Greenway upgrades will connect Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood to Springwater path

The Springwater Corridor path is vital infrastructure — especially for people who live in southeast Portland neighborhoods where there are precious few safe places to ride and most of the through streets are wide and dangerous arterials. That’s why any project that makes it easier for people to connect to the Springwater should be a high priority.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation knows this and is investing $2.1 million to make safer connections between the Springwater and the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood. I rolled out to Flavel Park yesterday to take a closer look at the Springwater Connector Neighborhood Greenway project, which just broke ground last month.

The project has two main elements: Low-stress north-south bike routes between SE Flavel St and the Springwater on SE 75th/77th and at 87th. Here’s how PBOT lays it out:

At Flavel, PBOT plans to pave a new bike path on the eastern edge of Flavel Park that will end at SE Lambert. Construction on the path hasn’t started yet, but markings have been placed in the park where it will go (above left). From the south end of the park, PBOT plans to pave SE 75th (which is currently gravel) and add a new sidewalk for about a block or so to Crystal Springs Blvd. The route will then jog onto SE Harney and then 77th where it will connect to the Springwater via an existing paved path. The route between Flavel Park and the Springwater will have the standard greenway treatment of sharrows (to indicate a shared roadway where bicycle riders have priority), speed bumps, and bike route signs.

This section of greenway will eventually connect to the 70s Neighborhood Greenway which PBOT plans to build in 2021-2022. That route will reach all the way to the Cully Neighborhood in northeast Portland.

At 87th, PBOT has already completed a new crossing of Flavel with crosswalks, crossbikes, and a median island (above left). Currently the block south of Flavel is gravel and there’s a narrow dirt path (in above right photo) that connects to the Springwater. PBOT plans to pave a 12 to 14-foot multi-use path in this section that will come with new trees and lighting. The new path will connect directly to the Springwater.

PBOT broke ground on this project in July and expects everything to be completed by this coming January. The $2.1 million in funding is a mix of local gas tax revenue (Fixing Our Streets program), Transportation System Development Charges and Lents Town Center Urban Renewal funds.

This is just one of several new projects PBOT has been working on in east Portland lately. Stay tuned for coverage of SE 136th and the new 130s and HOP neighborhood greenways.

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