“Copenhagen Left” (instead of crossing new
streetcar tracks at a dangerous angle).
(Photos © J. Maus)
The Portland Streetcar Loop Project has brought major changes to bikeways in the Pearl District. With new tracks, new medians and a new recommended route for bikes, PBOT has released a detailed list about what changes people on bikes can expect.
“These changes will alter the cycling conditions in the vicinity of the west end of the Broadway Bridge and require that all travelers in the area be aware of new signs, lane markings, street and signal configurations and streetcar tracks.”
Here’s what you can expect at the west end of the Broadway Bridge (taken from PBOT press release):
- NW Lovejoy between NW 13th and 10th is a one-way, eastbound street that is closed to vehicles traveling westbound from the Broadway Bridge.
- NW Northrup between NW 10th and 16th is a one-way, westbound street.
- NW Marshall between NW 9th and 16th is a two-way street with a new bikeway that is the preferred route for cyclists accessing the west end of the Broadway Bridge. Improvements to the street include the addition of sharrows (shared lane markings), asphalt pathways in areas with cobblestones, and bicycle wayfinding signs and pavement markings.
- NW Lovejoy between NW 9th and 10th has multiple streetcar tracks that present obstacles to cyclists.
- A new “Copenhagen Left” turn box on NW Lovejoy at NW 9th is for cyclists traveling westbound from the Broadway Bridge turning southbound on NW 9th.
- The bicycle lanes on NW Lovejoy between 9th and 13th Avenue have been removed.
- NW Johnson between NW 14th and 9th will have shared lane markings for cyclists (sharrows) installed in the near future by the City.
If you’re headed west from the Broadway Bridge:
- To access the new bikeway on NW Marshall, cyclists must turn right at NW 9th while yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks, travel one block north while transitioning to the new shared left-turn lane, and then turn onto NW Marshall. See diagram of NW 9th below for details.
- To access the bikeway on NW Johnson and points south, cyclists should use the new “Copenhagen Left” turn box on NW Lovejoy at NW 9th. To do this, cyclists are advised to ride through the intersection to the green box in the northwest corner, stop there and reposition their bicycle to face southbound, wait for the traffic signal on NW 9th to turn green for southbound travel, and then go.
PBOT has also provided these diagrams for your convenience:
I was out at the site today. Suffice it to say these new tracks and changes to Lovejoy will definitely take some time to adjust to. More reporting to come…
If you have questions or concerns, direct them to Kay Dannen of Portland Streetcar at 503-478-6404 or via email at dannen [at] portlandstreetcar [dot] org.