Backed by a slightly bleary-eyed team of Portland State University engineering students, community volunteers and city staffers, local street redesign group Better Block PDX brought its latest city-approved demo to the easternmost lanes of Naito Parkway at 6 a.m. Friday.
The temporary treatment will convert the bike lane and rightmost mixed-traffic lane alongside Waterfront Park to a multi-use path for northbound bike traffic and for people walking.
It’s intended as a response to thick pedestrian spillover during the Rose Festival that starts this weekend, but will double as a way to test whether Naito would experience any traffic problems if the space were permanently dedicated to human use.
Transportation Commissioner Steve Novick and Better Block have described it as a way to improve safety on Naito, reduce biking-walking conflicts in the park’s existing riverside path and to build on the legacy of Gov. Tom McCall, who in the early 1970s backed the plan to build the park in place of the former Harbor Drive expressway.
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Both Jonathan and I happen to be out of town today, which is sort of killing us, but we’re eagerly watching photos come in over social media. Here are a few from during and after installation.
Super extra big bike lane on Naito for the next two weeks. Thanks #betterNaito pic.twitter.com/h2DaavqBIR
— Mike Vogel (@mikev) May 22, 2015
Best ride I've ever had down Naito. Sure is a #betternaito already. Thanks volunteers at @BetterBlockPDX! pic.twitter.com/6yiMHCnBrV
— Zach Holz (@ZachHolz) May 22, 2015
Traffic flowing well at north end of #BetterNaito pic.twitter.com/xxCCnsCskY
— Peter Koonce (@pkoonce) May 22, 2015
@AltheaM3 #BetterNaito safety stencils! pic.twitter.com/ISg2S8Vq8K
— Althea Mickiewicz (@AltheaM3) May 22, 2015
Single lane uncontrolled pedestrian crossing south of Salmon is safer; eliminates double threat #BetterNaito #safety pic.twitter.com/2TE5clEzZZ
— Peter Koonce (@pkoonce) May 22, 2015
Got shots of your own? Share with the hashtag on Twitter or Instagram and we’ll get some more up.
Update 2 p.m.: Here are some more:
A photo posted by Yelena Prusakova (@yesthatmountain) on
A cargo bike volunteer moves supplies along Naito Blvd. #betternaito #betterblockpdx
A photo posted by Yelena Prusakova (@yesthatmountain) on
A photo posted by Yelena Prusakova (@yesthatmountain) on
A photo posted by Yelena Prusakova (@yesthatmountain) on
Temp traffic control via bike! #betternaito pic.twitter.com/b0hhsz2toA
— Kate (@cyclingharpist) May 22, 2015
Fav part of #BetterNaito? Seeing coworkers and the tubular markers…everything is better with flowers! #stressfree pic.twitter.com/5VzsXn9DKx
— Kristen Svicarovich (@ksvicarovich) May 22, 2015
#BetterNaito engineering by @PSUEngineering students. Thx 2 partners @AARPOR @PBOTinfo @PDXRoseFestival @OregonWalks pic.twitter.com/aF9Vdgxl3F
— Timur Ender (@timurender1) May 22, 2015
Disclosure: My other day job is as a staff writer for Colorado-based advocacy group PeopleForBikes, which has become a lead sponsor of the BetterNaito project thanks to support from Clif Bar. I didn’t make any funding decisions but will be minimizing my own coverage of this on BikePortland to keep things as clean as possible. Expect more coverage once Jonathan is back in town next week!