Tomorrow, the Portland Bureau of Transportation will lift the lid on their SW Moody Project that includes what will be downtown’s first-ever cycle track.
Dotted blue line is
forthcoming Portland-Milwaukie
Light Rail/bridge.
The new cycle track will handle two-way bike traffic on a 16-foot wide path separated from cars, foot traffic, and streetcar tracks (unlike the curbside buffered bike lane on SW Broadway near Portland State University that’s not technically a cycle track). The total cost to construct 0.6 miles of SW Moody from SW River Parkway to SW Gibbs was $66 million and it was funded through a variety of federal, city and state funds (including $23 million from a TIGER stimulus grant).
(Please note: This amount is for the entire project, which includes streetcar/rail tracks, standard vehicle lanes, sidewalks, and more. Based on estimates by PBOT in the Bike Plan for 2030, the cycle track itself probably cost around $600,000.)
Moody’s facelift (literally, they raised the road 14 feet) is part of a larger initiative known as “Portland’s Innovation Quadrant” — a 120-acre section of the South Waterfront area officials say is slated for redevelopment and to, “facilitate new job creation and provide access for people and goods.”
Here’s more from the SW Moody project website:
“As the main access point to the South Waterfront Innovation Quadrant, SW Moody Avenue will be improved to include three traffic lanes, dual streetcar tracks, and pedestrian and bicycle facilities. The new construction will increase roadway capacity and introduce urban development standards such as fiber optic, sewer, stormwater and water infrastructure to support future development. This investment in roadway and streetcar facilities supports the Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail extension, “Complete the Loop” streetcar line extensions, and the Portland to Lake Oswego streetcar line.”
The completion of this project will also be welcome news to folks that have dealt with an annoying bicycle detour during the construction period.
I’m very eager to see how the bicycle traffic lanes have turned out in this project and how they connect with the rest of the system. To get an idea of what it looks like, check out the video simulation (with neat before/after shots) below:
Stay tuned for my “First Ride” report with photos and video. See some very recent construction photos on Portlandize.com.