neighborhood greenway.
(Photo © J. Maus)
The City of Portland Bureau of Transportation plans to change how they refer to projects that calm residential streets and put an emphasis on non-motorized traffic. The term “neighborhood greenways” will soon replace “bicycle boulevards.”
I alluded to this new term in a story last month after noticing a new title on PBOT’s main website for these projects and have since confirmed the plans with PBOT project manager Kyle Chisek. He says they will make “neighborhood greenways” the public name for the projects but that bicycle boulevard will remain the technical term because that’s how they’re referenced nationally and in the 2030 Bike Plan.
“People have started asking for bike boulevards in their neighborhood because they want safer, more bike and pedestrian friendly streets — no matter what we call them.”
— Kyle Chisek, PBOT
At a recent bike boulevard open house in Northeast Portland, reader Steve Bozzone heard Chisek give further reasoning for the change. According to Bozzone, Chisek said, “We’re looking at changing the name since it’s not just cyclists who benefit from this.. it’s everyone.”
Expanding on that in an email today, Chisek wrote, “People have started asking for bike boulevards in their neighborhood because they want safer, more bike and pedestrian friendly streets — no matter what we call them.”
Chisek says the new name also reflects the Green Streets partnership between PBOT and the Bureau of Environmental Services: “Neighborhood greenways deliver on both the transportation and stormwater management goals of the city and reflect what happens to a street once the work is finished.”
For further reading, you might be interested to read an editorial I wrote last summer, Bike boulevards aren’t just for bikes.