Tag: Building a Better 82nd

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

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Construction, Infrastructure

New Sidewalks on SE Mill

In February, crews working for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began constructing new sidewalks on SE Mill Street east of SE 82nd Avenue. Mill Street lacks curbs or dedicated pedestrian walkways from SE 82nd to 89th Avenues. This project will add over 200 feet of sidewalk on both sides of a street used as a bike greenway and a safe route to school near its busiest intersection. Expanding the new sidewalk further eastward beyond the worksite poses challenges due to mature trees that line SE Mill Street’s residential segment and will need to wait for future infrastructure enhancements.

The new sidewalks will feature tree wells, allowing for street trees on both sides of the roadway. PBOT is acquiring additional right of way to create wide sidewalks for this project on SE Mill. Multnomah County donated the right of way to the City for sidewalk construction on the south side of Mill. Additionally, designs for a temporary shelter at the Multnomah County-owned 1818 SE 82nd Avenue property show a green buffer strip between the sidewalk and the future privacy fence along SE Mill Street. Based on that project’s final landscaping plan, this space could contain trees or plants.

SE Mill St at SE 82nd Ave with illustrations showing new sidewalk and street trees. Image courtesy PBOT

The sidewalk addition is part of the PBOT-led Building a Better 82nd initiative, driving modernization projects along the former Oregon State Highway. The sidewalk’s eastward extension from SE 82nd Avenue will support better business access through defined curb cuts at driveways and let pedestrians safely navigate the street past busier segments. Lane closures on SE Mill Street will occur as crews continue their work in the area. Drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists should use caution traveling through the work site and follow detour signs and crew instructions.

Update: Cement masons completed the south sidewalk segment leaving one unfinished section around a utility pole.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Correction: A previous version of this article inaccurately stated that the sidewalks were limited in width and would not feature space for street trees. Montavilla News Regrets this error. PBOT is acquiring additional right of way to widen sidewalks and plant trees on SE Mill as a part of the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance project.

Community, Construction, Infrastructure

82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Breaks Ground

On August 22nd, officials and invited guests gathered for the 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Project groundbreaking ceremony. Speakers looked toward the future of the former state highway while acknowledging the decades-long work needed to achieve that vision. This collection of improvement projects along 2.5 miles of 82nd Avenue will invest $55 million towards repairs needed to increase safety and improve road conditions. Work now underway represents a significant portion of the $185 million allocated to updates along the commercial corridor, and the community has an opportunity to shape the next wave of project priorities through a survey.

PBOT provided rendering of potential 82nd Avenue streetscape after years of development and improvements to transit

Projects currently underway or entering the construction phase will deliver 14 new pedestrian crossings and eight new traffic signals. Road crews will repave four miles of 82nd Avenue, and workers will upgrade street lighting for better visibility on both sides of the street. People can expect sidewalk reconstruction in limited areas, with upgraded curb ramps to meet modern accessibility standards and stormwater handling improvements along the road’s edge. Mid-street medians and left-turn controlling infrastructure in specific locations will address safety needs while allowing customers access to businesses. In an effort to increase the tree canopy, contractors will plant trees and other foliage in medians and along sidewalks where street width and underground utility obstructions allow space.

From left to right Zachary Lauritzen, JJ Kunsevi, Jacob Loeb, Commissioner Mingus Mapps, and Rep. Khanh Pham (photo by Nancy Chapin)

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is hosting an online Open House to help people learn more about these projects and future enhancements planned on and around 82nd Avenue. Raimore Construction is leading work along the corridor, which will extend through Fall 2026. The current 82nd Avenue Major Maintenance Construction Schedule is available online.

Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Group and spoke at the August 22nd groundbreaking.

By

Jacob Loeb

Speakers seen in main photo from right to left: PBOT Director Millicent Williams, State Representative Khanh Pham, Jacob Loeb – 82nd Avenue Business Association, JJ Kunsevi – Student Representative to the Portland Public Schools Board of Education and a Senior at McDaniel High School, Jeff Moreland Sr. – Raimore Construction, and Zachary Lauritzen – Oregon Walks. Photo by Nancy Chapin

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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Infrastructure

Building a Better 82nd Open House

This month, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) launched an online Open House featuring current plans to improve 82nd Avenue. On June 1st, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) transferred ownership of 82nd Avenue within the City of Portland to PBOT. The jurisdictional transfer includes $185 million in project funding from the state legislature, ODOT, and the City of Portland. City staff refers to the collection of infrastructure upgrades and deferred maintenance projects along the former state highway as Building a Better 82nd. Now, City planners want community members to participate in a survey, setting priorities for future enhancements.

Work on 82nd Avenue is already underway as PBOT invests $80 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to address Critical Fixes. The City must use the federal funds before the end of 2026 or risk losing access to the money. Consequentially, PBOT is implementing pre-identified projects focusing on lighting, crossings, repaving, curb ramp upgrades, and traffic signal replacements. The Survey results will guide planners as they spend the remaining $105 million on projects breaking ground after 2026.

PBOT is working on translating the survey into Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. To request a translated copy of the survey, contact the program team at 82ndavenue@portlandoregon.gov or 503-865-8282. Providing input now is the most effective way for the public to shape future investments in the corridor.

By

Jacob Loeb

Images in this article are provide courtesy of PBOT.

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Community, Infrastructure

82nd Ave Now 100 Percent Portland

Yesterday, Portland City Council voted unanimously to adopt 82nd Avenue into the City’s network of streets. This jurisdictional transfer moves seven miles of State Highway 213, from NE Killingsworth Street to SE Clatsop Street, into the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) control. Additionally, the ordinance accepts $80 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for necessary improvements on 82nd Avenue.

Yesterday’s vote completes years of community initiatives and governmental negotiations regarding the future of this neglected highway. Years of differed maintenance and insufficient investment by the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) left the roadway in poor condition, even as the north to south connector became the busiest street in the City.

TriMet’s number 72 bus line on 82nd Avenue boasts the highest ridership of any route in the public transit system. More than 20,000 vehicle trips occur per day on the road. Due to the deteriorating conditions and traffic volume, 82nd Avenue experiences some of the highest crash rates in Portland. Over the next few years, PBOT intends to use the initial funding to improve safety for pedestrians and drivers alike.

Already identified projects for 82nd Avenue will begin soon, now that this legislative milestone has passed. PBOT will deliver new lighting, safer pedestrian crossings, pavement repair, and sidewalk accessibility upgrades. In some cases, large sections of the road surface will need reconstruction. Most of the curbside lanes of the highway lack a concrete base layer. The original construction of OR213 supported just one travel lane in each direction with a shared center turning lane. Engineers designed the outer edges of the road for parking, not the heavy demands of traffic. 

Projects funded by yesterday’s approved ordinance only represent the beginning of upgrades expected in the area. Around 2026, ODOT will deliver a second payment to Portland, totaling $70 million. Along with the City’s pledged $35 million, this second $105 million wave of investment will enact more safety and livability improvement along 82nd Avenue. Community and business engagement around those future projects will ramp up over the next few years.

The City of Portland created a website for residents and business owners to track the new Building a Better 82nd initiative. Look for opportunities to contribute to the planning of 82nd Avenue through online and in-person community forums, focus groups, and surveys. PBOT will also partner with existing community organizations to guide future projects and coordinate with the people affected by the coming changes to the streetscape.

By

Jacob Loeb

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