This summer, road crews are active across Montavilla installing components of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project. For most residents along its path, the appearance of newly laid speed bumps are the only indication of infrastructure upgrades. However, some residents north of E Burnside Street discovered these traffic-calming devices in unexpected places compared to the map on the project website. This confusion occurred due to a path adjustment that diverted the multimodal route during the design phase.
For the two years prior to Greenway’s construction, neighbors expressed design concerns over the NE Glisan Street crossing at NE 80th Avenue. Unlike the SE Stark Street and SE Washington Street crossings, the 70s Greenway Infographic did not indicate the installation of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) at NE Glisan and 80th. Now that construction has begun, the final approved path for the Greenway shows a change to the original plan, utilizing an existing RRFB at NE 78th Avenue.
The changed Greenway path diverts bicycle traffic two blocks westward from NE 80th Avenue to NE 78th Avenue at NE Everett Street. Riders then cross NE Glisan Street at the NE 78th intersection and continue to NE Oregon Street, connecting to the planned zig-zag route leading to the NE 74th Interstate 84 overpass. Work is underway at NE 78th Avenue and Glisan to enhance the existing RRFB device by adding bike-accessible request buttons at the road’s edge. Later, crews will add a striped green crossing to the pavement next to the white pedestrian crosswalk.
The 70s Greenway project includes the addition of new pavement and sidewalks to an unimproved gravel section of NE Everett Street from NE 76th Avenue to NE 78th Avenue. Cement masons have already reconstructed the eight sidewalk corners at each end of this new roadway, adding ADA-compliant ramps and improved stormwater handling. This new connector will allow smooth access along NE Everett Street from NE 71st Avenue to the back entrance of Vestal School on NE 80th Avenue. It also allows riders of the Greenway to bypass many of the turns required north of E Burnside Street by cutting down Everett from NE 80th to NE 74th Avenue. NE Glisan and NE Halsey Streets have fully signalized crossings at NE 74th, offering riders a more direct path.
The 70s Neighborhood Greenway project includes many traffic calming features and enhances crossing points on dangerous roads. Although residents have expressed a desire for an RRFB on NE Glisan Street at NE 80th Avenue, the reuse and upgrade of the NE 78th Avenue crossing accomplishes many of the same goals. Expect construction along the Greenway to continue through the summer, followed by increased ridership as the bicycle community discovers this safer route.
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