This morning I shared how PBOT's neighborhood greenways could have a dramatic impact on how it feels to move around our city's residential streets. A perfect case in point is the NE Holman Street project.

Back in May, I took a closer look at the project, with a focus on a "pocket park" idea that was being thrown around. The concept was to take the existing, small and ordinary park at NE Holman and 13th and make it something special. Envisioned as a gathering place for the community, the revamped Holman City Park would be extended all the way across Holman, with through-access for biking and walking only.

When PBOT first announced the idea, a neighborhood meeting erupted into cheers. With support and collaboration from not just nearby residents but also from the City's Parks and Environmental Services Bureaus, PBOT has remained committed to the Holman pocket park idea and they just released new drawings that show what it's going to look like.

Check out these before and after shots...

As it looks now.

The future? (Note that motor vehicles will not be permitted east/west on Holman through the park (you can barely make out the bollards in this image)).

At our recent Get Together in North Portland, PBOT staffer Greg Raisman said the idea behind these neighborhood greenways was to "create trail-like conditions on neighborhood streets." I'd say this is getting pretty darn close.

Learn more about this and other neighborhood greenway projects on the PBOT website.

Crosswalks are standard engineering treatments designed to help people get across streets with a bit more safety; now the City of Portland is looking to do something similar for bike traffic with bicycle crosswalk markings, a.k.a. the "cross-bike".

The concept itself has been floating around PBOT since about 2007, but the idea has yet to gain real traction. The other night, while looking over plans for an upcoming road project, I was surprised to see them as prominent features. Turns out that PBOT hasn't forgotten about them.

PBOT bicycle coordinator Roger Geller shared a bit more about bicycle crosswalks via email today. Check out the Q & A below for more...

What are "cross-bikes"?

Think about them as a crosswalk for people riding bicycles. We identified the "cross-bike" as a possible simple crossing treatment for neighborhood greenways at relatively low-volume collector streets [larger than residential streets but smaller than major arterials]. It would consist of a distinctive marking on the roadway (yet to be determined), either as a stand-alone treatment or in conjunction with some other crossing treatment, like a median refuge or curb extensions. Crosswalk markings would also be a standard design element.

Could also be used at off-set intersections.

Another example

Q. How did the concept come about?

A. The idea for the cross-bike emerged from observations that one unintended consequence of building curb extensions as crossing treatments on neighborhood greenways was that motorists on the collector street would occasionally stop and yield the right of way to a cyclist waiting to cross [even when the motor vehicle operator had no legal obligation to do so]. Though that was not the intent of the curb extensions (which were intended mostly to shorten the crossing distance and thus allow cyclists to take advantage of shorter gaps in cross traffic, while improving sight distances and visibiity), we considered it a positive benefit and began to consider ways to reinforce these locations as crossings for cyclists. We landed on the idea of providing a prominent marking to further alert motorists to the presence of crossing cyclists.

Q. Where does Portland stand in actually putting these out on the street?

A. We are in the process of developing such a marking. Cross bikes are being seriously considered for the 50s bikeway project as an initial full-scale test of the concept.

Q. Since the markings aren't compliant with federal standards, how will you proceed?

A. That's right, these markings are not MUTCD [Manual of Uniform Traffic Control Devices, the federal guidebook for all traffic markings and signs] compliant so we would not be able to use them on a federally funded project (such as the 50s) unless we requested and were granted experimental approval by FHWA, so we're currently discussing how to proceed. One way to proceed might be to use a design that makes extensive use of the shared lane marking as that may stand a better chance of gaining quick acceptance at the national level, though ultimately we want to use a design that we feel will best accomplish the operational goals.

In implementing this treatment we intend to work with PSU and the IBPI [Institute for Bicycle and Pedestrian Innovation] to evaluate their effectiveness. If it seems a worthy concept, we would then consider future legislative action to codify that motorists are to treat the cross bike for cyclists in the same manner they must treat cross walks for pedestrians.

Q. Are any other U.S. cities using this type of marking?

A. No, we are not aware of any other U.S. city using them for this purpose. However, there are decorative trail crossing treatments that are used in some communities that likely have a similar effect. We are aware of at least one intersection in The Netherlands that uses such a treatment. At that location the entire intersection is painted completely yellow. [See photo below provided by Geller]

A bicycle crosswalk marking as seen in The Netherlands.
(Photo: Denver Igarta)

I hope PBOT finds a location to test out these markings. As they did with blue bike lanes and bike boxes, this is another example where PBOT is showing a willingness to experiment with new concepts that make bicycling safer and more attractive to people of all skill levels. It will be interesting to see how they work out in the wild.

UPDATE: For a more detailed look at these and other markings, see this PBOT PDF from back in 2007 titled, Enhanced Bicycle Boulevard Markings Demonstration Project.

A local TV news outlet is questioning the safety benefit of a crossing treatment recently completed as part of the N. Going bike boulevard project.

I got an email from Scott Burton at KGW TV (Portland's NBC affiliate) on Friday that they were doing a story about the crossing on their 11 o'clock news. Burton said they've received several complaints that since the change, the crossing has become more dangerous. He also said they witnessed a few close calls (bike/car) and that a person walking across was "severely injured" after being hit by a car last week.

I was surprised to hear all of this because I've heard just the opposite. In fact, I was in a meeting the same day I heard from Burton where a friend was telling me how successful he thought the new treatment was because cars were stopping well in advance of the new crossing (thanks to new signs/markings installed by PBOT).

(For more on the new crossing, read our report about it back in March. It's also worth noting that PBOT initially wanted to install a new type of pavement marking, dubbed "crossbikes", but those didn't make it into the final plans.)

But from the tone of the KGW story (it was titled "Concerns surround bike boulevard") and from the interviews and reporting they did in their story Friday night, perhaps I just haven't heard what's really going on out there. Watch the short segment below that ran on the Friday evening newscast (or read it here):

Since many of you reading this are legally considered to be "vulnerable" road users, I'm curious what you think about this intersection. Is this a safety concern for you? Do you think it gives a false sense of security to people on bikes? Should we be pressing PBOT to install a signal? Please share your perspective in the comments below...

PBOT has installed a key piece of their marquee bike boulevard on N. Going Street. There's now a two-way cycle track on NE 33rd Avenue where it crosses Going. This is an "off-set" intersection (Going doesn't go straight through) and the cycle track is PBOT's solution to make the crossing safer for bike traffic.

A sharrow marking directs you
onto the cycle track from Going.

The new crossing consists of two, six-foot wide bike lanes on the west side of 33rd. The lanes are separate from the sidewalk and are on a separate grade from the standard vehicle lanes. Bike traffic headed east on Going is directed to the left (north), up onto the cycle track via a sharrow marking, just before 33rd. (Motor vehicle traffic is not an issue here because there is no entry allowed from 33rd onto Going). There is a curb ramp that drops bike traffic back onto the roadway to continue east on Going.

I shot a short video to give you a bikes-eye view of how it works (sorry for the raindrops on the lens!):

When I first saw the plans for this, I was a bit skeptical on how it would work out; but after riding it I found it to be pretty intuitive. It feels a bit strange to ride north on the left side of the street with cars coming at you on your right, but it never felt dangerous. It's also worth noting that this intersection is a good example of how "green street" treatments can integrate with bike boulevards. There are two bioswales included in the design.

Back in August, PBOT bike coordinator Roger Geller called Going the "best bike boulevard in the city." In addition to this crossing treatment, PBOT has also flipped 19 stop signs and added 30 speed bumps to Going in an effort to make it a family friendly bikeway.

This is the first two-way cycle track PBOT has installed. They have plans to do a similar treatment on the N Concord bike boulevard where Concord crosses Lombard.

For a closer look at the Going St. bike boulevard project, see PBOT's project page or read our in-depth report from last year. See more photos in the slideshow below:

In our discussion about sharrows (shared-lane markings) last week, I pointed out how PBOT was getting creative in using them as bike boulevard and wayfinding markings. On some bike boulevards with off-set intersections, PBOT is installing what I call "broken" sharrows — that is, a sharrow with the chevrons tilted to show the direction of the route.

The other day I came across yet another innovative sharrow marking. The "sharrow flower" (anyone got a better name?) above is installed in the middle of N. Concord and N. Bryant streets, where two bike boulevards intersect.

When PBOT was first envisioning its "next generation" of bike boulevards (which they're building now), they wanted to have a large, easily recognizable bike boulevard marking. As I shared last week, a totally new marking would not be eligible for federal stimulus funding, so they ended up sticking with the federally adopted sharrow. This flower sharrow looks to be a way to stick within the federal guidelines, while being creative and giving the standard marking a bit more flair. I like it. What do you think?

The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation is rolling ahead with their 50's Bikeway project. The $1.5 million, federally funded project aims to make a 4.5 mile north/south corridor between the Hollywood and Woodstock neighborhoods more comfortable and efficient for people on bikes.

Tomorrow night (9/29) is the second meeting of the newly formed Citizen's Advisory Committee for the project and there are plenty of big issues to weigh in on. According to PBOT project manager Rich Newlands, who shared details of the project at a recent Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting, the biggest challenge for the project is how to make room for bike traffic on SE 52nd south of Division. That stretch of road not only has high volumes of (relatively fast) motor vehicle traffic, but PBOT estimates they'd have to remove 200-250 on-street parking spaces to make room for bike lanes.

At the BAC meeting last month, some members of the committee questioned whether the alignment should include SE 52nd at all. Newlands says at this stage of the planning, the final route is still up for discussion. If you have insight into riding conditions in this area and would like to help with this project by offering your input, consider following this project and attending the meeting tomorrow. Another opportunity to learn about this project will be a group ride of the currently proposed alignment on Saturday, October 9th.

50's Bikeway Project - Citizen's Advisory Committee Meeting
Wednesday, September 29th
6:30 to 8:30 PM
Providence Center Cancer Clinic, Conference Room A (NE 47th and Glisan)
Project website with more info

While the City of Portland cut the ribbon on a neighborhood greenway in North Portland last week, crews were laying down a new buffered bike lane way across town on SE 101st. A reader sent over some photos of the installation and I followed up with PBOT for the scoop.

The new buffered bike lanes (on both sides of the street) consist of a six-foot wide bike lane with a two-foot buffer zone and it's part of PBOT's SE 100th/101st neighborhood greenway project. The new lane runs about a block from SE Foster to the entrance of the Springwater Corridor Trail. The SE 100th/101st bike boulevard project stretches from the Springwater Corridor Trail in the south up to Ed Benedict Park where it connects with the SE Bush neighborhood greenway.

In an email to neighbors about the new buffered bike lane, PBOT wrote that this stretch of SE 101st is, "home to many businesses operating large trucks and also provides an important connection for cyclists accessing the Springwater Trail." PBOT project manager Kyle Chisek says to make room for the new bike lane, they used the existing "No Truck Parking" zone instead of altering lane widths.

Also according to Chisek, SE 101st is a popular connection to the Springwater Trail for students taking field trips on bikes from nearby Lents Elementary School.

Learn more about this and the 15 other active neighborhood greenway projects on PBOT's website.

The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has announced their first "Neighborhood Greenway" ribbon-cutting ceremony. The event will take place Wednesday afternoon at Beach School in the Overlook neighborhood of North Portland.

PBOT wants to showcase their growing network of residential streets that have been engineered to prioritize the safe movement of bicycles. These streets are also known as bicycle boulevards, but PBOT will brand them as 'Neighborhood Greenways' to show that they're not just great for bikes, but that neighborhoods also benefit. The "greenways" aspect is a nod to how some of the streets include bioswales, new street trees, and other "green streets" features (more on the name change here and here).

It's much easier to bike to
Beach with the street closures.

The ribbon-cutting comes as PBOT has completed a flurry of their "next generation" bike boulevard projects. The first one, on SE Spokane in Sellwood, officially opened in December 2009. When the network is complete (in 2013), 78% of Portland will live within one-half mile of a traffic-calmed, family-friendly bike street.

Beach School is a fitting poster-child for the City's Neighborhood Greenway roll-out. One of the City's marquee bike boulevards, N. Concord, travels north/south along the school's western edge. Concord now has the standard neighborhood greenway treatments — sharrows, turned stop signs, speed bumps and safer crossings. Its classification as a bike street gave the school community further impetus to use it as the backbone of their efforts to make Beach a safer place for people to walk and bike.

Detail of street plan map that
went home to all Beach School families.

Through a collaboration with PBOT, Beach School staff and parents devised a new street plan that went into effect at the start of the current school year. In addition to a thriving Safe Routes to School program, Beach's new street plan has been a big success. The two main components of the plan are two street closures during pick-up and drop-off and a re-striped parking lot. In order to improve safety during pick-up and drop-off, N. Concord and N. Humboldt are now closed to motor vehicles for 15 minutes during the morning and afternoon. The closure is run by student and parent volunteers. In addition, the main part of N. Concord has been officially signed and designated a "No Idle Zone." Beach has also re-striped the staff parking lot on the west side of the school to improve circulation: instead of cars parking along the edges of the lot, the new striping has cars parked in the middle and there are less back-ups as a result.

The new street plan, along with the Safe Routes to School program and the N. Concord neighborhood greenway project have led to traffic safety success at Beach and the result is more people walking and biking than ever before.

Beach received a visit from U.S. Congressman Jim Oberstar earlier this month, and the ribbon cutting this week is a fitting follow-up. At the event on Wednesday, PBOT will host representatives from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, Elders in Action and the Willamette Pedestrian Coalition. Other ribbon-cuttings are planned for the coming weeks at completed bike boulevard projects throughout the city.

Neighborhood Greenway Ribbon Cutting
Beach School (1710 N. Humboldt St.)
Weds, September 22nd at 3:30 pm

Streetfilms has a new video on 20's Plenty for us, a campaign in the U.K. working to make 20 mph the standard speed limit in residential areas. The campaign is catching on quickly, with more and more U.K. cities adopting the policy all the time. Given that PBOT might be considering a legislative fix to wrest greater control of speed limits from ODOT, and the fact that Mayor Sam Adams has already shown an interest in reducing speed limits and has made safety his number one transportation priority, this could be an idea that catches on here in Portland.

The 20's plenty pitch is simple: Lower speeds make for more pleasant places to live, work, and play. Seems like everyone would agree to that. Watch the excellent video to hear how people working on the campaign pitch the idea:

A 20 mph speed limit isn't just fodder for a catchy campaign slogan, its impact on saving lives has been confirmed by major study findings and even the World Health Organization has endorsed 20 mph speed limits. (Learn more about London's success with 20 mph zones in this Streetsblog article.)

PBOT has used the "Effects of speed on stopping distance" chart (see it below) in neighborhood meetings and presentations for at least five years now (I first published it in 2005). It shows that 20 mph is the maximum speed at which someone can operate a motor vehicle and still stop in time to avoid hitting someone...

Effects of Speed on Stopping Distance
- View full size -
(Chart: PBOT)

The Streetfilms piece also reminded me of a law that passed in 2007 but that I've not heard much about since (thanks to reader Robin Dale for bringing it to my attention again). In the 2007 legislative session, State Rep. Carolyn Tomei sponsored a bill (H.B. 2297) that defined a "narrow residential roadway" as any street "not more than 18 feet wide at any point between two intersections or between an intersection and the end of the roadway" and "Not of sufficient width to allow one lane of traffic in each direction." The bill amended Oregon's basic speed rule so that all such roadways could have a maximum speed limit of just 15 mph. Unfortunately, it seems that there aren't many streets that fit that bill and it seems to have had little impact thus far.

Here in Portland, most residential streets have a 25 mph speed limit and many streets which run through highly residential areas (like N. Rosa Parks Way for instance) have speed limits of 35 mph.

One way I can imagine PBOT approaching new speed limit laws and policies is to legally leverage the "neighborhood greenway" concept. Neighborhood greenways are PBOT's new name for bike boulevards, which are "family-friendly," residential streets where people on bicycles and on foot are prioritized. Similar to how Rep. Tomei was able to define "narrow residential roadway," PBOT could define neighborhood greenway in the ORS and then attach a 20 mph speed limit to it in Oregon's basic speed rule. Then, any street officially classified as a neighborhood greenway would automatically have a 20 mph speed limit.

Lower speed limits -- when coupled with smart engineering, focused enforcement, and a bit of marketing -- would do wonders in helping create residential streets where everyone feels safe and welcome.

-- Read more of BikePortland's coverage of this topic by browsing our "speed" story tag.

The Bureau of Transportation has completed their re-design of a North Portland intersection where two bike boulevards and a high-volume street intersect. The N. Wabash/Willamette/Bryant triangle has been significantly re-striped, two median islands have been added, there's a new crosswalk, and other new signage. Taken all together, this intersection -- which used to be relatively uncontrolled (see photo below) -- is now a key hub in Portland's burgeoning bike boulevard network. PBOT project manager Kyle Chisek says the signage, markings, and other work at this intersection cost about $9,000.

To get an idea of how major this change is, check out the before and after. Below is a satellite view of the intersection before the changes:

And here's the PBOT graphic showing the new features:

I rode out to the intersection today to see for myself how the new treatments looked and felt.

Now, only bikes can go west
on this short stretch of Bryant.

The first thing I noticed was where people in cars used to whip off of Willamette to go north on Wabash, there's now a median island with a bicycle only cut-through (see photo at top of story). The bike cut-through leads to a buffered bike lane and bike traffic can continue north on Wabash without any stop signs. In another traffic change, motor vehicle traffic cannot continue westbound on Willamette from N. Bryant. Cars must turn right (north on Wabash) or left (south onto Willamette).

Note the striping of two parking spaces
away from the curb.

Another thing that jumped out at me was how PBOT maintained four motor-vehicle parking spaces. On the short segments of Bryant and Wabash adjacent to the large, planted median island, the road configuration now consists of a bike lane with a three-foot buffer; a parking lane; and a standard travel lane. These are essentially short little cycle-tracks.

Looking north at new median and crossing at Wabash.

The other big feature is the new crosswalk on N. Willamette. For people too timid to take a lane and turn left off of Willamette onto N. Bryant, there's now a buffered bike lane that leads to a curb ramp and a zebra-striped crosswalk across Willamette (as well as a median island for "refuge" if you need it). Of course this latter movement is more of a pedestrian-style way to go left, but with the speed and volume of cars on Willamette, there's no shame in playing it safe.

Speaking of speed and cars on Willamette... that street is notorious for both. The speed limit leading up to this newly revamped intersection is 35 mph. While I observed traffic this morning, I cringed a few times as joggers tried to cross and people came to abrupt stops. I also noticed some pretty long wait times for people on bikes trying to get across Willamette from Wabash.

I think initially, PBOT's work here will confuse some people (I watched a man drive up and over the median with a bike cut-through to go north on Wabash from Willamette), but once people get used to it, this will do wonders to help calm motor vehicle traffic while making travel for bicycles much more efficient and safe.

Have you experienced this intersection since the changes were made? I'd love to hear some other opinions. For more on this and all of PBOT's bike boulevard projects, check out their "Next Generation Bicycle Boulevards" page.

See more photos in the gallery.