Scott Cohen, capital project manager for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT), recently attended a Beaumont-Wilshire Neighborhood Association meeting to share findings on how the traffic diverter installed last year on NE Fremont at Alameda has impacted traffic patterns in the neighborhood.
PBOT’s goals for the project were to reduce the number of cars on Alameda Street, a designated Neighborhood Greenway; reduce crash potential at the Fremont/Alameda intersection; and create more crossing opportunities for pedestrians and cyclists. (Note: Neighborhood Greenways are designated low-traffic, low-speed streets that give priority to people walking and cycling.)
The BWNA board had voted not to support PBOT’s diverter plan over concerns that diverted traffic would cause congestion on nearby narrow streets. The BWNA Transportation Committee worked with PBOT to consider alternatives, but ultimately PBOT proceeded as planned.
At BWNA’s request, PBOT conducted traffic counts at 15 locations in the neighborhood to evaluate the impacts. The data showed a significant reduction in traffic on Alameda and increases on many neighboring streets, including 38th, Cesar Chavez, and Klickitat.
Cohen told attendees the program met PBOT’s goals, and PBOT does not consider the increases “significant” by their measures. The BWNA board, however, noted the increases on narrow streets like 38th and Cesar Chavez are significant to some residents.
PBOT will continue to monitor traffic on 38th and Klickitat and plans to add parking setbacks on Fremont at 38th, Cesar Chavez, and 40th to improve visibility. It will also install speed bumps on 37th during the next phase of its Neighborhood Greenway program.
PBOT’s full report is available on its project website: portland.gov/transportation/safestreetspdx/ne-alameda-and-ne-fremont.
Colin O’Neill is a BWNA board member and chairs the Transportation Committee. He’s lived in B-W with his wife and kids since 2008.