npGreenway, a group of trail advocates working to create a riverfront trail that would connect the Eastbank Esplanade to the St. Johns Bridge, has sent out an urgent call to action.
looking south near University of Portland.
They are concerned that an amendment to the Transportation System Plan (TSP) in front of Portland City Council today will not give enough attention to the Greenway Trail. Here’s the word from advocate Francie Royce:
“City Council is considering an update to the Transportation System Plan and npGREENWAY would like to see the entire North Portland Willamette Greenway in the plan. Only one short section, the extension of River Road south of Swan Island is currently in the Plan.”
According to Royce, the North Portland Willamette Greenway concept is not in the Transportation System Plan (TSP), which is a key city-adopted plan and inclusion of the trail is necessary in order to proceed for requests for public funding.
Royce adds,
“We need City Council to hear from us, even if it’s unlikely this update will include the entire North Portland Willamette Greenway.”
npGreenway is encouraging the community to testify at today’s Council session. Get all the details on their blog.
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I went and testified, as a BTA rep. Francie from npGreenway also testified.
The reason they are not including it in this TSP update is because they are waiting on the River Plan process to finish. Commissioner Adams and the PDOT staff said they expect it to go into the next TSP update, which starts in the next fiscal year.
Thanks, npGreenway, for your great planning and advocacy around this! Not to mention that fantastic map.
Thanks to everyone who wrote and called our city officials. Your responses are greatly appreciated!
Scott Mizée
Communications Director
npGREENWAY.org