Clackamas County is updating its bike and pedestrian master plans for the first time in almost 20 years, and the planners want to hear from you about what should be included.
This updated vision for Clackamas County active transportation is called the Walk Bike Clackamas plan, and project leaders want it to account for the major changes that have taken place since the last time the plan was updated, like new mobility options, the need for urgent carbon emissions reductions and more emphasis on improved health and equity. Goals for the plan are to:
- Establish infrastructure priorities, such as where to build new bike lanes and sidewalks, which will help the county apply for future grants and other funding opportunities.
- Identify programs that increase safety and convenience of walking and biking (like Safe Routes to School).
- Update active transportation polices and adopt performance measures so we can track progress during implementation
- Serve as the pedestrian and bicycle transportation elements of the county’s updated Transportation System Plan (TSP)
“Clackamas County is updating its pedestrian and bicycle master plans to create a comprehensive, long-term vision and to identify ways to improve walking, bicycling, and rolling for all people who live, work, and recreate in the county,” the Walk Bike Clackamas plan states. “While we are focused on the unincorporated portions of the county, we are also keeping in mind how we link to connections in cities within the county.”
Cities in Clackamas County, like Clackamas, Milwaukie, Oregon City and more, are in charge of their own transportation plans within city limits, but the county is responsible for the unincorporated areas between the cities. This has resulted in an incomplete bike network for people traveling throughout the county.
One example of this is the Linwood Avenue path in Milwaukie: an impressive multi-use path in east Milwaukie that would be much more useful if it weren’t only a mile long. (Clackamas County is currently constructing a connecting path on Linwood, but the project timelines were out of sync.)
According to Walk Bike Clackamas’ existing conditions report, the county currently has 167 miles of on-street bikeways, 87 miles of shared-use paths, 1,170 miles of sidewalks and 2,800 total miles of public roadways across cities and unincorporated areas. From public feedback the planners have already received, people believe some active transportation options have improved in the county, but safety, accessibility and network connectivity issues are a big concern stopping people from walking and biking in the area.
You can share your own thoughts and ideas for active transportation in Clackamas County through the Walk Bike Clackamas survey, which will be open for comment through the end of February. County planners want to draft and finalize the plan for implementation by next winter.