(Image by Dero Racks, taken from PBOT grant application)
Earlier this week we shared news of a bike-friendly signal project the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) hopes to fund (in part) with grant money from a pot of federal cash doled out by the Oregon Department of Transportation. ODOT has about $21 million federal flexible funds set aside for transit, biking, walking, and transportation demand management (TDM) projects.
Yesterday, I learned of another exciting project PBOT hopes to get funded with this pot of money. They’ve applied for $450,000 (which includes about $46,000 in pre-approved matching funds from increased vehicle registration fees and gas tax revenue from the state of Oregon) to design and construct a Bike & Ride facility and to improve biking conditions at the Gateway Transit Center (near the I-205/I-84 interchange). The grant application (read it below) details a new facility with 80-90 bike parking spaces as well as a safer crossing of the light rail tracks from the I-205 multi-use path into the transit center. There is also money in the grant for an outreach/awareness campaign. The new bike and ride facility would be the first in East Portland.
Bike-transit facilities have gained a lot of momentum this year. TriMet opened their first ever Bike & Ride at the Beaverton Transit Center back in July. The City of Hillsboro celebrated Oregon’s first Bikestation facility back in Octoiber and Portland State University has a new bike parking garage that include some bike spaces subsidized by TriMet due to the facility’s proximity to transit stops.
In their grant application, PBOT says the new Gateway Bike & Ride would provide for, “seamless integration of the I-205 multi-use path, local bicycle network, and the regional transit system.”
Here are some project details:
- An 825 square foot new pre-fabricated enclosed shelter will be built adjacent to the bus and MAX platforms at the Gateway Transit Center.
- 80 to 90 bicycle spaces will be created using a combination of double-decker bicycle parking racks and standard staple racks. Other features include repair stand, air pump and bike map
- The facility will feature lighting, key card entry, and closed circuit security cameras to prevent theft and vandalism.
- An outreach component will engage adjacent neighborhoods and transit center users about the new bicycle parking opportunities.
- Safety upgrades will include improving access to the facility, including improvements to the rail crossing and the connection to the I-205 multi-use path.
TriMet would assume responsibility for maintenance and administration of the new facility. In their application, PBOT estimates that the new Bike & Ride has the potential to reduce vehicle miles traveled (VMT) by 251,000 miles each year, saving the region about $339,000 in annual road maintenance and other costs. Better integration of bikes with transit is also listed as an action item in the 2030 Bike Plan.
The Oregon Transportation Commission will select which projects get funded through this program in February 2011. If awarded, PBOT estimates they would complete construction by fall of next year.
Read the full application below:
Gateway Bike and Ride Grant Application