Help Choose a Name for the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Bridge

After reviewing nearly 9,500 submissions, the naming Committee chose four possible names for the Transit Bridge:

 Abigail Scott Duniway Transit Bridge
Oregon Historical Society, #ba017990

Known as the “Mother of Equal Suffrage,” and “the pioneer woman suffragist of the great Northwest,” Abigail Scott Duniway dedicated herself to social justice, education and family welfare for more than 40 years. She was a tireless lecturer who led the fight to gain voting rights for women in Oregon, and she wrote and edited her own newspaper, The New Northwest. Her signature line—”Yours for Liberty”—is a reminder of her lifelong commitment to equal rights.

People said:
“Abigail Scott Duniway, a worthy woman for a worthy bridge.”
“She was an Oregonian who fought an uphill battle over many years to bring true citizenship to half the people of the state.”
“Her commitment to education and women’s rights remains inspirational nearly 100 years after her death.” 

 Cascadia Crossing Transit Bridge
“Cascadia” takes its name from the Cascade Range and its snow capped mountains, which provide a scenic backdrop along much of the Willamette River Valley. The word describes a cross-border region of the greater Northwest. Various groups define the boundaries differently, but the Cascadia region is generally considered to stretch from British Columbia to Northern California.

People said:
“Cascadia represents the beautiful Pacific Northwest, our beautiful land and precious waters, our commitment to the environment, our willingness to march to a different drummer.”
“Harmonizing the local region as one united group”
“Cascadia is our bioregion. A car-free Cascadia is all the better.”

  Tillicum Crossing Transit Bridge, Bridge of the People
Clackamas County Historical Society Photo   

“Tillicum” is a word in Chinook jargon that means people, tribe and relatives. With the passage of time, it has also come to mean friendly people and friends. Chinookans are indigenous peoples and tribes who have lived near the Columbia and Willamette rivers for 14,000 years. However, Chinook jargon is not the language of any one tribe. The jargon was developed to help native peoples communicate across distinct languages and dialects, and was later used to communicate with explorers, fur traders and settlers.

People said:
“Tillicum Bridge = Bridge of the People (in the native language).To honor those who loved this place first and those that still do.”
“To honor Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest who used this word to name a friend, or refer to the common people.”
“This is a people’s bridge (not a car bridge) in more ways than one. This name also ties us to the past and present through this Northwest Native American word.”  

Wy’east Transit Bridge  
“Wy’east” is the original name of Mt. Hood. A Native American story tells of two sons of the Great Spirit Sahale who fell in love with the maiden Loowit. She couldn’t decide who to choose, and the two braves, Wy’east and Klickitat, burned villages and forests as they battled over her. Sahale became enraged and killed all three. Realizing what he had done, Sahale erected three mountains to mark where each fell: beautiful Mt. St. Helens for Loowit, somber Mt. Adams for Klickitat, and proud and erect Mt. Hood for Wy’east.

A sampling of public submission rationales:
“Wy’east is the Multnomah Indian name for Mt. Hood. Also, the bridge will connect West to east, and the letters in the name suggest this bridging of our landscape.”
“Wy’east is the Multnomah Indian name for Mt. Hood. It honors both the history of Northwestern Oregon as well as the mountain. It’s also a beautiful name for a beautiful bridge.”
“Wy’east is what Native Americans called Mt. Hood and the bridge looks like two mountains.”   

The public is invited to weigh in on the final selection.

Comments at trimet.org/namethebridge or mail your choice to 1800 SW 1st Avenue, Suite 300, Portland, OR 97201. The deadline for input is 5 p.m. March 1, 2014.