The North Portland peninsula, which includes the St. Johns and Cathedral Park neighborhoods, could become isolated from the rest of the city after a major earthquake. If the St. Johns Bridge and the railroad bridges on the peninsula’s eastern border fail, emergency responders could have no way into the area — and residents will have no way out. A bill in the Oregon Legislature would partially address the issue by designating funding for the city to design a seismically-safe bridge over the railroad tracks at Columbia Boulevard.    

Sameer Kanal is a Portland City Councilor representing District 2, which includes North Portland. Jeff Bissonnette is the co-chair of the St. Johns-Cathedral Park Neighborhood Emergency Team. They join us to talk about how residents and the city are preparing for this potential disaster.