Southwest Farmington and Murray.
(Image: Google Street View.)

In 2002, looking for future bottlenecks in its road system, the City of Beaverton was troubled by traffic projections for the corner of Southwest Farmington and Murray, one mile west of its historic downtown.

Detail of project concept drawing. (Note the widened
intersections and proximity of a nursing home.)

By 2020, traffic engineers calculated, the number of cars using Farmington would soar from 27,000 cars per day to 36,000, clogging traffic unless the five-lane intersection there — which hosts a 7-Eleven, an apartment complex, a senior living facility and a nursing home — were widened to seven traffic lanes. But after unsuccessfully casting about for years to find money for their "Farmington Road Improvement Project," the city mothballed it.

Then a funny thing happened: nothing. There was no permanent traffic jam. Eleven years and two business cycles later, Farmington actually carries 700 fewer cars per day.

The seven-lane intersection, however, is back from the dead. The project, which also includes a new center lane further east on Farmington, newly striped bike lanes, a segment of sidewalk and a new signal and realignment of 142nd Avenue, is on track to be paid for by $21 million in Washington County property taxes.

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Great for bikes — but not great for long trucks.
(Photo: Washington County)

A road in rural Washington County that's a popular cycling route should become a bit nicer to ride on thanks to a new ruling by the county's Board of Commissioners. The ruling prohibits vehicles longer than 30 feet from using Jackson Quarry Road (map), a narrow and winding road that connects to West Union, which is a key connector for many cycling routes in the Helvetia area.

Here's more from Washington County's Dept of Land Use & Transportation:

Washington County's Board of Commissioners has authorized a 30-foot vehicle length limit on Jackson Quarry Road between Mason Hill and Helvetia roads. Signs identifying this restriction will be installed soon. Trucks exceeding 30 feet in length must use an alternate route or apply for an oversize truck permit. (more...)

[Note from the publisher: We have some great sources in Washington County that frequently send us interesting bits of information. Most of the tips don't end up developing into Front Page stories, but I figured they deserved to be shared somewhere. So I'm going to start putting them here under the "WashCo Watch" banner and see how it goes. — Jonathan]

There are some potentially very useful vacancies opening up and county staff will be recruiting for them soon. Below are a summary of them from page 15 of the County Board of Commissioners agenda for October 1st (download PDF here).

• Northwest Area Commission on Transportation (NW ACT) – 2 term expirations
• Planning Commission – 3 vacancies (2 terms expiring 01/31/14; 1 current vacancy)
• Public Safety Coordinating Council – 2 vacancies (2 terms expiring 01/01/14)
• Rural Roads Operations and Maintenance Advisory Committee (RROMAC) – 5 vacancies (5 terms expiring 12/01/13)
• Urban Road Maintenance District Advisory Committee (URMAC) – 4 vacancies (3 terms expiring 12/31/13; 1 current vacancy)
  See pg. 19-20 for the full descriptions.

Getting people on these is key to a more walkable/bikable Washington County. The Public Safety thing is a bit out there, but might help preventing cops from letting drivers off easy when they kill and injure people due to "sun glare", etc. All the other committees have a major impact on policy or funding of transportation projects.

Washington County Commissioner Dick Schouten tries out the bike locker.
(Photos courtesy Janna Allgood)

This is a guest article submitted by Washington County Sustainability Program Educator Janna Allgood.

When it comes to amenities for people who ride bikes, Washington County learned that it pays to think strategically about who’s on your bike commuter list.
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Washington County's map in progress.

Bicycle boulevards, neighborhood greenways — whatever you call them, the low-traffic streets marked by sharrows and low-stress crossings are one of the best things about Portland's bike network.

Now, Washington County is preparing a map of what it's calling "neighborhood bikeways," and looking for the public's help. A new interactive map invites people to submit their preferred bike routes across the metro area's west side to help inform planners about the best possible paths.

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Washington County advocates are celebrating the completion of a new mid-block crossing. Now, people riding on the Rock Creek Trail (a paved path) will have a much more intuitive, safe, and efficient way to get across NW Evergreen Parkway.

When we first reported on this project back in November 2010, reader Matt Picio shared with us that people on bikes were forced to go 1/4 out of their way to a high-traffic intersection" in order to cross. "Not very pleasant," he wrote.
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The beautiful roads just outside Hillsboro.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)

Oregon's State Scenic Bikeway program has really taken off in recent years. Routes have sprung up all over the state and they're spurring economic development and providing people with great bike adventures. But so far, none of them are very close to Portland.

Now comes word from the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that there's a proposal on the table to designate a new scenic bikeway that would be relatively close to Portland and would begin just south of Hillsboro. (more...)

Want to get the latest about bikes in Washington County and hear from the west side's major bike leaders?

Check out the press release below for more info...

On Monday December 3 the Washington County Public Affairs Forum will feature a program entitled “Bicycles: Transportation, Fitness and Fun in Washington County.” Speakers will include Hal Ballard of Transportation Solutions ByCycle; George Harris, America’s Wellness Sergeant; Mike Manning of Fit4Ever Wellness Studios; and Dick Schouten, Washington County Commissioner.

The PAF meets at the Old Spaghetti Factory, 18925 NW Tanasbourne Drive, across from the Evergreen movie theaters in Hillsboro. The doors open at 10:30, with a first lunch serving at 11:30 and a second at noon. The hour-long program begins at noon, and is open to the public. Members only have the opportunity to question speakers – sometimes the most interesting part of the program.

Founded in 1956, the Public Affairs Forum provides a common meeting place for the interchange of ideas and to stimulate thinking on civic matters, business, science, the arts and education. The Forum is a neutral arena; it endorses no particular point of view and takes no responsibility for the opinions expressed by speakers, which are not necessarily those of the Forum’s members or its Board of Directors. Programs are replayed on TVCTV Channel 21 Thursday at 6 am; Channel 28 Thursday at 10 pm, Friday at 6 pm and Sunday at 3 pm; and Channel 11 Monday at 10 am.

Learn more at www.washingtoncountyforum.org

For more information, please contact John Tyner, Forum President johntyneratty@gmail.com

Event will encourage folks to get out and enjoy the Fanno Creek Trail.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland

The Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation District (THPRD) has just announced its first ever "Sunday Trailways" event will be held on June 24th.

THPRD spokesman Bob Wayt says they've recognized the success of Portland's Sunday Parkways (which boasted a crowd of nearly 30,000 last month), and they wanted to give Beaverton-area residents something similar. Wayt calls Sunday Trailways an "active outdoor event with a twist."

The free event is scheduled to run from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm and will celebrate the Fanno Creek Trail (which we happened to write about earlier today). There will be activities for all ages at various points along the path, which runs 4 1/2 miles from the Garden Home Recreation Center to Greenway Park. Some of the scenic areas along the route are the Koll Wetlands, the Fanno Farmhouse and Vista Brook Park. (more...)

Getting cleaned up.
(Photos and story by Will Vanlue)

The Fanno Creek Trail, which the Tualatin Hills Park & Recreation Department is grooming for a name-change to the Fanno Creek Greenway, will soon be a little safer for people traveling around Main Street in Tigard.

I was passing through the area the other day and noticed crews spraying herbicide on overgrown blackberries on an existing but inaccessible piece of the popular path north of Highway 99.
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