People driving cars on what are supposed to be carfree paths for bicycling and walking has become a major problem in Portland in recent years. As tents and other temporary housing structures have sprung up on public right-of-ways adjacent to multi-use paths, it has become increasingly common for people who live in the camps to drive cars right up to their front doors. The presence of cars is unexpected for path users and can obstruct people from safely using these areas.
To deal with this tricky issue, government agencies erect barricades to keep the cars out, but those barricades often end up compromising access for law-abiding users of the paths as well. We saw this happen on the Columbia Slough path in 2022 when Portland Parks & Recreation erected large cement Jersey barriers to keep drivers off the path.
Today I confirmed yet another path where public access has been restricted due to concerns about campers and cars: The “Going to the River” path on Swan Island that opened in 2006 and provides a connection to the Willamette Riverfront via N Going Street and Port Center Way.
After coming across a photo shared by @Intersection911 on X earlier today, I contacted Portland Parks & Recreation to inquire about the situation. The photo showed what looked like a complete blockage to the path entrance from Port Center Way just south of Going Street/Channel Ave. This is the path folks take to access Lindbergh’s Beach. It’s a connection to about a mile of continuous, carfree, paved riverfront path between the Union Station Railyards and a boat ramp at the northern end of the Daimler Trucks North America campus. I recommended this route to families in a 2020 post about riding on Swan Island.
Today I learned the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services has jurisdiction over this path. BES Public Information Officer Diane Dulken confirmed that they erected these concrete barriers to prevent automobile access to the path about nine months ago. When they installed the barriers they left room an opening for other users like bike riders, walkers, wheelchair users, and so on. “But an unknown person or persons further blocked the path, as you are pointing out in the photo,” Dulken shared with BikePortland today.
Dulken said BES has no plans to remove the barrier because it is “working to protect the public from illicit driving on the river pathway.” Here’s more from Dulken:
“Safety at this site continues to be our top priority. There is a considerable amount of unsanctioned camping in the area and the site has had a history of people camping along the pathway and beach, and driving illegally and dangerously along the pathway, posing an unacceptable risk to people walking, rolling, and biking. Since the barriers have been placed, that driving has stopped.”
Dulken said the public can access the river and path via another entry point about one-tenth of a mile away. The path is to the northwest of the location in the photo and is located about 400-feet west of Port Center Way along the eastern edge of the Daimler Truck First Gear Academy school (see map graphic above). BES says they don’t own that path and I’m still trying to find out who does. I’ll update this post with that information soon.