Still not fixed.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

As we enter the rainy season, a 100-foot section of the Springwater Corridor Trail that eroded away back in March, remains closed. So far, Portland Parks & Recreation has not begun work to shore up the Willamette riverbank below or repair the path; but yesterday, spokesman Mark Ross said we can expect a fix by the end of the year.

The impacted section of the path is a very busy section about one mile south of OMSI. The path is only about 10-12 feet wide in that section and the damage (referred to as a "trail failure") has resulted in about half of it being closed. That leaves only one, relatively narrow lane that serves a significant amount of two-way walking and bicycling traffic. (more...)

Terry Emmert, the owner of the Eastmoreland Racquet Club (and Emmert International), takes full responsibility for erecting an iron gate across a spur of the Springwater Corridor Trail in southeast Portland. Despite outcry from nearby residents who use the short section of the path to access the Springwater, opposition from the Bicycle Transportation Alliance (BTA), and murky legal standing, Emmert says he's simply protecting his private property.

Today the City of Portland announced that they have reached an agreement with Emmert to move his gate further west, back onto his own property. While this takes the gate off of City property, public access through the Eastmoreland Racquet Club will remain closed.

I spoke with Emmert about this issue on the phone Wednesday.
(more...)

A gate now closes off a popular spur of
the Springwater Corridor Trail over Johnson Creek.
(Photo: Morrie Erickson)

The owner of the Eastmoreland Racquet Club in southeast Portland has closed a popular section of the Springwater Corridor Trail. As of about one week ago, a gate has been erected across the section of the path that leads through the Racquet Club on the west side of Johnson Creek just west of SE 37th Ave. The closure was done without notifying the City, it has led to confusion for the many bikers and walkers who rely on the route, and local residents have begun a crusade to fight it.

Portland Parks & Recreation spokesman Mark Ross says they have received several inquires about the gate. Asked about it yesterday, Ross told us, "We were not consulted or informed regarding the closure." He added that the history of this section of the Springwater path is "a bit murky" and that, "We are currently trying to determine ownership before we make any final decisions on what to do with the trail segment."

(more...)

It's not getting any better on its own.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)

It's been about six weeks since cracks started forming and chunks started falling off the busy Springwater path south of OMSI. Since then, the damage has worsened and as rain continues to fall, the Portland Parks & Recreation bureau is still a bit nervous about what might happen next.

After constant monitoring of the riverbank beneath the path by geotech engineers, Parks announced this morning that path users should expect delays on Tuesday, May 1st, as engineers take a closer look. Here's more from the official statement:

"... from the SE Ivon entrance to about mile 2. Workers, equipment and vehicles will be on site as engineers address recent riverbank erosion, caused by heavy rains and high water. Bikers and joggers please take note..."

I rolled by the damage 10 days ago and here's how it looked... (more...)

Photo taken today shows path damage has worsened in past weeks.
(Photo: Chad Berkley)

Erosion of the soil beneath a 55-foot section of the Springwater multi-use path on the Willamette River just south of downtown Portland has worsened due to weekend rains and now the Portland Parks & Recreation Bureau says closure is a "possibility."

Last week we shared that the path had been damaged by erosion and Parks had placed cones advising people to steer (and walk) clear of the edge. Apparently the plentiful weekend rains have taken a toll. This morning we received tips from two readers that the damage had worsened.

Brent L. rode past the area highlighted in our post (which is about one mile south of SE Ivon where the path begins) and says he noticed, "substantially more of the bank had fallen into the river." (more...)

Erosion of the Willamette riverbank has caused damage
to the Springwater path just south of downtown.
(Photo: Chad Berkley)

A downed tree on the banks of the east side of the Willamette River about one mile south OMSI on the Springwater Corridor Trail has damaged the popular multi-use path.

Portland Parks & Recreation spokesman Mark Ross says the "trail failure" was caused by a cottonweed tree that fell earlier this month which led to the soil near the path becoming unstable.

"Trail users are asked to slow down in this area, yield to the slowest traffic, and be considerate of other trail users," says Ross.

The trail and the safety precautions are set to stay in place until the riverbank is stabilized and the trail is repaired. Parks is working with the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) to figure out how to redesign the bank to make it more stable. A geotech engineer with BES has determined that the existing path is stable and Parks staff are monitoring the path daily for any signs of further erosion. (more...)

Shop logo

'Cartlandia,' the food cart pod along the Springwater Corridor Trail that opened in May now boasts Portland's first-ever bike shop cart.

The Bike Rack is a full-service repair shop in a trailer, and a welcome addition to a cart pod that's adjacent to a popular bicycling route. (more...)

The lot is almost ready.
(Photos: Patrick Croasdaile)

'Cartlandia,' the bike-centric food cart pod on the Springwater Corridor Trail we told you about back in January, is about to open.

I caught up with the man behind the development (who also did the Mississippi Marketplace in North Portland), Roger Goldingay, to get an update and learn more about this exciting project.

Cartlandia is set to open on May 1st, and will have the capacity for around 35 food carts — all accessible directly from the Springwater Corridor Trail through dedicated, paved entrances along the path. (more...)

Landslide on the Springwater Trail south of
downtown Portland.
(Photo: Ben McLeod)

Heavy rains have caused a landslide that's just a few feet away from the paved Springwater on the Willamette trail. Reader Ben McLeod sent us a photo of the situation a few hours ago. McLeod tells us the slide is located just about 300-500 feet south of the Ross Island boathouse. (more...)

View of the landslide.
(Photos: Dan Kaufman)

A mutli-use path that connects SE Milwaukie Avenue to the Springwater Trail north of Sellwood is closed indefinitely due a massive landslide.

Early this morning, we received an email from a reader saying that the landslide is completely blocking the trail. "Downed trees, much debris and heavy flooding (more than usual for this section). Most of the hillside came down and there is still a danger from rolling rocks and a precarious tree... this is going to be a big cleanup job."

We notified Portland Parks and Recreation about the issue and spokesperson Beth Sorensen says they have determined that the slide it still active and they have closed the trail completely for the public's safety until further notice. (more...)