Portland’s $125 million dollar wish list
Posted by Jonathan Maus (Editor) on January 15th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
City of Portland bike coordinator Roger Geller and Alta Planning’s Mia Birk (the dynamic duo working on our city’s Platinum Bicycle Master Plan) recently gave a presentation at a Women’s Transportation Seminar luncheon titled, The Leading Edge of Bicycle Transportation Policy and Practice.
I missed the luncheon, but in perusing the PDF of the presentation (it’s available at the bottom of this page), I found an interesting slide.
It’s a list of what Geller and Birk would do with $125 million…
Interesting to see what projects and programs are on that list…now we just need to find the money. Maybe this would be a good start?
Is there anything you’d like to see funded that isn’t on this list?
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January 15th, 2008 18:15
That's a great wish list. I wonder what a Milwaukie LRT Multi-Use Path would look like to Roger Geller? Connectivity between Milwaukie and Portland is poor for cyclists and peds and this kind of path would be great.
January 15th, 2008 18:52
Wow...how I would really, really love a Barbur Blvd. CycleTrak!
January 15th, 2008 21:01
This is a wonderful list including many projects that have been talked about for years. I remember suggesting a 7th Ave bike bridge 2 years ago during PSU's transportation class.
I would add to this list paved bike access on certain dirt/gravel roads. For example SE Clinton Street continues all the way to 99th Ave and could provide access to the I-205 path, however much of the east section is unpaved.
January 16th, 2008 04:15
Roger also met with us at npGREENWAY and discussed portions of the list. There are ways for the community to get involved to support some of these items for upcoming funding opportunities. We will have more information posted soon at http://www.npgreenway.org.
Jonathan: Perhaps an interview with Roger is in order for a more in depth bikeportland.org story?
January 16th, 2008 07:25
Again--it's controlling motorist behavior! How about hiring Blackwater Security as re-education counselors for chronically DUI and aggressive motorists?
January 16th, 2008 08:55
Even though I'm an eastsider I'd vote for the Barbur cycle track to be at the top of the list
January 16th, 2008 09:54
This is a great wish list! Most of the items are easy to figure out; however, two ideas aren't very clear to me. Could a knowlegeable person comment on what is the "Brooklyn Bridge" project and what is entailed in the "Area Improvement Package"?
Thanks very much!
January 16th, 2008 11:35
Curt, the "Brooklyn Bridge" project would connect the Brooklyn neighborhood (area bounded approx. by Powell, 17th, Holgate, McLoughlin) to the Springwater trail. They've wanted this access accross McLoughlin Blvd. since the Springwater was funded/opened in the early 90's.
Not sure what "Area Improvement Package" refers to, exactly...could it be a euphemism for "Roger's slush fund"?
January 16th, 2008 12:00
Aaron, that's cool, because I was in the Fall 2006 PDOT/PSU transportation class and did my class project on the same bridge.
The powerpoint presentation that I put together is on the Portlandtransport.com website somewhere.
I wish I could have included that rendering you linked to!
Great list.
January 16th, 2008 15:57
Aaron, #3-
Clinton St. actually does not continue all the way to 99th ave. There are two schools in the way, including Franklin H.S. A continuous bike path on Clinton would need to bisect the grounds of both campuses, as well as any un-paved roads. I don't know if this is feasible or not.
On a somewhat related note... what would it take to convince the city to remove traffic signals on all two-way to two-way street intersections located on bicycle routes or bicycle boulevards, and replace them with traffic circles? Sure would help to speed up cycle trips, and probably would make travel a lot safer, too, if properly designed!!!
January 16th, 2008 16:11
What is a Cycletrack?
January 16th, 2008 17:16
Jeff - cycletracks of various kinds can be viewed on this page:
http://www.bikearlington.com/cycletrack.cfm
January 16th, 2008 17:32
As the trail planner for Portland Parks and Recreation, I have worked on this list with the Office of Transportation. I am pleased to see major trails (WG in N, NW, and SW Portland, Springwater's Brooklyn neighborhood connection included. However, I was not successful in adding the Red Electric, Portland's portion of the Fanno Creek Greenway Trail in SW Portland. While some of the bike boulevard funding might help on-street segments of this trail, it is a much-needed east-to-west bicycle and pedestrian trail in a part of town that is short on sidewalks and bikeways.
January 16th, 2008 22:39
It is interesting that all the project priorities for SW Portland have been selected. All without talking to the citizens of SW Portland who have been working the problem for years!
For too long we have had "downtown experts" deciding what we need. That needs to change.
When we complete our bike plan in a few months, we will decide as a community what our priorities are and make a few
changes to the list.
Don Baack, Chair SWTrails
January 17th, 2008 02:36
I am disappointed that the Red Electric is not included. Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy is the only flat east-west route in SW Portland right now and too dangerous for anyone but the most experienced. It'd do wonders for connectivity for peds and bikes from downtown pdx to tigard.
January 17th, 2008 10:58
@Gregg #13: What would be involved (i.e., what is the "lobbying" process) in getting a bike lane for one of the E-W routes "over the hill" on the north side of town? Lovejoy/Cornell/Thompson roads come to mind... these are traveled by many cyclists who commute over the hill to work, and neither is really safe, although both have room for bike lanes. I would expect that in addition to the present commuters, many more would be begin commuting E-W by one of these routes (especially Thompson, as it has a decidedly gentler grade than Cornell on both sides of the hill) if lanes were installed.
January 17th, 2008 16:37
Great list?
I love how, in every bike wishlist, the vast expanse of Portland is almost entirely IGNORED.
January 17th, 2008 17:33
W/r/t a more commodious route over the west hills, I have developed an idea that could get some momentum. I took Mia Birk's bicycle/pedestrian planning course, and came up with a proposal that was quite well received. Here's a hint: it's called The Plank Road (bikieboy knows.) I attended TRB this last weekend and got a chance to pitch it to a couple people there who were in a position to help, and they were enthusiastic. It's way way early, but I'm optimistic that this could do for riding over the west hills what the Hawthorne Bridge refurbishment did for riding over the river..