It’s in the plan for 82nd. But just how “X” it will be remains to be seen. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
Advocates closely tracking the status of TriMet’s 82nd Avenue Transit Project are worried that the quality of the bus service might be compromised in light of pushback from some businesses along the corridor.
The Line 72 that runs on 82nd has more riders than any bus line in the state with about 10,000 daily boardings. It also has the most delays due to all the drivers and their cars that get in the way. Whether or not Line 72 gets better along with the generational investment underway on 82nd has never been in dispute; but how much better is the big question. With two lanes in each direction, a dedicated bus lane — also known as business access and transit, or BAT lanes — for all 10 miles of the project between Clackamas and Portland’s Cully neighborhood would mean a lot less space for cars.
Back in May, when TriMet asked the general public whether they wanted “some” BAT lanes or “more” BAT lanes, the results were clear: 70% of respondents chose the “more” option. Now however, it appears TriMet has heard feedback from business owners that’s not as supportive.
TriMet slide that will be presented Wednesday (9/24).
“While the survey in April indicated support for the ‘More BAT’ lanes option, we heard that more business engagement was needed,” reads a slide that will be presented tomorrow (Weds, 9/24) at a meeting of the 82nd Avenue Transit Project Community Advisory Committee (CAC). “In recent discussions with businesses,” continues the text on the slide, “we heard support for the transit and safety improvements, as well as significant concerns to BAT lanes.” TriMet says those concerns had to do with “customer access,” “construction impact,” and “traffic and vehicle diversion.”
Now I’m hearing a bit of worry in messages from some advocates who are tracking this project closely. While many thought the project was moving forward with BAT lanes along nearly the entire corridor, there’s significant concern that TriMet project managers might compromise the BAT lane to win business support. That could mean we’d see BAT lanes only on some sections of the project corridor — a move that would likely result in slower buses.
One transit advocate shared with me today that, given what they feel is a recent change in tone from project leaders about the BAT lane issue, “I am on high alert.”
TriMet has just uploaded a new draft design concept that shows continuous BAT lanes for the entire project within Portland city limits (SE Luther Rd). However, their materials make it clear that nothing is final. “BAT lane under evaluation. The extent of this feature is still being explored,” TriMet writes. The agency expects to make a final decision about the BAT lanes in late 2025.
This topic will be discussed at the CAC meeting tomorrow (9/24) from 6:00 to 7:30 pm at PCC SE Community Hall Annex (2305 SE 82nd Ave.).
New pavement and a much wider bike lane on NE Weidler east of NE 15th Ave. See before shot below. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
The main commercial district of Northeast Broadway and Northeast Weidler from about 7th to 24th has long been known as a couplet for drivers. But for cyclists? Not so much. With outdated, door-zone bike lanes, people riding bikes have historically avoided these streets, opting instead for the neighborhood greenway on NE Tillamook (to the north) or the lower traffic volumes and better bikeway on NE Multnomah (to the south).
But that changed this summer when the Portland Bureau of Transportation finished repaving Broadway and Weidler and updated the cycling lanes at the same time. I’ve already covered the changes on Broadway, but NE Weidler now has a wider and more comfortable bike lane of its own. Given these upgrades, is it time to add Broadway-Weidler to your bike map?
Yesterday I returned to NE Broadway to see a few changes that PBOT has made since I was there last month and figured I’d check out NE Weidler while I was out there.
Compare the old cross-section with the image above.
NE Weidler
Starting from NE 7th and heading east, Weidler is unchanged. For about eight blocks (and through the Lloyd Center Mall area) I had to ride in an unprotected bike lane sandwiched between car drivers on my left and parked cars on my right (see photo below). As PBOT upgrades bikeways citywide, this type of facility looks more and more outdated. That’s one positive consequence of progress: as more streets get better bike lanes, the old ones looks even worse by comparison, which (should) create urgency to bring everything up to the latest standards.
PBOT’s recent changes begin at NE 15th, where we now have new pavement and a wider bike lane. There are still three lanes for drivers, but PBOT has added a few feet of buffer space on each side of the bike lane. I appreciated the added breathing room and could feel my stress level go down between NE 14th and 15th. Things get a bit tighter as the street narrows east of 16th and I wish we had more protection for the bike lane here, but it’s still an upgrade from what we had before. Then at 21st, things get even better for cycling as PBOT has reduced the number of driving lanes to one and added a generous buffer zone to the bike lane.
Between 7th and 15th, we still have this crap.New buffer doing its job!Lower speeds are always nice.Green always helps.This is the best part of the changes, where drivers have just one lane and the bike lane has been widened.Love these signs in the merge zone just east of NE 21st.Approaching the infamous curve at NE 24th.New concrete curbs on NE 24th curve.
Forcing drivers to merge into one lane in just half a city block is such a big deal that PBOT had to install not one, not two, not three, but four big yellow advisory signs right next to each other. The signs say, “Take Turns” which is quite novel and the merge symbol sort of looks like two people dancing. (I can only imagine what type of creative vandalism these will attract!)
At the infamous offset intersection of NE Weidler and 24th, where so many drivers were crashing into a house in the curve it has been vacated, PBOT has added a green coloring to the bikeway and concrete curbs for protection. At 24th the bike lane ends and you’re directed onto Weidler as it becomes a smaller, neighborhood street. If you want to access Broadway by bike and continue eastbound, you’re better off hopping up onto the sidewalk unless you’re comfortable sharing the lane with drivers on a busy street.
NE Broadway
I’ve already shared my impressions of the big changes PBOT made in their Broadway Pave and Paint project. And judging by this positive Reddit thread I came across a few days ago, I’m not the only one who thinks it’s a nice step forward.
Since I was there a few weeks ago, PBOT has made a few key changes — some planned and others unplanned.
Between NE 26th and 24th, PBOT has installed what they refer to as “traffic separators” (see below). These went in last week with the goal of creating a bit more peace of mind and protection between drivers and bicycle riders. They’re four inches tall and a foot wide, with a bevel on one side and a right-angle on the other. Unfortunately PBOT maintenance crews installed them backwards and they don’t quite line up inside the buffer zone. The beveled side is supposed to face the bike lane and the sharp edge is supposed to face the drivers. But on both Weidler and Broadway, they’re installed the other way around.
I read a few posts about this on the BikeLoud Slack channel before I saw it myself, so I reached out to PBOT to ask for a clarification. They confirmed that the curbs have been installed incorrectly. However, PBOT says the current installation, “does not result in a negative impact on safety and they would also be costly to remove and reinstall.” “Given the limited benefits and additional cost of fixing the error, PBOT does not plan to remove and reinstall the separators,” a spokesperson told BikePortland yesterday.
In addition to new protective curbs, PBOT has added signage and plastic posts to medians at intersections in order to more clearly designate that the new bike lane should never be used by drivers as a right-turn lane (see below). I shared concern about this in my initial post about the project and it has unfortunately become a big enough issue that — in addition to permanent signs posted on the medians — PBOT has placed large barricades near the curb to prevent drivers from using the lane.
This is an unfortunate development, since it sullies the project and detracts from the beauty of the new infrastructure. PBOT themselves has noted that aesthetics are a very important element of bike infrastructure — especially in high-profile commercial districts. So to have to erect barricades is a bummer. PBOT says their plan is to keep them in place for just three weeks. The hope is drivers will adopt new habits, so that when the barricades are removed, they won’t use the lane for turning. No permanent barrier is planned, in part because PBOT needs to keep the space open so sweepers can fit through (and the cost of a permanent feature wasn’t budgeted for).
Hopefully drivers pay closer attention to the new design and stop using the bike lane as a turning lane.
Final verdict
It’s definitely noteworthy that PBOT upgraded the bike lanes on both Weidler and Broadway within a few months of each other. And given the amount of destinations along these streets, there’s massive potential in making a high-quality bikeway along them. On Weidler, we need more space and protection for the bike lane between NE 7th and 24th for this couplet to really come to life as a good option for cycling. The updates between 15th and 24th are nice, but I’m afraid it’s still not attractive enough for families or novice riders. The new conditions on Broadway are much better, and if drivers make good choices, I think it will attract a much wider array of riders.
And like I wrote in my intro, every upgrade we make creates a higher contrast to older, more dangerous facilities, so this is a step in the right direction. It’ll take a much larger budget and a federal government that isn’t hostile to cycling, for PBOT to create the Broadway-Weidler couplet between the Broadway Bridge and NE 26th that we need and deserve.
— Now that it’s been in place for a month or so, what has been your experience of these new bike lanes?
What even is a “Portland cyclist”? It’s a term that gets thrown around a lot and it describes something that has become a major cultural stereotype. But if you look more closely, it’s easy to see that the people who ride bikes in Portland are a very diverse group. These images were all taken at the same location (N Williams at Hancock) within minutes of each other.
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Just a tiny slice of the folks riding bikes on Portland streets every day!
