The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is planning updates to 82nd Avenue crossings at NE Glisan and Davis Streets that will include some turn control through raised medians. Other enhancements include traffic signal reconstruction, sidewalk corner reconstruction, and an expanded tree canopy through street trees planted in the median. People have until the end of November to complete a NE 82nd Avenue improvement survey. The Montavilla community will also have the option of attending a public meeting on November 6th to hear about this project from PBOT officials.

In 2022, State and City leaders agreed to transfer ownership of Portland’s section of 82nd Avenue from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to PBOT. A key requirement of that exchange was a $150 million commitment from the State of Oregon and a $35 million commitment from the City of Portland towards deferred maintenance and critical safety improvements along the seven-mile stretch. Those resources will fund these two proposed projects, protecting a crucial school crossing at NE Davis Street and a deadly intersection at NE 82nd Avenue and Glisan Street.

PBOT’s plans for the NE Glisan crossing feature a raised median running south from the middle of Montavilla Park’s parking lot to the intersection. Southbound drivers turning left from NE 82nd Avenue onto eastbound NE Glisan Street have a curbed center turn lane. That design keeps left turn access for southbound traffic but reduces conflict from northbound drivers trying to make a left turn into a business. Vehicles wanting to turn left into the Jacksons Food Store and gas station can still use the northmost curb cut. South of the intersection, a similar design allows for northbound drivers to turn left from NE 82nd Avenue onto westbound NE Glisan Street. A raised median extends south until midway past the Wendy’s Restaurant property. This lane separator will prevent left turns into Burgerville, Sweet Dream Spa, and Vu Han – State Farm Insurance. Washman Car Wash will retain its left turn access through a break in the left turn lane curb at its recently consolidated 82nd Avenue entrance. PBOT would create space for median-planted trees or other vegetation as part of this work.

PBOT proposes two options for the T-intersection of NE Davis Street and 82nd Avenue. Option A features a continuous raised median with cutouts for two high-visibility crosswalks predominately used by families going to Vestal School. This version would add space for more median-planted street trees or other vegetation and prevent all left turns at the intersection. Option B offers a similar median south of the crossing but with a curbed center turn lane for southbound drivers turning left from NE 82nd Avenue onto NE Davis Street. Cars driving west on NE Davis Street would retain the signalized left turn option. This design has less space than the other option for median plantings. Option A would restrict some access for The Yard at Montavilla food cart pod and area residents. That restriction would make a safer crossing point and reduce neighborhood cut-through traffic. It would also require southbound 82nd Avenue drivers trying to access NE 83rd Avenue to use NE Glisan or E Burnside Streets.

PBOT is asking for public input as they try to strike a balance between vehicle access and reducing severe crashes. For decades, traffic analysis has shown that over half of all crossing-path crashes occur during left turns. When your only goal is safety, that is a large percentage of crashes prevented by eliminating left turns. However, businesses can suffer a drop in customers when medians reduce convenient vehicle access. Some establishments on SE Division Street reported a significant decrease in visitors when PBOT completed a center median project on that street. The survey and community meeting are the transportation bureau’s effort to better respond to community interests and find a compromised solution that increases safety but retains critical access.

PBOT staff will attend the joint Montavilla Neighborhood Association and Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association’s Land Use and Transportation meeting on November 6th. This event is held next to the Gigantic Brewing Robot Room inside the Rocket Empire Machine building at 6935 NE Glisan Street. People wanting to attend the 7 p.m. presentation should take the survey after the meeting to have their questions answered before providing comments. Otherwise, anyone can complete the online questionnaire by the November 30th deadline.

Update: This article previously reported the number of median plantings based on survey illustrations. The displayed green dots are not representative of specific planting areas. PBOT is early in the design process and unable to quantify the number of trees or other vegetation associated with each design.

Disclosure: The author of this article serves on the 82nd Avenue Business Association Board, Montavilla/East Tabor Business Association Board, Montavilla Neighborhood Association Board, and the Building a Better 82nd Community Advisory Group.

By

Jacob Loeb

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