Over the last few weeks, crews working for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) installed electrical conduit and signal pole mounting hardware on SE Washington Street at SE 86th Avenue. In the next phase of this project, cement masons will patch the sidewalk removed for conduit trench work. Then, workers will install traffic signal poles and equipment to support the new pedestrian and bicycle crossing infrastructure.
This intersection is part of Portland’s bikeway network and a frequently used route to several parks and schools. A decade ago, SE Stark Street received similar safety enhancements at 86th Avenue. At that intersection, road crews installed a raised median that acts as a pedestrian refuge island and traffic diverter. Cutouts for bicycles allow for two-wheeled north-south travel while preventing cars from crossing SE Stark Street. SE Stark and Washington Streets are part of a one-way couplet that supports similar traffic levels, making this work a high priority for the transportation bureau.
Unlike the SE Stark improvements, the SE Washington Street design will not prevent cross-traffic on SE 86th Avenue. Instead, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) will activate when a pedestrian or bike rider presses a button to request the signal. PBOT will mount the flashing beacons at the sides of SE Washington to alert eastbound drivers. Each sidewalk corner will have a button to activate the RRFB mounted at pedestrian height near the curb ramps. Two additional controls are placed at the curb’s edge so cyclists can start the flashing beacons without dismounting from their bikes. Traffic engineers positioned signal activation hardware on the right side of the road near the intersection for both north and southbound cyclists, allowing them to pull over just a few feet to press the button.
Design documents indicate painters will install green striped bike-crossing markings next to this intersection’s existing high visibility crosswalk. Additional street lighting infill is also part of the intersection design, making this heavily tree-covered area safer at night. This signal work is part of a larger project constructing traffic signals and adding streetlights across the city. Crews are already ahead of the posted schedule for this project. Work may slow down during the winter months. However, if the pace continues, PBOT could complete this crossing before the announced summer 2024 timeframe.
Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.