Tag: Hannah Schafer

Construction, Infrastructure May 3, 2024

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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Infrastructure April 18, 2024April 18, 2024

High-visibility Crossing at SE 80th and Stark

On April 18th, crews with Hicks Striping & Curbing began applying high-visibility crosswalks and bike crossings to SE Stark Street at SE 80th Avenue. Workers plan to continue the street painting process one block south on SE Washington, completing this section of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project. With road markings applied, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) can energize the rectangular rapid-flashing beacons (RRFB) installed at each intersection to aid pedestrians and cyclists trying to cross these busy streets. Winter weather delayed this work, leaving both intersections without painted lanes or crosswalks. This work is a welcomed update to what has grown to be a problematic crossing point during construction.

Road crews began project work at this intersection in June 2023, completing most infrastructure work by January 2024. During that time, street users did not have a marked crosswalk or the ability to use the installed RRFBs. According to PBOT representative Hannah Schafer, crossing lights require street markings. “We must complete the striping of the crosswalks before we can turn on the RRFBs. As soon as the weather allows, we plan to complete the striping, and then we will activate the RRFBs.” That delay frustrated many pedestrians who found that cars would not stop reliably for people attempting to cross.

Drivers traveling through these intersections and users of the Greenway should plan for delays and detours during this phase of work. Crews will need to close through traffic on SE 80th Avenue and reduce east-west travel lanes one at a time to apply the street markings. Work will take several days to complete, but the favorable weather forecast should allow for the speedy completion of this project. People on foot and bike should have a safer experience crossing SE Stark and Washington Streets at 80th shortly, thanks to the striped crosswalk, bike crossing, and RRFBs.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Infrastructure April 10, 2024April 25, 2024

NE Halsey Lane Reconfiguration Underway

On April 8th, road painting crews begin work to reconfigure NE Halsey Street between 68th and 81st Avenues. Truck-mounted equipment scrubbed the existing travel lane markings from asphalt while workers affixed temporary plastic reflectors to the removed paint’s location so drivers could continue to use the street. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) expects the contractor to return within a few days to restripe the street in a new configuration. Drivers will lose one travel lane in each direction between NE 68th and 81st Avenues but gain a center turn lane, aiding in safer left turns. Cyclists will receive bike lanes on both sides of NE Halsey Street from NE 68th 81st Avenues.

*_{Construction drawing of NE Halsey Street and 76th Ave,}*_{Illustrations courtesy PBOT}

PBOT representative Hannah Schafer explained that their pavement marking contractor is waiting for dry weather to restripe the street. Earlier this year, project managers delayed work on a 70s Neighborhood Greenway-related improvement that will create protected crossings at NE 76th Avenue and Halsey Street. Two pedestrian refuge islands and a small raised concrete median on NE Halsey Street will reside in the center turn lane at this intersection. However, cement masons could not begin that work until crews created a center lane by reducing the travel lanes. Crossing improvement work can occur after the contractor completes the street marking work.

*_{Crosswalk closed at NE 76th Avenue and Halsey Street, directing people to the two others that will have protective islands}*

Residents challenged by the current conditions on this dangerous roadway have advocated for improvements for nearly a decade. Its old four travel lane configuration drops to two lanes west of NE 71st Avenue and east of NE 81st Avenue, creating an odd section of greater vehicle capacity that induces speeding. Reduced travel lanes and better crossings are just some of the updates aimed at making this a safer stretch of road. A new mini roundabout, flashing beacons, and high visibility crosswalk markings will help people cross the street in this area with reduced worry that a driver will not see them.

*_{NE 76th Avenue and Halsey Street crossing that will have a protective pedestrian island}*

Drivers on NE Halsey Street should expect construction delays as crews paint the asphalt over the next few days and workers begin constructing the in-road safety infrastructure. Pedestrians and cyclists should use extreme caution around incomplete safety improvements and note that traffic pattern changes could distract motorists.

Update: On April 11th, crews with Hicks Striping & Curbing returned to NE Halsey to paint the streets with a new lane configuration and add marked crossings at NE 76th Avenue.

Update: Soon after crews restriped the roadway, cement masons returned to install two pedestrian refuge islands and a small raised concrete median on NE Halsey Street at NE 76th Avenue.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

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Construction, Infrastructure December 4, 2023December 14, 2023

70s Greenway Crossings Progress and Delays

Last week, road crews continued construction on the NE Glisan Street crossing at 78th Avenue to support the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project. However, similar work on NE Halsey Street and 76th Avenue stalled due to a striping contractor’s mechanical difficulty. Other critical crossings on SE Stark and Washington Streets at 80th Avenue remain partially completed and unmarked.

Last week, drivers near NE Glisan Street and 78th Avenue experienced detours and lane closures as crews demolished several feet of the east side of a pedestrian refuge island. This work removed the remnants of a signal pole that had once supported Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacons (RRFB). That signal pole and plastic delineator posts suffered repeated damage from vehicles driving over the island. The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) stopped replacing the island-mounted pole in 2021, relying on the RRFBs attached to utility poles on the road’s edge. For years, an orange traffic cone protected the exposed wires on the refuge island. This recent work on NE Glisan Street addresses the exposed wire issue, covering the electrical junction box and removing the pole anchoring bolts. Crews also installed pole-mounted signal request buttons for cyclists to activate without dismounting. Pedestrian refuge island reconstruction could include additional safety measures. However, design documents do not indicate a significant adjustment to the physical attributes of the pedestrian refuge island.

*_{PBOT Provided design document for the NE Glisan Street crossing at NE 78th Avenue.}*

South of the active Greenway work, construction of two pedestrian refuge islands and a small raised concrete median on NE Halsey Street is likely delayed until next year. In September, cement masons completed reconstructing sidewalk corners and adding mid-block curb ramps for the 70s Greenway crossing at NE Halsey Street and 76th Avenue. Before work can begin on the in-street crossing elements, crews must remove the existing lane striping and repaint lines in a new configuration. NE Halsey will change from a four-lane design in this area to a three-lane street with bike lanes. This transformation will happen by reducing a travel lane in each direction and adding a center turn lane. Until that reconfiguration occurs, road crews cannot create the refuge island because it would block part of a travel lane.

According to PBOT, the contracted painting company suffered equipment failure, which disrupted their busy schedule. That company, Hicks Striping & Curbing, is one of only two striping contractors in the northwest region approved to do this work. Specialized Pavement Marking is the other contractor and is equally busy. Consequentially, project planners anticipate delays in the Greenway crossing work. “We don’t anticipate striping this segment until spring 2024,” explained Hannah Schafer, Communications Director for PBOT. Construction schedules can shift on other projects, freeing up resources for this work, but for now, crews are waiting for updated pavement markings.

*_{Construction drawing of NE Halsey Street and 76th Ave, courtesy PBOT}*

Other Greenway crossing projects in Montavilla are missing pavement markings, causing hardship for people using the intersections. SE Stark and Washington Streets at 80th Avenue recently received updates to support RRFBs. When the road crews repaved the work area, that work temporarily removed a high-visibility crosswalk on SE Stark Street. Without lane striping and marked crossings, pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers navigate with some ambiguity around conflict points in the street.

These are short-term challenges as the streets around the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project gain safety improvements. However, residents have demanded crossing improvements along these busy streets for years, and further delay is understandably disappointing. By next year, PBOT should complete the Greenway project, making way for other safety improvements in the area.

Update December 14th, 2023: Cement masons completed work on the NE Glisan Street crossing at 78th Avenue. It is now full functional for pedestrian users. PBOT should install the bike RRFB request buttons soon. As design documents indicated, crews did not install additional pedestrian refuge island safety enhancements. Work on the island removed the mounting bolts from the damaged RRFB signal pole and secured the wiring junction box with an access cover.

Article and photos by

Jacob Loeb

Community, Construction, Infrastructure June 8, 2023June 13, 2023

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.

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 June 2, 2023June 2, 2023

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.

Jacob Loeb

Construction, Infrastructure May 25, 2023

Paving of Unimproved NE Everett Street

Update: Crews are currently leveling the road surface to add new pavement and sidewalks to an unimproved gravel section of NE Everett Street from NE 76th Avenue to NE 78th Avenue.

This article first published on June 14th, 2022

Within the next twelve months, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) plans to transform a one-block section of NE Everett Street. Crews will pave the road surface and add sidewalks to the unimproved gravel 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.

When construction begins, road crews will create a twenty-eight-foot wide paved street with a travel lane in each direction and two seven-foot wide parking lanes along each side. Contractors will build seven-foot wide curb-tight sidewalks on both sides of the street. Other nearby streets contain plantable curb strips between the sidewalk and the roadway. However, existing adjacent homes will prevent a wider pedestrian zone on this block.

*NE Everett new road design between NE 76th and 78th Avenues*. Courtesy PBOT

This section of NE Everett is part of the original Mount Tabor Villa Addition platted in 1889. This section of roadway has resisted change for 133 years, unlike neighboring streets that modernized ahead of Portland’s annexation of Montavilla in 1906. Consequentially, the City never adopted this block into PBOT’s street maintenance inventory, requiring adjacent property owners to repair the road surface during those years.

This work on NE Everett Street is funded as part of the 70’s Greenway project. Traditionally, road improvements to privately maintained streets occurred through a Local Improvement District (LID) project. That would require funding from all property owners with frontage along the street. According to Hannah Schafer, Interim Director of Communications for PBOT, the four lots affected by this road construction will not need to pay for the work. “The project is Federally funded, so the property owners don’t have to contribute,” explained Schafer.

*NE Everett looking west from NE 78th Avenue*

Although the street improvements will add value to the properties, residents will need to adjust their usage along the road’s edge. Parking alignments will need to change, and some fences will likely need to move. However, the initial disruption will make way for better infrastructure, allowing people walking and biking in the area to travel safely. Additionally, a paved street will reduce vehicle damage caused by the gravel road, and driving within the neighborhood will become more predictable. Look for project updates later this year after PBOT selects the contractor for this work.

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.

Infrastructure April 14, 2022March 25, 2023

PBOT Installs Permanent Slow Streets

Last summer, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) announced that many Slow Streets Program sites would become permanent installations. This week, crews completed work on four of the five locations planned for Montavilla. Although some locations in this program replaced the temporary orange barrels with concrete planters, these four installations utilize an alternative design created to accommodate narrow streets.

PBOT completed work on SE Stephens street at 76th Avenue, NE 71st at E Burnside, and both sides of SE 87th Avenue at Stephens Street. Each intersection features signage listing a 15-mile-per-hour speed limit and indicates that the road is shared between bicycles, pedestrians, and cars. In the center of the roadway, three Tuff Curb® Traffic Separator Curbs with an attached reflective lane delineator wand will limit a vehicle’s turning radius and force slower speeds. These bendable tubes push over if a car makes contact with them and rarely cause damage. PBOT believes the installation will initially limit the driver’s speed and calls attention to the street’s mixed uses designation.

*Examples of permanent Slow Street concrete planter outside of Montavilla*

Early examples of permanent Slow Street featured concrete planters with signage displaying the slower speeds on a pole in the center of the traffic diverter. Those installations ensured vehicles slowed down or risked damage to the car when navigating around them. However, when addressing streets in the Montavilla neighborhood, PBOT determined a different traffic calming option was required. “Some locations are either too narrow or have other operational challenges, like no parking lane, that required using an alternative design to the planters.” Said Hannah Schafer, PBOT’s Interim Director of Communications and Public Involvement. Schafer explained that many other neighborhoods have these space-constrained streets and will receive the same configuration seen in Montavilla.

*SE 87th Avenue at SE Stephens street North*

PBOT selected the five local streets in the Slow Streets program due to their prior designation as neighborhood greenways and one of several other criteria. Those added factors included roads lacking sidewalks or where people do not have access to parks and open spaces. The Slow Streets treatment could also help areas with higher traffic volumes or experience vehicle speeds that make it challenging to walk, bike, or roll. Since the early pandemic, these locations feature temporary traffic calming measures, and most sites have received praise from residents.

*SE 87th Avenue at SE Stephens street South*

As the Slow Streets program becomes permeant across the City, PBOT staff will need to evaluate the effectiveness of the alternative design. Similar installations throughout Portland show signs of vehicles driving over the delineators leaving tire marks on the reflective surface or breaking them off at the mounting point. However, the intent of this new infrastructure is not to immobilize a vehicle. It is simply to caution drivers to slow down when entering the roadway, and both Slow Streets designs may accomplish that goal. Keep an eye out for the new posted speed limit and use extra caution while driving through the Slow Streets.

Jacob Loeb

Infrastructure October 25, 2021

No Parking Zone Removed on Stark

Last week, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) removed the No Parking zone on SE Stark Street across from SE 79th Ave. Crews installed the new signs several days before as part of the City’s effort to improve visibility at intersections. The decision to revert to one-hour parking in this area came about due to staff reevaluating the City’s criteria for visibility at “T” intersections.

Last week’s parking changes were unexpected for several business owners in the area, and the reversal seemed just as sudden. Jacob Wollner of Flipside Hats owns the building directly behind the now removed No Parking zone. He was excited to see pedestrian safety improvements on SE Stark Street but was not convinced that it was effective as implemented. “The signage placement [was] a little strange, centered not directly across on the 79th street right of way but to the west several feet.” Wollner went on to explain that visibility is not the only issue to solve on Stark “I’d say the bigger issue is the speed at which people are driving. So let’s focus on slowing down.”

*Empty concrete anchors where the PBOT No Parking sign was previously mounted*

Wollner and other people concerned with the No Parking zone’s placement did not have long to wait. PBOT staff quickly reconsidered this and other similar updates, adjusting their guidelines to provide a balanced approach to pedestrian safety. “As we implement our new vision clearance guidance, we have had to make a determination regarding how to treat T intersections. SE 79th/Stark is one such T intersection. While we initially started our effort by clearing the ‘back side’ of all T intersections, we have since fine-tuned our approach, and we now only clear the backsides of T intersections when there are curb ramps serving the crossing at the T intersection,” explained PBOT Communications Coordinator, Hannah Schafer.

For now, the one-hour parking will remain on the south side of Stark Street at 79th. However, Schafer said that that could change when PBOT reworks the Stark Street Crossing in this area.” Currently, there are no curb ramps serving the crossing across Stark at 79th, so per our revised approach, we are no longer clearing parking at the backside of that T until such time as curb ramps are provided in the future.” PBOT has not revealed any plans to install curb ramps here, and any updates are likely years away. For most drivers, this quick change went unnoticed, but it does indicate PBOT’s commitment to pedestrian safety while adapting to community feedback.

Infrastructure October 18, 2021October 25, 2021

No Parking Zones on SE Stark

Update: Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) removed the No Parking zone on SE Stark Street across from SE 79th Ave. READ MORE

Sunday morning, Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) staff converted several one-hour and two-hour street parking spaces into No Parking zones. Crews installed new signs on poles along the south side of Stark Street in two sections. The new car-free curb areas align with 78th Ave and 79th Ave. These changes are part of the City’s effort to improve visibility at intersections.

SE 78th and 79th Avenues do not continue straight across Stark Street. Southbound 79th ends at this intersection and does not return to the city street grid until after SE Division Street. SE 78th Ave continues south beyond Stark Street but shifts 70 feet east. Both T-intersections had previously allowed parking across from the ending street, creating a problematic crossing point for pedestrians. With the south side of the road full of parked vehicles, people crossing southbound at those intersections would have difficulty finding a path to the sidewalk between parked cars. A greater danger occurred when northbound pedestrians would enter traffic lanes from behind parked vehicles a the intersection, surprising motorists driving on Stark.

The expanded curbside visibility will make 78th and 79th more appealing for pedestrians to cross. However, the City does not intend to increase crossing infrastructure at these locations. “There are no plans to install marked crosswalks at this time, but Oregon law states that every intersection is a crosswalk,” said Hannah Schafer, a Communications Coordinator with PBOT.

*No Parking zone in front of 7850 SE Stark*

Although these changes are positive safety improvements, several businesses now have reduced access to curbside parking near their business. Parking along SE Stark Street can become limited at times, particularly with many spaces used for outdoor dining. Some business owners and customers are likely to be disappointed with these changes. However, according to Schafer, removing parking to improve visibility is a national best practice and needed on a busy commercial street like Stark. “Neighborhood business districts are some of the busiest places for pedestrian activity. People love to walk from shop to shop… We want them to feel safe as they walk or use a mobility device.”

The No Parking zones are already in effect. Expect to see more people crossing Stark at 78th and 79th Avenues as they discover the safety created by removing parked cars from the intersection’s edges.