(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
With the opening of the Tilikum Crossing Bridge now less than two months away, TriMet has decided to change the way bicycle riders and walkers access it. They plan to switch the lane assignments on the SW Moody cycletrack and add more striping to make it clear where people are supposed to bike and walk.
In partnership with the Bureau of Transportation, TriMet has announced several “refinements” to SW Moody in hopes of encouraging safer and more efficient biking and walking and better access to the new bridge. In a press statement released tonight at the monthly meeting of the Bicycle Advisory Committee, TriMet says the changes come after weeks of monitoring the cycletrack, sidewalk and transit operations around the SW Moody MAX station.
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Here’s more from that statement about the upcoming changes (emphases mine):
On the west side of SW Moody Ave, the lanes of the cycletrack and sidewalk will be permanently repositioned between SW Sheridan and the Ross Island Bridge area so that bike and pedestrian movement is consistent along this entire north-south route. The sidewalk will be against the west railing, the southbound cycletrack will be in the middle, and the northbound cycletrack will be closest to the curb. Striping will be added to more clearly delineate the space for each mode. Guidance railing will be added around the southbound Portland Streetcar stop, and some signals will be adjusted.
This project will start next week and will result in the complete closure of the cycletrack between Sheridan and the Ross Island Bridge from July 20th to August 7th. From July 23-29, the closure will extend north to SW River Parkway. TriMet says the detour will be adequately signed and people should expect to use sidewalks and bike lanes until the project is completed.
Stay tuned for updates and a first look at the changes once they’ve been implemented.
For more information, download a PDF
of the announcement.
UPDATE, 7/15 at 4:00pm: TriMet has just released the official announcement about these changes and the upcoming detours.