Thread by @briandavispdx

I just want to take a second to appreciate how highly unusual, and highly suspicious it is, that we *still* lack any and all supporting data for the I-5 Rose Quarter EA. 1/

The key findings within the EA--things like reduced travel times, fewer crashes, less pollution--are all based on models of the freeway and the surface street intersections prepared by ODOT staff and/or consultants. 2/

These models form the basis of every traffic impact study, whether you're evaluating the impacts of a development, an infrastructure change, or whatever. I've built hundreds of these, and reviewed hundreds more. 3/

It's all done with modeling software, and there are really only a couple competing packages. They work largely the same. It's wonky and detailed, but honestly not terribly hard to understand. You put in your inputs and assumptions, the software spits out some results. 4/

Here's an example output from Synchro, the package ODOT ostensibly used to model surface street intersections. Notice that it clearly states input parameters (e.g., traffic volumes, signal phasing) and assumptions (e.g., "saturation flow rate," "Follow-up time" [google 'em]). 5/

That one-pager gives a lot of important information about the intersection, and that's why these are included as appendix items in a traffic study literally 👏 every 👏 single 👏 time. (Yes, *both* "literally" and the claps are appropriate). 6/

So whatever actual science there is to traffic studies is dependent entirely on those worksheets. That data is what makes the experiment repeatable. Absent the data, no repeatability, which equals no believably. 7/

But beyond that, there's a practical point, which is that those worksheets are the only way Synchro will spit out results.

There's no pop-up or anything that flashes the answer on-screen for three seconds and then disappears. The worksheets *are* the answer! 8/

Those worksheets are precisely what @nomorefreeways has asked for. There should be dozens, maybe even hundreds, all chock full of numbers and information that would verify (or at worst, slightly challenge) ODOT's claims...IF the EA were prepared in good faith. 9/

That the agency is unwilling or unable to turn over Synchro worksheets raises all kinds of red flags. Without these, it is impossible for ODOT to show that the study has been completed to proper standards and a FONSI should not be possible. /fin