#BetterNaito demo kicks off two-week trial of multi-use path west of Waterfront Park

We could still use some help to keep #BetterNaito going strong! If you like this project, and want to help out with the traffic counts, or maintenance, check out betterblockpdx.org/volunteer
Thanks!

Looks great! Can’t wait to ride in it this afternoon!

Cool! I only use Naito when fences are up on the waterfront. OK, to be honest I usually just go up to Second Ave to avoid all the BS. This looks interesting, I’ll check it out on my ride to work this morning.

Question: Where is the earliest I can access this coming from the South Waterfront? It looks like in the pictures I could hop out onto Naito just before the eastbound Hawthorne Bridge on-ramp, but I usually access Naito by the Salmon Street fountain.

I’m excited to use this this afternoon. I missed it this morning in my haze. I also didn’t see any signs directing me towards it coming south from the lower deck of the steel bridge? Again, maybe it was just because of my lack of coffee.

Either way, good work volunteers!

I’ll check it out today. I’ve been OK with Naito as-is. I feel pretty safe, and it’s fast moving. If I’m not in a hurry I tend to cruise Waterfront for the sights and sounds (and smells). I don’t think that would change.

But, I don’t know what I don’t know. Many a time I’ve come in skeptical to some change or other, and been surprised by how much I like it. I guess that’s the point of these trials. What a great idea!

Nice work, Better Block and PBOT! Special props to folks that got up at 3:30am to do the installation.

Hope to see it successful.

Then made permanent.

Blessed be the name of Tom McCall, let’s build the legacy!

Ted Buehler

I haven’t been over to that side lately, but I’ll have to check it out! Also, I just found one of my doppelgangers! For a while, I’ve known that somebody else looks pretty much just like me. Apparently many people have seen that guy in the blue shirt and thought he was me. And now that I see the picture the resemblance is amazing. I believe I have literally the exact same shirt and glasses. Plus, a very similar hair cut and beard. He looks more fit than me, however.

Sorry for the tangent, I’m just blown away that I saw my doppelganger on BP!

Took this route on my commute home and it was great to see all of the people walking and many of them standing around in the area on Naito. Despite the signage, the groups of people didn’t seem to expect to see cyclists using part of this space. I ended up joining the cars, which was fine because they were traveling at a reasonable speed and not changing lanes. I am not complaining because I am happy to see people using the streets, but I wouldn’t expect to use this area for bike transit, even at relatively low speed, without having to merge with cars from time to time.

I ride that stretch of Naito every afternoon and was able to check it out yesterday. I was optimistic about such a progressive experiment, but my experience ended up being pretty much like SD said above. Huge packs of pedestrians spilling out of the festival, walking or standing in the bike portion of the shared lane, completely blocking it. We’re talking groups of maybe 20 or 30 people in multiple areas.

I ended up needing to merge into the vehicle lane to “take” it, but car traffic was light and it was no problem (except that the barriers were a little goofy). While I’m perfectly comfortable taking that lane, I expect other riders not to be. I would also expect drivers to become frustrated when 1 lane is already shut down for bikes and stuff and then they still have to deal with bikes in the lane…

I just think there probably needs to be better pedestrian management there, especially during peak festival times.

I hear that 2nd is good though. 😃

FYI, the markings for bikes and peds are advisory, similar to the Hawthorne Bridge. If packs of 20-30 pedestrians walking on the #BetterNaito multi use path, it is functioning properly by creating a safe space for people! This path is not designed for one particular mode of transport, but rather a safe space for all people to access and enjoy RoseFest and our Waterfront. Please pedal slow & with patience if there are other people using and sharing the path. Enjoy!

If pedestrians are spilling into the bike lane, perhaps green treatment for the bike lane would help?

I ride Naito northbound daily as i did last night. Nice concept but had same experience as Jason and SD. Multiple choke points with pedestrian lines filling both lanes. Nice to see lots of folks out and about but at least on day #1, it did not really make things better. I was not in a particular rush, so did not jump out into the traffic lane as I have done in past years.

And the electric carts that Festival staff used were being driven like they owned both lanes, with a distinct ‘get out of my way’ attitude.

Took the new temporary section today for the second time. The majority of it was filled by peds with earphones texting. They were using the whole thing. was worse than before the extra room. Kudos for trying.

If the #BetterNaito path is filled with people walking, then it has succeeded in creating a safe space for people to safely get to and enjoy the waterfront. Better Block did not create a cycle track here, it is a Multi Use Path. The first priority for this project is creating a safe space for all people by separating them from motor vehicles and then working out the ped & bike mode separation down the road based on user feedback.

Cheaper and easier idea along Naito on the riverfront…create a walking path or sidewalk along the curb there. But that would be too easy when you steal traffic lanes and take away people’s ability to freely drive.

It gets a “C” for effort. I like the idea of it, but it isn’t refined enough to work well when there are a decent number of pedestrians, a couple bikes, and Rose Festival golf carts. This is safer than the old system for pedestrians, at least. I doubt that runners can use it unfortunately. However, when I took it was unrideable, even with the expectation that it would be slow going. I got off my bike to walk and couldn’t even walk at a reasonable pace, because I couldn’t get through the lines of families walking 5 across. I have always been quite comfortable cruising in the bike lane on Naito, so while I initially liked the idea of it, it cuts off the only option for riders who want to use Naito and not have to ride less than 5 mph and dodge pedestrians and other bikes going too fast. It felt easier/safer to cut into the car lanes when there were 2 lanes, not just one.

Is this some sorta evil Canadian plot[…but a kindly one]? (The bike ped stencils look like they came from Stanley Park signs and not AASHTO/ MUTCD.)

First the Canadians took over our comedy shows and TV news readers in the 70s and 80s…now this reforming of our streets to be safer. ‘Oh the gods’ with their cruel fate. What is left to protect of our American way from this slow take over!? Will we disappear from this continent?

What’s the correct etiquette here? I rode Naito this morning to check it out. I dutifully stopped at red lights as instructed by the “Stop for Reds” taped onto the street. However two other people on bikes flew right past me through the red. This confusion is not new. Part of the reason I don’t ride Naito northbound is because it is usually much faster to take the waterfront path and not have to stop for red lights. Of course we stop for reds if there are pedestrians or others crossing the street. That’s obvious. It’s not so obvious if I should stop for the red in the morning when hardly anyone is crossing Naito.

I hoofed it SB in the ped path this morning and, funny story, I didn’t stop for any of the ‘reds’. Outlaw life!