A key portal for people who ride bicycles into downtown Portland from southwest will have more room for cycling and smoother pavement by the end of this summer. As revealed on the City of Portland’s website earlier this week, the Portland Bureau of Transportation plans to eliminate one northbound general purpose lane used by car drivers on SW 6th between SW Caruthers and SW Broadway (just south of I-405) in order to create more space for the bike lane (see before-after image below).
This segment of SW 6th is an important connection to the popular bike route on SW Terwilliger and is an area where PBOT has heard from advocates about the urgent need to improve cycling access. In March 2023 I joined southwest cycling advocate Keith Liden on a ride-along and we met at the exact spot where this new project will begin.
While demands for better bicycling here influenced this project, PBOT says the main impetus is an already-planned repaving project that gives them the opportunity to re-stripe the block any way they want. And as we’ve seen numerous times in recent years, when given a clean slate PBOT is very likely to adhere to their adopted plans and guidelines and reduce space for drivers and improve conditions for bike riders.
You might also recall our reporting over the past year about PBOT’s efforts to make it easier for bike riders to get into downtown from both Terwilliger and SW Barbur. When we checked in back in May, we shared that PBOT’s Bicycle Advisory Committee urged the agency to close the gap between Terwilliger and SW 4th in order to capitalize on the $16.9 million being spent on the SW 4th Avenue Improvement Project (which should be completed by the end of this year). Another reason to improve this section of the bike lane on SW 6th? It will align directly with an upcoming project recommended in the Southwest in Motion Plan (project BP-02, shown below) that will add a new bike lane on SW 6th north of SW Broadway/I-405 where it currently drops off.
According to PBOT’s project website, the wider bike lanes and other striping changes on SW 6th, “aims to create safer conditions… In particular, the intersection of SW 6th Avenue and SW Broadway was flagged for safety improvements due to bicycle collision[s].” Despite PBOT’s goal of improved safety, the plans do not appear to include any physical protection between bicycle and car users. The paint-only project is likely a cost-saving measure and advocates will have to continue to push PBOT and Portland City Council to take additional steps forward.
The funding source for this project is a mix of Fixing our Streets (local gas tax) and General Transportation Revenue (which comes from State Highway Fund disbursements and parking revenues). PBOT plans to break ground on this project in May and expects to finish by later this summer. Check their website for more details.
