bikeway recommendations
for Southwest Portland.
(Click to enlarge)
A group of bicycle advocates in Southwest Portland have unveiled their latest map of proposed bikeway improvements. The group, SWTrails, has been working for nearly a year to come up with recommendations that they plan to present to the Portland Office of Transportation (PDOT) for consideration in the ongoing update of the Bicycle Master Plan.
Central to SWTrails’ effort is the creation of a map that includes the types of bike facility improvements they would like to see. Back in March, I shared the first version of this map and I just received the latest version this morning.
These bikeway recommendations are the result of well over a year of planning that began in September of 2006 with an organized ride through inner Southeast Portland to survey how that area had become so bike-friendly.
SWTrails has also held a series of meetings and rides sponsored by SWTrails over last summer. SWTrails has also been working closely with PDOT staff on this project.
Here’s more about the map from SWTrails representative Keith Liden:
“The map represents a draft recommendation regarding the type of bicycle improvements and the priorities for completion. A major emphasis of the recommendations is to rely on a low-traffic street system of “bicycle boulevards” with a pleasant and safe bicycling environment – something that is generally lacking in SW Portland today.”
SWTrails has scheduled an open house event to encourage Southwest residents to review the draft recommendations and offer suggestions on how to improve them. If you’d like to weigh-in on this effort, here are the open house details:
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SWTrails Bikeway Improvement Open House
Thursday, December 6th – 6:00 – 8:30pm
Multnomah Arts Center, Capitol Room
7688 SW Capitol Highway
For more information about SWTrails and riding in Southwest Portland contact Keith Liden at (503) 224-4066 or Liden(at)pbworld(dot)com.
Citizen advocates in other Portland areas in need of bikeway improvements should take note of this organized, strategic, long-term effort by SWTrails to improve riding conditions in their neighborhood.
Download the map: