A look at PBOT’s ‘East Portland in Motion’ plan, 10 years later
(Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
east portland in motion
Protected bike lanes on east Powell? Meeting Monday could sway plan
Google Street View of Powell near 149th.
If the four-mile stretch of Powell Boulevard east of Interstate 205 is completely rebuilt in a few years, it could get some of Portland’s highest-quality bike lanes.
Some advocates say a meeting this Monday evening is the best chance yet to support Dutch-style raised bike lanes on outer Southeast Portland’s most important east-west arterial.
East Portlanders want one mode of transportation prioritized above all others, survey finds
What does East Portland need?
(Photos by J.Maus/BikePortland)
(Photos by J.Maus/BikePortland)
East Portland residents have a lot of transportation needs. But one of the most comprehensive surveys ever of its residents just found that one rises clearly above the rest.
It’s walking.
BTA throws weight behind five new greenways east of 205
BTA advocate Elizabeth Quiroz talks greenways at the BTA members meeting this month.
(Photos: M.Andersen/BikePortland)
(Photos: M.Andersen/BikePortland)
Fourth in a week-long series about the BTA’s five new advocacy campaigns.
Of the five new Bicycle Transportation Alliance advocacy campaigns we’re examining this week, the only one that’s almost certain to succeed is east of Interstate 205.
City drops 84 bike parking spaces into East Portland parking lots
The city created a process for East Portland businesses to request free bike staples in exchange for dedicating space in their parking lots and maintaining the racks.
(Photos by David Hampsten)
(Photos by David Hampsten)
Portland may have just cracked a very important puzzle: How can the public provide convenient bike parking in neighborhoods where the front door of a business is half a football field away from the sidewalk?
The city just wrapped up a project that bought metal bike racks in bulk and donated them to interested businesses, who in turn agreed to maintain the racks along with the rest of their private parking lots.
City Council backs $21 million for better walking and biking, citing boost to economy
Commissioner Steve Novick speaking at a
Green Lane Project event earlier this week.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
Green Lane Project event earlier this week.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
The ways people talk about active transportation seems to be changing in Portland, both inside and outside of government.
At a unanimous City Council vote Wednesday in favor of $20.7 million in federally backed walking and biking improvements throughout the city, including $9.1 million to enact parts of the East Portland in Motion plan and $6.6 million for what promises to be a historic upgrade of central Portland bike facilities, people on both sides of the council dais were repeating an idea that isn’t always common: Improving biking improves the city for people who don’t.
Leading the shift: new Transportation Commissioner Steve Novick, who echoed and rephrased some of the observations we shared from his speech two nights before.
“It should be obvious to everybody that the freight improvements are connected to economic development,” Novick said Wednesday, referring to $4.1 million dedicated to efficient truck movement. “But the things that make it easier to walk and bike are economic investments. … There’s a couple of ways to improve your family’s economic position. One is to make more money, and one is to reduce your expenses. Active transportation investments help people reduce their expenses.”
Open house next week shows off five grants that promise street fixes
Downtown is one of several neighborhoods that
could benefit from these grants.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)
could benefit from these grants.
(Photos © J. Maus/BikePortland)
A fleet of major projects to improve bike and foot travel in downtown Portland, East Portland, SE Foster Road, SW Barbur Boulevard and Southwest Portland’s neighborhoods will be competing for dollars and attention with freight projects each other at an open house next week.
The five projects are among many jostling for $95 million from Metro’s regional flexible fund allocation, one of the few channels of federal support for bike and walking transportation.
“Your feedback can help decide which projects get recommended to receive funding,” Metro says on its website. The open house is 6-8 pm on Aug. 15, one week from tonight, in the Portland Building at 1120 SW 5th Ave (PDF).
East Portland will receive $8 million for active transportation
Riding in east Portland
can only get better.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
can only get better.
(Photo © J. Maus/BikePortland)
The Portland Bureau of Transportation (and TriMet) is set to invest $8.2 million into sidewalks, neighborhood greenways and transit-safety related projects in East Portland. The funding comes from a $34 million “Regional Economic Opportunity Fund” created by a Metro committee last year.
In case you forgot, this $34 million is the result of a debate at Metro back in October about how best to spend federal “regional flexible funds.” At the last go-round, advocates (including the Bicycle Transportation Alliance) fought hard to win a 75/25 split for active transportation projects. Advocates hoped to use that same allocation method for an additional $34 million Metro is awarding this time around. However, the Joint Policy Advisory Committee on Transportation (JPACT) voted instead to create a new “Regional Economic Opportunity Fund” (explained further here).
A closer look at bike projects coming soon to East Portland
If all goes well, this will become
a more frequent sight in East Portland.
(Photo © J. Maus)
a more frequent sight in East Portland.
(Photo © J. Maus)
As we shared on Wednesday, the Portland Bureau of Transportation is ready to roll on a set of projects that are likely to give a major jolt to the anemic active transportation network in East Portland.
The draft East Portland in Motion implementation strategy an impressive body of work that combines PBOT’s strengths in bikeway engineering, a collaborative planning approach, and their commitment to fund projects that aren’t car-centric. It’s also noteworthy for the level of knowledge and engagement brought to the table by citizen groups like the East Portland Action Plan bike subcommittee (a.k.a. EPAPBike).
City ready to roll with projects to improve biking and walking in East Portland
Ellen Vanderslice of PBOT presented
the report at a meeting last night.
(Photos © J. Maus)
the report at a meeting last night.
(Photos © J. Maus)
The Portland Bureau of Transportation has released the public draft of their East Portland in Motion report, a five year strategy that sets a blueprint for improving biking and walking conditions in East Portland.
Work on the report has taken place over the past year through a variety of public meetings and surveys. The purpose, says a Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) statement, is to, “create a seamless network of accessible trails, sidewalks and bikeways that enable active transportation in the community.”