The Oregon Department of Transportation needs your comments on the 2018-2021 Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) — a list of capital projects the agency will move forward with over the next four years. There are 170 projects currently on the list and 70 of them are in Multnomah County.
ODOT estimates they’ll have about $32.5 million to spend in Region 1. Before the shovels start turning, you can still influence the details of these projects and ODOT makes commenting very easy.
What do I mean by influencing details of projects? Here’s an example: One of the projects will spend $3.3 million on “safety improvements” on the northbound and southbound I-205 exit ramps at SE Division Street. ODOT will make “lane adjustments”, widen the ramps, adjust signal timing, add new signage, and so on. Given that Division has relatively well-used bike lanes in this location that connect directly to the I-205 path, are there elements of this project that could improve bike safety? Do you think ODOT planners are thinking about how bike cross-traffic might be improved with this project? If you ride that section of Division, you can share your concerns and insights directly on this project at the ODOT STIP website.
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Here’s another example: ODOT will spend $8.5 million to repave 2.5 miles of Highway 30 from NW Kittridge to just north of the St. Johns Bridge. This is a very important biking route. Do you have any feedback for ODOT about how this project might result in safer cycling conditions on Highway 30? If so, here’s where to leave your comment.
Other projects we’ve got our eyes on include: the Lombard Safety Extension that will include a road diet between N Fiske and N Wilbur (through Columbia Park); the first piece of the Sullivan’s Gulch path — an undercrossing of I-205; and of course the 70s Neighborhood Greenway.
Keep in mind that the STIP process never really ends, it just has decision points where certain types of ideas and comments are most useful. Right now is the time to give input on the current slate of projects. The official comment period ends February 28th. ODOT will take this feedback and develop the final approval for the STIP project list over the summer.
To speak directly with ODOT and get an education about the STIP and all the projects on this list, attend the open house tomorrow (Wednesday, 2/22) at ODOT Region 1 HQ in northwest Portland (123 NW Flanders).
Check out the ODOT Region 1 STIP website for the full list of projects and more information.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org
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ODoT needs more infrastructure that supports bicycle freight: wider bike lanes, bike traffic signals, corridor signal planning (green wave etc.), improved (wider) bridge crossings, protected priority routes that take grade into account…
How much induced demand do you think there is for bicycle freight?
latent demand.
$3.3M to widen a few highway ramps. Imagine how much bike infrastructure we could get for that money instead.
Should we talk about the 30 million we’ve spent, in one month, shuttling 45 to his weekend retreat?
Adding electric bike recharging stations as part of their e-car charing efforts.
We should just build an e-car to e-bike conversion kit. Oh wait… wall outlets are already everywhere. Just bring your charger 🙂
is there a list of publicly accessible wall outlets?
TriMet sealed up most of theirs under their kiosk-style signs… we were never actually supposed to use them…
during winter you could use the xmas light outlets downtown…
and there’s always the residential front porch outlet of somebody that’s not home…
Yep…but they are not always conveniently located nor publicly accessible nor secure (leaving your $$$ battery laying about recharging).
Nothing for Barbur motor speedway? I hear from planners SW Corridor is creating a lot of work. Will it go the way of the CRC?
This is a huge pot of money for local infrastructure. And while ODOT Region 1 has dedicated a decent chunk of funding to “enhance” projects the last few cycles (ODOT lingo for safety and active transportation projects) there are no guarantees. Please ask that more funding be dedicated to active transportation “enhance” and “leverage” projects.
Some of my favorite projects:
http://www.odotr1stip.org/explore-by-program/enhance/seventies-neighborhood-greenway/
Seventies Neighborhood Greenway
This project will address a gap in north-south bicycle and pedestrian facilities near NE 82nd Avenue in the City of Portland.
http://www.odotr1stip.org/explore-by-program/enhance/stark-street-multimodal-connections/
The purpose of this project is to close an existing east-west gap in bike and pedestrian travel along the Stark Street multimodal corridor in East Multnomah County.
http://www.odotr1stip.org/explore-by-program/enhance/highway-43-multimodal-transportation-project/
OR43 Multimodal Transportation Project (Cycletrack in West Linn!)
The purpose of this project is to improve bike and pedestrian facilities as well as the overall safety of the roadway.
http://www.odotr1stip.org/explore-by-program/safety-arts/portland-arts/
Safety and crossing improvements on Division and other arterials in east portland.
http://www.odotr1stip.org/explore-by-program/safety-arts/r1-bike-ped/
Region 1 Bike Ped Crossings
Jonathon: You are to be commended for urging people to participate in the process and for providing links to the source documents! Thank you. All to often commenters on this forum simply complain, but don’t actually take the needed steps to influence the process. Great job!
Does the road diet for Lombard include adding bike lanes?
I think so but I need confirm w ODOT.
There is generally room for bike lanes OR on-street parking on Lombard. Now would be a great time to share your support/opposition for the project and preference for bike lanes or parking.
The answer is…probably. ODOT standards say that state highways should have bike lanes and should not have on-street parking. So if they follow their standards, as they usually do, they should remove the parking currently on the north side and add bike lanes on both sides. However, there will definitely be pushback from businesses calling for a design exception to have on-street parking instead. So prepare to get involved in that discussion over the next couple years!
There’s rumble strips planned throughout the region: http://www.odotr1stip.org/explore-by-program/safety-arts/rumble-strip-bundles/odot-rumble/
Clicky on this one and remind them that cyclists ride on all those shoulders.
The link to “undercrossing of I-205” is broken, and I can’t figure out what it is supposed to link to.