Despite an uncertain budget and a new form of government that has had growing pains, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is still managing to pump out exciting projects that will dramatically improve how we get around.
Christmas came early for bus and bike riders with the new lanes on Southwest 4th Avenue, which — if weather holds — could be completed all the way to Burnside before the end of the year. But that’s just the tip of the handlebar. At Tuesday night’s Bicycle Advisory Committee meeting, PBOT Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller shared an update on several other projects that come with significant bicycle infrastructure elements.
Below are several project updates from our cycling Santas at PBOT:
NW/SW Broadway Streetscape Project
“We went from potentially removing these bike lanes a number of years ago, and now we’re going to make them more permanent.” That’s how Geller described PBOT’s new project to further harden and improve the existing bike lanes on Northwest and Southwest Broadway. This vital biking corridor between the Broadway Bridge and Portland State University was threatened with a major downgrade in 2023, but we saved it and now it’s slated to get even better.
The plan is to further harden the existing design by replacing many of the ugly, flimsy, plastic delineator wands with concrete curbs, medians, and planters. Geller said they’ve got about $550,000 to do the work. Construction is expected to begin next summer. Check the project website for more info.
N Willamette Active Transportation Corridor Project
Great news on this one: PBOT has confirmed construction has begun (actually demolition, but you know what I mean)! “This is going to be a fantastic project,” Geller said Tuesday night. This $6 million, federally-funded project will transform North Willamette Blvd from the busy, car-centric hellscape it has become, into a biking and bus riding paradise. Protected bike lanes will be built from N Rosa Parks Way all the way up to N Richmond in St. Johns. Because PBOT is using federal funds, they must get all the money out the door and have construction complete by September 2026. Let’s f’ing goo!!
The only bad news here is that the work zones around the demo and construction might make traveling on Willamette challenging in the months to come. “It’ll be ugly for a little while,” Geller warned. See the official project page for more info updates.
Southwest Terwilliger Connections
PBOT is tagging onto a sewer project to do some street updates that include a safer and better bike path and sidewalk on SW Terwilliger between Sam Jackson Park Rd and SW Sheridan. Geller said design is underway for this project and it’s expected to be built in spring 2027.
There’s also interest to extend the bike and pedestrian connection about 0.2 miles west on Sam Jackson up to the Marquam Nature Park trailhead, but funding for that portion of the project remains uncertain.
When I last reported on this project back in May, the new sidewalk and bike path was only slated to be built along Duniway Park. But PBOT has secured an additional $470,000 in Fixing Our Streets funding to extend a protected bike lane on Terwilliger (toward downtown) all the way to Sheridan. In the outbound direction, Geller said they’ll build a wider, buffered bike lane at first and will plan to come back later and add concrete for more protection.
Geller added that PBOT will also invest $350,000 on a project to connect Terwilliger to the new protected bike lane on SW 4th. When I shared a video on the SW 4th project, many folks complained that connecting to where it starts at SW Caruthers was not easy or safe. For more on this project, check out my story from 2024 and stay tuned.
SW 6th Avenue
Back in January I reported that a repaving project for SW 6th over I-405 to SW Jackson would come with new striping that finally improves this route for bicycling. Unfortunately PBOT crews restriped the newly paved road without those changes. PBOT has acknowledged the mistake and is working on a design that will extend the bike lane on SW 6th through this area. Geller said we can expect this to be complete, “early next spring.”
Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project
Geller said this project is substantially complete. PBOT has build new protected bike lanes on SE Washington Street from 74th to 92nd (just before I-205 path). Those bike lanes connect to new bike lanes on SE Thorburn that go up to E Burnside. For more on the Jade/Montavilla project, see project website. Geller said the new bike lanes on Washington will eventually be extended all the way east to the Portland city limits as part of the forthcoming SE Stark & Washington Safety Project.
SW Bertha Blvd
Geller said PBOT has finished design of a project that they hope will include protected bike lanes on SW Bertha between Barbur and Vermont. Right now they’ve got $200,000 in the bank and it sounds like they’re looking for more to make the protected bike lanes a reality. Construction is expected to begin spring 2026. Learn more on the project page.
NE Halsey Safety and Access to Transit
PBOT is currently building this project which includes a two-way protected bike lane on the south side of NE Halsey between 80th and 92nd. It’s expected to be in construction through July 2026. This will connect to another project that will reconstruct the NE Halsey and 92nd intersection and build two-way buffered bike lanes between NE Jonesmore and 92nd. Just south of I-84, PBOT is also building a mini-roundabout on Halsey where the overpass meets NE 81st and 80th. Learn more at the project website.
NE 148th From Halsey to Powell
PBOT recently earned a $7.1 million grant from Metro to build new crossings, bike lanes and improve transit access on NE 148th between Halsey and Powell. Geller said the bike lanes are expected to be a mix of buffered and protected designs. Final design is to be determined, so check the project website and stay tuned for opportunities to weigh in.
It’s so exciting to see all these projects in motion. Later in Tuesday’s meeting, Bicycle Advisory Committee Chair Jim Middaugh said PBOT’s work on these projects is yet another sign of Portland’s comeback:
“I think all of us know bikes really are going to be part of the solution — from climate perspective, economic recovery perspective, from an equity perspective. Bikes were what one of the major things that made Portland cool and really competitive at one point, and I think they’re going to be a key part of doing that again.”
Me too!
Stay tuned for updates and more coverage of all these projects.