As one of Oregon's largest cities and economic centers, Gresham's thriving downtown, peaceful natural areas, busy jobs centers and friendly neighborhoods, all make this a great place to live.
A lot has changed for the city since I moved here more than 30 years ago, when it was still a small town with 33,000 residents.
When I was a Gresham city councilor, I regularly heard from residents about the importance of safe streets. Everyone wants to be able to go for a walk or bike ride and feel safe from nearby road traffic. Everyone wants to be able to know their kids have a safe route to school. Everyone values efficient ways to get to work.
In my four years as your Metro councilor, I've worked to make sure Gresham's voice is heard at the regional table. That's particularly important when it comes to our share of limited federal transportation money.
Recently, we engaged in a discussion about how to best allocate some regional dollars to Gresham.
The question: whether to build sidewalks on Cleveland Street or Division Street.
It was a difficult question for everyone. But, working together, Gresham and Metro were able to work out a solution that has great benefit for people who use both streets.
Read the rest of Metro Councilor Craddick's op-ed in the Gresham Outlook.
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