Plans underway for a “Bicycle Boulevard” on S.E. Spokane Street
Eric Norberg / THE BEE
Greg Raisman, who represents “Community and School Traffic Safety Partnership” for the Portland Office of Transportation, stood before a diagram of the proposed Spokane Street “Bicycle Boulevard” at a Sellwood Community Center meeting on October 24th.
Over a year ago, City Commissioner Sam Adams attended a meeting of the Sellwood-Moreland Improvement League neighborhood association, better known by the acronym SMILE, and heard residents complaints about speeding cars and cut-through traffic on S.E. Spokane Street. Of particular concern was the area between 11th and 15th, where children are often crossing the street going to and from the Sellwood Community Center and St. Agatha’s school.
Adams suggested that speed bumps might solve the problem. Informed that the city had already installed speed bumps there, and traffic and speed was increasing anyway, Adams conceded that more intensive measures might be needed, and directed his staff to examine the problem.
The solution proposed was to turn Spokane Street into a “Bicycle Boulevard” — with cars allowed, but redesigned to favor bicycles and pedestrians, and to create a safer environment for both. The plan, which met with generally positive neighborhood response, was incorporated into immediate plans by PDOT, over which Adams was Commissioner.
But then, the funds for these projects seemed to evaporate. Now, with Adams Mayor-Elect, the plan for Spokane Street has been resurrected, and is apparently guaranteed funding up to $150,000. On that basis, PDOT has started planning with neighbors on and around Spokane to seek the traffic calming elements best accepted by the neighborhood.
At a meeting on Friday, October 24th, at the Sellwood Community Center, a delegation of five staffmembers at PDOT (the Portland Department of Transportation) sat down with neighbors and showed possible designs and discuss devices to create the “Bike Boulevard”, which they hope to have completed within a short time frame.
In addition to mitigating traffic problems on Spokane Street, the plan would also provide a safe corridor for cyclists and hikers using the Springwater Trail, connecting the trailhead at Spokane with S.E. 18th, from which trail users would proceed south to Ochoco Street to regain the trail. This route would suffice until the “Sellwood Gap” of the trail is eventually completed along the railroad alignment from Spokane to Ochoco.
One proposal for Spokane Street which met with enthusiasm from all neighbors at the meeting was putting a curbstone divider down the middle of S.E. 13th across Spokane. At that corner, Spokane traffic in both directions is supposed to be limited to a right turn only, but many motorists have been ignoring the signs and continuing on Spokane straight across 13th, or turning left. The curbstone divider, with pedestrian and bike curb cuts for ease of crossing, would effectively stop vehicles on Spokane from ignoring the “right turn only” rule at 13th.
The meeting on the 24th was simply a “conversation”, the PDOT personnel made clear, to give them some idea of what direction they might go in creating proposals for Spokane Street. They promised to return for a well-publicised open house later on, to present a variety of concepts for the neighborhood, and seek input and direction for the project.