Road crews are forming a new segment of NE Davis Street extending from NE 99th Avenue to 100th Avenue. Cement masons have already created the center section of new wide sidewalks, leaving tree wells open for future street trees and electrical conduit stubs for lighting. Work will next focus on constructing new sidewalk corners with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps. After completing the sidewalk structure, contractors will lay the asphalt for this new local access street.
Over the last several months, contractors working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) have rebuilt 600 feet of NE 97th Avenue and built a new road segment reconnecting Portland’s street grid east of Interstate 205, between East Burnside and NE Glisan Streets. The recently created segment of NE Davis Street extending from NE 97th Avenue to NE 99th Avenue is not yet open to through traffic but stands complete with signage. The improved streets are part of the NE 97th Avenue Phase II and Couch/Davis Street Local Improvement District (LID). Money for the LID comes from adjacent property owners and tax increment financing from the Gateway Urban Renewal Area, with some additional funding paid by transportation system development charges collected from other developments. PBOT will cover overhead costs related to managing the project components.
Creating a street grid with shorter blocks and wider infrastructure in this area could facilitate redevelopment anticipated by the Gateway Urban Renewal Area project, which city planners hoped would create a second downtown in the Gateway District. Outside several affordable housing projects built in the district and transit upgrades, few large-scale projects have broken ground, and some property owners placed their holdings in the area for sale. However, this road work will help current street users navigate a section of Portland boxed in by a busy NE Glisan Street, East Burnside Street light rail tracks, and Interstate 205. Drivers, cyclists, and pedestrians will all have better north-south routes away from busy streets.
Road crews are progressing quickly on NE Davis Street’s extension from NE 99th Avenue to 100th Avenue. When completed, people will find spacious sidewalks with a growing tree canopy. Pedestrians will travel a shorter distance between curb ramps crossing the new streets thanks to the many extended corners that push out into the parking lane. This infrastructure helps people remain visible and spend less time exposed to traffic. Parked cars along the curb also benefit from the concrete bulb-out that guides turning drivers towards the street’s travel lanes and away from stored vehicles. People should expect continued construction in this area and use caution driving on NE 99th and 100th Avenues, as crews may need to close lanes during working hours.
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