They realize that it was only changed to Interstate, like, 50 years ago, right? It wasn't something that God create on the sixth day.

It was in 1916. So 91 years ago. (And before Chavez was born.)

why do we have to change names, can't we just make names for new streets. Last I checked there were a lot of new streets going in down on South Water front. Seems a lot simpler, give an initial name, not change and piss off people who have history with a existing street name (not to mention the cost of city of portland and max and businesses changing the address).

if it has been Interstate for 91 years, and if you want to recognize a hero for people who are new to the area, try naming new buildings or streets. How about the streets of Cesar Chavez (instead of Tanasbourn) or "the Cesar Chavez" district instead of the Pearl...?

From Grant Cogswell, in another thread:

"Rename Interstate 5 - the spine of the West - after Cesar Chavez. That'd be giving credit where credit is due": Terrific idea. That's the best alternative I've heard in two months of Chavez yammer. Thanks.

Dear god, the street's main draws are Kaiser Permanente, a Taco Bell, and a place that serves chicken wings fried by stoners. It's not like they are changing the name of the friggin' Avenue des Champs-Élysées to George Bush Lane.

I'm just surprised people would care either way.

Let's run it down again:

Street name changes impact peoples' lives. City Code (Chapter 17.93) recognizes that. That process is in place to avoid the lingering bitterness we're STILL hearing in North Portland about the change of Union Avenue in 1989, much less Rosa Parks Way last year.

What's lost when Council doesn't follow Code?

- A serious threshold of public interest in the name change -- 2,500 signatures from the City at large, or 75 percent of property owners on the street.

- Criteria for what streets may be renamed -- streets that are "significant in their own right" cannot be renamed.

- Independent review by a panel of historians, to establish "significance."

- At least two mailings to property owners, paid for by the applicants.

- Review and at least one public hearing by the Planning Commission.

- And THEN it goes to City Council, for (at least) one more public hearing.

There's more in the Code. It's all there for a purpose, and it's a lot to lose. We lost it in the N Portland Boulevard proceedings, mostly because the public didn't know it was there. Now we know (thanks, Amy).

That's just the Code. Note the 70-0 vote in Overlook to support some other honor for Chavez. Had the Chavez Committee come to the neighborhoods without a fixed agenda, we could have worked through this together and found something realistic. As it is there's been lots of talk but no real dialog. Maybe it can still happen.

It's easy to trivialize it all when you don't live in the middle of it.

Its all about pride of place.
Sure, its not Hawthorne, Broadway, Belmont or, as the Guilty Carnivore pointed out, the Champs-Élysées. But then there are people proud to be from New Jersey.
Lets face it, Interstate is the Rodney Dangerfield of Portland streets. Where else in Portland would it even occur to a porn store (The Fat Cobra) to build next to a middle school (Ockley Green)? Why? because its on Interstate, it must be doable (and it was).
The PDC is actively pursuing a rezone to allow mixed use residential abutting single family homes up to eight stories high on Interstate. Why? Light Rail of course, thats good for at least four floors, but eight? Its because its Interstate, its not like you are going to have to go up against anyone that counts.
And now, a group decides they need a street to rename for Cesar Chavez. Interstate? Great idea, who the heck would care?
But the people that live here do care, one way or the other.
I have a strong feeling though that however this is decided, it will not be by the people that live in the area.

Forget it, Jake, it's Interstate....

They should give 99E the name. It'd be much more appropriate given that the workers he fought for are still trying to get by along that road.

Couldn't they rename the numbered streets? 39th, 33rd, 82nd, 12th, and 15th are all significant enough north-south streets to be named, I think, without losing much.

Interstate is part of my neighborhood. Maybe some people just see "Kaiser Permanente, a Taco Bell, and a place that serves chicken wings fried by stoners" but I see the places where I buy my groceries, a coffee shop where I catch up with neighbors, offices where I get my healthcare, public transportation, and restaurants where I meet friends. I don't want Interstate renamed.