Older neighborhoods such as Beaumont-Wilshire were designed to promote walking with a network of wide sidewalks. Streets were designed for the newfangled automobile as well as horses, including rings in the curbs to tie up one’s horse. While biking was also a mode of transportation, fewer and slower moving vehicles on the road made sharing the roads safer than today.
Changes are coming to streets across Portland with the city’s adoption of its 2020 Transportation System Plan (TSP). The TSP guides transportation policies and investments in Portland for the next 20 years. This TSP differs from those of the past by incorporating bike and pedestrian modes of transportation into the plan, which inform future projects and priorities of transportation improvements.
The goal is to provide a city-wide multi-modal transportation network with an emphasis on promoting active transportation (e.g., walking, biking, rolling) and transit to help the city meet the goals identified in its Climate Action Plan. The Neighborhood Greenway Program is one of the tools the City of Portland is using to help meet those plan goals.
Performance guidelines were developed in the city’s 2015 Neighborhood Greenway Assessment Report. They include maximum vehicle speeds of 20 mph, daily vehicular volume targets of 1,000 (maximum 2,000), and improved bike and pedestrian crossing opportunities on Greenway streets.
The following are active Neighborhood Greenway projects in or affecting B-W:
- NE Alameda and NE Fremont Greenway Pilot Project: Final Design – Construction Fall 2022
- NE Alameda/57th/Sandy Blvd: Design Phase – Construction 2022
- NE Skidmore/33rd to 7th: Planning Phase – Construction Summer 2023 or 2024
It is still unclear how, or if, our voices will affect the final design on projects.
To meet the target performance guidelines, Neighborhood Greenway projects will change how we use the streets, based on their design approach.
As an example, the Alameda/Fremont intersection will see a diverter installed, which will eliminate through traffic on Alameda and disallow all left turn movements at the intersection. The NE Alameda/57th/Sandy Blvd project will eliminate eastbound traffic from Alameda onto Sandy Blvd or NE 57th. Both projects implement diverters which will send vehicles onto other streets.
While we may not know where the next Neighborhood Greenway Project will be in our neighborhood, we do know they will be on one of the designated bikeways identified in the city’s TSP. The bike classification for that street will determine what type of improvement will be made (shared road, buffered, or separated bike lanes) and how existing uses are affected (e.g., on-street parking, vehicular travel lanes, and direction of traffic).
The city engages the public through presentations to neighborhood associations and mailing project informational post cards. The BWNA is able to share neighborhood input on these projects through comments received by emails to president@bwnapdx.org or participation in our meetings. It is still unclear how, or if, our voices will affect the final design on projects.
For more information on what constitutes an official City of Portland Neighborhood Greenway, visit portland.gov/transportation/what-are-neighborhood-greenways.
Major City Bikeways, shown in bold solid line, create the backbone of the city’s bikeway network and are intended to serve high volumes of bicycle traffic. Motor vehicle lanes and on-street parking may be removed.
City Bikeways, shown in dashed line, establish direct and convenient bikeways to destinations and Major City Bikeways. Motor vehicle lanes and on-street parking may be removed.
Local Bikeways are all other streets not designated a Major or City Bikeway. On-street parking should be preserved, and side effects of bikeway improvements should not have side effects of creating, accommodating, or encouraging automobile through traffic.