Tag: ADA

Construction, Infrastructure

Repaving NE 87th from I-84 to NE Glisan

On April 22nd, crews with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) begin grinding down the old asphalt pavement along NE 87th Avenue from the dead-end section near Interstate 84’s sound wall north of NE Hassalo Street and progressing south towards NE Glisan Street. This follows work started last summer to update sidewalk corner curb ramps to meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards. That sidewalk infrastructure upgrade and this repaving work underway will create a mostly accessible path through a section of Montavilla with inconsistent pedestrian infrastructure. The northeast section of the neighborhood’s connectivity is constrained by two freeways bordering it to the east and north, along with heavy traffic on NE 82nd Avenue and NE Glisan Street along the other edges of these blocks, inhibiting travel. NE 87th Avenue is part of the city’s low-traffic Neighborhood Greenway for walkers and people rolling to their destination.

Map showing pavement moratorium and planned paving projects in the Montavilla neighborhood of Portland, highlighting Multnomah University and surrounding streets.
Image from Portland Maps showing paving of NE 87th Ave in purple

In August 2025, cement masons reconstructed eight sidewalk corners along NE 87th Avenue and added a mid-block curb ramp on the south side of NE Glisan Street across from the northeast corner of 87th Avenue at the NE Glisan intersection. This project creates an opportunity for a near-continuously paved north-south pedestrian path between NE Hassalo Street and NE Glisan Street. However, missing paved sidewalks on the northern edges of 8631 and 8636 NE Holladay Street will require pedestrians to walk across the lawns of these homes to reach the new ADA curb ramps and the existing paved sidewalks. Future redevelopment of those properties could require installing new sidewalks to complete the pedestrian connection.

A large Wirtgen W 210 Fi milling machine parked on a roadside, featuring an extended conveyor and a modern design, surrounded by grass and trees.
PBOT pavement grinding equipment parked along 8631 NE Holladay Street’s frontage without a sidewalk

PBOT will continue grinding down the road surface and then transition to repaving NE 87th Avenue from NE Glisan Street to just north of NE Hassalo Street. The maintenance paving crews will work on one travel lane at a time from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays. Drivers should expect delays and obey all crew instructions. The sidewalks will remain open. PBOT intends to complete work by Thursday, April 30th. Funding for this project comes from the voter-approved Fixing Our Streets tax, paid by heavy vehicle users and a 10-cent-per-gallon gas tax.

A residential street ending at a dead end, with construction materials and signs indicating road work. A blue delivery vehicle is parked nearby, and there are several trash bins along the curb.
Dead-end section NE 87th Avenue north of NE Hassalo St

This work, along with the curb ramp improvements and repaving happening on NE Glisan from NE 82nd to 92nd avenues, will strengthen pedestrian and bike infrastructure for the Neighborhood Greenway network. The NE Glisan Street repaving and repainting project will provide space for bike lanes, and its intersection with NE 87th Avenue has a Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) to help people cross the busy NE Glisan roadway. People traveling outside a car should soon feel more comfortable navigating the neighborhood on NE 87th Avenue, thanks to these transportation bureau investments. Drivers should also enjoy a smoother street with brighter painted markings.

A residential street with bicycle lanes marked on the pavement, a warning sign for bumps ahead, and parked cars along the side. Trees and houses line the street.
NE 87th Avenue looking north from NE Glisan St
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Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure

SE Washington Sidewalk Infill 80th to 82nd

Starting on Monday, September 15th, contractors working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will begin creating new sidewalks on the south side of SE Washington Street from 80th Avenue to 82nd Avenue. This predominantly Fixing Our Streets-funded project will construct two blocks of paved sidewalks that have been missing from the streetscape for decades. Work coincides with recent updates to lane configuration on the street and includes the removal of a temporary TriMet bus platform, which the transit provider added in 2021 for rider safety. During construction, users of the eastbound 15 bus line will need to use an alternate boarding location as crews will close Stop ID 6165 near the SE 80th Avenue worksite.

A temporary closure sign at a transit stop on SE Washington Street, indicating the stop will close beginning September 15, 2025, and directing passengers to board at Washington and 82nd.

This infrastructure work is the final phase of a multi-step project that includes sidewalk construction along the south side of SE Washington Street, updates to three sidewalk corners featuring Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps, and creation of a curb extension for the northeast corner of SE Washington Street at SE 80th Avenue. The pedestrian zone extension at SE 80th will push the intersection corner into the adjacent parking lane to better align with the recently rebuilt northwest corner and shorten the crosswalk distance for people crossing SE Washington Street.

Construction site for new sidewalks along the south side of SE Washington Street, with traffic cones and barrier fencing visible.

In 2024, crews completed previous phases of project work, installing a sump maintenance hole at the intersection of SE 81st Avenue and SE Washington Street. Around that time, contractors working on the 70s Greenway project installed an enhanced crossing point for SE Washington Street at SE 80th Avenue featuring rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFB) that cyclists and pedestrians can activate to alert motorists of their intent to enter the roadway.

A historical map showing the layout of streets and blocks in Montavilla, Portland, Oregon, with labels indicating street names and numbers.
Sanborn Map overview from 1909

The lack of sidewalks along these two blocks stems from the early platting of Montavilla. In pre-twentieth-century uses, these adjacent parcels existed in a superblock bordered by Base Line Road(now SE Stark Street), 82nd Avenue, Taylor Street, and 80th Avenue. It later became part of the Goodhue Park land division. Now they host Milwaukie Lumber’s lumberyard storage and an Atlas Motors used car lot. Both businesses have frequent curb-cuts for driveway access that cement masons will recreate when pouring concrete for new sidewalks.

Construction site on SE Washington Street with barricades blocking the road and signage indicating 'Additional Parking'.

Buses and cyclists will lose access to the south side curb-adjacent lane in the project area while crews work in the area. Drivers already gained a through and right-turn combined lane during the recent reconfiguration of SE Washington Street at 82nd Avenue, which should remain open during construction. This sidewalk infill work will enhance pedestrian and transit access to the area while making safer crossing points. Work is weather-dependent, and delays could prolong the bus stop closure. Riders should continue to check TriMet’s website or trip planner until the stop reopens.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure

New Curb Ramps on NE 87th from Hassalo to Glisan

Crews with the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) recently completed concrete work on sidewalk corner ramps along the west side of NE 87th Avenue from NE Hassalo Street to NE Glisan Street. These Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps create a mostly accessible path through a section of Montavilla with inconsistent pedestrian infrastructure. The northeast section of the neighborhood’s connectivity is further burdened by two freeways bordering it to the east and north. The heavy traffic of NE 82nd Avenue and NE Glisan Street surrounds the other edges of these blocks, creating challenges for people traveling in this area outside of a car.

Construction site showing traffic barriers and vehicles near new sidewalk corner ramps on NE 78th Avenue.
Northeast corner NE Glisan St and 87th Ave
Sidewalk corner ramp construction with barriers and construction signs on NE 78th Avenue in Montavilla, Portland.
Northwest corner NE Glisan St and 87th Ave

Cement masons reconstructed eight sidewalk corners along NE 87th Avenue and added a mid-block curb ramp on the south side of NE Glisan Street across from the northeast corner of 87th Avenue at the NE Glisan intersection. This project creates an opportunity for a near-continuously paved north-south pedestrian path between NE Hassalo Street and NE Glisan Street, intersecting with NE Pacific and Holladay Streets. However, missing paved sidewalks on the northern edges of 8631 and 8636 NE Holladay Street will require pedestrians to walk through the grassy lawns of these homes to connect from the new ADA curb ramps to the existing paved sidewalks. Future redevelopment of those properties could require the installation of new sidewalks, completing the pedestrian connection.

Map showing pavement moratorium and planned paving projects in the Montavilla neighborhood of Portland, highlighting Multnomah University and surrounding streets.
Image from Portland Maps showing planned paving of NE 87th Ave in purple

This corner work is taking place ahead of other planned street improvements. Portland Maps indicates PBOT intends to repave NE 87th Avenue from NE Flanders Street to NE Hassalo Street. That future work, along with the curb ramp improvements, will strengthen NE 87th Avenue in its role as a Neighborhood Greenway. It is one of the few crossings on NE Glisan Street in the neighborhood with a traffic signal light or Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) to help people cross the busy roadway. People traveling outside a car should now feel more comfortable using NE 87th Avenue to navigate the neighborhood, thanks to these transportation bureau investments.

View of a newly constructed sidewalk corner ramp with construction barriers and traffic cones on the corner of NE 78th Avenue and NE Pacific Street in Montavilla, Oregon.
NE 87th Ave at Pacific St
View of a residential corner at NE 78th Avenue and NE Holladay Street, featuring newly constructed ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps and a road construction sign.
NE 87th Ave at Holladay St
View of a residential area with houses and trees, featuring newly constructed ADA compliant sidewalk corner ramps.
NE 87th Ave at Hassalo St

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Correction: An earlier version of this article had NE 87th Avenue noted as NE 78th Avenue in one location. That typo has been corrected.

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Construction, Infrastructure

Three ADA Curb Ramps on SE Harrison

Crews working with the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will construct three curb ramps on SE Harrison Street between SE 76th and 75th Avenues. This week, crews painted street markings indicating the shape and placement of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps on a route frequently used by pedestrians and cyclists accessing Mt. Tabor Park. This sidewalk corner reconstruction will complete accessible infrastructure work on this segment of SE Harrison Street started in 2023. However, paved sidewalks on this street are functionally non-existent west of SE 75th Avenue through the park.

The corner construction work will take place on two “T” intersections. For north-south traveling pedestrians on the west side of SE 76th Avenue, the newly reconstructed southwest corner ramp will align with the existing northwest extended sidewalk corner. This design encourages people wanting to cross SE 76th Avenue to use the high-visibility crosswalk that extends over the intersection’s northern crossing point. The southwest corner has an existing ramp but no longer complies with ADA standards.

Portland Maps aerial view of SE Harrison St, SE 76th Ave, and 75th Ave with MV News red circles indicating work areas

The SE Harrison Street crossing at SE 75th Avenue will add a southeast corner curb ramp and a mid-block ramp on the northern edge of the “T” intersection, aligning with the corner reconstruction work. This project area will create an ADA-compliant crossing to help users of wheeled mobility devices access the more consistent sidewalk infrastructure on SE Harrison Court to the south.

This work is part of Portland’s commitment to its residents who need accessible use of city infrastructure. PBOT must reconstruct a set number of non-ADA-compliant sidewalk corners yearly to meet a 2018 Curb Ramp Consent Decree requirement. Road work like this project requires long stretches of good weather, and crews tend to fit them between other work. People should expect to see work begin in the warmer months of 2025. During construction, sidewalk detours will be necessary, and drivers should use caution as crews work along the street’s edge.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Update: This page was updated to fix a broken link to Consent Decree information.

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Construction, Infrastructure

SE 82nd Lane Closure for Clinton Crossing

Recently, crews working at SE 82nd Avenue and SE Clinton Street closed the outer southbound lane, repurposing the center turn lane to maintain capacity. This work is related to the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) bundle of 82nd Avenue Critical Fixes. Crews will install a pedestrian half signal, a continuous protected concrete median refuge island, updated curb ramps, and new marked crosswalks. Work will also require limited road reconstruction down to its base layer near the intersection. When completed, road infrastructure at the intersection will prohibit left turns.

This project is less than 500 feet from the fully signalized intersection at SE 82nd Avenue and Division Street but 700 feet from the next signalized intersection at SE Woodward Street. Since Portland City Council adopted the PedPDX update to Portland’s Pedestrian Master Plan in 2019, PBOT began installing marked crossings roughly 800 feet apart on major streets. Engineers place marked crosswalks closer together at around every 530 feet for designated Pedestrian Districts like the Jade District, adding median refuge islands, Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB), and signals as needed. “Clinton Street was identified early on in our planning process as a desirable location to fill this gap, being the closest intersection to the mid-point between the two existing crossings, and the closest to meeting the 530-foot guideline, and being a four-way intersection that serves a larger area of the neighborhood on both sides of 82nd Avenue,” explained PBOT representative Hannah Schafer.

Graphic from 82nd Avenue Critical Fixes 60% Draft Concept Design, January 2024. Courtesy PBOT

City planners also chose this location for improvements based on future projects planned along SE Clinton Street. This crossing will eventually lead to an affordable housing development planned for the former Canton Grill site at the northeast corner, and the street will receive upgrades as part of the Jade and Montavilla Multimodal Improvements Project. “An upcoming funded project will be paving some gravel blocks of Clinton Street just east of 82nd Avenue and adding sidewalks that will connect to this new signalized crossing,” remarked Schafer. She noted that this crossing was the site of a 2015 traffic fatality, along with several other non-deadly crashes involving pedestrians struck by motorists, elevating the need for safety upgrades at this intersection.

The Half Signals selected for this project stop vehicle traffic on 82nd Avenue. This equipment works similarly to RRFB signalized crossings. People request the light by pressing a button when ready to cross. However, instead of activating flashing amber lights, drivers see a stoplight, clearly halting traffic so pedestrians can cross. In addition to signals and a continuous protected concrete median refuge island that prohibits left turns, contractors working for PBOT will construct enhanced stormwater inlets and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant corner ramps at SE 82nd Avenue and SE Clinton Street. 

Since April 23rd, construction at the site closed the southbound number 72 TriMet Bus stop (ID 7948). The stop will reopen in early May. Drivers should anticipate continued construction at this intersection in the next few months, blocking various traffic lanes on 82nd Avenue and closing SE Clinton Street access from 82nd Avenue as work requires. 

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure

82nd Ave 60% Draft Concept Design

Update Feb 29th, 2024: PBOT scheduled two in-person events to present the project’s 60% design refinements and collect public comment. Details are provided below and available online for the March 4th and March 13th meetings.

Article originally published February 1st, 2024

In late January, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) released its 60% Draft Concept Design for the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project, which includes $55 million in improvements to the former State Highway. This collection of road and sidewalk reconstruction work will deliver many safety upgrades to the high-crash corridor and provide approximately 250 new trees to an area that suffers from the heat island effect.

For PBOT staff, the 60% designed phase represents a significant milestone for a project. At this point, many of the streetscape attributes are outlined and placed on the map. The transportation bureau has hosted many public meetings with community members and organizations. Then, following the group and individual outreach, staff reworked proposals to adjust design concepts to accommodate access needs. However, this advancement in the planning process does still allow for changes. PBOT encourages people to participate in an informative survey or the two in-person meetings in February and March. City staff will schedule those meetings soon and ask people to visit the project website for updates.

SE 82nd Ave at SE Mill. Image courtesy PBOT

The 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project spans five miles, and the ten-page design document provides an annotated scrolling map view of the work area. It indicates the placement of raised median islands, separators, and signal equipment upgrades. The document marks spaces for tree planting or other foliage with green dots and lighter green lines. Later design work by PBOT will determine the final number of trees planted and the botanical space created. Crews working on this project will build or upgrade 15,000 feet of sidewalk on 82nd Avenue or adjacent side streets and update or replace 200 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps.

Drivers will benefit from the repaving of two segments totaling 2.5 miles of smoother asphalt. Crews will replace the street surface from NE Siskiyou to Schuyler streets and SE Mill Street to SE Foster Road. Crews will completely rebuild the outer two travel lanes in these segments. Most of 82nd Avenue has insufficient base layer support for heavy traffic on the curbside lanes. Historically, they supported street parking, and engineers did not anticipate the current four-travel-lane design.

SE 82nd Ave at SE Harrison. Image courtesy PBOT

Montavilla residents will see a small portion of the repaving planned in this work cycle. However, several in-street elements and sidewalk work will occur in the Neighborhood. Around 200 feet of SE Mill Street east of SE 82nd Avenue will receive new pavement and sidewalks with street trees. PBOT plans to rebuild the sidewalk across 82nd Avenue from the Portland Community College SE campus, connecting to a newly protected mid-block crossing. The enhanced raised center median will have space for street trees and other plantings, allowing roots to spread beyond the confines of typical tree wells. PBOT recently expanded unpaved sections of street median throughout the project in this recent design, making way for better planting zones and reducing the heat radiating from concrete.

SE 82nd Ave at PCC SE Campus. Image courtesy PBOT

PBOT’s designs for the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project provide better driving conditions for drivers, but the majority of work centers on improving conditions for those outside a car. In some places where travel lanes on 82nd Avenue are wider than needed, the transportation bureau intends to extend sidewalks in the roadway and plant street trees. Some design elements reduce opportunities for left-hand turns, aggregating them in safe, predictable locations. Crews will rebuild or replace traffic signals and paint high-visibility crosswalks at many intersections. Cyclists and pedestrians should benefit from more places to safely cross 82nd Avenue, while people traveling along the roadway will have more shade and space away from traffic.

SE 82nd Ave at SE Clinton. Image courtesy PBOT

Crews will complete this phase of work by the end of 2026, but it does not represent the entirety of upgrades planned for this area. The City is developing many more projects related to the jurisdictional transfer of 82nd Avenue from the Oregon Department of Transportation to PBOT. That process came with $185 million in funding from the American Rescue Plan Act, PBOT, and State transportation budgets. City Council will vote on approval for the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project this spring, with construction starting after receiving that final endorsement. People can take the survey through March 31st and participate in the in-person events when PBOT staff schedule them.

Update: PBOT scheduled the in person meetings

By

Jacob Loeb

Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Group

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Construction, Infrastructure

New Sidewalk Corners and Traffic Patterns on SE Yamhill

Road crews recently demolished the existing sidewalk corners along SE 92nd Avenue at SE Yamhill Street, reconstructing them with improved curb ramps. Six blocks west on Yamhill, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) workers adjusted the traffic pattern at SE 86th Avenue, changing the direction where vehicles stop. Both projects strengthen non-automotive access to area parks and schools.

Southeast corner of SE 92nd Ave and SE Yamhill St waiting for concrete

Cement masons completed work on three of the four sidewalk corners at SE Yamhill and 92nd. They all feature Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant designs with larger landing areas at the top of the new curb ramps. On the west side of SE 92nd Avenue, crews must create short retaining walls to hold back the yards where the expanded sidewalk cuts into an adjacent property. Over the last two years, crews working for PBOT have updated many sidewalk corners along SE 92nd Avenue near Berrydale Park and the connected Portland Public School campus. These updates encourage walking to the two destinations and ensure people of all abilities can use the sidewalk to get where they are going.

BPOT crews made a traffic pattern adjustment west of this intersection to SE 86th Avenue at SE Yamhill Street that supports bicyclists traveling on the Neighborhood Greenway. Previously, vehicles on SE 86th Avenue had to stop at SE Yamhill Street while people on Yamhill could continue driving. Now the two-way-stop is reversed so east/west drivers stop. This intersection control change lets bike riders continue through that intersection without slowing down. PBOT placed “New Traffic Pattern Ahead” signs around the intersection to warn drivers and marked each updated sign with bright-colored double flags to attract attention.

Recent projects on SE 86th Avenue have strengthened safety for Greenway users. A signalized crossing is under construction on this road at SE Washington Street. That update and this traffic pattern change should enhance the utility of the Greenway, particularly for families using it to travel to the nearby parks and schools. Additionally, sidewalk corner reconstruction along SE 92nd Avenue ensures that that route is accessible to all users. Expect more Greenway and corner reconstruction in this area over the next two years, leading up to the Berrydale Park Improvement Project in 2025.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure

Reconstruction of SE 82nd and Ash

On November 13th, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began constructing six enhanced pedestrian crossings along 82nd Avenue. During this work, crews will reconstruct the intersection at SE 82nd Avenue and Ash Street with a traffic-diverting raised median and pedestrian crossing signal lights. This Montavilla-based portion of the project will also improve stormwater management and add additional street lighting.

Demolition crews will remove an existing pedestrian refuge island installed on this intersection’s south crossing seven years ago. A 250-foot raised median along SE 82nd Avenue will replace it, creating a safe midway space for pedestrians using the north and south crosswalks. The center median will prohibit vehicles from turning left at the intersection and prevent through traffic on SE Ash Street. PBOT will install a signal mast on the southwest corner to hang Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) over the southern crosswalk.

Existing pedestrian refuge island (photo by Jacob Loeb)

Intersection design documents show space for five median-planted street trees or other foliage and space for additional street lights. Several high-capacity curb inlet storm drains will accompany new in-street catch basins, mitigating the flooding problems that often occur in the roadway. This work has several minor expansions of the public Right of Way into the adjacent properties, allowing sufficient pedestrian space at the reconstructed sidewalk corners, each featuring new Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps. The north and south crossings will receive high-visibility crosswalk markings, calling driver attention to the higher likelihood of pedestrian use.

PBOT provided design document

Business access will remain mostly unchanged except when traveling on SE Ash Street. However, crossing five lanes of traffic on Ash often required long waits or risky maneuvers. PBOT will remove around two parking spaces SE Ash at the northeast and southwest corners. This curbside parking reduction provides additional space for vehicles turning into and off SE Ash while improving visibility.

As part of this 18-month-long project, PBOT is also updating crosswalks on 82nd Avenue at NE Beech, NE Klickitat, NE Schuyler, SE Clinton, and SE Schiller streets. Many of these pedestrian safety enhancements are part of the 82nd Avenue Critical Fixes funded during the jurisdictional transfer of 82nd Avenue from the Oregon Department of Transportation to PBOT. Work on these intersections will occur at different times over several months. TriMet 72 bus line riders should check for service alerts as construction will temporarily affect some stops. Drivers should anticipate lane closures while crews work in the roadway or along the edge of the street.

By

Jacob Loeb

Main article image courtesy PBOT

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Construction, Infrastructure

Corner Reconstruction Along SE 92nd Ave at Yamhill

Soon, road crews will demolish the existing sidewalk corners along SE 92nd Ave at SE Yamhill Street and reconstruct them with improved curb ramps. The current crossing infrastructure no longer complies with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) design standards and is in poor condition. Work on this project will also allow for improved stormwater management.

Over the last two years, crews working for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) have updated many sidewalk corners along SE 92nd Avenue near Berrydale Park and the adjacent Portland Public School campus. PBOT prioritizes projects along school routes as those projects often receive dedicated funding, and the city’s transportation bureau must reconstruct a set number of non-ADA-compliant sidewalk corners yearly to meet the 2018 Curb Ramp Consent Decree requirements. 

As work progresses, SE 92nd Avenue will eventually become universally accessible to all pedestrians traveling from SE Stark to SE Division Street. Look for crews to begin demolition at the intersection within the next few weeks and continue work through the end of the year. Partial lane closures could be necessary as equipment operates at the road’s edge. Pedestrians may need to cross the street to avoid sidewalk detours.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Update: This article was updated with a new link to Consent Decree information.

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Construction, Infrastructure

New Sidewalk Corners SE 90th and Morrison

Over a year ago, residents noticed street markings on the four sidewalk corners of SE 90th Avenue and Morrison Street that indicated pending reconstruction. Road crews completed that work this weekend, fully reopening the pedestrian path. This intersection is a frequent connector for people traveling to Berrydale Park and students commuting to the adjacent school. Although it already had curb ramps at three of the four corners, they were no longer Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant and required updating.

The full-year gap between planning curb ramp design and construction is not uncommon. However, the city has court-mandated requirements to invest in this type of accessible infrastructure. In September 2018, the city entered a Curb Ramp Consent Decree to settle a class action lawsuit. The agreement committed Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) resources to the installation or remediation of 1,500 ADA compliment curb ramps on average per year. This curb ramp work schedule will continue through 2030, and the 2022 PBOT ADA Program Annual Report shows the city is on track to meeting goals with surplus corners banked for lower construction years.

This intersection now meets ADA standards and features updated stormwater inlet grates. Residents of all mobility needs will have an easy path to their destination, provided the property owner-maintained sidewalk infrastructure connects to the city-managed corners. Pedestrian infrastructure east of 82nd Avenue has many gaps. Under the current city code, those gaps will only fill in during property redevelopment, potentially taking decades. However, thanks to the Curb Ramp Consent Decree, most sidewalk corners in Portland will meet ADA standards within the next ten years.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Update: This article was updated with a new link to Consent Decree information.

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