A project by Portland Streetcar Inc. will detour bicycle traffic on the Broadway Bridge. The work to replace the non-slip coating on the sidewalks of the bridge began on Monday and will go through August 13th.
The north sidewalk is closed now and all traffic is being routed onto the south sidewalk. Next week, the project will flip sides and all bike traffic will use the north sidewalk. The Broadway Bridge is a very busy bikeway, and this project means that the relatively narrow path must accomodate people walking and biking in both directions. (more...)
[Publisher's note: As an update to a story we covered several times last month, I've accepted a guest article from Chris Smith explaining his successful effort to have a streetcar pole on the Broadway Bridge moved out of the way of bike traffic. Smith is a well known (and quite busy) citizen activist who also happens to be a member of the City of Portland's Planning and Sustainability Commission, the founder of the Portland Transport blog, member of the Portland Streetcar Inc. board of directors and much more.]
Today, I'm celebrating, because it looks like we're going to be able to move a streetcar catenary pole (a pole that holds up the overhead wires) that has been impinging into the bike facility on the Broadway Bridge since this summer.
But I want to be clear about what I'm celebrating. I'm not celebrating a win for cyclists over streetcar. That would be the wrong lesson to take from this. I'm celebrating the ability of people of good will who don't always share the same perspective to work together to achieve good outcomes (Congress, take note).
"I'm not celebrating a win for cyclists over streetcar. That would be the wrong lesson to take from this."
— Chris Smith
This was not simple, and for a while I thought there might be no feasible way to move the pole, which is why, in conjunction with the BTA, I put a formal request for mitigation on the table as an alternative (download a PDF of that request here).
So how are we going to do it? The key challenge (acknowledged by a number of folks here in the BikePortland discussion who have looked at the bridge structure) is that the structural foundation for the pole is constrained by where the edge of the bridge structure is. The answer is to use the same foundation bracket, but then shift the pole horizontally from the anchor by a little bit (it will be more in 'the shadow' of the street-light pole on the sidewalk).
A number of folks noted that a similar "cantilevered" approach was used on poles on Weidler. In this case, the sidewalk is much more shallow. So instead of the large brackets used on Weidler, we'll use a 2-inch thick metal plate with welded bolts (see diagram below).
Secondary Effect # 1
The thin plate will sit on the surface of the existing the sidewalk. So we will need to increase the sidewalk height to match. This will require tapering the sidewalk gradually over a number of feet east and west of the pole. The plate itself will be flush with the new sidewalk grade and textured to keep it safe for people walking and cycling over it.
Secondary Effect #2
Because the pole will now be much closer to the curb than standards provide for, we will need to place a bollard in front of the pole. This is to protect the pole if an auto ever jumped the curb. But the bollard will also be in line with the existing light pole, so it does not reduce the usable path.
Tertiary Effect
But we're not done yet. No good deed goes unpunished. Because we're raising the grade of the sidewalk, the railing on the river side of the sidewalk will no longer be tall enough above the sidewalk surface to meet standards. So we will fabricate and attach an extension to the railing on the two sections nearest the pole.
Impacts
Because of the extensive modification of the sidewalk adjacent to the pole and bracket, we'll need to close the north sidewalk for about two weeks. The work will be funded from the Streetcar Loop project budget.
I'd like to thank my colleagues at Portland Streetcar who were willing to keep looking for solutions, ultimately threading the needle through all the constraints and regulations, and the members of the community who helped keep focus on the need to address this issue. Together we'll keeping making Portland a better place for users of all modes of active transportation.
Thank you Chris Smith for not being afraid to stand up and make this happen. Citizen activist Joe Rowe also deserves our thanks for his persistence and effort in bringing this issue to the fore. -- Jonathan Maus
I spent some time yesterday watching how people on bikes were handling the detour onto the Broadway Bridge. The bridge just (partially) re-opened to traffic last Friday and currently there are two lanes open as well as the south sidewalk. All bike traffic is supposed to only use the sidewalk, but I noticed yesterday that some people are taking the lane and there's some confusion about how to get onto it. (more...)
If you've been missing using the the Broadway Bridge (I sure have) to get in and out of Northwest Portland, you're going to be very happy with this news. According to Kay Dannen with streetcar project contractor Shiels Obletz Johnsen, the bridge is set to reopen to biking and walking traffic this Saturday, September 4th.
On Saturday, all traffic (biking, walking, and motor vehicle) will be routed onto the south side of the bridge (similar to when the bridge first closed). Dannen says they expect the north sidewalk to reopen on Friday, September 17th.
(more...)
Today was the first major test of a two-month closure of the Broadway Bridge. The bridge is closed due to streetcar track construction until September 3rd, however it remains open to biking and walking traffic. This morning, I heard from streetcar crews on the scene that the south sidewalk will remain open to non-motorized traffic until July 17th. After that, the plan is for the entire bridge to be closed to all vehicles (that means bikes too) for the remainder of the summer.
(more...)
When we last chimed in about a two month closure to the Broadway Bridge slated to begin on July 6th, the plan from PBOT and Portland Streetcar Inc. was to maintain biking and walking access on the south sidewalk throughout the entire length of the construction project.
Now, that plan has changed.
PBOT spokesperson Dan Anderson has confirmed that the bridge will be completely closed to biking and walking traffic for a yet-to-be determined length of time. (more...)
Please note the PBOT traffic advisory below regarding an upcoming closure of the Broadway Bridge. The bridge will be completely closed to motorized traffic for two months starting July 6th, but it will remain open to biking and walking traffic. The closure is to facilitate streetcar construction.
Here's a word from streetcar project spokesperson Julie Gustafson about how bike traffic will be impacted:
The south sidewalk will remain open to maintain bicycle and pedestrian connectivity. The only time it will be "closed" is when they do a bridge lift. These will be short duration closures similar to a normal bridge lift. There will be signing and defined paths for the bikes and peds to follow on both sides of the bridge. The Larrabee (eastern) side will have an additional ramp for bi-directional bike approach.
If you're one of the 10,000 people signed up to ride in the 31st annual Seattle-to-Portland Bicycle Classic in July, take note. For the first time since 1989, the route entering Portland from Highway 30 will be different this year.
The STP route usually winds through Northwest Portland and then crosses the Willamette River via NW Lovejoy and the Broadway Bridge. But this year, due to streetcar construction, organizers have decided to use the St. Johns Bridge instead.
The new route will take riders across the bridge in St. Johns, then onto N. Willamette Blvd and N. Rosa Parks, then south to Holladay Park in the Lloyd Center via N. Vancouver Ave. Here's a map detail of the route through Portland: (more...)
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