(UPDATE, 5:15 pm: I just added a photo gallery with new images taken a few minutes ago. Scroll down to browse.)
Christmas has come early for Portlanders who care about great streets: The new protected bike lane on Southwest 4th Avenue is open for business. While the full project isn’t finished yet, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) announced today that the southern section — from just south of I-405 to SW Taylor — is fully functional. TriMet buses are servicing stops in their new Business Access and Transit (BAT) lanes and the new bike signals have been switched on.
The last time I checked in on this $21 million project was back in June and it was already apparent what a massive transformation it had made to the street. I’ll reserve final judgement until I spend time on it myself, but it’s worth noting this exciting milestone.
The newness begins at SW Caruthers, just south of I-405. At that location, you’re in a bike lane on the right side and PBOT has installed a new bike-only signal to get you across that (beast of an) intersection and into the new protected lane on the left side of 4th. Eventually you’ll be able to ride about 1.3 miles north in a bike lane that’s separated from other lanes by a large, concrete median.
Why is the bike lane on the left? PBOT felt it was much safer given that right turns off 4th Ave are much more frequent than left turns, thus there will be fewer conflicts.
The idea is that 4th is the northbound couplet to SW Broadway, as envisioned in the Central City in Motion Plan adopted by Portland City Council in 2018.
For transit users, the new BAT lane is open between SW Grant and Mill. In addition to speeding up bus service and making stops safer, PBOT says the BAT lane, “supports the long term durability of the new pavement on SW Fourth Avenue by consolidating heavy buses into a reinforced concrete lane, reducing the likelihood of rutting and cracking over time.”
While the Portland Metro Chamber decried the project last years as “wasteful” and urged the then-Commissioner-in-Charge of PBOT to cancel it, Mingus Mapps was undeterred and it moved forward. On the contrary, this bug upgrade to a high-profile corridor (SW 4th — and the new bike lane! — goes right in front of City Hall) is fully-supported by the Downtown Neighborhood Association.
DNA Vice President Xavier Stickler told BikePortland this week that, “Downtown is so excited to utilize this right-sized right-of-way.” “I want to sincerely thank PBOT for this major investment in our streets. Downtown is the economic engine of our city, region, and state. Its workers, residents, students, and visitors alike need and deserve smooth roads for driving, fast movement for transit, and safe infrastructure for walking and biking.”
PBOT will continue working in the coming weeks to complete the bike lane all the way north to Old Town as weather allows. I’ve heard there’s an official ribbon-cutting planned for December. Stay tuned for more coverage once I get the chance to get over there and ride this thing!
See how it looks below. These images were taken today:
