🚨 Please note that BikePortland slows down during this time of year as I have family in town and just need a break! Please don't expect typical volume of news stories and content. I'll be back in regular form after the new year. Thanks. - Jonathan 🙏
By spring of next year Metro Council is expected to decide whether or not they should send a major transportation investment measure to the ballot. Dubbed T2020, efforts to shape where and how new revenues would be spent are heating up.
This week Metro is hosting community forums in all three counties. Washington and Clackamas county have already had theirs and the Multnomah County event will happen tomorrow (Thursday, 10/24). Also this week a new poll has come out (first reported by Willamette Week) that sheds light on how some people think the money should be invested.
New buffered bike lanes on Front Avenue can’t get finished soon enough for this fellow. (Photos: J. Maus/BikePortland)
A major gap in our central city cycling network is about to be filled. For years people riding bicycles have had to share lanes on NW Front/Naito Parkway between NW 15th and 9th where there were five wide lanes, 40 mph speed limits, and no dedicated cycling space. Now the final piece of a project that began in 2017 is close to completion and it will come with fewer driving lanes and new buffered bike lanes that will run behind updated bus stops.
As residential and commercial development on NW Front has skyrocketed in recent years, so too has the need for a safe bicycling connection on Front/Naito between the Steel Bridge, the Pearl District and the Northwest Industrial Area. PBOT added bike lanes north of 15th Avenue back in 2017 and now they’re about to fill in the gap to the south.
Here’s what it used to look like:
And here’s a look at the new bus stops (new lane striping isn’t done yet):
The changes come as part of the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s NW Front Avenue – Naito Parkway Local Improvement District (LID) created in March 2017 with Park Office LLC, owners of a major nearby development. They contributed $1.1 million toward the project (and received System Development Charge credits) to repave Front/Naito and improve cycling conditions.
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During a ride through the area over the weekend I noticed the paving is done and preliminary striping marks are down. In addition to the new bike lanes, what really caught my eye are the new transit islands located just south of the Fremont Bridge near several large office buildings. PBOT has designed the bike lane to run behind the stops in order to avoid the “leapfrog” phenomenon where bus operators service stops at the curb and encroach into the bike lane. These new transit islands also allow bus operators to stop in the sole driving lane, so they act as traffic calming as well.
In addition to the new lane configuration, PBOT also plans to upgrade curb ramps and partially rebuild traffic signals at 9th, 15th and 17th avenues. The project is likely to be fully completed before the start of winter. I’ve asked PBOT whether or not the bike lanes will be protected and when we can expect the project to be finished. I’ll update this post when I hear back. Also stay tuned for full photo recap once everything is done.
UPDATE, 4:49 pm: Here’s what PBOT says about the bike lane design and schedule:
Bike lanes on either side of NW Front Ave will be 7’ wide with a 3’ buffer from NW 9th to NW 17th. From NW 17th to a little north of NW 18th, the bike lanes will be 6’ wide with a 3’ buffer. The buffers will include surface mounted tubular markers spaced approx. 20’ apart for the majority of the project and will be parking protected in a few spots.
With the clear weather window that we have this weekend, contractors will be doing the long line striping (centerlines, bike lanes and buffers) between Friday and Tuesday. We’ll have more information on the rest of the striping schedule after a meeting with the contractor later this week.
Our big, once-a-year trip to the pumpkin farm. And yes those are tweens. Deal with it. (Photos: Madi Carlson)
It’s been eye-opening and fun playing at being an electric cargo biking mom these last few weeks. Except for the “aren’t they old enough to be on their own bikes?” comments (here, not in person). And yes, they (my two boys) often ride their own bikes, but I’m borrowing an electric cargo bike so I’m putting them in the front box. We all think it’s fun.
There’s a new effort to show Clackamas County Commissioners that — despite their comments at a recent meeting — there are many people who support a new carfree bridge over the Willamette River between Oak Grove and Lake Oswego. The push to boost support comes as people who live near where the bridge would be located have begun to make their voices known (see photos below).
Get ready for 2-way traffic on the I-5 Bridge sidewalk. (Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
How worried is the Oregon Department of Transportation about an upcoming closure of the Interstate Bridge? They’ve announced it nearly one year in advance.
We are looking for an experienced DevOps engineer, to take over and work on improving our production infrastructure. See job posting for details. We are looking for a local candidate, but the right remote candidate could be considered.
How to Apply
Email your resume to careers@ridewithgps.com, and include a paragraph or two on your relationship to cycling, and to technology. We are actively interviewing candidates, so don’t hesitate in sending us an email. We will do a quick phone screen, and would move to an in-person interview if there is a clear fit. We are looking forward a conversation with you! We are an equal opportunity employer, and consider all qualified candidates regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, age, physical ability or limitation, religion, or political affiliation.
It would go somewhere around here. This is the view north from Foothills Park in Lake Oswego. (Photo: J. Maus/BikePortland)
The Clackamas County Board of Commissioners didn’t strike a fatal blow to the carfree Oak Grove-Lake Oswego (OGLO) Bridge Project at their meeting Tuesday, but they definitely wounded it. Asked to make a decision about whether the project was feasible enough to move forward and receive further planning funds, they voiced skepticism, asked for more community outreach, and expressed fears that it might take away funding for “capacity” projects.
It was a surprising discussion, given how relatively non-controversial the project had been for so many years.
It’s a good sign for the local bike industry that we’ve seen a little uptick in job listings in mid-October. If you’re looking for a change of pace or a new beginning, check out what these local companies have to offer.
Learn more about each listing via the links below…
