News briefs

City Council approves Burnside-Couch project

Portland City Council members unanimously approved Wednesday plans to modify West Burnside Street and Northwest Couch Street into one-way streets from Second Avenue to east of Interstate 405.

Initial plans have a streetcar line running from the Burnside Bridge to Northwest 24th Avenue.

Council members did not reach an agreement on how to fund the project, which will cost about $80 million, with the cost of rebuilding Burnside at least $20 million. The proposed streetcar line is estimated to cost an additional $60 million.

Committee members expressed some concern over the positive and negative effects of the proposed Burnside-Couch couplet. The project could lead to millions of dollars of new investment capital on Burnside but could disrupt the small business and boutique atmosphere of Couch, ruining the street’s cozy atmosphere as well as affecting local business.

The couplet project first passed City Council approval without the streetcar in 2002, under Mayor Vera Katz, but was ultimately tabled to allow for further research. Council member Sam Adams resurrected the project in 2004, when he took over the Portland Office of Transportation.

A Burnside-Couch couplet running from the waterfront to 14th Avenue was voted for in 2006. The decision Wednesday approved 35 percent of the design work, still allowing council members an opportunity to change their minds and explore alternatives. The council will meet again to decide the fate of the project after a one-year initial construction phase.

-Steve Haske

College Dems rally for non-discrimination law

The College Democrats and other students traveled to Salem Thursday to rally for Senate Bill 2, which would add sexual orientation and gender identity to Oregon’s existing non-discrimination laws.

Close to 100 students from Oregon schools attended the rally sponsored by Basic Rights Oregon and the Oregon Student Equal Rights Alliance. The Senate passed the bill on March 21. The House is expected to vote on the bill in the coming weeks.

-Treasure Porth

Students recognized for service

Five students received Student Employee of the Year Awards at the annual Student Employee Reception and Recognition ceremony Thursday.

The winners were Lydia Beyoud, office assistant in the Middle East Studies Center; Eden Isenstein, coordinator of the Women’s Resource Center’s returning women program; Tatsuki Kawaguchi, ISP program assistant in the International Affairs Office; Christine Smith, office assistant in the Office of Business Affairs; and Katy Zilverberg, Student Leaders for Service Team Lead in the Center for Academic Excellence.

The awards are given annually as part of National Student Employment Week, celebrated April 9-13. Sixty students were nominated this year.

-Treasure Porth