Detail from PBOT drawings of proposed changes on NE Multnomah St.

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Lindsay Walker of the Lloyd TMA
looks over the project maps with PBOT
Traffic Engineer Rob Burchfield and
City Bike Coordinator Roger Geller.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Last night the City of Portland and representatives from the Lloyd Transportation Management Association hosted an open house for their NE Multnomah Street Transportation Pilot Project. It was the first time the public was shown the proposals for this project.

If you recall, back in October a citizen committee ended a 10 month public process with a 12-1 vote in favor of moving forward in making NE Holladay the main east-west spine for safe and convenient bicycling through the Lloyd District. That lone dissenting vote was held by the most powerful man in the room (or perhaps just the most feared) — Wade Lange of commercial real estate firm Ashforth Pacific. Lange — who was also representing a San Diego real estate firm that had just purchased $92 million worth of Ashforth property (the majority of which is on Multnomah Street) — never made it clear exactly why he opposed the project on Holladay; but despite being outvoted 12-1, he convinced the City of Portland to turn their attention away from Holladay and toward Multnomah instead. (more...)

Going on a diet.

On May 15th, the Lloyd Transportation Management Assocation (TMA) and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will unveil their plans to significantly alter the roadway design on NE Multnomah Street. Or in their words, give it a "transportation transformation."

The open house announcement for this project — which we first reported on back in December — was sent out to stakeholders today. Here's a snip from the invite:

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PBOT will look to prevent this type
of illegal driving.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has announced that they will analyze traffic behavior on the buffered bike lanes on SW Stark and could make changes to the street to improve bike access by the end of the summer.

On April 20th, I shared photos documenting that the buffered bike lane between 3rd and 4th was not working. Stark and Oak (its couplet one block north) were re-striped back in May 2009 in order to improve bicycling access through downtown.
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The sign (on the Moody cycle track) is
done, and the bridge itself is
coming along nicely.
-More photos below-
(Photos © J. Maus)

It's been just about 16 months since the Gibbs Street Pedestrian Bridge broke ground. And lo and behold, it's set to open late next month.

I took a ride in the Aerial Tram yesterday and snapped a few photos of the new bridge (scroll down). I didn't realize this project was so close to completion.

Once open, the bridge will connect the Lair Hill neighborhood to the South Waterfront District. The west end of the bridge is at the intersection of SW Gibbs St. and Kelly Ave. From there, the bridge winds over I-5 to an elevator and staircase that stand at the southern end of the new cycle track on SW Moody. The stairs are expected to be bicycle-friendly but I have seen them up close yet. I imagine most folks would just take their bikes on the elevator.

Here are a few more shots from above... (more...)

Detail of project plans.
(ODOT graphic)

The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) has just rolled out plans for a project that will improve biking and walking access along SW Kelly Avenue near US 26 and the western end of the Ross Island Bridge.

Along with project partners TriMet and the City of Portland, ODOT will make a host of significant changes along SW Kelly Ave., including the reduction of motor vehicle lanes, new median islands, new bike lanes, installation of rapid flash beacon, new crosswalks, a bus stop improvement, and even a new path to connect bikers and walkers to the forthcoming Gibbs Street Bridge.

ODOT project manager Robert Hopewell says they started looking at this area three years ago after getting feedback from local residents and business owners. After launching an in-depth analysis of how Kelly Ave was being used, Hopewell says, "We determined we had a facility that seemed out of date for what it's being used for today and that we could remove a southbound lane on Kelly Ave." (more...)

A new path with separated space for biking and walking
was set to begin construction here this summer. But
a lack of funds has changed that plan.

The City of Portland Parks & Recreation bureau announced this morning that a $2 million funding gap has put their plans for the South Waterfront Greenway project on hold. While the City has obtained all necessary permits and the final design of the trail was officially approved earlier this month, Parks has been unable to come up with the money.

The $8 million project — which will include significant environmental restoration and riverfront access improvements along with the paved biking and walkings paths — is funded by a variety of sources including TriMet, the Portland Development Commission, and private developers. The project is noteworthy because the path would be the City's first that physically separated bikers from walkers — something that is seen as increasingly important as our local paths burst at the seams with users. (more...)

The view of the future Sullivan's Gulch multi-use path looking east from NE Grand Ave. See how it will look once the facility is built in the images below.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

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ODOT and PBOT planners presented the
designs to the Bike Advisory Committee
last month.
(Photo © J. Maus)

ODOT, in partnership with PBOT, will unveil their plans for a I-5 freeway expansion project near the Rose Quarter at an open house in the Lloyd Center Mall tonight.

The plan, which is being done as part of the larger Central City 2035 and N/NE Quadrant plans, would add about 1,500 feet of additional lanes (in each direction) and a breakdown shoulder on I-5 between the I-84 interchange through the Rose Quarter. In addition, a host of other changes are being considered that will have a dramatic impact on surface streets and mobility in the area in general. (more...)

A few pieces of the future
path already exist.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

The City of Portland Parks & Recreation bureau has announced the beginning of the North Portland Greenway Trail Alignment Project — launching a 14 month process similar to the one they're doing for the Sullivan's Gulch Project.
When complete, the process will (hopefully) turn a 10-mile long, non-motorized path that will extend the northern end of the Eastbank Esplanade to the Columbia River, from dream to reality.

This is big news for a big project that has been many years in the making. Over six years ago I recall attending the very first public meeting of this project. It was hosted by citizen volunteers calling themselves, "Friends of the Greenway." That group morphed into the full-fledged non-profit "npGreenway" which is still going strong today. npGreenway did a ton of heavy lifting to advocate for this project and bring it to where it is today.
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Detail of proposed
improvements to SW Barbur Blvd.

ODOT has whittled down a list of 89 "non-highway transportation projects" vying for $21 million in federal flexible funds, to just 35. Three City of Portland projects have made it onto the second round; but unfortunately, a project that could have built the first segment of the Sullivan's Gulch Corridor did not make the cut.

With cities around the state clamoring for federal funds as their local budgets shrink, the competition is fierce. ODOT received requests totaling $89 million for the $21 million in available funds, which the state has set aside specifically for "non-highway" projects. (more...)

Artists rendering.
(Graphic: CRC)

Columbia River Crossing project staff announced today that they've awarded a $4.22 million contract to begin "pre-construction" of the estimated $3.5 billion project.

The contract will go to a Washington-based firm (Max J Kuney Company). In a press release, the CRC project said the firm will, "conduct a construction techniques test project in early 2012."
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A woman waits for the light at NE Lloyd in the new bike lane just installed on NE 12th Ave in the Lloyd District.

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How can we make Williams safer and more pleasant to use?
(View looking north on Williams just before N Failing.)
(Photos © J. Maus)

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December 5th!
(Photo © J. Maus)

Multnomah County confirmed today that the biking and walking path on the Morrison Bridge will re-open permanently on December 5th. The path has been closed since early June while contractors work to replace the bridge's steel grating due to safety concerns.

The project was supposed to be completed by mid-September but has been delayed due what The Oregonian refers to as a "messy environmental and bureaucratic fight." (more...)

Detail of new sign
that will be posted at
entrance to Waud Bluff Trail.

Next Tuesday, officials from the City of Portland Parks and Recreation bureau will join community leaders at a groundbreaking ceremony for the Waud Bluff Trail; a short, paved path that will connect North Portland and Swan Island near the University of Portland.

After six years of waiting, Swan Island businesses, trail advocates, and thousands of residents eager for safer and more direct access to the Willamette River have rejoiced at seeing this project move forward.

Unfortunately, for people riding bikes (and others using wheeled modes of transport), the trail will present several challenges. (more...)

PBOT Planning Manager Paul Smith
explains the project to
open house attendees.
(Photos © J. Maus)

On Tuesday night at the Hollywood Senior Center, the City of Portland hosted the first official public open house for the Sullivan's Gulch corridor project. Nearby residents and others simply curious about what could be a major new carfree thoroughfare came to learn more about the project.

As I pulled up I ran into veteran regional trail planner and Metro employee Mel Huie. Mel shared my excitement that the project is finally at this point. "It's been a long time," he remarked. When I asked how long, Mel said he first recalled talking about it about 15 years ago. (more...)

Artist rendering of SW Moody taken from project website.

Tomorrow, the Portland Bureau of Transportation will lift the lid on their SW Moody Project that includes what will be downtown's first-ever cycle track. (more...)

One of the few paved segments
of the corridor on
Swan Island.
(Photo © J. Maus)

The City of Portland is ready to start the public process on the North Portland Willamette Greenway Trail, a shared-use path that will someday extend the Eastbank Esplanade 10 miles — all the way to the St. Johns Bridge.

Citizen activists first came together to advocate for the project nearly six years ago. In May 2009, Metro ponied up $450,000 to help plan the route. Now, the City of Portland Parks & Recreation is looking for people to serve on the official Project Advisory Committee (PAC). (more...)

If all goes well, this will become
a more frequent sight in East Portland.
(Photo © J. Maus)

As we shared on Wednesday, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is ready to roll on a set of projects that are likely to give a major jolt to the anemic active transportation network in East Portland.

The draft East Portland in Motion implementation strategy an impressive body of work that combines PBOT's strengths in bikeway engineering, a collaborative planning approach, and their commitment to fund projects that aren't car-centric. It's also noteworthy for the level of knowledge and engagement brought to the table by citizen groups like the East Portland Action Plan bike subcommittee (a.k.a. EPAPBike). (more...)