who had a stroke in 2012 and served until 2016.  

After 27 years of public service at PBOT, Chon Wong is retiring as Engineering Supervisor in Temporary Traffic Control & Engineering. His tenure at the city began in the 80s as an engineering intern for the Bureau of Environmental Services. After college he spent five years at the Washington Department of Transportation then went to work for the city again, starting with PBOT in 1990.  

Like most PBOTers who have been here a decade or more, Chon has experienced many sides of PBOT in different roles over the years. For the first ten years at PBOT he worked within the local design section which has since been dismantled but was similar to the Local Improvement District work happening now. Chon went on to manage the public works permitting process for Design & Construction before it was split into two sections. He took on the Construction & Temporary Traffic Control work until it split again, and then as a Traffic Engineer.  

A trio of favorite projects 

Chon recounted some memorable projects at PBOT and three that stand out most in his career. The first was his work on securing the harbor wall along the southwest waterfront and creating a flood plan during the Willamette River’s historic flooding in 1996. This didn’t necessarily fall into his area of expertise but during an emergency the city needed all hands on deck. It paid off: the systems Chon helped create are still in place today to protect from future flooding.  

The second project that stands out to Chon involved changes to NW Station Way he implemented in front of Union Station. Acting as Project Manager as well as Civil Designer, Chon redesigned the street to continue north under the Steel Bridge instead of dead-ending into Union Station. Now, almost 20 years later, the street is set to be redesigned again.  

A third project Chon remembered fondly was one that hit especially close to home: new sidewalks and stairs connecting St. Thomas More Catholic Church to the school. The project was relatively small but one that positively impacted his life (he lives in the neighborhood and often uses the stairs) and the lives of others. This project showed him that even small projects can make a huge difference.  

Missing PBOT people 

Projects aside, Chon said what he will miss most about PBOT is the people. His colleagues, who have become like a second family, are one of the reasons he’s stayed at PBOT. “There’s no reason to leave when you have a bunch of great people to work with,” Chon said.  

The feeling is mutual, whether folks have worked with them his entire career or only recently. 

“Chon has provided true leadership until the end!” said Rachel Bolton who has worked with Chon for the past three years. “I’ll miss our team's ‘foodie’ talks and learning the art of frugality from the guru himself. Wishing you all the best in your retirement.” 

Adilene Zurita has also worked with Chon the last three years, recalling “all the good laughs you brought to the group” and adding “you will be missed. Don’t submit too many work-zone concerns!” 

Rick Nys has only worked with Chon the last nine months, but clearly he made an impression. “Chon has been so welcoming and kind to me,” Rick said. “He was one of the first people to reach out to me when I started. He is such a brilliant engineer… constantly thinking of new ideas to better serve Portlanders. Chon has a dry wit that I really connect with. I’ll miss the back-and-forth banter.” 

“I hope that you enjoy your retirement and are able to go out and see the world,” said Geoffrey Judd.  

Andy Jeffrey also wishes Chon well. “I want to thank you for taking me on and mentoring me these past few years,” Andy said. “You’ve been an excellent guide and, daresay, friend. I’ll miss being able to chat with you on a daily basis. Don’t be a stranger… even if it is as a concerned citizen.” 

As for those who’ve worked with Chon for decades? As you might imagine, a lot of this same praise. “Chon, you will be missed around here!” adds Jamie Jeffrey who’s worked alongside Chon for his entire career. “It’s been a long haul with a lot of changes. Glad you joined the traffic team along the way (I know that’s really where your heart was all along). I’ve enjoyed puzzling through challenges with you and we’ve shared some good laughs. I’ll miss your sense of humor. Enjoy your retirement and all that comes with it!!” 

Wendy Cawley has worked with Chon since 1997 saying that they never worked in the same PBOT section until his team became part of Traffic Systems last year. “That said, we’ve been friends for a long time due to Chon’s friendly banter and sense of humor,” Wendy said, adding “In 27 years at PBOT, Chon has left his mark across this city in a variety of ways. From designing NW Station Way and providing a welcoming entrance to Union Station to ensuring people walking, bicycling, and driving get safely through work zones, Chon has made Portland better and safer. I will miss Chon's leadership on the Traffic Systems team but I suspect we may bump in to each other occasionally at the local coffee shop.” 

Parting advice 

In his 27 years with the bureau, Chon has seen a lot of change—for the better. He appreciates the holistic approach PBOT takes with designing and managing right-of-way: from focusing on multimodal transportation to opening streets for plazas and street dining.  

Asked for parting advice for new PBOTers or others starting out in their career, Chon said “even if you feel like you don’t know anything, fake it ‘til you make it!” In his career he’s found that trying, even through uncertainty, is important. Eventually you realize you know more than you think.  

The hills are alive... with the sound of retirement! 

In his newfound time off Chon plans to check a few places off his bucket list. He’s hoping to visit Paris soon, marking his first trip to Europe. Also on the list is Austria so he can recreate (or at least visit) scenes from one of his favorite movies: The Sound of Music.  

Wishing you the best in your retirement Chon. And from all of PBOT, thank you for your almost three decades of public service!