Latest news with #AmtrakCascades
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Portland managers to make full-time return to workplace
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — After years of hybrid or remote work, 700 managers and supervisors with the City of Portland will make a full-time return to their worksites starting Monday. This change, announced by Mayor Keith Wilson in January, means nearly 80% of all working hours for city workers will be performed in-person, according to the mayor's office. In a letter to the public, Wilson said that managers and supervisors set the tone and culture for the City of Portland, adding that 'working face-to-face cultivates the collaboration, camaraderie and innovation our city deserves.' Amtrak Cascades service fully restored after 11-day disruption This announcement came one week after — at least four days a week. The request faced immediate pushback as some union members said remote work is more efficient in some cases. Since the pandemic, former Mayor Ted Wheeler had allowed employees to work partly remote. In January 2024, he even 20 hours a week, arguing that the mandate would boost foot traffic in the downtown area, support local businesses and revitalize public spaces. Thousands in PNW march in anti-Trump 'Hands Off' rally But according to Wilson, his new strategy to bring managers back into the office would help city leaders address certain matters — like their — more effectively. 'We've seen how technology and new practices can give us increasing flexibility to help us navigate complex lives,' Wilson said. 'That said, it has also shown us there is no replacement for the creative energy, team-building leadership and learning that comes from in-person managers and supervisors, this is especially important when it comes to the role of managers and nurturing our next generation of city employees.' However, several employees who testified against the mandate on March 27 argued that the push for office work is discriminatory toward people with disabilities. Anna Shook, a certifying officer for Portland's Housing Bureau, added that remote work was 'not a privilege or choice' for the employees who were sent home in March 2020. 'We helped thousands of fellow Portlanders in a time of deep crisis,' she said. 'Now, we are told at every single employee town hall that we do not show up, unlike field employees. I love this city and I am proud to work for it. This is the first time in my 18 years as a city employee that I have been disrespected by elected leaders.' A presentation from the City of Portland's Human Resources Director Tracy Warren shows that about 54% of the city employees work fully in-person, while about 38% have a hybrid schedule and 8% are fully remote. Under the new mandate, officials expect a 10% increase in those that work fully in-person and a 10% decline in hybrid workers. The share of fully-remote workers would remain the same. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
I-205 bridge construction, ramp closures to impact traffic starting Monday
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A busy week of construction on the I-205 Abernethy Bridge Project is set to affect traffic in the area starting Monday. According to ODOT, the project will cause multiple lane reductions and ramp closures, leading to slowdowns on HWY 43 and 99E, along with I-205. Amtrak Cascades service fully restored after 11-day disruption Those ramp closures in particular will force drivers heading east on HWY 99 to cross the bridge and loop back around in order to get on to I-205. See the detailed list of traffic impacts below: April 7-11 – Overnight ramp closure from OR 99E to I-205 northbound from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. This closure also coincides with the OR 99E northbound lane closures. April 7-11 – Overnight lane closures on OR 99E northbound from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. A single lane will still be open in both directions. April 7-11 – Overnight lane closure on OR 43 northbound from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. April 7-9 – Daytime flagging on Clackamette Drive from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. This Washington airport ranked among best for food and drink 'experiences,' poll finds April 7-11 – Daytime shoulder closure on I-205 southbound between exit 10 and Exit 9 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will also be an full overnight full closure of HWY 99E between the northbound and southbound I-205 ramp interchange Saturday, April 12. It's expected to reopen at 8 a.m. on Sunday, April 13. When fully completed, ODOT says this project will make the Abernethy Bridge the first earthquake-ready interstate bridge in the Portland area. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Yahoo
Amtrak Cascades service fully restored after 11-day disruption
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Amtrak Cascades lines are now fully up and running after all but one were suddenly removed from service eleven days ago. According to Amtrak spokesperson Kelly Just, the service was restored and trains began operating on schedule Sunday morning. Those mismatched 3-point arcs from March Madness last year? The Sports Bra made that court its bar The old Horizon trains were originally removed from service due to corrosion concerns on the aging equipment. The resulting service disruption affected service to 18 stops between Vancouver, B.C. and Eugene. Meanwhile, a total of 70 passenger cars across the country were affected, including 26 on the Amtrak Cascades route, according to spokesperson Kelly Just. In the interim, customers were offered alternative transportation or the option to cancel their trip for a full refund or rebook at a later travel date without change fees. This Washington airport ranked among best for food and drink 'experiences,' poll finds Amtrak then began looking for replacement trains from out of state, releasing a timeline for their rollout on March 31. In the meantime, Amtrak secured buses to send passengers to their destinations while they started looking for replacement trains from out of state. Despite the service restoration, Amtrak noted there will be a limited number of cars on each train, with just two coach cars, 17 business class seats and a cafe car. As a result, Amtrak suggests customers book their trips in advance. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Amtrak Cascades begins restoring canceled service
Amtrak has not provided a timeline for when replacement train cars might arrive to replace the aging Horizon coaches that were abruptly pulled from service on March 26. Here a train is seen at the Olympia-Lacey station in 2022. (Photo by Tom Banse) Amtrak is moving train cars to the Northwest from other parts of the country to swap in for 26 cars abruptly pulled from service in late March due to corrosion problems. The issues with the Horizon-class railcars left Amtrak Cascades with just one working trainset. With the arrival of the additional cars, two trains between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia, — trains No. 516 and No. 519 — resumed service Tuesday, Washington State Department of Transportation rail division spokesperson Janet Matkin said in an email Amtrak is moving train cars to the Northwest on the Empire Builder line from Chicago. Matkin said more trains will return to service later this week, including trains between Seattle and Portland, Oregon, and a train between Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. 'The goal is to quickly restore all trips, but with a limited number of cars on each train,' Matkin said. This will mean trains with fewer seats available in the near term — less than half as many coach seats as normal in some cases. How long it will take for Amtrak to return to full seating capacity on the line is unclear. In 2024, nearly 1 million passengers rode Amtrak Cascades trains, which run in a north-south corridor between Eugene, Oregon, and Vancouver, British Columbia. The Coast Starlight, a long-distance Amtrak train, makes the same stops as the regional Cascades service on its once-daily departure between Seattle and California. Service on that route has not been affected.
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Limited train service to resume for Amtrak Cascades
Amtrak Cascades says replacement cars are on the way to the Seattle area after several trainsets were taken out of service for corrosion issues. The train cars are coming from Chicago. The first Amtrak Cascades trains to resume service are #516 and #519 between Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia. These trains are expected to resume service on Tuesday, April 1. Amtrak says the next set of trains will be in service later this week, including trains #517, #506, and #505 between Seattle and Portland and train #518 between Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver, BC. As additional train cars are scheduled to arrive within the next week and put into service. On March 26, Amtrak replaced a series of railcars with bus service until they could find a solution. The trains pulled impacted nearly all trips on Amtrak Cascades' daily service to 18 stations between Vancouver, British Columbia, and Eugene, Oregon. 'The goal is to quickly restore all trips, but with a limited number of cars on each train,' Amtrak Cascades said. The number of cars on each train will be limited for the time being. Amtrak says most will only have two coach cars, 17 business class seats and a café car. It is uncertain how long this limited seating will remain in place. AMFLEET TRAINS ON THEIR WAY TO THE PNW Amtrak is moving several Amfleet I train cars to Seattle to replace the Horizon... Posted by Amtrak Cascades on Monday, March 31, 2025
