about ODOT’s plans for SW Barbur.
(Photo: Kiel Johnson)
Advocates are hailing the Oregon Department of Transportation’s (ODOT) plans for a new crossing treatment on SW Barbur Blvd. The plans were unveiled at a meeting held in Southwest Portland last night.
As we detailed yesterday, the crossing in question is in front of the Rasmussen Village Apartments, about 3/4 of a mile south of the intersection of Barbur and SW Hamilton. Kiel Johnson, a citizen advocate who co-founded the Friends of Barbur activism group, was at the presentation last night and he’s “ecstatic” about what he heard.
Here’s how Johnson describes ODOT’s plans for the crossing:
“There are going to be three rapid flash beacons on either side of the crossing. When you press the walk button these lights, located under pedestrian signs, will flash telling cars to wait at the new stop bar. The lights will flash until you are able to walk across the entire street. In addition to the three flashing signs on either side there will also be a warning sign on the approach to the crossing on both sides.”
Johnson also shared that the meeting last night was packed with neighborhood activists and, “The reception in the room to the project was 100% positive and excited.”
Barbur is a high-speed, six-lane arterial in this location and advocates have been pressing ODOT for years to do something about the crossing. Back in December a woman was killed while attempting to cross Barbur just north of where this new crossing will be installed.
Johnson says the “truly innovative approach” shows that ODOT is committed to safety for all users of SW Barbur. “It is not often that ODOT is willing to install a “first of it’s kind” signal crossing… I think everyone should be celebrating this project.”
ODOT hopes to install the new crossing treatment by the end of this summer. We’ll have more details as they become available.