(Graphic: NeighborhoodNotes.com)
Details of the Mayor Adams’ promised “high profile” cycle track have been leaked on the Neighborhood Notes website. The new cycle track is one of the promises the Mayor made as part of his “First 100 Days Action Plan.”
The Mayor’s Office was hoping to keep details of the new cycle track quiet until area businesses could be briefed in more detail (since the project includes removal of on-street parking, often a sore spot for businesses), but now the cat is out of the bag.
According to Neighborhood Notes — who heard details about the plan during a meeting of the Pearl District Neighborhood Association on March 17th — a new cycle track (which is essentially a bikeway that is completely separated from motor vehicle traffic) will run along both sides of the North Park Blocks on NW 8th and NW Park from Burnside to Glisan and on one block of SW Oak. Here is a plan drawing that was published on the Neighborhood Notes site:
(Photo credit: NeighborhoodNotes.com)
Also according to the report, PBOT plans to connect this cycle track with a new bike boulevard coming to the South Park blocks. “The goal is to create a safer route for bikes to move between downtown and the northwest district,” reports Neighborhood Notes.
To make room for the two, one-way cycle tracks, PBOT reportedly plans to move existing curbside parking nine feet away from the curb. The cycle track is slated to be six feet wide, with a three-foot “shy” zone to help prevent dooring.
Another safety feature reported by Neighborhood Notes is that parking “would not be allowed within the 40 feet leading an intersection, increasing visibility for both bikes and cars.” At intersections, the bikeway would be painted solid green, the same color as Portland’s bike boxes and other painted bike lanes.
This cycle track is similar in concept to the one PBOT has in the works out in the Cully Neighborhood. The big difference with the North Park Blocks facility is that it will be separated only by paint (and parked cars), and not built on a completely separated path like the one slated for Cully.
I’ll share more details as I hear of them. For more, see the full story on NeighborhoodNotes.com.
[Thanks to reader Ben F. for the heads up.]