ADA – Page 2 – Montavilla News

Road crews are rebuilding a sidewalk corner and adding a ramp on SE 76th Avenue at SE Harrison Street to provide an accessible crossing that meets current city standards. This pedestrian realm improvement project includes reconstructing the northwest corner of the T-intersection with the addition of a mid-block curb ramp in alignment with that corner.

Demolition workers have removed a segment of SE 76th Avenue’s sidewalk to support the mid-block Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant crosswalk ramp. Painted project design markings show that the northwest corner will extend into the roadway allowing for a larger corner with a level five-foot-wide platform that leads to the curb ramp. This additional sidewalk protrusion will shorten the crossing distance for pedestrians and allow those not crossing to round the corner on even ground. The existing corner forces every sidewalk user to navigate down the sloped surface regardless of the direction traveled.

*Image form Portland Maps. Purple line shows future paving project for SE Harrison Street*

SE Harrison Street leads to Mt. Tabor Park and is a designated bike route, making this a critical intersection to support pedestrian access. A future paving project along this road will reconstruct the road’s surface west from SE 76th Avenue to the park’s boundary. Drivers and cyclists should expect lane diversion as crews work along the road’s edge, and pedestrians may need to cross the street to avoid sidewalk closures.

Update August 8th, 2023: Work is complete and the crosswalk should reopen this week.

Jacob Loeb

Correction: A previous version of this article stated crews would replace two sidewalk corners. Only one is planned at this time.

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Update: Crews working with the City of Portland reconstructed a corner at NE 74th Avenue and NE Glisan Street this week. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) plans to improve sidewalk curb ramps on two other corners at this intersection later this month. Developers of new affordable housing in the area will reconstruct the southeast corner of this intersection as part of the redevelopment of that site.

Construction barricades temporarily blocked the main entryway for the Hour Glass Pub at 7401 NE Glisan Street during concrete work on the northeast corner. Electricians installed conduit and mounting posts for new pedestrian crossing signal poles to replace the units currently mounted on a wood utility pole. Crews also installed updated storm drains near the curb ramps on each street’s edge. These wastewater inlets will handle extreme rain events better, keeping the corners clear of standing water.

This work will bring the intersection into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and better manage stormwater that sometimes floods this area of NE Glisan Street. Expect work to continue on the two westward sidewalk corners over the next month.

Article originally published September 25th, 2022

City engineers plan to improve three sidewalk corners at NE 74th Avenue and NE Glisan Street. Construction at the adjacent affordable housing project will reconstruct the fourth corner of this intersection sometime next year. Although curb ramps already exist at this intersection, they no longer conform to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and need updating.

The NE Glisan Street crossing at 74th Avenue serves a crucial role in pedestrian and bicycle transit. The next closest controlled intersection is nearly 2,000 feet away in either direction. Only a Rapid Flash Beacon (RFB) at NE 78th Avenue provides any other protected crossing in the immediate area, and vehicles often fail to yield to people using those signals. The recorded audio at that RFB acknowledges this fact in its message. “Please use caution. Vehicles may not stop.” Consequentially, many non-automotive travelers use the 74th Avenue crossing.

*Northwest corner of NE 74th Avenue and NE Glisan Street*

The curb reconstruction work will relocate some stormwater drains and expand the sidewalk by extending the corner further into the street. However, this will not incorporate the curb extensions that reduce pedestrian crossing distances and place the sidewalk zone at the outer edge of the parking lane, similar to what crews constructed at NE 79th Avenue. Although those infrastructure features would likely make the intersection even safer, extended sidewalks would interfere with a nearby TriMet stop by blocking the bus as it pulls away from the curb.

The sidewalk updates to NE Glisan Street at NE 74th Avenue will increase the utility of this crossing for pedestrians by providing flush curb ramps and reducing the flooding seen at these corners during heavy rain. Look for work to begin in the next few months and anticipate minor detours while crews are on site.

*Northeast corner of NE 74th Avenue and NE Glisan Street*

Jacob Loeb

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