Tag: Greenway

Infrastructure

PBOT Seeks Funding for NE Glisan Crossing at 80th

In early August, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) applied for funding to reconstruct the intersection at NE Glisan Street and 80th Avenue. The proposal seeks to replace four existing sidewalk corners with curb extensions and add two median refuge islands to minimize the crossing distance of NE Glisan. Work will include marked crosswalks and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps. In addition to creating a safe crossing for families traveling to Vestal School, this work could extend the 70s Greenway Project along NE 80th, realigning the multimodal route to its original design.

PBOT initially intended to reconstruct the NE Glisan Street and 80th Avenue intersection as part of the currently underway greenway work. However, the final project’s design reused an existing safe crossing at NE 78th Avenue instead. Although this cost-saving measure did not substantially impact the bike-friendly pathway, it left a gap in the pedestrian crossing infrastructure near a school. Vestal families and the school’s Parent Teacher Association have recently advocated for better NE Glisan crossing options at 80th. Working with the transportation agency, community members expressed a clear need for marked crosswalks, better signage, and accessible ramps at this location. On August 2nd, PBOT staff applied for an Oregon Department of Transportation Safe Routes to School rapid response grant to cover 80% of the $609,000 estimated project costs. PBOT will need to contribute $122,000 towards this reconstruction work.

This project will not change NE Glisan travel lanes. However, the installations of median refuge islands to the east and west of the intersection will eliminate protected left turns onto NE 80th Avenue. Extended curbs push out several feet beyond the sidewalk’s edge into the parking lane. Their design shortens the distance for pedestrians crossing a street and makes people waiting to cross more visible to drivers that may not see past a parked car. During the design phase of this project and after community engagement, PBOT traffic engineers will evaluate the need for additional safety design elements. However, the transportation bureau doesn’t anticipate an installation of signals. “With those improvements shortening crossing distance, we won’t need a much more expensive signal or beacon to meet our crossing safety guidelines,” explained PBOT spokesperson Dylan Rivera.

PBOT map showing proposed greenways as dotted green lines

The grant application only funds improvements to crosswalk infrastructure at NE Glisan Street and 80th Avenue. “Our goal with this project is primarily to provide a pedestrian crossing to support safe routes to school and access to the bus stops. It will also support the proposed neighborhood greenway, but that would be a separate project, and we have not yet identified funding for the greenway project,” said Rivera. However, PBOT staff presented design ideas for a greenway route along NE 80th at a recent Building a Better 82nd Avenue Workshop. It shows a continuation of the greenway from NE Everett Street to NE Halsey Street, with east-west connectors added at NE Oregon Street and NE Holladay Street. This update could make the 70s Greenway straighter while connecting to sections of the neighborhood underserved by bikable connectors.

If PBOT receives the Safe Routes to School rapid response grant, they will begin extensive community outreach, including people from Vestal School and the surrounding neighborhood. An optimistic timeline for improvements at NE Glisan and 80th has public engagement concluding in late October and finalizing design documents in December, placing the construction phase sometime in the summer of 2024. These timelines will likely shift, and funding sources may not immediately succeed. Still, PBOT intends to address community safety concerns at this location and will push for an expedited construction schedule.

Photos and story by

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure

New NE Everett Street Segment Nears Completion

Yesterday, July 12th, road crews working on a new section of NE Everett Street from NE 76th Avenue to NE 78th Avenue laid asphalt along 80% of the roadway. This replacement of an unimproved gravel road is part of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway currently under construction. It provides a critical east-west connector to the new bike-friendly and walkable north-south pathway. Workers on the project estimate another three weeks of work before the residents can begin using the new infrastructure.

Relocated fire hydrant on the northeast corner of NE 76th and Everett

The road construction project’s western connection to NE 76th Avenue remains incomplete due to a fire hydrant relocation. Portland crews only recently completed that work, granting the cement masons clearance to pour the remaining concrete sidewalks and curb segments. After that work hardens, asphalt can cover the already compacted gravel base of the road.

Today, road crews will continue resurfacing NE 78th Avenue, replacing the asphalt in the intersection to connect with the new ADA-compliant curb ramps installed on the four corners. When completed, all road users will have better access within the neighborhood without using the busier streets for east-west travel. People should continue to use caution in the area while crews are completing this project.

By

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure

New Marked Crossing on Burnside

Yesterday, July 10th, crews working on the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project added a new painted crossing at E Burnside Street and 80th Avenue. The freshly applied street markings include zebra-striped white crosswalks for pedestrians and dashed green-painted bike lanes running north to south. These infrastructure improvements do not alter the rules of the intersection but will alert drivers to expect frequent bicycle and pedestrian crossing.

This site is one of several Montavilla intersections receiving enhancements to support safe travel for people walking, running, or biking the city. However, work on this intersection also delivers a long-requested safe crossing point for children traveling to Vestal School. The education facility’s main entrance is along NE 82nd Avenue, but some students prefer accessing the school’s playground through an alley entrance on NE 80th Avenue. The 80th Avenue and E Burnside Street intersection is a natural place for neighborhood families to cross on their way to the school. However, it had grown unsafe over the years as commuter traffic increased on E Burnside Street.

Photos by Crossett Freilinger

Crews completed work in the intersection within one day, and the new infrastructure is already helping people cross E Burnside Street. Expect more changes along the 70s Neighborhood Greenway path throughout the summer, and drivers should be ready to yield to the increased bike and pedestrian traffic using this new infrastructure.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Infrastructure

Updated 70s Greenway Path

This summer, road crews are active across Montavilla installing components of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project. For most residents along its path, the appearance of newly laid speed bumps are the only indication of infrastructure upgrades. However, some residents north of E Burnside Street discovered these traffic-calming devices in unexpected places compared to the map on the project website. This confusion occurred due to a path adjustment that diverted the multimodal route during the design phase.

For the two years prior to Greenway’s construction, neighbors expressed design concerns over the NE Glisan Street crossing at NE 80th Avenue. Unlike the SE Stark Street and SE Washington Street crossings, the 70s Greenway Infographic did not indicate the installation of Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB) at NE Glisan and 80th. Now that construction has begun, the final approved path for the Greenway shows a change to the original plan, utilizing an existing RRFB at NE 78th Avenue.

70s Greenway map. Blue line is final path. Red line shows original path. Green line is pavement infill.

The changed Greenway path diverts bicycle traffic two blocks westward from NE 80th Avenue to NE 78th Avenue at NE Everett Street. Riders then cross NE Glisan Street at the NE 78th intersection and continue to NE Oregon Street, connecting to the planned zig-zag route leading to the NE 74th Interstate 84 overpass. Work is underway at NE 78th Avenue and Glisan to enhance the existing RRFB device by adding bike-accessible request buttons at the road’s edge. Later, crews will add a striped green crossing to the pavement next to the white pedestrian crosswalk.

PBOT Provided design document for the NE Glisan Street crossing at NE 78th Avenue.

The 70s Greenway project includes the addition of new pavement and sidewalks to an unimproved gravel section of NE Everett Street from NE 76th Avenue to NE 78th Avenue. Cement masons have already reconstructed the eight sidewalk corners at each end of this new roadway, adding ADA-compliant ramps and improved stormwater handling. This new connector will allow smooth access along NE Everett Street from NE 71st Avenue to the back entrance of Vestal School on NE 80th Avenue. It also allows riders of the Greenway to bypass many of the turns required north of E Burnside Street by cutting down Everett from NE 80th to NE 74th Avenue. NE Glisan and NE Halsey Streets have fully signalized crossings at NE 74th, offering riders a more direct path.

NE Everett Street at 78th looking towards 76th Avenue.

The 70s Neighborhood Greenway project includes many traffic calming features and enhances crossing points on dangerous roads. Although residents have expressed a desire for an RRFB on NE Glisan Street at NE 80th Avenue, the reuse and upgrade of the NE 78th Avenue crossing accomplishes many of the same goals. Expect construction along the Greenway to continue through the summer, followed by increased ridership as the bicycle community discovers this safer route.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Community, Construction, Infrastructure

Stark Street Road Work Impacts Businesses

This week, two downtown Montavilla businesses disassembled their outdoor seating structures with doubts about how they will rebuild. Active sidewalk construction on the west corners at SE 80th Avenue and Stark Street required the business owners to remove the parking lane dining areas. However, the new sidewalk design and shelter reconstruction costs may impede the return of covered seating.

Sidewalk construction at this intersection is part of the 70s Greenway Project that broke ground last month. This portion of the infrastructure improvement project will add new curb ramps, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB), improved stormwater handling, and crosswalk striping to the west side of this intersection. As part of this work, PBOT will reconstruct the corners and a segment of the sidewalks in front of two businesses, Tinker Tavern and Lazy Susan. The added pedestrian space makes the historically skinny sidewalks wider and shortens the crosswalk distance for people crossing the fast-paced road. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) must remove a few parking spaces to accommodate the expanded sidewalks.

Deconstruction of outdoor seating shelters

Eliminating parking capacity adjacent to these two restaurants will affect how the business owners implement their Healthy Businesses curbside seating. The extra space can accommodate some additional sidewalk seating. However, the extended sidewalk spans less than the entire width of the parking lane as the outdoor shelters once did. Replacement tables in that space will need to be smaller, seating fewer guests. On the north side of the street, plans call for a new tree well in the expanded sidewalk area. That is a welcomed addition to a section of SE Stark that is often too narrow for street trees, but that further limits the number of tables Lazy Susan can deploy outside their establishment.

The managers at both businesses are unsure what type of covered seating PBOT will allow them to construct on the expanded sidewalk, if any. Hannah Schafer, Communications Director for PBOT, echoed the uncertainty regarding outdoor seating at these two sites. The bureau is currently working on updated guidelines for this program with greater Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance requirements and site visibility standards. Whatever seating is reconstructed by Tinker Tavern and Lazy Susan will need to follow those currently incomplete rules.

Clipping from PBOT intersection design document showing expanded sidewalk and corners

The potential long-term loss of table capacity is of particular concern for the businesses since they have just started paying for outdoor dining permits. In September 2022, PBOT began charging for the parking lane seating options previously offered to restaurants without fee during the pandemic. The permit application costs $150, and a business pays an additional $500 per year for each parking space it occupies with outdoor seating. Schafer explained that the business owners could apply for a prorated refund of the paid fees, as this sidewalk expansion would remove the parking spaces used to determine the price they paid. However, the businesses are more intent on working with PBOT to restore their lost covered seating. Erik Mahan of Tinker Tavern said he could get by with picnic tables during the summer but will need the covered option before the weather turns to rain. Tim Soucie, General Manager at Lazy Susan, said they would have to play it day-by-day.

Excavation pit work in the center os SE Stark Street

Regardless of their future layout constraints, Mahan and Soucie are frustrated with the timing of this work at the height of their busy season. During construction, Tinker Tavern will lose access to five of its nine outdoor tables. Lazy Susan is losing six tables. This diminished seating capacity will cause a short-term loss. Still, the business operators understand that road construction happens and hope workers complete the project before the Montavilla Street Fair in July. However, the cost of reconstructing the covered outdoor seating is challenging to absorb. Tinker Tavern allowed a customer to deconstruct their shelter and reuse it on his property. Mahan had nowhere to store it and knew it could not return to where it was before. Whatever covered area he rebuilds could cost as much as what he gave away. For Lazy Susan, reconstructing their covered seating will also be difficult, but they have no choice but to make the investment. “The cost of this whole project is detrimental to our business,” commented Soucie in an email to Montavilla News. 

The conflict between business operations in the public right-of-way and pedestrian infrastructure improvements is one of the challenges PBOT faces when crafting the bureau’s updated rules for this program. The City of Portland must improve accessibility and safety for its residents using sidewalks. However, taxes and fees collected from business help fund those initiatives. Schafer explained that PBOT recognizes each outdoor seating situation is unique and that new rules will require flexibility to balance business needs and pedestrian access. The degree to which these eateries can restore covered seating should illustrate how well the new guidelines support commerce and pedestrian needs.

Crews working for PBOT will continue building the infrastructure enhancements over the next month. Tinker Tavern and Lazy Susan will remain open during construction and provide limited outdoor seating as the construction activity allows. PBOT intends to work on finalizing the Healthy Businesses guidelines and present them to City Council over the summer. Only after that work completes will Tinker Tavern and Lazy Susan staff have a clear path forward for covered outdoor seating.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Infrastructure

70’s Greenway Construction Begins

On May 22nd, heavy equipment removed two existing sidewalk corners at SE Washington Street and 80th Avenue. This intersection is a critical crossing point for the new 70’s Greenway project that will allow pedestrians and bicyclists safe travel parallel to 82nd Avenue, connecting residents through a mostly straight north-south route. Contractors working for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will reconstruct the westside corners with new curb ramps, Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB), and crosswalk striping.

The $4.5 million Greenway project will primarily cut through Montavilla along 80th Avenue, adding improved crossing points to the neighborhood’s many collector and arterial streets. Road crews installed temporary asphalt sidewalk corners to cover the site ahead of the concrete work planned in the coming weeks. PBOT will pay for this work through Federal funds and the System Development Charges, which are fees collected from developers constructing projects that increase the use of a property.

Northwest corners at SE Washington Street and 80th Avenue

Over the next few months, PBOT will build new Americans Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant ramps on the west side of SE Stark and Washington Streets at SE 80th Avenue, including RRFBs at both intersections. Hannah Schafer, Communications Director for PBOT, explained that crews would return later in the summer to install pedestrian and bicycle striping across the two busy streets between the new westside corners.

Southwest corners at SE Washington Street and 80th Avenue

The 70’s Greenway project will create a multimodal connector bringing additional people through the core of Montavilla. Additionally, the safety improvements for the Greenway will add enhanced crossings at dangerous streets where residents have advocated for updates. Expect continued work in the neighborhood along 80th Avenue and other nearby streets through the remainder of 2023 as more intersections receive updates.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Help keep independent news accessible to the community. Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to consider becoming paid subscribers or sponsors. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Infrastructure

Sidewalk and Crossing Improvements Around Bridger School

Crews with Oregon Concrete Solutions are midway through a crosswalk improvement project on SE Market Street and 80th Avenue. These pedestrian improvements will add new Americans Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant curb ramps, slightly expanded corners, and better stormwater handling. Last week, workers reconstructed the northeast corner near Bridger School and will begin work on the northwest corner soon.

This work is part of the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) maintenance program and completes improvements to this intersection made two years ago. Road Crews rebuilt the southern two corners of this intersection during the SE 80th Ave and Mill Street Local Improvement District (LID) project. That work was completed summer of 2020 and created modern sidewalk infrastructure from this intersection to Portland Community College’s Southeast campus. Adding compliant sidewalk corners on the north side of SE Market Street at 80th Avenue will extend accessible pathways to both schools and increase multimodal movement within the neighborhood.

PBOT recently completed two similar crossing reconstruction projects on the other side of Bridger School at SE 76th Avenue. That includes the SE Mill Street reconstruction at 76th and SE Market Street at SE 76th Avenue. New pre-construction road markings at SE Harrison Street and 76th Avenue indicate that City engineers are planning crossing improvements at that intersection. Crews will expand the northwest corner, reconstructing an ADA curb ramp further into the street. Across SE 76th Avenue, they will build a new mid-block curb ramp. This work will ensure that students and people of all mobility have a safe path to a frequented community destination.

Corner reconstruction markings at SE 76th and Harrison Street
Mid-block curb ramp markings on the east side of SE 76th at Harrison Street

By

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure

Gravel Street Regrading Season

Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) maintenance crews will begin grading and graveling Montavilla’s collection of unimproved streets over the coming months. Heavy equipment started rolling out to Southeast, Northeast, and North Portland neighborhoods in November as part of the City’s Gravel Street Service. Portland has over 50 miles of gravel streets which the City does not maintain, and those neglected streets are in poor condition. This free PBOT program began in 2018 and received voter-approved funding in 2020 through a 10-cent per gallon gas tax.

Residents living along the 30 unimproved gravel roads in Montavilla will receive a letter informing them when road crews will start work. City staff will drop off door hangers and “No Parking” signs a few days before work begins. Parking in the work area may be limited, and traffic restrictions are often necessary. PBOT crews typically work weekdays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., but weekend activity may be required.

PBOT’s Gravel Street Service crews work on a three-year cycle, focusing on different sections of the City each year. From November through February, staff fill in ruts and potholes or completely regrade and gravel the streets for a smoother surface. In most cases, they need to remove the top layer of gravel down below the potholes. Then workers lay, and compact new gravel on the new flat base just created. Most streets take about two days but could take longer depending on the length and condition of the road. Nearby residents should prepare for dust and noise at times. However, people will always have access to their homes during the project.

Portland Gravel Street Service 2022-2023 Map

These smoothed-out streets help people more easily around their neighborhoods and access their homes. PBOT acknowledges that repairing unimproved roads every three years is a short-term solution. Still, it will increase livability standards for people until the streets are built to city standards. That process requires the formation of a Local Improvement District (LID), where adjacent property owners pay for the roadway and sidewalk construction. After that point, the City adopts the roadway into its maintenance inventory. In a small number of cases, the City will pay to improve a gravel street if it is part of a transportation or safety project, like on NE Everett Street from NE 76th Avenue to NE 78th Avenue. Improvements to this road will fill a gap in the street grid, providing a multimodal east-west connector to the new 70’s Greenway and Vestal School.

Expect to see crews reworking gravel streets throughout the winter. By March of 2023, most unimproved roads in Montavilla should be a bit smoother and free of potholes. It is far from a permanent solution to Portland’s patchy street grid, but a welcomed solution for anyone traveling those roads.

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Infrastructure

New Signal and Crossing at SE 80th and Division

Update – Crews recently installed the traffic signal mast-arm poles on the southern corners of SE 80th Avenue and SE Division Street. Soon workers will return to install the remaining two poles. Then city staff will place the new control box, signals, and LED street lights planned for this intersection. Within the next few months, this busy crossing will become available to pedestrians and cyclists who have struggled to use this space safely.

Update March 11th 2022 – Crews recently completed the south side curb ramps and sidewalk reconstruction at SE 80th and Division. Work has moved across the street to the north side of SE Division Street, spanning Portland Community College’s vehicle entrance. After concrete work completes, signal and painting specialists will add traffic control lights and new crosswalks to the intersection.

Southwest corner SE 80th and Division
Southeast corner SE 80th and Division

Original Article Published January 21st, 2022

Starting January 31st, crews with Raimore Construction will begin road work at the intersection of SE 80th Avenue and SE Division Street. This project adds traffic signals, marked crosswalks, and other safety measures for bikes and pedestrians. Work will continue through March, causing limited traffic delays in early February. This enhancement is part of the continuing Outer Division Safety Project between SE 80th to 174th avenues.

Portland Community College’s (PCC) southeast campus interrupts SE 80th Avenue at SE Division. The school’s parking lot entrance roughly aligns with the 80th along the college’s Division Street frontage. Currently, the intersection lacks signals, marked crosswalks, and ADA-compliant curb ramps.

PBOT bid document for SE 80th Ave and SE Division St with phase notes

Updates to this intersection will reconstruct all four street corners and provide gaps in the previously uninterrupted traffic flow. Crews will install new curb ramps, add high visibility crass-walk paint, and apply green-striped bike crossings where the SE Division bike lanes intersect 80th Avenue. This new crossing point creates additional connection opportunities to the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project scheduled to run through this area. Four signal poles will support eleven new traffic signals, providing aid to cyclists and pedestrians traversing the busy street. 

Around January 31st, crews will excavate a trench across SE 80th Avenue on the south side of SE Division Street. Cars turning onto SE 80th from Division Street or connecting with SE Division Street from 80th may experience lane closures. Between February 7th and 9th, trench work across SE Division at SE 80th will close down sections of SE Division street. However, traffic will be permitted in both directions during this work, with occasional lane diversions. Crews expect to close portions of PCC’s south parking lot entrance for a few days between February 10th and the 25th.

Pavement markings showing placement of new ADA curb ramps on southwest corner

Road flaggers will direct traffic during work hours, and plans strive for minimal impact on automotive traffic at the intersection. Work is scheduled between 7 AM and 3 PM, avoiding impact to the evening commute. In March, crews will install signal poles at the corners and complete other remaining work. This later construction should not affect vehicle traffic. However, pedestrians and bicycles may have minor detours.

Portland Bureau of Transportation engineers designed these infrastructure improvements to safely move all modes of travel through an increasingly active intersection. Commuters along SE Division have grown accustomed to this type of construction activity as the multi-year-long improvement project nears completion. When driving through this area, use caution and plan for additional travel time during work hours.

View from PCC parking lot south entrance looking across SE Division down SE 80th Ave

By

Jacob Loeb

Promotion: Montavilla News has a Patreon account. We invite those who can contribute to this local news source to please consider becoming a paid subscriber or sponsor. We will always remain free to read regardless of subscription.

Construction, Infrastructure

New Sidewalks and Bike Lanes on Market Street

UPDATE – Crews are beginning work on SE Market Street’s sidewalks and corners. Expect some disruption to normal traffic patterns during the next few weeks.

Original story from December 17th, 2020.

Continuous sidewalks and bike lanes are coming to SE Market street as part of a Greenway expansion program. Starting at SE 92nd Ave, improvements on Market street will extend east to 130th Ave. This work includes Curb Extensions and new Curb Ramps along the project’s path.

The East Portland Access to Employment and Education project is principally focused east of Montavilla. Market Street is one of a handful of East Portland streets that cross over Interstate 205 (I205). Consequently, it’s heavily used by cars, bikes, and pedestrians trying to cross the freeway. Although there are some sidewalk segments between 92nd Ave and the overpass, they are not continuous. East of I205, sidewalks become less consistent on Market Street.

SE Market street will gain bike lanes starting just before the freeway overpass heading east. The new safe bike route will connect with the future 4M Neighborhood Greenway in the outer Southeast. Sidewalk infill on SE Market Street will branch out north on SE Cherry Blossom Drive towards SE Washington Street. At completion, these projects will add approximately 75 new ADA ramps.

The intersection of 92nd Ave and Market Street is the only Montavilla location receiving new ramps as part of this construction. Reconstruction of the northwest and southeast corners will add Curb Extensions to the sidewalk. Curb Extensions extend the sidewalk area into the parking lane, making pedestrians increasingly visible to cars before they cross. Additionally, they shorten the distance of a crosswalk for the pedestrian.

These improvements will make another safe crossing point over I205 and help residents connect with neighborhoods and services to the east. This section of Montavilla is quickly becoming a dense traffic area during peak travel times. Hopefully, this project will improve conditions and give people alternatives to driving when navigating these streets.

Curb Extensions and new ramps at intersection

Detailed construction prints are available here.