[PDOT map of planned improvements.
Click for larger view.]
Click for larger view.]
Over the weekend, Evan Manvel from the BTA joined neighborhood leaders, PDOT traffic safety staff, and City Commissioner Randy Leonard on a ride to envision improvements on a bicycle boulevard route that will bypass SE Foster Blvd.
Evan shares this map (at right, click for larger view) which details the following improvements:
- Install bicycle lane connection between Gladstone and Center
- Install curb side buttons to activate pedestrian signal and update signage at the intersection of Center, Foster, & 56th
- Install curb side button to activate signal, update signage, and investigate, with goal of installation, locating bike markings on east side sidewalk at 82nd and Raymond to Liebe
Evan also reports that PDOT is set to act quick on this project. They’ve got the cash and they hope to have it all done “by the end of June.”
Thanks for reading.
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Thanks for sharing news about this effort, Jonathan. I am managing this project and will be happy to answer any questions people have about it.
We had more than 20 people attend the ride. Every neighborhood that the route travels through was represented (with three neighborhood transportation chairs in attendance). There was very strong support for this route to be installed.
A new idea from the ride that is being investigated is whether it’s possible to install a shared bike/bus lane on 52nd between Center and Gladstone (in leui of the short bike lane identified on the map). This is a very short segment and there are currently bus stops on both sides of the street. If this idea turns feasible, it would provide a wider designated area for bikes on the connection and potentially help TriMet with operations at the bus stops. It will take some time to figure out what the best solution is.
The project is moving quickly. The funding we have expires at the end of this fiscal year (June 30). So, we are working quickly to get the improvements identified on the map completed.
In addition, there is a lot of data being collected that will inform future developments. The data being collected looks at speed (do we need any traffic calming on the route?), gap analysis (are there places where there is trouble crossing the street?), and stop sign patterns (is it possible to reduce the number of stop signs on the route?). All of the data and evalution that is happening will take several months to put together, but will be great to have as background for future requests to further enhance the route.
Thanks again for getting the word out that this exciting project is moving forward.
Greg Raisman
Community and School Traffic Safety Partnership
Portland Office of Transportation
(503) 823-1052
as someone who uses this route quite often, i’m excited about this project!
Of course diagonal routes are the most direct whether its Foster or Sandy.
If Powell between the River and 50th has two lanes each way, and 50th coming over from Hawthorne has one lane each way, why can’t be put Foster on a diet…make it one lane each way with a center turn lane and bike lanes?
Currently Powell continues east with two lanes each way, but Foster…a sort of continuation of 50th…widens from one to two lanes each way. Let’s forget all this out of direction travel for the most ecologically friendly mode and put bike lanes on Foster. I dare PDOT to do it. If Chicago can, if Paris can, surely Portland can.
Lenny:
To my knowledge Chicago doesn’t have bike lanes on any of its main, diagonal streets. I didn’t notice any on a large section Lincoln, Clark or Milwaukee when I was home over the holidays. I’d also add that Chicagoans have much less respect for bike lanes than Portlanders do, you often see people quickly jumping over into the bike lane (without looking) to pass someone who they feel is driving too slowly.
I’m not sure if Chicago beats Portland in terms of the number of bike lane miles, but Portland’s bike lanes are MUCH safer, despite the whinging you hear in the comments here.
Kudos to Greg on this.
He’s an extremely motivated advocate for alternative (read “non-motorized”) transportation. We’re lucky to have him working for us!
This is wonderful and the timing is excellent. I just attended a Powell Blvd discussion and many comments were made about bike lanes and improved crossing of 50th-52nd on Foster/Powell. I also met with Bill Ross [wross29606(at)aol.com] who gave a presentation on neighborhood making which he’s worked on at 62nd and Foster.
http://innovativetransport.blogspot.com/
You can contact him and come to the Foster/Powell neighborhood meeting next Tuesday.