Yes, River View Cemetery is closed to cycling. Here’s why

People hoping to roll through the quasi-public roads in River View Cemetery on Friday were greeted with a “No Cycling Today” sign.

The good news is this is not a permanent closure (although that threat always remains!). The bad news is we can expect more random closures through December and January.

According to River View Cemetery staff that have reached out to BikePortland, various construction projects will require them to close the roads completely to cycling at certain times. At other times, there will be work zone detours that require caution. “Additionally,” the cemetery shared, “weather conditions during the winter may necessitate gate closures if we determine that the roads are unsafe for vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian traffic.”

One BikePortland reader came across the “No Cycling Today” sign at the bottom gate just west of the Sellwood Bridge today.

If you’re wondering why I’m not sharing specific dates and times of the closures, it’s because River View says they can’t provide them. They’re working with an outside contractor, so they’re not always sure when the work will happen and therefore are unable to offer any prior warnings.

In a message posted to the Lewis & Clark Law School bike commuters email group, the school’s public relations director wrote: “Please remember that we are guests when we bike and walk through the Cemetery, and that both Cemetery staff and the teams that will come in to do this project are all trying to do their jobs. Smile! Wave! Be polite! Please do not do anything that puts your safety or their safety at risk. There is enough challenge in operating heavy machinery, and we do not need to add to it.”

River View Cemetery is private property and they permit the public to use their roads because it’s a much safer and more convenient option than Taylor’s Ferry Road or other routes. The relationship between the cemetery’s board, staff, and people who use the road, has been a tenuous one for many years. The threat of losing access to these roads is always present, and we need the City of Portland, the Oregon Department of Transportation, and other government agencies in the area to work together to build a safe route through this area that doesn’t rely on a nonprofit cemetery’s largesse.

So, what should you do if you see this sign? The only feasible alternates I’m aware of are to the north. Only the strong and fearless should even attempt Taylors Ferry (or is that even rideable? I’ve never tried it), so most folks will want to find a way onto S Corbett, Barbur Blvd (OR 99W) or Terwilliger Parkway.

If River View releases a schedule for the closures, I’ll post it here and/or on social media. Please let me know what you see out there so we can help each other stay informed.