BikePortland

Portland working with Federal Highway Administration on big push for advisory bike lanes

PBOT graphic of advisory bike lane design shared with Federal Highway Administration.

“We’re constantly looking to make cycling safer and more comfortable for more Portlanders.”
– Dylan Rivera, PBOT

2022 has been a big year for advisory bike lanes in Portland. We first reported on projects that would receive the new(ish) treatment back in May, then followed that up with a video about recent installations on NE 43rd and 53rd, and then earlier this month the Portland Bureau of Transportation had an open house to talk more about it.

Now we know why PBOT is so bullish on these treatments, and where they are likely to show up next.

First, let’s back up: Advisory bike lanes (or advisory shoulders, which is what PBOT calls them on streets without sidewalks) are a type of road striping where drivers in both directions have just one center lane to negotiate and PBOT creates a light version of bike lanes on each side. Instead of the solid white line to separate the bike lane, they are striped with broken, hashed lanes. When two drivers come at each other and there is no bike rider present, they can legally drive into the bike lane to pass. When a bike rider is present, the normal rules of a bike lane apply, and the drivers must wait, slow down, and figure out how to pass once it’s safe. You can see how they work in the video below…

PBOT loves this design for many reasons. First and foremost they are a cheap (and relatively non-controversial) way to improve access for bike riders and walkers onto narrow streets where adding dedicated space for them would require less space for car users. Advisory bike lanes require no one user to give up too much in terms of access (two-way car traffic can remain and parking is often be maintained) and at the same time they have significant safety outcomes.

From PBOT’s perspective, advisory bike lanes tick all the boxes and could be a quick and cheap way to build out their bike network as they ramp up to have 25% of all trips made by bike by 2030. So why are we hearing so much about them right now? After all, they were passed as a recommended treatment in the 2009 Bicycle Plan, but PBOT had only tried them in one location in the last 12 years prior to 2022.

The main reason PBOT had been tentative to install them is because they aren’t allowed by the Federal Highway Administration (there were only 30 advisory bike lane installations in the entire country up until 2019). In order to promote consistency nationwide, everything city traffic engineers do on their streets must follow strict rules laid out in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD). a federal standards guide. If a city does something outside of the MUTCD, they run the risk of legal liability in the event of a crash and no engineers want to go up against the FHWA. Thankfully, the FHWA offers a way for more progressive cities like Portland to do new things. It’s called a “request to experiment” and it’s exactly what it sounds like. A city can ask the FHWA for permission to try something new, even if it’s not yet adopted into the official MUTCD guidebook.

PBOT is no stranger to this process. It’s how they forged ahead as a North American pioneer on things like bike boxes, green bike lanes, red transit lanes, blue bike detector lights at signals, and so on.

And that’s exactly what they’ve done with advisory bike lanes. PBOT filed a request to experiment with the FHWA back in January and has received permission to install them on a trial basis citywide.

Reached for comment about the FHWA partnership today, PBOT Public Informations Officer Dylan Rivera said, “We’re constantly looking to make cycling safer and more comfortable for more Portlanders. So we are eager to try new techniques that we have seen in other cities in North America or Europe.”

The 10-page request (PDF) lays out PBOT’s case for the treatment:

“Advisory Bike Lanes and Shoulders are included as a facility type in [Portland’s citywide pedestrian plan and the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030] but have not yet been implemented due to outstanding questions about traffic control device guidelines, application criteria, and experimental status with FHWA…
… the city also has many neighborhoods with narrow streets, often lacking curbs and sidewalks or pedestrian facilities. Many of these substandard streets are characterized by narrow pavements and rights-of-way, steep or environmentally-sensitive sideslopes, and streetside constraints like buildings or retaining walls, and it is either infeasible or financially prohibitive to install sidewalks or conventional bikeways in the near future. Nevertheless, these streets serve as the access to homes, transit, and other destinations in these neighborhoods, and warrant solutions to provide safe access for people walking and bicycling.”

PBOT map showing where they will test advisory bike lanes and shoulders as part of FHWA experiment.

As part of this experiment, PBOT hopes to test five new locations:

NE San Rafael St. from 122nd to 148th
NE Sacramento St. from 132nd to 148th
SE Ellis St. from 84th to 92nd.
SW 40th Avenue, Wilbard to Huber
SW Talbot Road, Fairmount at Gaston to Fairmount (Fairmount is a loop)

Rivera says that while PBOT believes all of these locations are good candidates for advisory bike lanes, there will still be some engineering and public outreach to get into the nitty-gritty details before they install the new striping and include them in the test.

As per the terms of the partnership, PBOT will keep FHWA apprised of their progress and conduct detailed before/after analysis at each location. If all goes well, at the end of the three-year trial, PBOT will be able to install them without federal oversight and the treatment would be considered for official adoption into the MUTCD, which would open the floodgates for cities across America to implement them.

— Check out the advisory bike lane page on PBOT’s website to learn more.

New York Times map shows link between city planning and climate change

Portland’s carbon footprint, mapped by neighborhood. (The deeper the green, the lower the footprint.) (Source: New York Times)

“Households in denser neighborhoods close to city centers tend to be responsible for fewer planet-warming greenhouse gases.”
– New York Times

Want to know how your neighborhood’s average carbon emissions stack up to other places around the country? Look no further than a new map from the New York Times created with data from the University of California, Berkeley, which puts the important relationship between city planning and the climate crisis on visual display. For people who know how important sustainable city planning is for carbon emissions reductions, these findings won’t be surprising, but it’s striking to see it laid out so clearly.

The data breaks down every U.S. census tract according to five categories: transportation, housing, food, goods and services. Although the latter three categories are important as well, the first two categories are the most crucial for city planners to look at, especially since they often make up the biggest contribution to a household’s carbon footprint.

Taking a big-picture view of the map, it’s immediately obvious that people living in cities have a much lower carbon footprint than people living in the suburbs or rural areas — largely because of housing and transportation.

The emissions breakdown for a census tract in the Alameda neighborhood.

As many proponents of dense housing developments will tell you, transportation and housing are inextricably linked. This is not only because denser cities typically have more options available for people to get around without cars, but also because smaller homes located in more populated areas require less energy for electricity and heating/cooling. The article states:

Households in denser neighborhoods close to city centers tend to be responsible for fewer planet-warming greenhouse gases, on average, than households in the rest of the country. Residents in these areas typically drive less because jobs and stores are nearby and they can more easily walk, bike or take public transit. And they’re more likely to live in smaller homes or apartments that require less energy to heat and cool.

When you zoom in on Portland on the map, you’ll see that many of our neighborhoods — especially in the central city — are comparatively pretty green, with emissions below the national average of about 40 tons of carbon dioxide per household. The lowest impact neighborhoods are in the transit and housing-dense west side (downtown), where the average household consumes less than half the national average.

Interestingly, in the parts of the city where emissions are higher, transportation and housing aren’t necessarily to blame. The neighborhoods colored deepest orange on the map include the wealthy east side areas of Irvington, Alameda and Laurelhurst, all of which are located near the city center and where residents have carfree transportation options to get around. In these neighborhoods, the main problem sources come from food, goods and services.

“Density isn’t the only thing that matters,” the article says. “Wealth does, too. Higher-income households generate more greenhouse gases, on average, because wealthy Americans tend to buy more stuff — appliances, cars, furnishings, electronic gadgets — and travel more by car and plane, all of which come with related emissions.”

Just because many Portland neighborhoods have lower average household emissions than other places in the country doesn’t mean we can’t continue to improve. The average carbon emissions per capita in most other countries around the world is much lower than what can be seen even in Portland’s greenest areas.

The NYT article makes it clear that this research isn’t meant to shame people for things out of their control. The article points out that it is “often easier and cheaper to find a home in a high-emissions community than a lower-emissions one.” Researchers want to use this data to encourage cities to make systemic changes that will reduce emissions on a large scale.

“Cities and local governments could use the data to identify the most effective ways to fight climate change — by, for example, encouraging developers to build more housing in neighborhoods where people don’t need cars to get around or helping households in suburbs more quickly adopt cleaner electric vehicles,” the article states. (Or perhaps expanding public transit options into under-serviced communities and improving bike infrastructure?)

This kind of data visualization really highlights how smart city planning is so important if we want to make progress to combat climate change. Take a few minutes to zoom around on the map and let us know what you think.

Job: Independent Sales Representative – E-Mobility Strategic Accounts – OTTOLOCK

Buffered Bike Lane with a bike symbol and arrow pointing forward

Job Title

Independent Sales Representative – E-Mobility Strategic Accounts

Company / Organization

OTTOLOCK

Job Description

OTTO DesignWorks LLC, makers of the award-winning OTTOLOCK cinch lock, is seeking an independent sales representative to develop strategic accounts in the rapidly growing micromobility space. E-bikes and E-scooters need mobile security options and our all-new product line suite, including U-Locks and folding locks, address multiple outdoor use cases.

This position is part-time, contract, and can transition to full-time with success and growth. This position will build the funnel and relationships for both OEM and aftermarket sales direct to strategic accounts. Coverage will be national, and start-up comes with an extensive list of leads. Compensation will be variable. Position will work with management on sales programs and product customization where necessary. Candidate values honesty, commitment, and collaboration.

Required Skills, Knowledge & Experience
• Strong and demonstrated sales deliverables and growth track-record.
• Know-how and understanding of cycling and/or security marketplace with relationships in emerging micromobility market a definite plus.
• Self-starting drive and willingness to “cold-call” prospects.
• Ability to understand and communicate technical details, e.g., specifications, differences, dims.
• Ability to network and build connections/relationships.
• Experience using/building a CRM methodology and communicating to internal stakeholders.
• Ability to effectively work in a small team on customer needs and programs.
• Understanding of pricing & terms programs and the ability to recommend winning structure for both company and customer.
• Strong written and oral communications skills. Able to communicate proficiently and concisely.
• Strong computer skills and experience with various systems (Google Docs, Microsoft Office).
• Strong attention to detail and concern for quality/accuracy.
• Adept at building relationships and trust with team members.

OTTOLOCK was founded in 2017 and based in Wilsonville, OR.

How to Apply

Send resume and information to jobs@ottodesignworks.com

Neighbors wanted a better bike lane on Killingsworth, so PBOT gave it to them

On Monday afternoon, City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, announced that the Portland Bureau of Transportation would heed demands from Cully neighborhood and safe streets advocates and build more robust bike lanes on Northeast Killingsworth than were initially planned.

When PBOT first looked at the 0.7-mile segment of Killingsworth between 53rd and Cully Blvd (see map), they decided it needed repaving. The initial design called for replacing the existing lane configuration with what’s there now — door-zone bike lanes with an additional painted (unprotected) buffer between riders and other road users. But in February, neighborhood residents spurred to action by advocacy group Andando en Bicicletas y Caminando (ABC, translates to “riding bikes and walking”) with support from Community Cycling Center, told PBOT they wanted more. In a joint letter to Commissioner Hardesty and PBOT Director Chris Warner, they said, “We cannot accept buffered bike lanes.”

Buffered bike lanes are cheaper and easier for PBOT to implement and they don’t require one of the things the agency is often most reluctant to do: ask for a neighborhood’s support for a better bike lane that would reduce the amount of on-street car parking. PBOT was supportive of the advocates’ request from the get-go, but it took these groups speaking up to stop the bureaucratic inertia and create the potential for something better.

New design for Killingsworth will be similar to NE Glisan. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

This advocacy led to a pause in the project from PBOT so they could conduct a formal outreach process and vet a different design proposal — one that would separate the bike lane from other lanes via a lane of parked cars and a more robust buffer zone. Because this parking-protected bike lane proposal would be a more significant change to the street, and because it would require a 50% reduction in on-street car parking spaces in a part of the city with a higher than average amount of low-income residents and Spanish-speaking people, PBOT moved forward carefully.

To make sure their new proposal was supported by community that would be most impacted by it, PBOT sent over 4,000 postcards to mailboxes in the area, launched an online survey, and hired a contractor (Living Cully Coalition) to organize two neighborhood meetings to collect feedback.

The response was resounding support for safer bicycling and the parking-protected lane. 75% of the 151 survey participants (63% of whom lived in the Cully neighborhood) felt the proposed design would meet project goals. A whopping 95% of respondents said the two most important priorities should be safer crossings and better bicycling facilities.

The result is a $4.1 million project that will bring significant changes to Killingsworth. In addition to the smoother pavement and parking-protected bike lanes between 53rd and Cully, PBOT says the project will include (descriptions from PBOT):

Pedestrian signal rebuild and median islands midblock between 54th and 55th avenues. This project element was changed in response to community feedback. The project team originally proposed to remove the aging signal and replacing it with median islands. The signal will be rebuilt and median islands will still be added.
Pedestrian crossing improvement with refuge islands and lighting enhancements at 64th Avenue. This project element was changed to serve the nearby manufactured home community and in response to a serious crash involving a pedestrian a few years ago.
Transit platform with bikes up and over behind the platform at the eastbound 64th Avenue TriMet bus stop. This project element was added in response to community concerns about parking loss. The transit platform will help retain some parking in an area with higher-density, low income housing. The platform will also allow the frequent Line 72 bus to stop in lane, reducing delay, and separates bikes and buses from each other, reducing conflicts.

“I am proud that we took a step back to deepen our outreach – part of which was to include more residents who don’t speak English as a first language,” said Commissioner Hardesty in a statement yesterday.

Community Cycling Center Programs Director William Francis shared thoughts about the project with us this morning. “ABC members are proud and pleased to see that their participation in feedback sessions and conversations with PBOT have resulted in real infrastructure changes that center the well-being and safety of both cyclists and pedestrians along Killingsworth St. It is critical to amplify the voices of community-based groups like ABC because they stand up for some of the most vulnerable and overlooked users within the transportation system, and without their presence the status quo faces little opposition.”

And Marlene Canche, a member of ABC said (in Spanish, translated by PBOT), “I think it is good that they are putting in more marked crosswalks on Killingsworth. It is also good to have more separation between vehicles and cyclists. I feel safer as a cyclist and a pedestrian with that separation. But I think a change in driver behavior is also necessary because in the end they have to respect the crosswalks in order to truly keep people safe in Cully.”

Construction is due to start and be completed in 2024.

Learn more about the project on PBOT’s website.

Bicycle Advisory Committee ride surveys new east Portland infrastructure

“A lot of the infrastructure out in east Portland is better now than it was in the central city 20 years ago.”
-Roger Geller, PBOT Bicycle Coordinator

It has traditionally been the case that east Portland’s active transportation infrastructure has lagged far behind the central city. But while the amenities for people biking, walking and riding transit east of 82nd Avenue are still lacking compared to what can be found closer to the Willamette River, the area has recently seen some substantial developments.

On Saturday morning, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) Bicycle Coordinator Roger Geller led the city’s Bicycle Advisory Committee (BAC) on a ride to check out some of these developments. Geller tries to take BAC meetings to the streets for a more hands-on experience at least a few times a year in order to demonstrate the real-world impact of the topics the group talks about at monthly meetings. This time he chose a route robust with new infrastructure in east Portland, taking participants to territory largely unseen by those of us who live close-in.

We started at SE 82nd Ave and Division Street and rode all the way to 157th Ave on Division’s new bike facilities, built to accompany TriMet’s new Frequent Express (FX) service on the corridor. This was new for me — in the past, I’ve only gone as far as 122nd Ave — and it was helpful see more of the project and hear some behind-the-scenes info from Geller along the way.

These bike lanes aren’t without issues. The most blatant problem is the fact that many people who work at or visit businesses along Division use them as a free-for-all parking zone and there are few preventative measures to stop them from doing so. There are also maintenance concerns on the bikeway, but that’s not specific to these facilities: you’d be hard-pressed to ride anywhere in the city without running into a pothole, puddle, or massive pile of leaves these days.

Riders navigate around shards of broken mirror in the Division bike lane.

Still, it’s far from ideal to navigate around shards of broken glass — especially when you have to deal with the other hazards more specific to east Portland, where people driving cars are generally less aware of people biking and can even be downright hostile.

At 157th Ave, we swung a left up into the 150s greenway system. The calm streets made me realize how much tension I’d been holding onto while riding on Division, even though I didn’t think it was so bad at the time.

The 150s greenway has just recently come into its own, and PBOT is continuing to add new infrastructure to the neighborhood to beef up the facilities. In August, the city hosted its final Sunday Parkways event out here to show off their work. The streets are pretty calm, although you do have to cross several large streets in order to travel the length of the route. We crossed Stark, Burnside, Glisan and Halsey without much trouble. But even with the new crossing treatments on the greenway, I can imagine a less comfortable bike rider feeling nervous about those crossings — especially if they were by themselves and not riding with a group of confident bike advocates.

One interesting — and somewhat perplexing — element of the 150s greenway is on NE Couch in between 154th and 156th. This stretch of Couch is very narrow, so in order to accommodate people biking, westbound car traffic has been blocked off. However, it appears the contractor placed the one-way traffic sign facing the wrong direction, causing some confusion. This part of the greenway is very residential and quiet, so the mistake probably won’t have catastrophic results, but it does highlight some of the problems people might have navigating the greenway as it jogs from one street to the next across almost four miles.

East Portland advocate Jim Chasse and BAC chair Ally Holmqvist.

Finally, we made it up NE San Rafael, which features some buzzy infrastructure new to Portland’s streets: advisory bike lanes. We’ve explained this type of street design before, but essentially what they do is create shared space between people biking and driving on a street too narrow for traditional bike lanes. Geller said in Portland they’re essentially an alternative to turning a low-traffic street into a neighborhood greenway, but instead of just a sharrow they actually feature a carved out space for people biking. Amongst Saturday’s ride participants, these advisory bike lanes were a hit. And they’re likely to be coming to many more streets in the future if PBOT succeeds in getting federal sanctional to install them.

Overall, this was an educational ride, giving participants a glimpse into east Portland’s cycling network and how it’s changed over the years.

“A lot of the infrastructure out in east Portland is better now than it was in the central city 20 years ago,” Geller said.

This statement earned agreement from Jim Chasse, who joined the BAC ride as a notable guest, being one of east Portland’s strongest bike advocates for many years. Chasse’s advocacy was a big impetus for the East Portland in Motion project — a framework that was then replicated in other parts of the city — which brought active transportation infrastructure to areas severely lacking. Geller talked up Chasse as an important figure in east Portland’s transportation history. His presence on the ride was a good demonstration of the kind of working relationships many advocates have with PBOT staff, even when they don’t hold back their criticism of the bureau.

Chasse seems cautiously optimistic about the future of active transportation in east Portland. He acknowledges there have been improvements, but maintains there’s a lot more work to be done and thinks city planners still put too much of their effort in the central city.

“East Portland would be a great place for biking if there was more infrastructure,” Chasse said, referring to the area’s naturally flat landscape and fairly standard street grid system. (I was also struck by the unique houses and neat parks that I hadn’t seen before.)

It can be difficult to strike a balance between appreciating progress and continuing to hold planners’ feet to the fire. But as Chasse waved goodbye and zipped off through east Portland’s streets alone, he appeared to be a good example of what that can look like.

Lawmakers get first look at Interstate Bridge freeway project price tag

After only hearing about “a new bridge” for years, some lawmakers might have been shocked to see the truth about this project.

State legislators from both Oregon and Washington didn’t raise many eyebrows at the news that the five-mile expansion of I-5 between Portland and Vancouver could end up being over $2.5 billion higher than previous estimates. The Interstate Bridge Replacement Program team fielded questions Monday from a joint legislative committee, but faced relatively few questions about the new $5 to $7.5 billion cost estimate, which is primarily blamed on inflation and workforce shortages.

On one level, this isn’t surprising since lawmakers are getting updates about how cost increases are impacting all sectors of state government, large construction projects perhaps most of all. But it raises the question of whether there’s any cost estimate that would lead to lawmakers calling for a significant reassessment. Much of the conversation Monday centered on a relatively small element: how long term operations and maintenance for the extension of the proposed TriMet light rail line into Vancouver will be funded.

On one side, Washington Senator Lynda Wilson (WA-17) pushed back on light rail ridership projections made by the project in what appeared to be an attempt to pick apart the transit expense. “I think this is pie in the sky in order to justify having light rail come over this bridge,” Wilson said.

But she received pushback from IBR Program Administrator Greg Johnson over light rail’s inclusion in the project. “We know the highway mode can’t continue to be the only mode in this corridor,” he countered.

Oregon Representative Khanh Pham (OR-46) repeatedly brought up the issue of light rail operating costs, pointing to a need to identify long-term funding to qualify for federal transit grants. All of the dollars that have been secured for the project so far are one-time capital costs, including $1 billion allocated by Washington that’s expected to be matched dollar-for-dollar by Oregon in 2023.

With the departure of Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty from the city council later this month, Pham will likely become the highest-profile elected official on the project’s advisory boards with an inclination toward questioning some of its baseline assumptions. Pham told the project team she was concerned with the latest cost increase announcement, bringing up the potential for costs to come in even higher than the upper estimates. She pointed to the I-5 Rose Quarter project in Portland, now projected to cost more than $1.25 billion compared to the original $500 to $700 million estimate.

Pham suggested that if the project were “right sized” to include only the replacement of the Columbia River bridge and the extension of MAX service, transportation dollars could be freed up for badly needed projects, like improvements to “orphan highways” like Tualatin Valley Highway.

Now that the Interstate Bridge project has been given the go-ahead by every area government and agency, those involved appear to be more comfortable admitting the project is much more than a “bridge replacement”, despite the name. The legislators saw a graphic (above) depicting all of the interchanges in the project area, clearly demonstrating the immense scope of the project. “People focus on the cost of the bridge, but a lot of the cost is not the bridge, but it’s things that make the freeway work,” committee co-chair Senator Lee Beyer (OR-6) said after years of project team obfuscation about that exact issue.

During the meeting, Johnson noted that the planned enormous interchange at Portland’s Marine Drive would likely be the second most expensive element of the project behind the river crossing. But Assistant Program Administrator Ray Mabey couldn’t answer a question from Rep. Pham about how easy to use the interchange would be for people who are trying to access the multi-use path across the river.

So far, it looks like even a 50% increase in potential costs isn’t enough to break the stride of this mega-project as they continue to eye a 2025 start date for construction. In part, those cost increases are justifying that timeline, with legislators told that any additional delay could cause those costs to go up even more. Oregon and Washington residents are going to be paying those costs no matter what.

And many of them will not be happy. Of the 20 or so people who spoke up during the public comment period today, all were opposed to the cost and scope of this project. Most of those who testified were representing Just Crossing Alliance, a coalition group that wants to right-size the project.

Cassie Wilson with Sunrise Movement Rural Oregon said, “We want this crossing to prioritize climate goals, clean air, and connected communities, and that means public transit needs to be at the center of this project. Do away with the rebuilt interchanges and additional lanes and you’ll also be doing away with a huge chunk of the cost, as well as emissions.”

And Portlander Michelle DuBarry with Families for Safe Streets shared the story of her son being killed just a few blocks from I-5. “What good is a shiny new bridge when our kids can’t safely cross the street in our neighborhoods?” she asked lawmakers.

To learn more, browse the presentation shared with lawmakers today:

IBR-program-presentation-ORLEG Download

10 weeks after fatal collision, ODOT installs new pedestrian signals along Powell Blvd

The Oregon Department of Transportation has installed leading pedestrian intervals on five crossings of Southeast Powell Blvd (Hwy 26). Known as LPIs, the signal technology flashes a green “Walk” signal for people using the crosswalk several seconds before other road users are allowed to proceed. They are a proven method to significantly reduce right-hook and other turning-related collisions.

For Sarah Pliner, this attempt to improve safety on the SE 26th Avenue crossing comes about 10 weeks too late. It was Pliner’s death on October 4th that focused ODOT’s attention on these crossings, which now join numerous other safety updates and design changes citywide — pavement markings, signage, and median islands — that were installed only after someone was killed by a driver.

In a statement Friday ODOT said LPIs are now operational on crossings at 21st, 26th, 33rd, and between 42nd and 43rd. They called it, “an important new milestone to implement safety improvements… near Cleveland High School.”

Taylor Griggs visited the site earlier today to take a closer look. She reported that the LPI only activates when a button is pushed (some of them have an always-on default) and that it does not trigger for bicycle users unless the rider rolls up to the sidewalk to push the button (and no, you are not allowed to go early if you are in the adjacent lane).

For crosswalk users, the “Walk” signal stays green for six seconds prior to the 20-second countdown timer. That’s within the range of best practice according to the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Design Guide, although they also say, “Intervals of up to 10 seconds may be appropriate where pedestrian volumes are high or the crossing distance is long.” NACTO also recommends curb extensions at high volume, high conflict corners like this one.

We don’t yet know for sure if this head start into the crosswalk would have saved the life of Sarah Pliner, but any increase of priority for non-drivers crossing Powell is a step in the right direction.

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has several LPIs currently in use. The first one in the city was installed on NE Broadway at Victoria in 2012.

The new LPIs at these four crossings on Powell Blvd are part of a raft of changes from ODOT and PBOT as a direct result of Pliner’s death. They’ve already established a school zone around Cleveland High and have erected new “Turning Vehicles Stop for Pedestrians and Bicycles” signs on 26^th northbound and southbound. Still to come in 2023 are speed limit “feedback signs” (that flash drivers’ speeds), photo radar enforcement (“may take a year or more because of equipment availability” says ODOT), and a study to see if a lane reconfiguration on Powell is possible.

Track ODOT’s progress on these and other changes on this section of Powell on their website.

Comment of the Week: Road rage, the Heathman and citizen reporting

Welcome to the Comment of the Week, where we highlight good comments in order to inspire more of them. You can help us choose our next one by replying with “comment of the week” to any comment you think deserves recognition. Please note: These selections are not endorsements.

Last week’s guest article about a road rage incident on Vancouver Ave involving the threat of a gun was deeply disturbing and it prompted an outpouring of sympathy and story-sharing from BikePortland readers. The whole thread was heartfelt, and I hope it brought some comfort to our guest author.

One comment stood out to me because it offered the added insight of connecting the Vancouver road-rage incident with one of our other stories, about KGW’s divisive reporting on the newly completed SW Broadway protected bike lane.

I’m writing from Paris right now, nine hours ahead of Portland. I had already selected qqq’s comment and written this post about it when I woke up in the morning (around midnight your time) to discover that qqq had written even more comments about the protected bike lane in front of the Heathman.

Qqq had visited the site, analyzed the situation, and documented it with photos. In short, overnight qqq had transformed into a citizen-journalist. And isn’t that one of the strengths of a blog like BikePortland, with an active and moderated comment section? If you put in the good work, we can amplify it.

So I have featured the qqq comment that originally caught my eye, below. After it, I have put a link to qqq’s more recent comments about the embarrassing condition of the bike lane in front of the Heathman, the lack of an ADA ramp, the junk both the Heathman and PBOT have placed in the buffer zone, and the comment’s exhortation that PBOT and the Heathman work together to improve this sub-par situation.

First, here is qqq’s original comment about the Vancouver Ave road-rage incident:

That’s horrible.
I’m reading this right after reading the skewed reporting about the Heathman drop-off. It’s not that the driver who confronted you read that Heathman article, and jumped in his car to look for someone on a bike to confront. But it couldn’t hurt to have some more positive press about bikes. What if the Heathman article had talked to some bike riders for their experiences with people leaving luggage in the bike lane, parking in it, etc. or how the lane encouraged them to bike instead of drive to work? Or what if we saw some articles showing that gas taxes and vehicle registration fees only cover a portion of road costs? What if some articles about new bike or transit lanes included talking to people that like them, instead of only to business owners who don’t?
The violence problem goes way beyond what people see in the media, but it would be nice if the media at least didn’t fan the flames.

After visiting the Heathman site on Sunday, qqq wrote this informative comment.

Went there tonight, and it made me much less sympathetic to the Heathman, and PBOT.
The bike lane is strewn with leaves. If PBOT isn’t going to keep it clean, the Heathman could easily have someone sweep it long before it looks like this. If PBOT and the Heathman want people to stay in the lane and ride predictably, at least keep the lane in a condition that allows that.
Similarly, the hatched door zone is actually deep enough that people should be able to load and unload, set down luggage, etc. without wandering into the bike lane except when crossing it – IF IT WERE CLEAR.
But the Heathman has a large parking rate sign right in the way, and PBOT has several cones and barricades strewn in it. I realize some are related to the work in front of the adjacent Schnitzer, but (Heathman and PBOT) don’t create conditions where hotel guests have to stray into the bike lane to maneuver around the barriers you’ve created in it.
Finally, there’s no curb cut, so the loading isn’t ADA compliant, and there’s no sign indicating any alternative accessible loading area. That’s a serious violation, and dangerous because a person needing a curb ramp has to get out of a vehicle amidst the cluttered hatched area, then work their way south the the intersection’s curb ramp, but the barricades make that impossible without using the bike lane or traffic lane. The curb also means guests are in the bike lane that much longer trying to roll luggage over the curb.
I think this MIGHT work with an island separated from the bike lane with a railing, and a defined crossing area with no curbs, per my earlier comment. But as it is, it’s an illegal, dangerous embarrassment.
I’d love to see the Heathman and PBOT respond to this.

Thank you for your reporting, qqq, for being the dog with a bone to pick. qqq’s featured comment can be found under the original post.

Three Portlanders earn top spots at US Cyclocross Championships

Portlander Clara Honsinger made it clear that she is the fastest female cyclocross racer in America. For the third year in a row. And she was just one of 33 riders who represented Oregon at the USA Cyclocross National Championships event held this weekend in Hartford, Connecticut.

Honsinger, who rides professionally for EF Education TIBCO-SVB, is an employee at Sellwood Cycle Repair when she’s not training or dominating cyclocross courses around the globe. According to reports, she won easily on Sunday on a snowy, slippery course. Here’s a dispatch from CyclingNews:

As the snow fell harder and began to stick on the grass, the two-time elite national champion hit the throttle as she extended her lead on the final two circuits. Most of the riders were clocking laps at 10-plus minutes while Honsinger had consistent laps between 9:33 to 9:55 after the opening round.

This makes it a three-peat for Honsinger, who got her first crack at the national elite field as a rider with Sellwood’s Team S & M.

Honsinger’s dominance wasn’t the only history-making moment for a Portlander at the event. Summer Newlands became the first-ever winner of the new Non-Binary category. Newlands, who you might recall from our interview with them from the 2021 Red R Criterium, lined up with three other riders and battled a difficult course to bring home the stars-and-stripes jersey.

Newlands, who also races for Team S & M, told Bicycling Magazine, “I’m looking forward to seeing more nonbinary competitors join this race in the future, as well as coming back next year to defend the title.”

UPDATE, 12/13: And we forgot to mention the third Portland-based national champion… Jenna Lingwood! Jenna, who we met over the summer, won the Women’s 40-44 category. Congrats Jenna!

Jenna at the OBRA State Championship criterium. (Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

Monday Roundup: Carfree and covid, Dutch drivers, and more

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Welcome to the week.

The Monday Roundup is made possible by Showers Pass, makers of quality waterproof rainwear and gear that’s proudly designed and tested right here in Portland!

Here are the most notable stories our writers and readers came across in the past seven days…

Good drivers: It’s not just quality infrastructure that makes Dutch roads safer for cycling, it’s the fact that drivers are highly skilled due to the rigorous test all of them must pass before getting behind the wheel. (Streetsblog)

To free, or not to free: To stoke the ongoing debate about free transit, here’s an excellent article that argues eliminating fares would rob transit systems of the ability to fund themselves at the level required to make them functional and thus appeal to more people. (The Atlantic)

Kill stroads, blame engineers: A 10-year old book on walkability is out with new text that includes a scathing indictment of multilane “stroads” and the people who design them. (Bloomberg)

Covid’s carfree count: Only a few of the roads made carfree during covid will stay that way, but overall we made small strides to being a less car-centric country. (NPR)

E-car research: Electric car boosters might want to track this new research that says the emissions reductions gains some people dream about might be constrained by lack of availability of batteries. (Science Direct)

Winter riding: A snowy and cold city in Finland manages to keep 10% of its residents riding through winter in large part because bikeways get priority from snow plows. (We Love Cycling)

Festive without fear: Manhattan visitors are reveling in a carfree space on Fifth Avenue near the iconic Rockefeller Center tree — which makes me think we should do something similar around Pioneer Square. (Streetsblog)

It’s official! Ian Mackay (who we profiled in 2016) now owns the Official World Record for “greatest distance in 24 hours by mouth controlled motorised wheelchair,” after traveling over 180 miles on the roads of nearby Sauvie Island this past summer. (Guinness World Records)

Thanks to everyone who shared links this week.

Bow ties, butterflies, and bikes adorn new Lloyd mural

“The Lloyd District has been seen as less vibrant than it really is…we wanted to create a new entrance to our district.”
-Joshua Baker

If you’ve biked across the new carfree Blumenauer Bridge (and hopefully you have by now), you’ve probably noticed a huge, colorful mural welcoming you to the Lloyd neighborhood on the north side of the bridge. The mural — which covers a large swath of a Metro-owned parking garage on NE 7th and Lloyd Blvd — was done in collaboration between Metro, the Portland Street Art Alliance, the Lloyd Community Association and local artist Jeremy Nichols. It was completed earlier this fall, and we finally got a chance to find out a little more about it.

Joshua Baker, a Lloyd Community Association board member and Outreach Program Manager for the Lloyd EcoDistrict organization, shared some insights about the mural. He said organizations in the Lloyd neighborhood wanted to use the construction of the Blumenauer Bridge as an opportunity to collaborate on a project to represent the neighborhood and its many unsung virtues.

Muralist Jeremy Nichols stands in front of his piece. (Photo: Portland Street Art Alliance)

“The Lloyd District has been seen by the rest of Portland as less vibrant than it really is,” Baker told me. “We wanted to create a new entrance to our district.”

One of the reasons the Blumenauer Bridge installation was so exciting and prompted so much fanfare is because it provides a vital link between the Central Eastside and Lloyd neighborhoods across I-84. Now that people walking and biking have this new connection, it opens up many more opportunities for revitalization in both districts, which are currently lacking in some amenities compared to other inner Portland neighborhoods. Since the bridge opened in August, NE 7th has cemented itself as one of Portland’s most critical north-south bikeways and a major player in the Green Loop initiative.

One of the Lloyd’s most notable virtues is the presence of diverse public transportation options. The mural highlights the Lloyd’s status as a Portland transportation hub, featuring bikes — both upright and recumbent — and a TriMet map, as well as a white cane to represent transportation accessibility.

A September press release for the mural quoted Metro’s Capital Asset Management Director Ryan Kinsella discussing the transit elements of the mural:

“It’s fitting that the Metro Regional Center can be a canvas for a mural that resonates with our goals and values of conserving natural areas and planning for the region’s long-term transportation needs! With this new mural, we look forward to inviting our communities across the Blumenauer Bridge, into the Lloyd District and their Metro Regional Center.”

Beyond the transit illustrations, the most prominent elements of this mural are all the depictions of flowers and pollinators — like bees, monarch butterflies and a lovely giant hummingbird. The Lloyd EcoDistrict organization has led a ‘pollinator corridor’ initiative, putting native plants in green areas on NE Multnomah street to create an environment where pollinating animals can thrive. (And in placing these plants along Multnomah, the street became the first ‘pollinator corridor’ bikeway in the country!)

These are just a few mural highlights — if you have a few minutes to look at it, try to spot some other more hidden elements. (My favorite are the Earl Blumenauer-inspired bowtie butterflies.)

It’s great to see the Lloyd district experience new life thanks to all the organizations invested in making it a hub for Portland coolness. This mural is emblematic of its rebirth, so make sure you check it out and brighten up a gloomy winter day.

Interstate Bridge freeway expansion could cost up to $7.5 billion

(Source: Interstate Bridge Replacement Program)

As expected, the cost of a project to widen Interstate 5 between Portland and Vancouver and replace the Interstate Bridge has ballooned in costs

What started as the $3 billion Columbia River Crossing project more than a decade ago, is now estimated to cost between $5 and $7.5 billion according to a new estimate just released a few minutes ago. Here’s more from the project:

The new projected cost identified an estimate range of $5 to $7.5 billion, which was created by internal and independent experts, including a rigorous process that considers cost escalation and inflation factors affecting transportation projects across the country. Those factors include historically high inflation rates, workforce shortages, materials cost increases due to supply chain issues, and other market conditions.
“Construction projects across the country are experiencing unprecedented cost increases due to supply chain issues and increasing material and labor costs as well as other factors, and our program is no exception,” said Johnson. “We are confident that the program will land within the projected cost estimate range, and we are actively working to secure funding and manage cost escalation risks.”
The previous conceptual cost estimate identified a high end of $4.8 billion when it was developed in 2020, based on the scope of the previous Columbia River Crossing project. The new cost estimate for the IBR program covers the components of the Modified Locally Preferred Alternative, which in July 2022 was discussed with the Bi-State Legislative Committee and endorsed by the regional program partners of the Executive Steering Group.

If it ever gets built, the project would include a new bridge, more freeway lanes, extension of light rail over the Columbia River, three new rail stations, two new smaller access bridges (North Portland Harbor and a Hayden Island access bridge) and two interchanges.

The new estimate comes as lobbyists, policymakers, and project staff from Oregon and Washington gear up for the legislative session where the first funding commitments are expected to be made. A detailed financial plan is “anticipated” to be released early next year. The $6 billion price tag doesn’t appear to change the $1 billion funding request the project will make from both state legislatures. Here’s where they say the money will come from (from a fact sheet released today):

Existing state funding – $100 million
Connecting Washington transportation package – Mill Plain Interchange – $98 million
Move Ahead Washington transportation package – $1 billion
Anticipated Oregon funding – $1 billion
Toll funding – $1.25 to $1.6 billion – This range is consistent with toll revenue estimates for the prior program. A Level 2 Traffic & Revenue analysis for IBR will be reviewed by both states.
Federal grants – $860 million to $1.60 billion
Federal Transit Administration New Starts Capital Investment Grants – $900 million to $1.1 billion

In their statement today, the IBR project attempts to stave off concerns from elected officials who might balk at the high cost. Under the headline on their cost estimate fact sheet that reads, “The benefits of acting NOW” they warned: “With the recent passage of a historic federal
infrastructure package, our region has a once in a generation opportunity to receive an infusion of potentially billions of dollars of federal funds through the IBR project. These funds are highly competitive, and if not spent in our region, they will go to other infrastructure projects in the U.S.”

This coming Monday (12/12) at 9:00 am at a meeting of the Joint Interim Committee On The Interstate 5 Bridge, IBR project staff will present updates on the cost estimate and financial plan to members of the Oregon Legislature.

UPDATE, 3:18: Just Crossing Alliance, a coalition of 32 nonprofits pushing for a “right sized” project has issued a statement about the new cost estimate:

“The Just Crossing Alliance supports a seismically resilient crossing for Interstate 5, but ODOT is once again demonstrating they do not have this highway expansion project under financial control, which could jeopardize the potential of replacing the bridge and adding needed public transit options… The multiple billion dollars in freeway expansion represent a huge opportunity cost to our state that could go towards green and accessible transportation investments instead of concrete.”

Portland working with Federal Highway Administration on big push for advisory bike lanes

New York Times map shows link between city planning and climate change

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Neighbors wanted a better bike lane on Killingsworth, so PBOT gave it to them

Bicycle Advisory Committee ride surveys new east Portland infrastructure

Lawmakers get first look at Interstate Bridge freeway project price tag

10 weeks after fatal collision, ODOT installs new pedestrian signals along Powell Blvd

Comment of the Week: Road rage, the Heathman and citizen reporting

Three Portlanders earn top spots at US Cyclocross Championships

Monday Roundup: Carfree and covid, Dutch drivers, and more

Bow ties, butterflies, and bikes adorn new Lloyd mural

Interstate Bridge freeway expansion could cost up to $7.5 billion

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