Tell PBOT what 122nd Avenue should look and feel like

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has opened the online open house and survey for their 122nd Avenue Plan. If you missed the November 7th open house event, this is your chance to weigh in on the project. They have funding to make changes and our voices can help them make the most informed decisions on how to spend it.

Specifically, PBOT wants your feedback on three things: which cross-section options should get further study; where new crossing treatments should be installed; and what to build in 2020 with the $3.3 million they currently have set-aside for the project.

122nd Avenue has become a focus of PBOT for several reasons. For starters, statistically it’s one of the most dangerous streets in Portland. Between Marine Drive and SE Foster, 122nd has four of our top 30 highest crash intersections. Since 2010, there have been over 400 people injured while traveling on 122nd, including 127 people walking and biking. Nine people have died in the past 8 years alone. If you’ve ever ridden on it, the stats don’t matter because you can just feel how dangerous it is. Every time I’m out there, it’s an eye-opening experience.

Back in September, I rode under the I-84 overpass and was appalled by the conditions. Overgrown vegetation and trash constrained an already dark and intimidating space. Riding in the main roadway wasn’t an option because driving speeds are high and there is no shoulder room at all. Thankfully, this underpass area is on PBOT’s radar. As you can see in their graphic below, one of the projects under consideration is to reconfigure the roadway and install a two-way protected bikeway and sidewalk on one side of the street. This is the type of thing PBOT needs to hear from you about. Do you think this should be a high priority?

The city is also looking to add more — and safer — crossings. 122nd currently doesn’t meet the new “spacing guidelines” for crossings that were developed through PBOT’s Pedestrian Master Plan. Those new guidelines call for crossings no more than 800 feet apart. The current average is 935 feet, or about four blocks.

Through surveys and the public open house, PBOT has heard so far that crossing safety, congestion and bike safety are the top three priorities.

What do you think? If you haven’t already commented on this project, now is your chance. Here’s the online open house and survey (it says 30 pages, but it’s really only five). It will be available through January 6th, 2019.

— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and jonathan@bikeportland.org

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