The Portland Bureau of Transportation has revealed a brand new proposal for a significant redesign of Northeast Broadway. And whereas the town will take away one common lane for driving and vastly enhance a number of crossings, the unprotected bike lane isn’t as spectacular as some of us hoped for.
To refresh your reminiscence, that is taking place due to the Broadway Pave & Paint undertaking. Since PBOT plans to repave the road between NE seventh and NE twenty sixth, they’re seizing a chance to reconfigure the lanes and make different modifications. These modifications will finally hook up with a significant, federally-funded undertaking from NE seventh to the river that’s a part of the state’s I-5 Rose Quarter Enchancment Venture.
However in contrast to the $38 million PBOT obtained to remodel decrease NE Broadway, they’ve solely a meager $500,000 (along with the paving funds) to spend on the Pave & Paint part from NE seventh to twenty sixth. That budgetary restrict helps clarify not simply the design decisions, but in addition the reactions to it.
The design ideas PBOT shared again in 2022 confirmed a parking protected bike lane. However the design proposal revealed yesterday as a part of a web-based open home and survey is an unprotected bike lane sandwiched between two lanes utilized by drivers. That truth peeved some of us after I shared the drawings yesterday. “That is terrible,” one individual wrote on Bluesky. “When will PBOT construct an actual goddamn protected bike lane, and never magical wands and paint?”
BikeLoud PDX Vice-chair Kiel Johnson spoke with PBOT Venture Supervisor Mike Serritella in regards to the undertaking this morning. After their telephone name, Johnson instructed me in an interview that, “The undertaking isn’t dwelling as much as the Transportation System Plan.” “We don’t assume it will likely be snug for a variety of riders,” he added. “And the price range illustrates that we proceed to underfund these alternatives.”
The bike lane PBOT desires to construct is about 11-feet huge (similar because the adjoining lane for drivers) when you add buffer zones on either side. But it surely lacks bodily separation — which has been the consensus finest follow normal for years now. And in some sections, PBOT has maintained parallel parking areas that can require drivers to maneuver over the bike lane to succeed in a spot.
Regardless of one much less lane for drivers, the streetscape in PBOT’s new drawings remains to be dominated by automobiles. And as we wrestle to regain biking momentum and stop deaths and severe accidents on our roads, any area dominated by such a lethal car will fail to end result within the outcomes all of us say we wish.
From PBOT’s standpoint, this can be a main step ahead and all they’ll do with restricted funds. “The group believes this advisable design optimizes assets out there at this second in time and units up the hall for future upgrades and investments,” their web site reads. In distinction to this $500,000 to spend over 20 blocks on NE Broadway, PBOT will spend $16 million to construct fully-separated and guarded bike lanes on 27 blocks of SW Fourth. The company additionally says their proposed design for Broadway doesn’t preclude upgrading the bike facility with extra safety sooner or later.
PBOT can even level to a load of different modifications Broadway will obtain — like protected intersections the place new median islands will significantly cut back crossing distances.
One other factor that offers PBOT confidence is the actual fact they’ve bought political help for a street food plan by means of a significant business district. Sure the native enterprise affiliation is absolutely on board with the modifications regardless of shedding driving capability outdoors their doorways — and regardless of a 4% lower in whole automotive parking spots alongside the hall (11 areas lower than they’ve right now).
It seemingly didn’t take an excessive amount of cajoling by PBOT for the enterprise affiliation to agree to those modifications nevertheless, as a result of present circumstances are absurdly car-centric. Between NE seventeenth and twenty sixth, NE Broadway is as huge as 82nd Avenue (a former state freeway). Even PBOT says the road is presently “overbuilt for cars” and their evaluation discovered that — even at peak journey hours — drivers use solely 50-60% of the full automotive capability on the street.
Given this wasted area PBOT has 14-18 ft of roadway area, “to be reallocated alongside the hall for neighborhood priorities.”
PBOT desires to make use of that area for a large, buffered bike lane in addition to 5 new pedestrian crossings (at eleventh, thirteenth, seventeenth, nineteenth, and twenty second), two bus cease bulb-outs, and the brand new median islands at intersections. The utmost velocity restrict on the road may also be lowered from 30 to 25 mph.
Matt Zajack from the Sullivan’s Gulch Neighborhood Affiliation likes what he sees. He’s met frequently with PBOT, reps from the Irvington Neighborhood Affiliation and the Northeast Broadway Enterprise Affiliation since planning started this previous summer season. “Though it doesn’t hit each merchandise on a protracted want checklist,” Zajack stated. “we’re excited in regards to the lengthy overdue updates and modifications that can deliver this street in alignment with present codes and security requirements and higher align the colourful, human-centric enterprise and neighborhood hall we have now right here.”
Given the modifications on the desk and the brand new parking preparations (neighbors fear an enormous discount in parking within the hall means extra individuals parking on aspect streets), Zajack says the neighborhood is downright “excited” in regards to the undertaking.
PBOT desires to listen to neighborhood suggestions earlier than they finalize their design in February. If all goes in response to plan, they’ll repave and repaint Broadway in summer season 2025.
— Browse the open home and take the survey to ensure they hear your voice.
