Tag: 82nd Ave

Government, Top 2025, Transportation

Traffic Citation Camera Equipment Returns to 82nd Ave

Crews recently replaced the speed and red-light enforcement cameras on 82nd Avenue after Portland City officials switched vendors this summer. The pole-mounted equipment appears inactive, with the Tuffak polycarbonate lens covers still donning its logoed protective film. However, drivers can anticipate the system’s activation, with a period of warning letters issued before the City switches to issuing citations for excessive speeds or failing to stop for a red traffic signal.

Nov 18, 2025, equipment installation on NE 82nd Ave facing E Burnside St (Weston Ruter)

Around the beginning of August 2025, crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) removed the newer intersection safety camera systems the City of Portland installed along 82nd Avenue the previous year. In summer 2024, crews installed new cameras along 82nd Avenue and in other areas of the City to deter speeding and running red lights in crash-prone areas. The camera system installed at 82nd Avenue at E Burnside Street monitored an intersection where a speeding vehicle killed an area resident in October 2023. Cameras at NE 82nd Avenue and Glisan Street monitored multiple directions of traffic where a driver hit and killed a wheelchair user in April 2023. The equipment removal was not an effort to reduce automated enforcement but instead supported a citywide effort to replace camera equipment with newer systems developed by NovoaGlobal, making that company the sole supplier and operator of the City’s speed and intersection safety camera program.

Left image shows original equipment on NE 82nd Ave near E Burnside St and then post removal condition (Jacob Loeb)

The City had 32 camera positions before the vendor switch, and the Portland Police Bureau operates two mobile Traffic Division speed enforcement vans that the City will also upgrade with NovoaGlobal equipment. For some City leaders, that is too few to reduce risky driving behavior adequately, and they advocate expanding the program. This summer, Portland City Councilor Steve Novick said in a KOIN News interview that he is interested in emulating other jurisdictions with fewer traffic fatalities per capita that have substantially more cameras in use. However, some residents oppose the automated cameras used in issuing citations. Objections voiced include concerns about excessive government surveillance, fining drivers instead of building infrastructure that encourages safety, and the inequitable distribution of cameras across the City that could penalize poorer communities.

NovoaGlobal equipment on NE 82nd Ave facing E Burnside St (Jacob Loeb)

The City will add three intersections to the safety camera network as part of the vendor switch-out work, increasing PBOT’s tools to support its goal of eliminating vehicular-related deaths and serious injuries on city streets. Those locations include southbound monitoring on NE 82nd Avenue at Fremont Street and northbound NE 82nd Avenue at Klickitat Street near Glenhaven Park and Leodis V. McDaniel High School. Other nearby network expansions will focus on SE Powell Boulevard.

PBOT notes that incidents involving speeds above posted limits are a top contributing factor to deadly crashes across the Portland region. Additionally, ignoring traffic signals causes a significant number of crashes. Some street safety advocates in favor of citation-based deterrents stress the importance of changing harmful road behavior through a variety of methods, including fines. 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.

NovoaGlobal equipment on NE 82nd Ave facing NE Glisan St (Jacob Loeb)

Opponents of automated camera-based systems worry about privacy implications that could track drivers across Portland and the danger that city budgets will become dependent on fines, favoring revenue growth over correcting harmful behavior. Rules on camera placement and revenue use can limit the potential for misuse. PBOT’s website indicates that the program will only retain video footage not used in a citation for 30 days. Additionally, State law requires municipalities to spend the money collected from speeding tickets to cover the program’s costs or to pay for safety improvements and programs on the High Crash Network.

Drivers in Portland can expect to see up to 35 cameras operational by the end of 2025 if installation crews keep to schedule. Motorists should anticipate system activation at any time and travel cautiously.

by

Jacob Loeb

Correction: Updated to indicate Intersection safety cameras issue citations for speeding and red light running and removed yellow light running. PBOT notes that going through a yellow light in Oregon is a violation if you are able to stop prior to entering the intersection.

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Community, Infrastructure

A Tree-Lined Walk to School

Recently, crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) added a new line of street trees along NE 82nd Avenue adjacent to Glenhaven Park’s parking area. The new plantings occupy a 600-foot-long planting strip created by shifting the formerly curb-tight sidewalk west, closer to a mature tree line on the city park’s edge. This pedestrian update will improve the daily walk many schoolchildren take on their commute to Leodis V. McDaniel High School and Roseway Heights Middle School, eventually providing them with a tree-canopy-buffered pathway along a fast-paced road.

Parents of students walking along 82nd Avenue have expressed many concerns for safety over the years. The former State Highway has several long, uninterrupted blocks near McDaniel. Those stretches include two vehicle travel lanes in each direction, with no curbside parking to buffer sidewalk users from the heavy automotive flow. Updates to the public high school completed in September 2021 added wide sidewalks with a planting strip buffer between NE 82nd Avenue’s curb and the pedestrian zone. However, the school shares part of the frontage with Portland Parks & Recreation-owned property that was not updated in 2021. It featured narrow sidewalks pushed to the edge right next to the roadway, where wind can whip off passing vehicles and tire spray soaks walkers on rainy days.

A view of NE 82nd Avenue with a speed indicator sign showing 32 mph, a red truck parked on the side, and newly planted trees in the background.
Previous sidewalk’s curb tight alignment January 2023 (Jacob Loeb)

The sidewalk’s previous location close to the street did not seem necessary, with nearly 25 feet between the road’s edge and the tree line. Portland acquired the park in 1948 as a primarily open green space without sidewalks. In 82nd Avenue’s earlier years, it supported street parking until widening and left turn safety efforts removed parking along the road in favor of two travel lanes in each direction and a center turn lane. Aerial photos up to 1978 show a visible parking strip between the sidewalk and curb. The sidewalk’s curb-tight placement likely occurred after street widening shifted the curb west.

Aerial view of Leodis V. McDaniel High School and surrounding area, showing the school building, nearby sports field, and residential neighborhoods.
December 1957 Aerial view of Madison (now McDaniel) High School under construction with park visible (City Archives)

This sidewalk replacement project rectified a decades-old deficiency in pedestrian infrastructure around a park and school where residents value safe sidewalks. The improvement work is part of the Building a Better 82nd initiative, created to address deferred maintenance issues identified after the jurisdictional transfer of 82nd Avenue from the Oregon Department of Transportation to PBOT on June 1st, 2022. People can already use the set-back sidewalks, and as the trees mature, the pedestrian space should become a more comfortable place to walk to the park or school. NE 82nd Avenue construction in this area is ongoing with lane closures for raised median installations in some sections and sidewalk corner reconstruction. During working hours, pedestrians may need to cross the street to avoid work-site blockages. Drivers will retain access to at least one lane of travel in all directions.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Infrastructure, Transportation

New 82nd Ave Signal Allows Left onto SE Washington

Crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) activated the new left-turn signal at SE 82nd Avenue and Washington Street on November 12th, allowing left turns at this high-traffic intersection for the first time in decades. This change is part of work underway on SE 82nd Avenue around the SE Stark Washington couplet, where PBOT added center lane medians with space for street trees and raised concrete turn lane separators.

View of SE 82nd Avenue featuring road construction with orange traffic barrels, a newly activated left-turn signal, and vehicles on the road.
New SE 82nd Ave left turn lane for southbound drivers wanting to head east on SE Washington St

The newly activated traffic light permits southbound drivers on 82nd Avenue to turn eastbound at a signal-controlled intersection where they previously needed to use an unsignalized intersection further south and navigate back to SE Washington Street. Alternatively, those motorists could head westbound on the one-way SE Stark and loop a block over to the one-way SE Washington Street, which travels eastbound. This change reduced the queue depth for northbound 82nd Avenue drivers turning west to accommodate the opposing traffic’s left turn. This compromise could create a more intuitive driving experience with well-defined left turns, road elements, and minimize the prior confusion some motorists experienced when using the one-way street couplet from 82nd Avenue.

Traffic signal at the intersection of SE 82nd Avenue and Washington Street, showing a new left-turn signal for southbound drivers.

Road crews recently completed raised center lane medians on SE 82nd Avenue north of SE Stark Street and south of SE Washington Street. These new medians provide protection for the new turn lane configuration between them and block the potential wrong-way left turns on the one-way streets. Tree wells, located in the center medians, enable the planting of up to ten new trees or other vegetation along the roadway, thereby increasing the urban tree canopy and reducing summer temperatures in the area. Cement masons finished the median concrete surface between the tree wells with red coloring and a brick pattern, which delivers a cost-effective and decorative aesthetic.

Close-up view of newly installed raised center lane medians on SE 82nd Avenue, featuring a textured red concrete surface and yellow painted edges, alongside road traffic.
New SE 82nd Ave raised center median north of Stark St with brick pattern treatment

Drivers can already use the new 82nd Avenue left turn signal to drive eastbound on SE Washington Street. PBOT will implement other signal improvements at the intersection, including bike and bus lights, as well as updates to some through traffic signals for safer right turns from eastbound Washington Street, which is part of the Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project. Look for continued work in the area, and street users should anticipate minor traffic pattern updates at impacted intersections.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Construction, Transportation

NE 82nd Ave MAX Station Elevator Closes for a Week as Station Renovations Continue

TriMet will close the NE 82nd Ave MAX Station elevator from October 20th to the 27th for scheduled maintenance. This Monday-to-Monday closure in this location follows months of construction that require people to walk on temporary scaffolding-style stairs to access the boarding platform and, at times, clog the bus stop pullouts above the station with construction vehicles. Riders needing to use an elevator during this time can detour to the NE 60th Ave MAX Station west of the NE 82nd Avenue stop and take a shuttle bus connecting that location to the Gateway/NE 99th Ave Transit Center.

Construction workers on scaffolding above the NE 82nd Ave MAX Station elevator, with light rail tracks and traffic visible below.
Temporary scaffolding-style stairs at the NE 82nd Ave MAX Station

Since June, crews working on TriMet’s NE 82nd Ave MAX Improvements Project have made substantial progress, completely resurfacing the station’s concrete platform and rebuilding the stairs at the 82nd Avenue light rail stop. During the project, riders have used a temporary platform constructed to the west of NE 82nd Avenue and adjacent to Interstate 84. The reconstruction efforts will add a new weather shelter to the station and add a pedestal for the future art piece, which TriMet plans to install between the two shelters. The frequently used stairs connecting NE 82nd Avenue to the light rail platform will contain the same number of landings and treads. However, the project will replace the concrete railing walls with steel guardrails, enhancing the riders’ sense of openness through greater visibility. This station was part of the original MAX Blue Line and one of the most heavily used light rail stations on the system, dictating this extensive improvement project. TriMet anticipates completing this station work by the end of 2025.

Sign indicating how to access the elevator at NE 82nd Ave MAX Station, featuring tap and scan instructions for fare validation.
TriMet elevator access control reader

The week-long elevator closure is essential to keeping this mobility resource functioning through demanding and sometimes rough usage. In May, TriMet expanded its test access control program at the Hollywood Transit Center to include the NE 60th Ave and NE 82nd Ave MAX stations. People wanting to access the grade-separated platforms now need to present a valid fare to a digital reader before elevator doors open. They are not charged for the use, but need to verify paid system usage for access. This change has the potential to reduce equipment misuse and keep the assistive access devices available to riders who require them. TriMet provides a system elevator status page available for riders who have difficulty using stairs at trimet.org/elevators. People should check this page before traveling to ensure availability if they intend to use an elevator.

Update October 27, 2025: TriMet announced the elevator at its NE 82nd Ave MAX Station is back in service.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.

Community, Demolition

Old Golf Structures Razed for Bird Alliance Development

On September 17th, demolition crews razed a long-term nuisance structure across NE 82nd Avenue from Leodis V. McDaniel High School, clearing the way for the Bird Alliance of Oregon’s future facility. In late 2024, the nonprofit organization purchased a 12.51-acre property on NE 82nd Avenue to restore much of the land to its native habitat with nature trails and park space for public use, while creating a habitat for the birds in their care.

A sign that reads 'Miniature Golf' is partially obscured by trees, indicating the former location of a mini-golf course.

For decades, this overgrown field was known for the graffiti-covered remnants of a golf driving range built on top of a landfilled quarry. For most passersby, all they observed was an abandoned building at 2806 NE 82nd Avenue, situated next to a tall, grassy field. Hidden inside the overgrown brush was the collapsing structure of a half-moon driving range. Several fires in the former “Pro Shop” administrative building, located off NE 82nd Avenue, further complicated its demolition, necessitating adjustments to address the disposal of materials. However, last month crews completed the removal of this site’s golf past. Future rehabilitation projects will address its former landfill uses.

A cleared field with remnants of a demolished structure, surrounded by trees and a blue sky, near NE 82nd Avenue.
Light pols mark former golf driving range structure

The site originally served as a quarry before its owners began filling the hole with discarded material. The Rose City Sand and Gravel company excavated an 80-foot-deep hole in the center of the site during its many years in operation. Around 1972, site owners converted operations to support the H.G. LaVelle landfill. Over the next ten years, they filled the pit with construction debris, including wood products, metals, and rock fragments, comprising approximately 2 million cubic yards of solid waste. Landfill deposits included rubble from the construction of Interstate-205. When the landfill closed in 1982, operators covered the site with a clay cap, installing a landfill gas extraction unit and methane monitoring equipment to treat decomposing organic material. Building a substantial structure over the clay cap takes significant engineering and costs that are impractical. However, the perimeter of the former pit is stable ground, making it suitable for conventional construction.

Debris from a demolished structure piled high in a construction area, with a sign for 'Great Floors' in the background and machinery nearby under a clear blue sky.
Remnants of golf Pro Shop building at 2806 NE 82nd Ave after demolition

The Bird Alliance of Oregon intends to cover the clay-capped landfill with several feet of additional soil to support the root structure of native trees and plants. This phase of work will transform the property’s nature and provide a clean slate for habitat restoration. Later stages will involve the installation of solar panels along the property’s southern edge and the eventual development of a Bird Alliance administrative building and wildlife hospital, which the organization plans to build along NE 82nd Avenue.

The renewable energy production at this site is supported by Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) grants, with additional support from APANO, the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and the Bird Alliance of Oregon, enabling the installation of a two-acre community solar array on a sloped section of the property. This solar energy collection program will offset utility costs for around 200 low-income community members over the next twenty years and power the Bird Alliance of Oregon’s new Wildlife Care Center on NE 82nd Avenue.

A sunlit view of a sloped, overgrown field with dry grass and scattered trees, showcasing a residential area in the background against a clear blue sky.
Slopped souther edge of property to support two-acre community solar array

Area residents can expect to see more site investments around the Bird Alliance of Oregon’s property, starting with securing access and then earth-moving work to support the organization’s planting initiatives. Eventually, the location will become a learning resource for the area’s schoolchildren and a natural retreat for those living in the vicinity of the vast, undeveloped site.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.

Community, Construction, Demolition

Demolition Clears Way for Sober Shelter Site at 1818 SE 82nd

On August 18th, demolition crews began razing the single-story sales office and shop at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue to make room for the second Multnomah County-owned shelter site in Montavilla. After workers remove the 1964-era single-story building, last used as an RV sales location, the Multnomah County Homeless Services Department will begin preparing the site to support a new sober shelter that Do Good Multnomah will operate. That development will take place during the 2025-2026 winter season, creating utility connections for 38 single-occupancy shelters with supporting portable sanitation and cooking facilities.

Construction site featuring a demolition crew working on a single-story building with large windows, surrounded by a fence and equipment.

Multnomah County purchased the former recreational vehicle dealership at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue in December 2022 for $2.015 million. This 34,000-square-foot parcel was the second Montavilla location the County bought that year for temporary shelter services. The other shelter, Oak Street Village at 333 SE 82nd Avenue, opened in February and is currently operating at full capacity. The Joint Office of Homeless Services — now renamed the Homeless Services Department — has held several community meetings, with the most recent meeting in April announcing that Do Good Multnomah would operate the site as a sober shelter. Presenters explained that residents and staff are subject to drug testing, and policy strictly prohibits the possession of non-prescribed intoxicants on the property.

A demolition excavator is actively tearing down a single-story building, while a worker in a red jumpsuit oversees the process. Debris is scattered around the site under a blue sky with some clouds.

Selecting a sober format meets a specific need for people transitioning into stable housing who are in recovery from substance use disorder, and it better matches community desires for the site, which is located near two schools. The project designers will set back the new seven-foot-high chain-link fence on SE Mill Street to allow for more sidewalk-adjacent plantings, providing a buffer space and allowing for greater resident privacy beyond the plastic fence inserts that will obscure sightlines from the street.

A demolition excavator is actively demolishing a single-story building, with debris scattered on the ground. A worker in a safety suit observes from the side, and the sky is partly cloudy.

Demolition work continues at the property for the rest of the week. Early plans intended to salvage portions of the wood roof structure above the glass curtain walls for reuse in covered outdoor amenities on the site. That level of salvage and reuse may prove challenging, but the methodical approach to tearing down this building could indicate the intention to preserve reusable materials.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Construction, Infrastructure

Paved SE Clinton Street Open to All Users

Recently, crews and cement masons completed construction on new sidewalks and street paving along SE Clinton Street, converting the existing gravel road to a modern street surface from SE 84th Place to 87th Avenue. This project adds wide sidewalks on SE Clinton Street from SE 84th to 87th Avenues, completing a pedestrian connection from the commercial resources on SE 82nd Avenue to the residential streets east. The updated street design features a planting strip with space for small street trees or other greenery.

View of a newly paved street intersection with sidewalks on SE Clinton Street, featuring residential houses and greenery in the background.
SE Clinton St looking east from SE 85th Ave

In late March, crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began preparing sections of the Jade District for the Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project, which will improve access along SE 85th Avenue and SE Clinton Street for all road users in the area and give people traveling outside a car the calmer parallel path to 82nd Avenue that residents have requested for years. This work includes improving connector routes like SE Clinton Street from the safer parallel infrastructure to the commercial district. In November 2019, the City of Portland’s Bureau of Planning and Sustainability released the Building Healthy Connected Communities Along Division Transit report, which the City Council adopted in December 2019. Most sidewalks in the project area will receive updated Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant curb ramps, allowing all pedestrians to navigate the area, mostly separated from car traffic.

A newly paved street with wide sidewalks and landscaping on SE Clinton Street, featuring a smooth road surface and wooden fencing along the properties.
SE Clinton St looking west from SE 87th Ave

This project will also add new sidewalks to the Jade District west of 82nd Avenue on SE Tibbetts Street. That work will provide sidewalk infill where some blocks lack consistent pedestrian pavement down to SE 78th Avenue. Road crews will also repave SE Tibbetts Street from SE 78th to 80th Avenues. Almost a decade ago, the City identified the importance of better pedestrian and cyclist infrastructure in Montavilla and the Jade District.

View of newly paved SE Clinton Street, featuring fresh asphalt, marked crosswalks, and a clear blue sky.
SE Clinton St looking east from west of SE 84th Pl

This multimodal improvement project demonstrates the impact of community participation in city infrastructure planning efforts and highlights the time it takes to develop actionable plans with adequate funding. Together, the collection of enhancements costs $9,094,000 but should not impact the City’s general fund. Money for these improvements comes from $3,200,000 in Federal funds, with an additional $4,900,000 from the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) allocations. PBOT will source the remaining $994,000 from System Development Charges paid by developers. This work should significantly improve access within two critical commercial centers and add to general safety for those traveling outside of a car. Look for construction in Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project zones to continue through 2025.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Otter Wax, a neighborhood producer of small-batch specialty goods handcrafted in Portland. Using only natural ingredients, they make modern care products that are steeped in tradition. We thank them for their support.

Crime, Infrastructure

Traffic Citation Cameras Taken Down for Replacement

After a year, the newer intersection safety camera systems the City of Portland installed along 82nd Avenue are missing from their poles as the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) works with a new vendor to augment the traffic enforcement network. In summer 2024, crews installed new cameras along 82nd Avenue and other places in the City to dissuade speeding and running red lights in areas prone to crashes. The now-removed camera installed at 82nd Avenue at E Burnside Street monitored an intersection where a speeding vehicle killed an area resident in October 2023. PBOT officials removed many existing cameras from City Streets, making room for new devices from NovoaGlobal that crews will install by November 1st. Around that time, project planners expect to add three additional locations to the safety camera network, increasing PBOT’s tools that support its goal to eliminate vehicular-related deaths and serious injuries on city streets.

A close-up view of a tall traffic camera pole against a cloudy sky, showcasing the pole's metal structure and mounting brackets where cameras are typically attached.
Intersection safety camera pole on 82nd Ave at E Burnside St stripped of its equipment

The City of Portland’s change of vendors will unify the traffic law enforcement camera system to a single company for 15 speed safety cameras and 17 intersection safety cameras. Revenue from camera citations and registration fees for traffic safety diversion classes supports the cost of the cameras. The City is required to spend any future earnings from the automated citation system on traffic safety programs or improvements, and fines will not contribute to the City’s general budget.

Close-up of a pole with a circular mount where a safety camera was previously installed, showing signs of wear.
Weather plug on intersection safety camera pole where wires connected to hardware

The City has 32 cameras, and the Portland Police Bureau operates two Traffic Division mobile speed enforcement vans that the City will also upgrade with NovoaGlobal equipment. For some City leaders, that is too few to reduce risky driving behavior adequately, and they advocate for expanding the program. Portland City Councilor Steve Novick said in a KOIN News interview that he is interested in emulating other jurisdictions with fewer traffic fatalities per capita, where they have substantially more cameras in use. However, some residents oppose the automated cameras used in issuing citations. Objections voiced include concerns about excessive government surveillance, fining drivers instead of building infrastructure that encourages safety, and the inequitable distribution of cameras across the City that could penalize poorer communities.

Traffic camera pole graffiti reading “For The love (heart symbol) of money (dollar sign)”

In more extreme cases of community protest against citation cameras, people sometimes tag or vandalize equipment. Portland’s network of cameras suffered damage in 2024 at the hands of a shooter who targeted these devices. Police apprehended a suspect in the case who they accused of causing over $500,000 in damage to more than a dozen traffic cameras across the City. The message from these destructive and sometimes dangerous activities often focuses on the fines’ impact on people. PBOT and some street safety advocates in favor of this type of deterrent stress the importance of changing harmful road behavior through a variety of methods, including fines. There is a recognized danger of systems becoming dependent on fines and favoring revenue growth over correcting harmful behavior. However, rules on camera placement and revenue use could limit the potential for misuse.

Drivers in Portland can expect to see up to 35 cameras operational by the end of 2025, with a new unit on SE Powell Boulevard at 34th Avenue monitoring westbound drivers, NE 82nd Avenue at Fremont Street facing southbound motorists, and NE 82nd Avenue at Klickitat Street watching northbound vehicles. All new cameras have a 30-day warning period before people caught by the devices receive citations. By January 2026, PBOT will install two cameras on SW Barbur Boulevard in the 5900 to 6100 blocks.

PBOT notes that incidents involving speeds higher than posted are a top contributing factor to deadly crashes across the Portland region. Additionally, ignoring traffic signals causes a significant number of crashes. 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. People should anticipate the new cameras returning in the next few months as crews rebuild the network under a unified system.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Consider visiting Montavilla New’s supporter East Portland News as it continues to advocate for and report on outer East Portland. You will find frequently updated articles and an archive of more than 5,000 stories written over the past 20+ years alongside a robust Community Calendar of events.

Infrastructure

SE 82nd at Division Paving Two weeks in August

Drivers using SE 82nd Avenue and SE Division Street should anticipate two weeks of traffic disruption starting on Monday, August 4th. Crews from Raimore Construction working with The Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) will close lanes for repaving from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday during the project, with two Friday night work times from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Saturday. That overnight construction occurs on August 8th to 9th and August 15th to 16th, when the project planners estimate the repaving work will conclude. During the traffic disruption, barriers will consolidate 82nd Avenue to one lane in each direction, and flaggers will prohibit left turns onto Division Street during working hours.

Traffic signal at the intersection of SE 82nd Avenue and Division Street, showing vehicles waiting at a red light and a pedestrian crossing.

This roadwork supports ongoing safety and maintenance upgrades on 82nd Avenue required to address deferred maintenance issues identified after the jurisdictional transfer of the former state Highway from the Oregon Department of Transportation to PBOT on June 1st, 2022. Unlike many repaving projects that only grind off the top layer of asphalt and replace it with a fresh mixture of aggregate and bitumen, this project requires more significant work in the outer lanes. In its early stages, 82nd Avenue initially supported only three lanes of traffic, with one lane for vehicles traveling in each direction and a center turn lane. Transportation officials reserved the outer edges of the street for parking, and engineers did not build parking pavement to the same standard as the street’s center. When transportation officials removed parking to add another travel lane in each direction, they did not update the road’s supporting base, leading to premature wear. Crews working on this project will need to remove the outer lanes to their base layer and reengineer it to support the weight of vehicles in motion above it before repaving the whole surface. The results will provide a smoother road surface that should last longer before requiring future repairs.

Diagram illustrating the paving process for the 82nd Avenue major maintenance project, depicting steps for excavation, grinding, and paving along with construction of median center islands and tree planting.
Paving graphic courtesy PBOT

PBOT expects the early August work to create significant traffic impacts, with the greatest delays occurring during the morning and evening commutes. All street users should anticipate delays, including pedestrians and transit users. Crews will turn off the traffic signal at SE 82nd Avenue and Division, and flaggers will direct traffic through the intersection. North and southbound drivers on 82nd Avenue will only have the option to travel straight or turn right at SE Division Street. Excavation work on the outer lanes will temporarily block some business driveway access. Raimore Construction representatives will work with affected properties to limit workplace disruptions, and drivers must follow worker directions in the worksite to remain safe and not cause damage by driving into an unsafe space.

View of SE 82nd Avenue showing traffic cones and construction barriers alongside the road, indicating ongoing repaving work.

Repaving will begin on the west side of SE 82nd Avenue and transition to the east side of the street midway through the project. PBOT anticipates that at least one travel lane in each direction will remain open. Businesses on 82nd Avenue will remain open during construction. However, locations closest to the roadwork should expect dust, noise, and vibrations from the heavy equipment working in the area. Street sweeping equipment will traverse the site to remove construction debris. TriMet’s website does not currently list any stop closures for the 72 bus line, but transit riders should check for service impacts before heading out between August 4th and 16th.

Update August 5,2025: TriMet stopes in the area re closed with the following message about temporary stop locations. “Through Friday, August 8, no service to the southbound stops at 2200 Block 82nd (Stop ID 7923), SE 82nd & Clinton (Stop ID 7948) and SE 82nd & Division (Stop ID 7958) due to construction. Use the temporary stops approx. 400 ft north of 2200 Block on utility pole, and approx.500 ft south of Clinton on utility pole.”

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News is supported by contributions from businesses like Greg Beddor – SEO Specialist, an Oregon based digital marketing consultancy. The company markets customer’s websites and provide SEO services to grow their business. We thank them for their support.

Construction, New Business, New Residence

1818 SE 82nd Sober Shelter Construction Starts August

Starting August 4th, demolition crews working with Multnomah County’s Homeless Services Department will begin preparing the site at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue to support a new sober shelter that Do Good Multnomah will operate after construction completes in the 2025-2026 winter season. With the reconstruction of SE Mill Street adjacent to the property complete, and road crews wrapping up repaving on SE 82nd Avenue in this area, contractors will have unobstructed access to the site to install 38 single-occupancy, shed-style shelters with supporting sanitation and cooking facilities.

Street view of the site at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue, featuring a fenced area with construction barrels and traffic signals indicating SE 82nd Avenue.

Multnomah County purchased the former recreational vehicle dealership at 1818 SE 82nd Avenue in December 2022 for $2.015 million. This 34,000-square-foot parcel was the second Montavilla location the County bought that year for temporary shelter services. The other shelter, Oak Street Village at 333 SE 82nd Avenue, opened in February and is currently operating at full capacity. The Joint Office of Homeless Services — now renamed the Homeless Services Department — has held several community meetings, with the most recent meeting in April announcing that Do Good Multnomah would operate the site as a sober shelter. Presenters explained that residents and staff are subject to drug testing, and policy strictly prohibits the possession of non-prescribed intoxicants on the property.

Selecting a sober format meets a specific need for people transitioning into stable housing who are in recovery from substance use disorder, and it better matches community desires for the site, which is located near two schools. The project designers will set back the new seven-foot-high chain-link fence on SE Mill Street to allow for more sidewalk-adjacent plantings, providing a buffer space and allowing for greater resident privacy beyond the plastic fence inserts that will obscure sightlines from the street.

A proposed site design for a new sober shelter, showing the layout of sleeping units, community space, staff areas, and essential facilities like showers and laundry. The design includes labeled areas for vehicle entry, landscaping, and fencing.
Feb 2025 Design – courtesy JOHS

Workers will remove sections of the asphalt pavement in the parking lot to create green spaces and a pet relief area for residents. Portable units that will house showers, bathrooms, a kitchenette space, and a laundry facility for residents are placed along the SE 82nd Avenue frontage to create a sound barrier from the busy street. On-site parking is available for staff and service providers only. This site will not provide space for residents to park personal vehicles. Some neighbors questioned the original placement of the trash enclosure on the property, and updated designs relocated it away from the fence line, but still made it accessible for trash haulers.

As work on the site progresses this summer, Homeless Services Department staff will collaborate with community partners on a Good Neighbor Agreement, a process anticipated to take two months. Demolition work will take place through August with a planned completion date around the 22nd of that month. Electricians, plumbers, and other tradespeople will follow to install the below-ground routed services that will support the installation of the portable sleeping pods and the six support buildings.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The Author of this article servers on the board the 82nd Avenue Business Association which will work with Multnomah County on a Good Neighbor Agreement for the site.

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