Kenton’s main street, now with more room for walking and biking

Our family frequently bikes to the library and the businesses along N. Denver. The improvements came in a timely fashion and make us feel safer walking and biking the neighborhood. My one complaint would be the HUGE trucks rumbling down N. Denver like they’re making shortcuts to other streets like N. Lombard. Was or is there any attempt to restrict the size and weight of the trucks?

Corvallis put in some angled parking with a bike lane behind it and I really don’t like it. The door zone is pretty bad on parallel parking, but worse still is angled parking where it is impossible for drivers to see you as they start backing out if a car is parked next to them. I think the best solution if angled parking is required might actually be some sort of angled back in parking so that when cars go to leave they can see where they are going.

I mostly walk around the neighborhood, and the sidewalk improvements are much appreciated. It’s also a very pleasant facelift just in aesthetic qualities. Autos do seem to be squeezed a bit more than before as well, which is always nice.

There’s certainly no denying that this neighborhood is still surrounded by very automobile-dominated roads (Lombard, I-5, Columbia, and Interstate to a lesser extent), but it’s great to see steps toward something better.

Just a week ago I found myself up in that neck of the woods. I felt it more than saw the changes. I love the new roomie sidewalks!! I used to live in Vancouver about 3 years ago and would take the #6 through there into downtown, as well as bike in that area. Back then it wasn’t a place I wanted to hang around long, but I love it now!

I really quite like the way it looks. The speeds come down fairly substantially once you get toward downtown Kenton.

Denver @ Lombard is 5 lanes wide.

S-bound trucks will continue to use it because it’s shorter if you go right on Lombard, and quicker if you go left due to light-rail prioritization on Interstate. Northbound trucks will continue to use it because turning from Lombard onto Interstate they have to squeeze into a narrow chute due to the lightrail platform.

If they could be stopped from cutting into the bike lanes at Denver and Interstate, it would become less convenient. But paint doesn’t stop trucks. It’s a shame too because they diminish the atmosphere for outside dining and drinking in the area.

The back in parking looks like it might be an issue for cyclists

Stephanie- #1
One reason large trucks are driving on Interstate/Denver is because they are trying to bypass the back-up on I-5. Once the new CRC bridge is built that traffic will move out of our neighborhoods back onto the freeway where it belongs

If I-5 is backed up, what other solution is there than trucks and cars cutting through your neighborhood trying to get on I-5 at the last onramp? What is your solution?

Kenton has allways had a lot of potential. This re-do has really made it nice. I hope it pays off with a boom to the neighborhood. There are vacant buildings that seem like perfect spots for a lot of different kinds of business to move into, and probably at good rates too. A better location than st johns as it is closer in, next to the freeway…

jim
Stephanie- #1One reason large trucks are driving on Interstate/Denver is because they are trying to bypass the back-up on I-5. Once the new CRC bridge is built that traffic will move out of our neighborhoods back onto the freeway where it belongs

No it won’t, because the bridge will have a huge new capacity, but I-5 through the Rose Quarter will still be a bottleneck that causes traffic jams.

JMaus – The Denver Ave improvements are great overall, and I appreciate your piece on it. To clarify, N Denver is a designated over-dimensional truck route, so that was a a design consideration for the City, their consultant team, and the stakeholders. I wish that your article had also mentioned the land use side of the equation. The public investments over the last decade in this area (MAX, the streetscape) have really helped property values and lured new businesses – restaurants, coffee shops, etc. They also were a key deciding factor for the siting of the Kenton Library – which is HUGE for the community and for any Main Street. And all that is bike-oriented development. One more note – the signature piece of art (also done by the same artist who did the reliefs on the stone benches), which I don’t think is in yet (it’s been a few weeks since I was up there) I think is going to have a bike tie-in (but don’t quote me on that).

The design is nice and I always like to see improved riding conditions.

Last spring when the library opened up and Ted Wheeler was there for the dedication, I was unlocking my bike and he and his wife stepped out on the street, looked around and his comment was “We should have put in more bike parking.” I loved hearing that. Can’t have too many bike staples.

It’s been a nice change so far. Now all we need is a bike shop between Posies Cafe and the library!

I moved into Kenton 18 months ago and have always felt that the downtown core was extremely bike and pedestrian friendly. The four way stops keep everyone going slow, in all directions. The new streetscape just widens things out and improves it even more.

@Linda, I agree need more bike parking!

My wife and I bought a house in Kenton march 2010 and we stop at the library, go to the park, eat at pizza fino and use MAX alot. I ride my bike to work on swan island.
Love it here and like the work they have done. But think we need more food options and shopping. BIKE shop would be rad!!!!