Help make light rail stations more bike-friendly
Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on October 9th, 2007 at 8:13 am
design of light rail stations.
(Photo © Jonathan Maus)
As part of the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Project, Metro is looking for your input to design “vibrant, attractive and safe” light rail stations.
Here’s more from Metro:
“Light rail stations have the ability to transform the communities they are in. Areas that have stations become destinations for commerce and gathering places for local residents…
…The workshops will help to identify important information such as station access for riders, street improvements, traffic circulation for affected vehicles, transit connections and redevelopment opportunities.”
Here are the details for the workshop:
- Thursday October 11, 6 PM to 8:30 PM
Sellwood Middle School Cafeteria
8300 SE 15th Ave.
(This workshop will focus on station areas around SE Harold St., SE Bybee, SE Tacoma St. off SE McLoughlin Blvd.)
Learn more about the workshop and view materials on Metro’s website.
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October 9th, 2007 08:41
See you there!
October 9th, 2007 08:44
Went to the workshop at Cleveland HS last week. Good time for input on how to integrate with bike Boulevards and neighborhood infrastructure. It was interesting. I encourage anyone from the neighborhood or just with a general interest to attend.
October 9th, 2007 10:15
As a member of the Interstate MAX Citizens Advisory Committee, I had a hand in moving, re-designing, etc. four of the 10 stations along that line, some fairly late in the design process. You can have an impact on these station and station area designs; TriMet needs to have input from people who live, work and/or travel in these neighborhoods.
October 9th, 2007 10:32
How about a series of Bikestations along this commuter rail line?
http://www.bikestation.org
This model has worked well in the Bay Area's Caltrain system.
October 9th, 2007 12:45
Excuse me?
“Light rail stations have the ability to transform the communities they are in. Areas that have stations become destinations for commerce and gathering places for local residents…
I call BS on the second part of that statement. Yes they do transform communities, but its not the local residents that gather there. Ever been out east on the Blue line, say 162nd. Who designed the methodone clinic and the plasma donation center there...absolute genius...NOT
October 9th, 2007 13:00
I confused. I thought tri-met didn't want bikes on their trains.
October 9th, 2007 13:28
Whats with all the Ghetto-Train stories? I thought this was a cycling forum?
October 9th, 2007 13:46
TriMet does want bikes on their trains. Mayor ... er, Commissioner Adams has a plan to expans bike access on the Max.
October 9th, 2007 13:47
The most important issue is that transit lines generally run along major arterials. However when people want to GET TO those stations, they now must cross dangerous arterials (like the Killingsworth Max station or Parkrose TC). Another major issue is that you can't use the restroom or even find a water fountain. I once rode over to Gateway TC in 100 degree weather only to find no fountain anywhere. Thankfully with the construction of the Wilsonville line, I found out that Beaverton TC will soon have at least a bubbler.
(Please someone take these comments to the meeting, I'm too far away to attend)
October 9th, 2007 13:51
Resident,
now is your chance to help ensure your concerns are addressed. Metro needs to hear this input.
October 9th, 2007 13:57
Aaron: You can submit comments in writing!
October 9th, 2007 13:57
I'm still confused. . . I keep reading here how trimet wants to hear us and that they want us to use their trains but all summer long I keep hearing and reading how they want us off their trains. And Aaron ( #9) is right about getting to the stations. I live out on the east side and out there the kids (gangs) use guns. Why ride max?
October 9th, 2007 14:03
"I keep hearing and reading how they want us off their trains. "
Geezer Guy,
This is about the stations, not the trains. This is about getting bikes to the stations safely and giving them a place to park once they get there. The issue of taking bikes on the trains is separate (although if they make a station bike-friendly I'm sure it would result in more bikes on the trains.).
October 9th, 2007 14:12
"I live out on the east side and out there the kids (gangs) use guns. Why ride max?"
So tell TriMet that you have security concerns and may use the Max more if the problems you described were addressed. Pretty simple. Still confused?
October 9th, 2007 14:23
We can scratch TM's backs if they scratch ours...cyclists that is. If they want to make keeping as many bikes off of MAX as possible a priority, then they need to share their thoughts and ideas on funding more bike paths and boulevards with all concerns. And in return we can all love the bike stations together.
October 9th, 2007 16:40
TriMet wants cyclists to have a safe way to get to a Max station and a secure place to leave their bike, if they choose to ride to a MAX station, leave their bike behind, and ride MAX to wherever they're going.
This is a worthwhile effort on TriMet's part. They can't accommodate an unlimited number of bikes IN the trains, but they can and should do much more accommodate people who want to ride to the station.
With the current lousy/nonexistent bike storage facilities at the Max stations, anyone with a decent bike won't leave it at a station, because it's likely to get stolen or vandalized.
Europe and Japan have lots of interesting and innovative storage facilities at train stations. Some are literally underground, others are elevated. Todd B., don't you have some links for us?
October 9th, 2007 17:25
Hmmmmm....Rose Quarter Transit Center is "bike friendly"? First thing you see are no biking allowed signs. How are we supposed to access this area where many major bike routes cross?
October 10th, 2007 01:10
Hmmmmm....Rose Quarter Transit Center is "bike friendly"? First thing you see are no biking allowed signs. How are we supposed to access this area where many major bike routes cross?
No bike *riding* on the station platforms. There are a lot of peds and peds don't pay much attention to where they're going. The same rings true for some cyclists.
October 10th, 2007 10:05
What I think Joe is referring to N.I.K. is the fact that TM doesn't want bikes cutting through their streets at the RQ. Bikes are told to go around the longer ways to stay on the bike paths and away from the stops. Basically cyclists must walk their bikes a couple blocks to catch MAX or catch a bike path when leaving a train. I agree, doesn't seem bike friendly or accommodating.
October 10th, 2007 10:38
"Light rail stations have the ability to transform the communities they are in."
- No kidding. I'd love nothing more than to errect a cement wall which prevents entrance into the laurelhurst neighborhood from the MAX station. The only thing that changed with the inclusion of a MAX station is now more cars parking in the neighborhood, more broken windows of said cars, more speeding through the neighborhood, and d-bags spray painting the walls along Senate Street.
October 10th, 2007 23:15
Fair enough DK. I can see the point there. Thanks for the claritive assist :)
October 12th, 2007 13:05
Did any of you make it to this meeting? It felt to me like it was another of Metro's hand holding exercises that is designed to make everyone feel like they are getting to put in the 2 cents. When in reality they are probably going to put this Max Line in the way they want it. The bulk of future traffic (next 20 yrs) in this area is going to be comming from the Estacada/ East Clack county area. I think this line needs to stop at the Southgate area and then head east on 224 to try and pick up all those drivers of cars that are projected to be comming toward Portland from that direction.