(UPDATE, 5:15 pm: I simply added a photograph gallery with new photos taken a couple of minutes in the past. Scroll right down to browse.)
Christmas has come early for Portlanders who care about nice streets: The brand new protected bike lane on Southwest 4th Avenue is open for enterprise. Whereas the complete undertaking isn’t completed but, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) introduced at present that the southern part — from simply south of I-405 to SW Taylor — is absolutely useful. TriMet buses are servicing stops of their new Enterprise Entry and Transit (BAT) lanes and the brand new bike alerts have been switched on.
The final time I checked in on this $21 million undertaking was again in June and it was already obvious what a large transformation it had made to the road. I’ll reserve last judgement till I spend time on it myself, nevertheless it’s value noting this thrilling milestone.
The novelty begins at SW Caruthers, simply south of I-405. At that location, you’re in a motorcycle lane on the correct aspect and PBOT has put in a brand new bike-only sign to get you throughout that (beast of an) intersection and into the brand new protected lane on the left aspect of 4th. Ultimately you’ll be capable of trip about 1.3 miles north in a motorcycle lane that’s separated from different lanes by a big, concrete median.
Why is the bike lane on the left? PBOT felt it was a lot safer provided that proper turns off 4th Ave are way more frequent than left turns, thus there shall be fewer conflicts.
The concept is that 4th is the northbound couplet to SW Broadway, as envisioned within the Central Metropolis in Movement Plan adopted by Portland Metropolis Council in 2018.
For transit customers, the brand new BAT lane is open between SW Grant and Mill. Along with rushing up bus service and making stops safer, PBOT says the BAT lane, “helps the long run sturdiness of the brand new pavement on SW Fourth Avenue by consolidating heavy buses right into a bolstered concrete lane, decreasing the chance of rutting and cracking over time.”
Whereas the Portland Metro Chamber decried the undertaking final years as “wasteful” and urged the then-Commissioner-in-Cost of PBOT to cancel it, Mingus Mapps was undeterred and it moved ahead. Quite the opposite, this bug improve to a high-profile hall (SW 4th — and the brand new bike lane! — goes proper in entrance of Metropolis Corridor) is fully-supported by the Downtown Neighborhood Affiliation.
DNA Vice President Xavier Stickler instructed BikePortland this week that, “Downtown is so excited to make the most of this right-sized right-of-way.” “I need to sincerely thank PBOT for this main funding in our streets. Downtown is the financial engine of our metropolis, area, and state. Its employees, residents, college students, and guests alike want and deserve clean roads for driving, quick motion for transit, and secure infrastructure for strolling and biking.”
PBOT will proceed working within the coming weeks to finish the bike lane all the best way north to Outdated City as climate permits. I’ve heard there’s an official ribbon-cutting deliberate for December. Keep tuned for extra protection as soon as I get the prospect to recover from there and trip this factor!
See the way it appears to be like beneath. These photos had been taken at present:
