🍴 No James Beards for Portland

Do You Need a Car in Portland?

To state the obvious, the U.S. is dependent on cars for transportation, and according to a recent ranking of 111 cities from CoworkingCafe, Portland is too. Our city didn’t rank in the top 10 for best places to live without a car. That’s despite our MAX lines and famous love of bicycles. [Oregonian]

• Who does it better? Portland does come in at No. 14. Higher on the list were the obvious — like New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. — but also other cities like Miami and Pittsburgh. Portland is No. 3 for highest share of bike commuters — but just 22nd for the portion of people walking to work and 21st for public transit use. [Oregonian]
• 📲 Your thoughts? When does it make sense to go without a car here? Do you actually need one? Please email us, and we’ll share your thoughts with readers.
• Related survey: A state working group is soliciting opinions on priorities for how to spend transportation dollars as another budget shortfall looms. You can weigh in here. [Oregon Capitol Chronicle / Oregon Department of Transportation]

Peak Measles Year in Oregon

So far this year there have been 45 identified cases of measles in Oregon, most of them in Multnomah County. That’s more cases than during an outbreak in 2024, when there were just 24 cases and also more than all of the last five years combined. The cases come at a time when the Trump administration has promoted vaccine skepticism and local public health agencies have lost funding to address an outbreak. [Oregon Capitol Chronicle]

Portland's Last RV Shelter Is Shutting Down

City officials announced plans to close the city's last dedicated site for RV camping. Leaders say they're working with the occupants of the 70 RV sites in North Portland to find new homes, and will soon convert those sites to shelter pods. The move comes as city leaders try to restructure its outdoor shelter system in the face of budget cuts. [KGW]

Portland Out of the Running To Host James Beard Awards

Sad news for food nerds: the James Beard Awards aren't coming to Portland. Our city entered a bid to become the new home of the so-called "Oscars of Food" beginning in 2029, but a spokesperson from Travel Portland told the Oregonian that we didn't make the first cut. They clearly didn't hear our recent podcast about why this would be such a good idea. [Oregonian / City Cast Portland]