Starting at 8 p.m. on March 28th, crews will close East Burnside Street from 94th Avenue to 99th Avenue for weekend roadwork. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises drivers to detour around this section of East Burnside on Friday night through 5 a.m. on Monday, March 31st. The closures will prevent drivers from using the Interstate-205 overpass, requiring motorists to cross the freeway at NE Glisan Street or via the SE Stark Washing Street couplet. Pedestrians and cyclists are permitted to travel through the worksite but will need to follow marked signage and worker instructions to find safe pathways through the construction zone. Continuing evening work will close this section of East Burnside Street for three nights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. April 2nd through the 4th.
The overnight work schedule includes completing traffic signal upgrades and other improvements to TriMet MAX equipment. Crews working with PBOT will use these closures to fully repave the 97th Avenue’s crossing of East Burnside Street as part of theNE 97th Avenue Phase II and Couch/Davis StreetLocal Improvement District (LID). That project uses City and property owner funds to add sidewalks and create new road segments, restoring the city street grid in an area with long uninterrupted blocks and little pedestrian infrastructure. Project planners say this work will improve streets and sidewalks for existing residents while facilitating future housing growth in the Gateway area.
PBOT provided graphic
Closures will disrupt bus line 20 service. From the start of the closure until 8:00 a.m. Sunday, March 30th, TriMet will close eastbound bus stops on E Burnside at SE 94th (Stop ID 822) and SE 99th (Stop ID 12934). Westbound line 20 buses will similarly bypass stops on E Burnside at NE 97th (Stop ID 8745) and NE 94th (Stop ID 823). Riders should consult TriMet’s website for further alerts and to plan trips around the construction. I-205 Multiuse Path users can travel through this worksite. However, they should use caution and follow detour instructions as crews work to enhance the walking and rolling corridor.
PBOT will work to maintain local access to residences and businesses during the project. People should anticipate delays and obey instructions on signs or from the crew on site. When completed, all users of the streets in the LID project area will have access to modern roads built with nine inches of asphalt over an eight-inch aggregate base and wide sidewalks with street trees. Work in this area will continue past these closures, concluding later this year, and people are encouraged to keep aware of work in the roadway and changing traffic patterns.
Starting January 13th, road crews will close E Burnside Street from 94th Avenue to 99th Avenue during evening hours. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) advises street users to detour around this section of E Burnside weekday nights from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. Work will not occur on Saturday or Sunday nights. The closures will prevent drivers from using the Interstate-205 overpass, requiring motorists to cross the freeway at NE Glisan Street or via the SE Stark Washing Street couplet. The two-week traffic disruption will conclude on January 25th.
E Burnside Street at 97th Ave
I-205 Multiuse Path south of Burnside
PBOT planned this closure to minimize disruptions as crews reconstruct E Burnside Street at 97th Avenue as part of theNE 97th Avenue Phase II and Couch/Davis StreetLocal Improvement District (LID). That project uses City and property owner funds to add sidewalks and create new road segments, restoring the city street grid in an area with long uninterrupted blocks and little pedestrian infrastructure. Project planners say this work will improve streets and sidewalks for existing residents while facilitating future housing growth in the Gateway area.
Crews working with PBOT will replace 50 aging railroad ties on the TriMet MAX light rail tracks that cross the E Burnside Street and 97th Avenue intersection. Closures will disrupt bus line 20 service, preventing travel in either direction between the E Burnside & NE 94th and E Burnside & SE 99th stops. Riders can walk through the construction area to the next open stop but should consult TriMet’s website for further alerts and to plan trips around the construction. I-205 Multiuse Path users can travel through this worksite. However, they should use caution and follow detour instructions as crews work to enhance the walking and rolling corridor as it passes this segment of E Burnside.
PBOT will work to maintain local access to residences and businesses during the project. People should anticipate delays and obey instructions on signs or from the crew on site. When completed, all users of the streets in the LID project area will have access to strong roads built with nine inches of asphalt over an eight-inch aggregate base and wide sidewalks with street trees. Work in this area will continue past these closures, and people are encouraged to keep aware of work in the roadway and changing traffic patterns.
The owner of 27 individual developable parcels in the Hazelwood neighborhood is seeking a buyer or development partner for what could become a dense, affordable housing project. The land sits at the Gateway Regional Center’s core, just north of E Burnside Street in what officials planned to be a second downtown on the Eastside of Portland. City agencies have made significant zoning changes in the last two decades and have built infrastructure projects designed to increase density and create economic opportunity. In nearly 25 years since planning for this area began, much of the market-rate housing and commercial storefronts expected in this area have not broken ground. However, these city blocks still offer walkable access to transit and resources, making it an ideal location for urban density.
Portland Maps image with MV News illustrations showing listed parcels in red
Joe Westerman began collecting properties in this area over a decade ago, having successfully created multi-family housing in Oregon and Washington, including housing in this area. The properties surround a new segment of NE Davis Street that PBOT will construct later this year. These properties are part of a Local Improvement District (LID) that will extend the city street grid to these parcels, creating smaller blocks with consistent pedestrian and vehicle access in what had once been long unconnected streets. Calling this area the Gateway Blocks, Westerman commissioned conceptual designs imagining what development could look like and waited for the infrastructure improvements.
Conceptional rendering of development including listed lots and properties not for sale (Courtesy NAI Elliott)
All lots in this area are Central Residential (RX) zoned with a Design overlay. RX offers the highest density of dwelling units for any residential zone. Buildings are generally Six to ten stories tall and have limited ground-floor retail uses. Design overlays only apply to the Central City, town centers, and the Gateway Regional Center. The minimum housing density for new structures built here is 87 units per acre. Portland planners envisioned downtown-level redevelopment at this site, but developers have not yet been able to secure the funding to build at that scale in this space, at least not for market-rate housing. Surrounding affordable housing projects are underway or recently completed with financial support from various government and nonprofit sources. That observation lead Westerman to explore affordable housing options for his properties.
Google Earth view of site area and surrounding properties
Despite having over 30 years of experience as a builder, Joe Westerman’s focus on market-rate development left him without the needed connections to create an affordable housing project on his own. Consequentially, he will consider offers to build these developments to suit a potential buyer or participate in a joint venture with a nonprofit looking to create affordable housing. Westerman will also consider land leasing or the sale of parcels individually or as packages. “It’s not exactly an easy market to get stuff done in right now,” explained the listing agent for these properties, Nick Ostroff of NAI Elliott. High interest rates and other market forces have kept these lots underutilized for too long. Still, Ostroff sees the support for affordable housing as a way to jump-start this area’s transformation.
Joe Westerman is not the only land owner in this area waiting for building opportunities. Andrew Baltz’s limited liability company, Baltz Family Holdings, possesses most of the land south of Westerman up to E Burnside Street. The concept drawings for the site show both owner’s properties along NE 97th Avenue, 99th Avenue, and 100th Avenue fully built out. This illustrated vision matches the city’s aspiration for the Gateway District but represents projects that are not currently feasible. Development at this scale is slow, and many people are waiting for others to make the first step. If one property redevelops in the LID area, it could be enough to start other developments, and Westerman is willing to see if his lots could contribute to that catalyst.
The Westerman properties will soon have several advantages for future builders. Through the LID, Phase II of the Gateway Street plan will continue work started on NE 97th Avenue in Phase I, with new streets, curbs, sidewalks, and green-strip landscaping. The city will vacate the vestigial sections of NE Davis and Couch Streets west of 97th Avenue, which no longer align with the new grid pattern. This returned right-of-way will free up that space for additional building amenities, as seen in the 2019 Portland Design Commission approved plans for a dormant project at this site. Buildings in this space are within walking distance from the Gateway Fred Meyer grocery store, medical services, and transit options. The lots are adjacent to the I-205 Multi-use Path with easy connectors to the Mall 205 retail area and Montavilla shops.
NE 97th Ave looking north from E Burnside St (Jacob Loeb)
Future builders will have to overcome some ongoing project headwinds. Zoning for these blocks will hamper modest uses, dissuading some development options. Additionally, these lots are committed to the NE 97th Avenue and Couch/Davis Street LID, whose member property owners will provide a portion of the $15 million project cost. City staff calculates the amount of money contributed based on the street frontage of each lot, but Ostroff said that would be part of any sale negotiation. This underutilized area has also attracted many urban campers, leaving trash and damaged fencing. Street grid construction will clear roadside debris and reset the area with clean pavement. According to Nick Ostroff, to keep the area activated while waiting for construction to begin, it could host community garden space. Westerman is an avid organic farmer and often includes community gardens in his developments that can support it. He also made vacant land available for urban farming when crews were waiting to break ground. Those plans depend on who partners with Westerman or buys the property. “Everybody’s trying to get together and make something positive,” remarked Ostroff. At this point, the Real Estate team is looking to cast a wide net and see how to start the desired transformation in these blocks. Organizations interested in learning about options and pricing should contact the sales team at NAI Elliott.
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On June 24th, crews installed a new intersection safety camera system to monitor southbound traffic on 82nd Avenue at E Burnside Street. The next day, workers returned to add two new camera systems at NE Glisan Street and 82nd Avenue. Those will focus on traffic traveling northbound and westbound. After a short testing period around September, motorists running red lights or speeding past these automated devices will receive a citation in the mail.
In 2023, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) announced plans to expand the camera-based citation infrastructure along high-crash streets and intersections. This expanded program is part of PBOT’s commitment to using available tools to reduce traffic fatalities. “These devices have virtually eliminated top-end speeding on corridors across Portland within weeks after their deployment,” explained PBOT representative Dylan Rivera.
Although fines generate revenue, Oregon law directs around 70% of the net income from automated citations to the State, funding the Criminal Fine Account. The speed camera enforcement program has not generated revenue for PBOT since it began eight years ago. City of Portland retained fines currently pay for installing and operating the cameras. Regulations require Portland to spend any future earnings from this automated citation system on traffic safety programs or improvements, and collected funds will not help with PBOT’s budget constraints.
Rivera said all timelines for camera activation are tentative, but PBOT expects these new 82nd Avenue cameras to begin issuing citations in October. He explained that recent damage to other camera systems currently in operation has only added to activation uncertainty. “That timeline will likely shift as we continue to see vandalism and other issues impacting our timelines for delivering these crucial safety improvements.” Portland’s network of cameras across the city recently suffered damage at the hands of a shooter who targeted these devices. Police apprehended a suspect in the case who stands accused of causing over $500,000 in damage to more than a dozen traffic control cameras across the city.
Although authorities are not yet issuing citations based on information from the new camera systems, their appearance will not change when activated, and they could begin issuing fines without further warning. Drivers should treat intersection safety cameras as active and obey posted traffic rules, or risk receiving a mailed citation. PBOT lists current and planned cameras on its Vision Zero website.
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On October 21st, Portland’s 53rd traffic-related fatality of this year occurred at E Burnside Street at NE 82nd Avenue. At 11:37 p.m., a minivan traveling north on SE 82nd Avenue left the roadway, killing a pedestrian and colliding with traffic signal equipment. The vehicle suffered heavy damage after striking a utility pole, and an AMR ambulance transported the driver to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews working to restore signal function to the intersection have reduced through traffic to a single lane in each direction.
PBOT crews replacing signal control box to the right, dents on pole seen at the left
The northbound minivan traveling on SE 82nd Avenue crossed over the center turn lane and two opposing traffic lanes, colliding with a traffic light control cabinet and a heavy steel signal pole on the southwest corner, spinning around and shearing off a metal signpost. The Portland Police Traffic Division’s Major Crash Team has not yet indicated where the pedestrian was located when struck by the vehicle. The complete destruction of the signal cabinet and denting of the pole suggests the minivan was likely traveling at speeds above the posted limit of 30 miles per hour.
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On October 5th, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) announced plans to install at least eight additional traffic cameras by the end of 2023. Program planners expect to add up to 12 more cameras next year that are currently in the design phase. Three of those possible 2024 additions are located in Montavilla along 82nd Avenue.
PBOT already has 20 cameras in Portland issuing citations or warnings in an effort to curb high traffic injuries and reckless vehicle operation. Contractors are mounting speed safety cameras to poles, targeting motorists traveling in a specific direction. These types of systems encourage safe driving, similar to the speed warning signs installed in the area at the beginning of the year, but with a hefty fine sent to those who do not adjust their behavior. These crews will also install intersection safety cameras to enforce both speed limits and red-light compliance. Those are the types of citation infrastructure planned for Montavilla.
Next year, road users could see new cameras watching two intersections in the neighborhood. Plans are underway to monitor southbound traffic at E Burnside Street and SE 82nd Avenue for vehicles running red lights and speeding. PBOT plans to install similar devices at NE Glisan Street and 82nd Avenue. Those would focus on traffic traveling northbound and westbound. PBOT intends to add several more camera locations north of Montavilla along 82nd Avenue and east on SE Stark Street. A complete list of cameras is available on the city’s Vision-Zero website with other project details.
Illustration courtesy PBOT
This expanded program is part of PBOT’s commitment to using the various tools available to reduce traffic fatalities. Although fines generate revenue, PBOT explained that Oregon law directs about 70% of the net income from automated citations to the State, funding the Criminal Fine Account. The speed camera enforcement program has not generated revenue for PBOT since it began seven years ago. Portland retained fines currently paid for installing and operating the cameras. The city is required to spend any future earnings from this automated citation system on traffic safety programs or improvements and will not help with PBOT’s $32 million budget shortfall.
Camera citations are not the only solution needed for safer streets. However, a majority of surveyed Portland residents support the expanded use of traffic cameras. Not only can they incentivize better driving in certain areas, but they can also reduce the need for traffic stops by the Police, which can be dangerous for both the officer and driver. Expect to see this program expand over the next few years and look for signage ahead of all speed safety cameras. At first, drivers will receive warnings from the new cameras, but soon after, the Portland Police Bureau will issue citations from $170 to $440 for speeding and a $265 fine when running a red light.
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Yesterday, July 10th, crews working on the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project added a new painted crossing at E Burnside Street and 80th Avenue. The freshly applied street markings include zebra-striped white crosswalks for pedestrians and dashed green-painted bike lanes running north to south. These infrastructure improvements do not alter the rules of the intersection but will alert drivers to expect frequent bicycle and pedestrian crossing.
This site is one of several Montavilla intersections receiving enhancements to support safe travel for people walking, running, or biking the city. However, work on this intersection also delivers a long-requested safe crossing point for children traveling to Vestal School. The education facility’s main entrance is along NE 82nd Avenue, but some students prefer accessing the school’s playground through an alley entrance on NE 80th Avenue. The 80th Avenue and E Burnside Street intersection is a natural place for neighborhood families to cross on their way to the school. However, it had grown unsafe over the years as commuter traffic increased on E Burnside Street.
Photos by Crossett Freilinger
Crews completed work in the intersection within one day, and the new infrastructure is already helping people cross E Burnside Street. Expect more changes along the 70s Neighborhood Greenway path throughout the summer, and drivers should be ready to yield to the increased bike and pedestrian traffic using this new infrastructure.
By
Jacob Loeb
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A cluster of four-story apartment buildings is transforming E Burnside Street west of SE 60th Avenue. In a former 7-Eleven’s footprint, crews recently completed work on the second building at the Burnie apartment complex. One street over, Tabor Flats PDX has a 78-unit apartment building under construction. This month, permit applications revealed another 78-unit building will soon sit between the other two projects, replacing The Jag Shop at 5710 E Burnside Street. This rapid redevelopment indicates what is economically viable in Commercial Mixed Use 2 (CM2) zoning just 20 blocks from Montavilla.
Rendering of 5734 E Burnside Street. Image courtesy FoslerArchitecture
In January 2023, the specialty automotive repair shop announced its closure after nearly 28 years. Now Fosler Architecture is working with the new property owners to design the four-story multi-family building replacing The Jag Shop. The proposed project will include a mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. Each residence will have a stacked laundry facility and utilizes an efficient floor plan. When completed, the building will have a new address of 5734 E Burnside Street.
The Tabor Flats PDX development, across SE 57th Avenue from The Jag Shop, is owned by the same entity behind the Burnie. The group’s newest apartment building broke ground at 8 SE 56th Avenue soon after the other development wrapped up just 700 feet away. Studio 3 Architecture designed both projects for The Mark R Madden Revocable Living Trust. Consequentially, Studio 3 Architecture has set the aesthetic for buildings in this area of E Burnside Street and will make a lasting mark on the street.
The Jag Shop at 5710 E Burnside Street
These mass housing projects are possible because of the CM2 zoning on this section of E Burnside Street. It incentives medium-scale commercial mixed-use development in population centers and corridors, particularly in areas well served by frequent public transit. City planners expect buildings in this zone to be up to four stories tall, but until recently, very few developers in this area have built to that scale. If these 70-plus unit apartment buildings continue to meet the housing gap for a considerable percentage of the population, builders will continue their work towards the east. CM2 zoning exists across many sections of Montavilla, including 82nd Avenue and E Burnside Street. Only two projects in Montavilla have proposed housing density equal to what is happening in the adjacent neighborhoods. It is only a matter of time before more properties in Montavilla attract development projects that deliver over 60 apartments in a single structure.
Zoning map centered on 5710 E Burnside from Portland Maps
By
Jacob Loeb
Retraction: A previous version of this article stated that the former owner of The Jag Shop was involved in the project. He is not involved in the apartment development. Montavilla News regrets this error.
Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews are currently digging a trench down the center of E Burnside Street between 75th and 76th Avenues. This work will address an urgent sewer maintenance situation. Traffic cones and signs are diverting drivers and bicyclists into the parking lane to get around the heavy equipment in the center of the roadway. Drivers should use caution over the next week as work progresses.
This unplanned utility work came about due to a reported issue at a residence. “Our crews were responding to a sewer malfunction in the 7500 block of East Burnside when they decided to proactively check other lines in the area,” explained Dylan Rivera, a Public Information Officer with PBOT. Initially, responding PBOT staff determined the sewer lines needed routine repairs. However, “upon further inspection, we found that repairs need to be done right away to prevent the potential for sewer backups or other disruptions.”
PBOT staff quickly planned the repair, placing No Parking signs along both sides of E Burnside street between 75th and 78th Avenues late last week. These temporary notices prohibited curbside parking during the weekday, allowing road crews the added space to redirect vehicles around the worksite. Rivera noted that, as with any road work, drivers need to adjust their speed and pay attention while driving near the worksite. “For the safety of our crews and other travelers in the area, we ask the public to slow down and use caution when they are passing near the work zone.”
Road work in this area will continue through the week with continued closures of parking lanes and bike lanes on E Burnside street. However, PBOT expects both travel lanes to remain open during the project. After crews complete the sewer repairs, PBOT will patch the road’s concrete base. Drivers should expect to see sections of the road covered by steel plates as the concrete is curing. It is recommended that all vehicles slow down and use caution when driving over plates.
PBOT will need to return to this area to repave the street and restore the road surface. Planners will schedule crews for that phase of the project at a later date.
By
Jacob Loeb
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BIKETOWN staff recently relocated the NE Glisan bike-share docking station two blocks to the west. Less than a year ago, crews installed the dock on the south side of the roadway near NE 80th Avenue. That same docking station is now on the north side of the street near NE 78th Avenue. Its new location is near a marked crosswalk with a rapid flashing beacon. Placement close to that intersections should make the parked bikes easier to access from any side of NE Glisan.
This article originally published September 4th, 2021.
Yesterday, crews from BIKETOWN installed new bike-share stations on SE 81st Ave just south of E Burnside Street. Its construction follows another recently built unit on NE Glisan Street west of 80th Ave. When completed, the 81st Ave location will house docks for up to six e-bikes available to rent through the BIKETOWN mobile app.
Last June, a survey conducted by BIKETOWN gathered community input on where to place new electric bicycle (e-bike) docks as part of the program’s East Portland expansion. A few months later, that survey data and other factors are guiding the placement of these stations. The BIKETOWN bike finder map currently shows the new station on SE 81st Ave as available for use. However, no bikes are listed there, and the stand is missing the vertical sign that displays user instructions. This bike-share location is near Walgreens Pharmacy on the road behind Hong Phat. The station’s proximity to the number 20 and 72 TriMet bus lines should reduce excessive walking for riders not directly on the bus route.
Station on NE Glisan Street showing user instructions.
Several blocks north from the uncompleted station, BIKETOWN staff finished an identical installation on NE Glisan Street. Crews completed this location last week, and it is fully operational. Workers placed the docks on the sidewalk in front of Glisan Dental, away from traffic. The SE 81st Ave docks sit in the road’s parking lane, relying on white traffic delineator posts to protect the parked bikes.
Station on NE Glisan Street.
BIKETOWN docking stations are simple installations that securely hold locked bikes. They do not provide any charging for e-bikes. Instead, BIKETOWN offers these locations as a reliable place for customers to find and return bikes. Throughout the week, staff redistributes bikes to these locations after collecting units left in remote areas. Each e-bike has a removable battery pack that employees can replace before putting them back out for use.
BIKETOWN van used for redistribution.
Since the expansion of the BIKETOWN network in late 2020, sightings of the iconic orange bikes throughout Montavilla and greater East Portland have increased. Often they are found secured to signposts and fences. The installation of more bike docking stations will transform the scattering of transportation options into a reliable network of mobility devices. Their new consistent location gives residents the confidence to bridge the transportation gap for short trips without a personal vehicle. Businesses near the docks should also see a boost in visitors, as patrons can expect to find a bike ready for them when they head home. Look for these docks next time you plan a short trip around Montavilla and see if an e-bike can enhance your mobility.
Station on SE 81st Ave partially completed.
By
Jacob Loeb
Correction – fixed typo of store name Hong Phat
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