It’s finally happening!
The Portland Bureau of Transportation just announced they will host a ribbon cutting and bike ride to celebrate the Better Naito Forever project this coming Friday, May 6th.
That will be seven years since we first documented concerns about the lack of space for people to walk and bike on the west side of Waterfront Park along Naito and PBOT and nonprofit tactical urbanism group Better Block PDX implemented the “Better Naito” pilot project.
Next Friday’s event will start at 9:30 am at Salmon Springs Fountain. Speakers will begin at 10:00 am and a bike ride led by members of the PBOT Bicycle Advisory Committee will be at 10:30.
Learn more about the project on PBOT’s website or browse our story archives.
Thanks for reading.
BikePortland has served this community with independent community journalism since 2005. We rely on subscriptions from readers like you to survive. Your financial support is vital in keeping this valuable resource alive and well.
Please subscribe today to strengthen and expand our work.
FYai, the barrels are already gone and have been removed last week.
Yep! It’s officially open now. Friday is just the celebration.
Nice! Way to Go: PBoT & Better Block PDX!
PS. Are those concrete sectional curbs or HDPE/ PET? I assume good old concrete.
concrete with reflectors. I wish they had gone taller and more obvious, I’ve seen cars making it over/attempting to make it over to park or thinking it was a turn lane somehow. shoutout to the guy in the red sedan the other afternoon who seemed suitably embarrassed that he’d gotten stuck halfway over!
I can’t remember where I read it but I think there is a prohibition against barriers that are not low and not high. These are designed purposefully so cars can roll over them. You can have it be either so low that a car just rolls over them or, like a jersey barrier, so high a car can’t even begin to go over it. They want to avoid cars coming to an automatic stop and/or getting stuck on it
Mahalo, cdan! -T/B
I’ve heard that Sweden and Finland are joining Naito. That’ll be even more better and a really fun ride!
Sure, because they know the United States will shoulder the financial burden handing over cash to Ukraine.
As long as they keep their damned tanks out of the bike lane it’s all good.
Coincidence this project is coming to completion right before we vote to re-elect (or NOT re-elect as I’m going to do) for the City Counselor that oversees PBOT?
It’s the perfect time for a ribbon cutting ceremony! Get those cameras ready!!
Maybe they should get out a sweeper or something before the big ‘do. I rode it this morning, May 1; piles of leaves, glass, gravel, trash and a couple of motorcycles parked perpendicular to the curb at the Battleship memorial.
I’m glad it’s built, I wish there were money in the budget to maintain it.
Like so much of the infrastructure around here.
As with any new project…its has to make it to the “correct” maintenance roster if the route or equipment used to sweep it has changed etc.
There are many more protected bike lanes than there used to be, and they haven’t built up the capacity to keep them clean. Maintenance doesn’t have a ceremony.
“Maintenance doesn’t have a ceremony.”
Comment of the month.
Having spent years as a pedestrian/public transit user and recently switching to bike — I often find myself shocked at the condition of “the best bike infrastructure” or whatever – in how much it has so many adverse conditions I would never have to think about if I were a frequent car user.
I think a lot of that has to do with two main issue with our bike network.
1. It was designed to ferry commuters into and out of downtown primarily.
2. It relied heavily on critical mass for safety.
I remember prior to COVID just how busy certain places were, such as the Rose Quarter, Hawthorn Bridge, and Tilikum Crossing. Areas like 21st and Clinton had so many people on bikes you could not pass them in a car. The critical mass determined the flow. That’s no longer the case. Infrastructure that requires a critical mass (greenways without diverters and painted bike lanes to name a few) falls apart and becomes unsafe because that large open space without any sort of vertical protection leads to more speeding and erratic driving. Having a sign that says “bikes may take full lane” means nothing when that’s physically impossible. Planning for drivers to follow the law 100% of the time is a good way to get people killed. Paint and signs aren’t enough.
So it’s really great to see a major N/S route for biking in downtown that at least has some protection. Still needs more though. I was constantly frustrated with how difficult it to get from NW to anywhere south of Burnside downtown. I hope we see a better N/S connection around the park blocks especially since 9th Ave connects to the Pearl and Broadway Bridge. I know the intention was to use the Broadway Project near union station to build a connection to the bridge but we need to build on the infrastructure we have now.
Sorry for being long winded, being a casual rider I’m completely frustrated with this stuff. I don’t feel safe riding around, especially when I need to go up a hill and I have cars behind me. I’d use my bike more often but I just opt for the streetcar or walking because it’s too much stress.
I rode along the new route yesterday, and there is a god-awful nauseating chemical smell coming off of the ground. Anyone know what it is? I’m guessing it is associated with the green, but not really sure.
It is from the green paint. You should smelled it closer to when they were laying it down — much much worse. I’d love to see the MSDS of that stuff.
Anyone have any idea why the paint is poorly applied or stripped between Oak and Harvey Milk?
I did; it was god awful.
I rode it last night just past 8 pm. Pretty nice and comfortable, but it was full of puddles! I brand new surface, full of puddles! PBOT does zero QC on their contractors- so disappointing. There does not seem to be a connection to Flanders or the Steel bridge, what happened?
My understanding is that that part is hung up in negotiations with the railroad.
Honestly I’d just like PBOT to copy and paste over the MassDOT protected bike lane guidelines. They cover everything from drainage to snow maintenance. If you don’t include these features from the start, this is what you get.