Project will reduce driving space, add safer bikeways and crossings to SE 162nd Avenue

There’s no good reason a road through a residential neighborhood should be this wide.

Here’s something new: the Portland Bureau of Transportation is set to invest $1.6 million on an arterial in east Portland before it gets on their list of high crash streets.

The 162nd Avenue Safe Access to Transit project aims to tame a 1.6 mile section of the road between SE Powell Blvd and SE Alder St. The project will reconfigure lanes, reduce driving space from five lanes to three, shorten crossing distances with concrete medians, paint new crosswalks, improve transit stops, build new sidewalks, enhance street lighting, and add cycling-only lanes.

Proposed changes to SE Tibbets intersection.
(Click to enlarge)

Specifically, safer crossings with median islands and marked crosswalks are coming to the intersections of 162nd and Mill, Lincoln, and Tibbets (see graphic). New sidewalks are coming to the east side of 162nd just north of Taylor Street and on the north side of Main Street (just west of 162nd).

Currently, the average distance between marked crossings on this stretch of 162nd is 2,900 feet — that’s about 3.5 times more than 800-foot minimum spacing guideline recently adopted in PBOT’s Citywide Pedestrian Plan

As the name suggests, this project was triggered by a new bus line added by TriMet last year. Line 74 opened in March 2018 with service every half-hour between Powell and Airport Way, opening up a vital north-south mobility option. Nearly half the funding ($700,000) for changes needed to make it safer for people to get to the bus are coming from TriMet. (The remaining $900,000 came from the State of Oregon through the Keep Oregon Moving program.)

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“Right now it isn’t a high crash corridor. The purpose of this project is to make sure it doesn’t become one.”
— Kem Marks, Rosewood Initiative

Kem Marks is the Director of Transportation Equity at Rosewood Initiative, a, “place-based nonprofit that supports community-driven solutions for a healthier neighborhood.” He shared with us via email this morning why this project is so important. Beyond the planned safety upgrades, Marks said, “I see it as PBOT being proactive. Right now it isn’t a high crash corridor. The purpose of this project is to make sure it doesn’t become one.”

While it isn’t on PBOT’s naughty list yet, things are far from hunky-dory. Between 2007 and 2016, 11 people were injured while walking, 5 people were injured while biking, 8 people were seriously injured while in a motor vehicle, and 1 person died in a motor vehicle on this stretch of 162nd.

Marks sees more population growth in the area’s future and he fears without this project there will be more injuries and deaths.

How has the neighborhood reacted to plans to reduce driving lanes? Marks says he expects some pushback as the public outreach phase of the project kicks into high gear. “People who have lived here for decades and don’t like change are generally not going to be happy at first.” But Marks is confident the plans will be carried out as proposed because he and other community organizers have been hard at work for years laying a foundation of support to give PBOT confidence to carry them through.

Adding to the benefit of this project is how it will eventually connect to PBOT’s East Glisan Street Update project, which will include a similar road diet and bike/walk upgrades between I-205 and 162nd. (Stay tuned for an update on that and more east Portland news in the days to come.)

If you want to help ensure this project becomes a reality, and/or help make it even better, attend the open house on Monday, April 29th from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at The Rosewood Initiative (16126 SE Stark Street). Child care and Spanish translation services will be provided.

PBOT expects to build this project in summer or fall of next year. Learn more at the project website.

For added context, see the before-and-after animation below I put together using PBOT graphics…

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

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Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Jonathan Maus (Publisher/Editor)

Founder of BikePortland (in 2005). Father of three. North Portlander. Basketball lover. Car owner and driver. If you have questions or feedback about this site or my work, feel free to contact me at @jonathan_maus on Twitter, via email at maus.jonathan@gmail.com, or phone/text at 503-706-8804. Also, if you read and appreciate this site, please become a supporter.

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PDXCyclist
PDXCyclist
4 years ago

I wonder why the island between travel lane and bike lane is squeezing the bike lane and leaving a giant shoulder for motor vehicle users. Shouldn’t we be making the car user feel nervous about a space constrained area at crossings, in hopes they’d naturally slow down? Seems like shift the island towards the travel lane would be better at controlling speeds regardless of whether a pedestrian is attempting to cross.

Also disappointed the parking and bike lanes aren’t switch or just parking removal. People driving cars, out of self interest, are scared of hitting parked cars. Damage their expensive cars! As long as the parking is tapered off sufficiently early before intersections, I’d prefer parking protected instead of buffered.

I imagine people strongly disagree with parking protected so I’ll see what others think in the comments.

Hello, Kitty
4 years ago
Reply to  PDXCyclist

Parking would probably need to be tapered before any driveways as well. I don’t know how frequent those are along 162nd.

Chris I
Chris I
4 years ago
Reply to  PDXCyclist

It’s to prevent sociopathic drivers from using the shoulder to pass a car that has stopped for pedestrians. As someone who knows outer-east Portland well, I think this design is good. Paint means absolutely nothing out here. We need solid medians and bollards to prevent abuse.

David Hampsten
4 years ago
Reply to  PDXCyclist

Keep in mind there’s also now bus service, so space needs to be provided for stops.

grrlpup
4 years ago

This will help local bike/foot access to Powell Butte, too. 🙂

Doug Hecker
Doug Hecker
4 years ago
Reply to  grrlpup

How so? There is already a bike lane and sidewalk on both sides of the street. The light at 162nd/ Powell is generously long for those crossing Powell.

Doug Hecker
Doug Hecker
4 years ago
Reply to  grrlpup

The biggest issue on the east side is piss poor lighting and lack of sidewalks.

Champs
Champs
4 years ago

If there are 2900 feet between marked crossings, the round trip distance just to safely cross the street on foot could be as much as 15-20 minutes. Small wonder why so many people drive even the shortest trips.

Kiel Johnson / Go By Bike
Member

such a huge improvement! nice work PBOT.

Doug Hecker
Doug Hecker
4 years ago

You ever ride on 162nd? I’m guessing that a strong no.

footwalker
matchupancakes
4 years ago

What has me particularly excited is the “pedestrian level street lighting!” The collectors in east county are often DARK from a lack of lighting in addition to be needlessly wide. The light installations coupled with the island refuges certainly helps to make crossing 162nd Ave *safer*. Thank you, PBOT!

Jeff S(egundo)
Jeff S(egundo)
4 years ago

This is a ridiculously overbuilt street, circa 1950’s auto-centric transport. 3 motor vehicle lanes are plenty. Bravo, PBOT!