– Download Spokane Bike Boulevard project details (400K PDF) –
The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation is moving full steam ahead on their first 15 miles of new bicycle boulevards that were promised by Mayor Sam Adams when he took office in January.
PBOT project manager Kyle Chisek said yesterday that construction on the first of those eight projects — a 0.7 mile stretch of SE Spokane street in Sellwood — will begin next month.
“pinch-point” that will give bike
traffic separation via barriers at
the intersection.
The Spokane Bike Boulevard was first envisioned as part of Adams’ Safe, Sound, and Green Streets transportation funding package. Chisek said funding issues have delayed this project, but its extensive neighborhood outreach process also has made it the first one to be built:
“Spokane is getting constructed first since we spent nearly two years with the neighborhood working on developing this boulevard… Funding was the major issue with delay – as the initial funding had been a part of the Safe, Sound and Green Streets package. Earlier this year [the Mayor] directed the bureau to identify and fund 15 miles of bicycle boulevards. Since Spokane was basically ready to go, we were able to get that constructed first.”
PBOT plans to use the public process on Spokane as a blueprint they’ll use on subsequent projects. Both the project and the neighborhood outreach component of it were officially adopted by City Council in July. “But” Chisek says, “now we won’t have to bring these other boulevard projects to Council. Once we get sign off from the City Engineer, we can start implementing them.”
According to Chisek, PBOT has $800,000 to spend on these first 15 miles, $99,000 of which is going toward the Spokane project.
That money will bring significant changes to Spokane Boulevard including:
- improved safety of crossings at SE 13th and 17th via a 20-mph business speed zone, markings, signage, and refuge islands,
- addition of traffic and speed reduction measures like median barriers, semi-diverters, pinch points and speed bumps,
- improved bike traffic flow through turning of three stop signs,
- and new bike boulevard markings at 300 and 500-foot spacing in each direction.
In order to make room for these improvements, PBOT will remove 11 residential car parking spaces.
Chisek says the remaining 15 miles of new bike boulevards will be constructed early next year with a target date of completion by July 2010. Learn more about PBOT’s 15 Miles project here.