The Metropolis of Portland is nearing development on a mission that may assist North Ainsworth lastly obtain its true potential as a key east-west biking thoroughfare. Already a motorbike route in title, the road has suffered for years from having too many drivers going too quick too usually. With new bike lanes, site visitors calming measures, parking elimination, and different adjustments coming to the road, Ainsworth will quickly transfer nearer to turning into the low-stress road it’s meant to be.
As I reported again in Could, Ainsworth is primed for main upgrades because it was cited as a prime precedence within the North Portland in Movement Plan. It’s a road that’s presupposed to be a serious bike route — and it really is when it comes to individuals who experience on it — however its design leaves so much to be desired. It presently has virtually no devoted bike infrastructure within the very fashionable part between the North Michigan Avenue neighborhood greenway and Willamette Boulevard. That phase additionally passes Ockley Inexperienced Center College and connects to a number of main north-south bike routes.
That’s why the Portland Bureau of Transportation will break floor this fall on a $400,000 mission so as to add buffered bike lanes, set up velocity bumps, and make different essential adjustments to the road. Beneath are the weather of what PBOT is looking Section 1:
A number one pedestrian interval (LPI) at Ainsworth and N Interstate. That is the place the “stroll” sign goes inexperienced earlier than the principle sign so that folks on foot get a head begin into the intersection.
“Hearth-friendly velocity cushions” shall be put in west of N Interstate to cut back site visitors speeds. Hopefully they’re put in extra successfully than the earlier ones PBOT put in additional east on Ainsworth.
A brand new buffered bike lane between N Michigan and Interstate. That is the part that goes over the I-5 bridge. PBOT plans to ban curbside parking on two blocks between N Maryland and Michigan (see map) to make room for the bike lane.
To achieve extra room for the bike lane and scale back the presence of automobiles in entrance of Ockley Inexperienced Center College, PBOT will prohibit parking on the south aspect of Ainsworth for one block between N Maryland and Montana.
Beneath are new graphics from PBOT to assist clarify the adjustments:
Section 2 of the mission will embrace a public outreach course of to find out the very best design for utilizing modal filters and diversion ways to cut back the variety of automotive customers between N Denver and Greeley (that is the diversion plan for the Omaha Treeway I discussed again in Could). PBOT must discover a resolution for getting auto site visitors volumes all the way down to acceptable neighborhood greenway thresholds within the westernmost portion of the mission. “The aim of this section is to emphasise N Ainsworth St as an area road and meet velocity and site visitors pointers for neighborhood greenways,” PBOT says.
As soon as PBOT hears from the neighborhood, they plan to put in a pilot diversion therapy at N Omaha by spring of subsequent yr if not sooner.
PBOT will spend the remainder of this summer time doing design and public outreach, with some preliminary parts being put in this fall. The brand new bike lane must be accomplished by subsequent spring. For extra on this mission, see PBOT’s web site.
