Legislator says effort to improve 82nd Avenue is ‘really picking up steam’

Mayor Adams at Safe Routes to School ride-22

State Sen. Michael Dembrow, right, at a Safe Routes
to School ride with state Rep. Lew Frederick in 2010.
(Photo J.Maus/BikePortland)

Saying that a window of opportunity is opening for the Oregon Department of Transportation to make Portland’s 82nd Avenue a better place, State Sen. Michael Dembrow is urging people to attend two events this summer.

“I’ve been working on various issues related to 82nd since I was first elected, and now a path to addressing these issues in a more comprehensive way is opening up.,” Dembrow wrote in an email this week. “Neighborhood leaders have convened a group to bring together businesses and community leaders, neighbors and neighborhood associations to create a unified voice for change along 82nd Ave. The 82nd Ave. Improvement Coalition has been meeting regularly since the beginning of this year, and I’ve been able to attend several of their meetings. Things are now really picking up steam.”

Dembrow invites interested residents to attend the 82nd Avenue Improvement Coalition’s next meeting on Monday, June 23rd, at 7 p.m. at the Central Northeast Neighbors office, 4415 NE 87th Ave. It’ll include a 45-minute “community values workshop.”

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“ODOT has identified some money to conduct a study of potential options for improving 82nd Ave., but they need broad community participation in order to make this process a success,” Dembrow writes. “While the planning process won’t begin in earnest until early 2015, ODOT will be collecting feedback starting now to help guide and inform the scope of the planning. It’s really important that neighbors weigh in.”

The second event Dembrow mentions in his email is his own sixth annual “town hall on two wheels,” which this year will be Saturday, July 26 at 10 a.m. at the Lumberyard Indoor Bike Park, 2700 NE 82nd Ave.

“This year’s ride will feature a number of stops focusing on 82nd Ave., and it will be a unique way for us to look at the corridor, since most of us usually experience 82nd Ave. at 35 mph in our car,” Dembrow writes. “(Don’t worry, we won’t be biking on 82nd itself.)”

Michael Andersen (Contributor)

Michael Andersen (Contributor)

Michael Andersen was news editor of BikePortland.org from 2013 to 2016 and still pops up occasionally.

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Carl
Carl
9 years ago

“Don’t worry, we won’t be biking on 82nd itself.”

Because that would be ludicrous.

Allan Rudwick
Allan
9 years ago

No real substance on what might be done to ‘improve’ the street

Bjorn
Bjorn
9 years ago

I can’t wait to see the new walls that ODOT will build on 82nd.

John Mulvey
John Mulvey
9 years ago

Allan
No real substance on what might be done to ‘improve’ the street

That’s what the meeting’s for, isn’t it?

It sounds like you’d prefer that they make up their mind on what they want to do, and then have some meetings to sell it to the public?

Bjorn
Bjorn
9 years ago
Reply to  John Mulvey

ODOT has a history of “listening” and then picking whatever solution in no way impedes the flow of motor vehicles on 82nd regardless of public input like in the case of the giant ugly wall they put up near the max stop because a signalized crossing might slow down the flow of cars.

John Mulvey
John Mulvey
9 years ago
Reply to  Bjorn

And members of the public have a history of showing up once, giving their opinion, and then being angry when the project isn’t immediately built to their exact specifications.

Like it or not, you’d better be engaged for the long haul if you’re going to fix a street like 82nd Ave.

Having an organized group like the 82nd Ave Coalition and powerful allies like Senator Dembrow is a great start but there’s going to have to be a lot of meetings and citizen advocacy before anything moves forward.

If you let your cynicism stop you from participating in all of that –we’re talking years here –then it probably won’t turn out they way you’d like it to.

Derailleur
Derailleur
9 years ago
Reply to  John Mulvey

John Mulvey

Allan
No real substance on what might be done to ‘improve’ the street

That’s what the meeting’s for, isn’t it?
It sounds like you’d prefer that they make up their mind on what they want to do, and then have some meetings to sell it to the public?
Recommended 3

Why not? Worked well for your little crew on Foster!

Nick Falbo
Nick Falbo
9 years ago
Reply to  Derailleur

Foster advocacy was rock solid, but anyone who thinks a 3-lane Foster was a predetermined outcome hasn’t been paying attention.

ed
ed
9 years ago

Great to see potential progress here, but yes kind of sad (if understandable) to have a two wheel town hall where the focus of the meeting is a street where it must be prefaced with: “Don’t worry, we won’t be biking on 82nd itself” 😉

If heretofore impregnable fortresses of car culture such as Foster Ave can change though as appears immanent, perhaps redeeming 82nd isn’t such an impossible dream and I’m encouraged – so kudos to Sen. Denbrow.

Suburban
Suburban
9 years ago

Please! It’s “82nd ave, Avenue of Roses” or “Oregon Route 213” and there are plenty worse roads to ride. OR 213 has good sight lines, lots of family friendly hang outs, multiculturalisms, modern pavement, some side walks, schools, parks, quaint stores selling colorful imported things. You will be honked at.

JEFF BERNARDS
JEFF BERNARDS
9 years ago

They should just attempt to rebuild and repave, that’s the obvious fix that doesn’t need a meeting. JUST DO IT!

jim
jim
9 years ago

Who would ever want to ride on 82nd?

TOM
TOM
9 years ago

I don’t like it, but my solution to riding 82nd so far is ,,sidewalks
(and many times they suck too) … usually just divert over to 205 MUP. (which can be some distance from 82nd, in places)

Spiffy
9 years ago

I’ve ridden on 82nd numerous times when I used to work near Clackamas Town Center… it’s not that bad… you’ve got your own lane so most people don’t pass too close…

probably not as fun in NE where there are lots of big hills…

paikiala
paikiala
9 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

You must be thinking 92nd, because 82nd doesn’t have bike lanes.

Spiffy
9 years ago
Reply to  paikiala

I wasn’t talking about the bike lanes, which it has at the southern end near Clackamas… I was talking about the additional multi-vehicle lane the entire length through Portland… I ride slowly in my own right lane and people just change lanes to go around me in the left…

Craig Harlow
Craig Harlow
9 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

But at 35 MPH (closer to 40), once distracted driver and you’re toast. With jam.

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
9 years ago
Reply to  Craig Harlow

do you really have to threaten me with becoming “toast…with jam” because i do not cycle the way you do? imo, your comment was just as uninformed and insulting as a VCer telling a more cautious cyclist that riding in a bike lane could result in their being crushed to death by a truck.

Craig Harlow
Craig Harlow
9 years ago
Reply to  spare_wheel

Threaten? Let’s just have a discussion, shall we?

spare_wheel
spare_wheel
9 years ago
Reply to  paikiala

82nd in portland does not have bike lanes…but 82nd in clackamas does.

ironic.

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  spare_wheel

Yes, I was going to say this. They start south of King Rd.

paikiala
paikiala
9 years ago
Reply to  Spiffy

82nd in Portland is about 56 feet wide (curb to curb) with two auto lanes in each direction and a center turn lane. Structures are built within 7 to 10 feet of the curb. South of Portland, 82nd is 70 to 80 ft curb to curb with lots of big box and parking lots fronting the right of way.

The highest 2011 count on 82nd (North Cascade Hwy No. 68) was about 25,700 trips per day. Roughly (/10) 2600 in the peak hour, or (/1000) 2.6 lanes worth, or 1.3 in each direction. So you might get by with a 3-lane section between major intersections. You would need to widen out at major intersections for right and left turning traffic. If the connections between intersections were one-lane, then you might get by with a double or three lane roundabout at the busiest intersections (remember signal delay is why there are dedicated turn lanes and all that congestion). If you put a median down the middle everywhere except those major intersections, you would dramatically decrease auto collisions and add pedestrian refuges at every minor cross street. Businesses between major intersections would have access issues, unless intermediate single lane roundabouts, or median cuts, permitted U-turns.

TOM
TOM
9 years ago

paikiala
You must be thinking 92nd, because 82nd doesn’t have bike lanes.
Recommended 0

NOT entirely correct.

82nd has OK lanes from CTC to King Rd.

TOM
TOM
9 years ago

paikiala
Structures are built within 7 to 10 feet of the curb. .
Recommended 1

I know of 2 structures (just North of Johnson Creek Blvd – Fred Meyer) that come within 3 feet of the curb. Only 1 person can walk those passages at a time.

1 is a bar/club/tavern on the West side of 82nd.

John Mulvey
John Mulvey
9 years ago
Reply to  TOM

That area is a mess, and probably is a violation of the ADA, among other things. The problem there is that you’re in the no-man’s land along the county border and neither side takes any responsibility for it.

Fixing that area is better coordination with planners from Clackamas County.

Spiffy
9 years ago
Reply to  TOM

I know those spots well… they’re the only places where I had to go into the road so I could get my trailer through when riding with my kid on the sidewalk…

Andy Schmidt
Andy Schmidt
9 years ago
Reply to  TOM

I don’t remember exactly where… but certainly within a handful of blocks of Johnson Creek Blvd… there’s a fence within a few feet of the curb. Has the same one person wide no room to pass problem.

davemess
davemess
9 years ago
Reply to  TOM

Yes, I’ve tried to get a bike trailer by there on the sidewalk a couple of times. Not fun!

John Mulvey
John Mulvey
9 years ago

Derailleur

your little crew on Foster!

If by my “little crew” you mean the vast majority of people who live, work and own businesses in the area, then yes –it IS starting to work out.

Cora Potter
Cora Potter
9 years ago
Reply to  John Mulvey

http://fosterpowellpdx.com/2012/09/05/area-coalition-shares-vision-for-foster-road/

The select “Coalition” came up with their preferences well before the process started – everything after was a sales job to the public.

John Mulvey
John Mulvey
9 years ago

The truth is a great sales pitch.

Cora Potter
Cora Potter
9 years ago
Reply to  John Mulvey

That really depends on who is deciding what’s the “truth” and what’s just “naysayers”.

Craig Harlow
Craig Harlow
9 years ago
Craig Harlow
Craig Harlow
9 years ago
Reply to  Craig Harlow

Atten: Michael

Woodstockian
Woodstockian
9 years ago

I feel like that provision was someone’s half baked attempt to move the Westside Bypass forward by making Cornelius Pass Road a state highway corridor. Not a trade I’d want to make. But definitely watch for it again.

Craig Harlow
Craig Harlow
9 years ago

Thanks Michael.

paikiala
paikiala
9 years ago

Traditionally, Portland, like other jurisdictions, does not want to assume authority for a state highway in their jurisdiction until it is improved, or unless it comes with the funding to make such improvements. The State doesn’t usually have the money, and is unlikely to spend large sums frequently on a single part of the state, which is what might be needed for transfers to Portland, so we wait.
I think this is short sighted. Transfer of Barbur to Portland could result in a road diet and buffered bike lanes by the end of the year. The Concord/Fenwick greenway crossing at Lombard was held up for similar reasons (money/design standards).