Portland City Council – Montavilla News

On January 2nd, Portland’s new 12-member City Council elected Councilor Elana Pirtle-Guiney from District 2 as the Council President and Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane from District 3 as Vice President. The morning council session stretched into the afternoon as repeated votes failed to yield a majority for any one Council President candidate. What originally started as a tie vote between Councilor Candace Avalos of East Portland’s District 1 and Councilor Olivia Clark of Downtown’s District 4 delivered more centrally location leadership. After today’s vote, City Council leadership will reside with representatives from North-Northeast and Southeast Portland.

The hours-long election for Council President was in contrast to the swift election of Councilor Koyama Lane for Vice President. She ran unopposed for the position and had broad support. Early in the voting process, Councilor Loretta Smith pushed for new Mayor Keith Wilson to provide the tie-breaking vote against the advice of Portland’s City Attorney. Fellow Councilors disagreed with that path forward, and the group put in hours of discussion and voting to end up with a seven to five vote in favor of Councilor Pirtle-Guiney against Councilor Avalos.

Anyone looking for an indication of how the new 12-member City Council will function in the coming year has hours of deliberation to review while forming that opinion. However, the group of electeds left the proceedings with supportive and congratulatory words for each other, and this early test of the system yielded the results that many Portland voters envisioned for this new form of City government. The representatives worked for their District’s position and the city as a whole, resulting in a compromise that moves the work forward.

Jacob Loeb

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.

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.