Active Right of Way

Mike Anderson posing with the "Standards and Guidelines" library. Click on picture for full size.

Last night’s “Yes You Can, it’s in the MUTCD” workshop was a success. Mike Anderson (of http://www.portlandafoot.org ) and I wandered through various roadway and pedway standards for a good two hours. Lots of great info, and I learned a few new things.

Some highlights —

1) The Oregon Highway Design Manual and the AASHTO Green Book both mandate that streets be designed for travel at 10 mph above the posted speed limit. And that the Oregon Highway Design Manual also mandates that street reconstruction be done for the “85th percentile” speed (the speed at which only 1 in 6 cars is going faster than). So, it’s a vicious circle of ever-increasing speed. The roads are designed for faster than the speed limit, then folks naturally drive at 10 mph above the speed limit, then the road gets redesigned for 10 mph faster… See 5.1.2 and 5.1.3 in http://egov.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/ENGSERVICES/hwy_manuals.shtml

2) The AASHTO Bicycle Facility Design Guide has design speeds for multi use paths. With curve radii for 12, 15, 20 and 30 mph design speeds. So if someone (like ODOT) is putting in a lame bicycle path with sharp zig zags, you can ask them to follow the design standards set by AASHTO. p. 38 in http://www.sccrtc.org/bikes/AASHTO_1999_BikeBook.pdf

3) The Portland 2030 Bike Plan calls for development of new engineering for bike facilities, with this gem “…the updated bicycle facility design guidelines will address the difference between design standards and guidelines…” p. 64 at http://www.portlandonline.com/transportation/index.cfm?c=44597&a=289122 (download the whole document or just “Part Three”) The difference between “standards” and “guidelines” is the bane of a bicycle advocate — most bicycle facility design comes under the label of “guidelines” which means that governments should follow it if they can, and if it’s not “feasible” then tough luck for the bicyclists. “Standards” are much more powerful — if there is a facility that isn’t up to “standards” then the government can get sued if anyone is injured on it, so they have powerful motivation to make improvements when asked.

I’d like to repeat the seminar at a time when more people can come — post your preferred time in the comments, or email them to me.

Ted Buehler

Last night ODOT gave a presentation on their new crossing treatment for Barbur. I have to really applaud their leadership on this and the project is very innovative. There are going to be three rapid flash beacons on either side of the crossing. When you press the walk button these lights, located under pedestrian signs, will flash telling cars to wait at the new stop bar. The lights will flash until you are able to walk across the entire street. In addition to the three flashing signs on either side there will also be a warning sign on the approach to the crossing on both sides.

The project is set to cost $100,000 and is planned to start July 1st. ODOT had to get special permission to use this kind of treatment. ODOT does not usually like trying “new things”, so it is exciting to seem them trying something new here. I hope this will be the first of many improvements on Barbur to slow cars down and make this vital road safe for all users. Please email Ron Kroop and thank him for his leadership on this.

email Ron

a packed room in SW was extremely supportive to the project

Northbound crossing

southbound approach

Southbound crossing

If you know the engineering standards for bikeway design, you can ask that those standards are met.

It’s empowering to know the legal requirements, because you can ask your government to provide them for you. Many of the dangerous places we ride on a daily basis are out of compliance. And will remain that way until a citizen request is made for an improvement.

Come learn about the “MUTCD” “AASHTO green book”, “HCM” and a bunch of other nifty references. See them, read them, heft them, and be ready to use them.

Wednesday March 16, 7 pm, Millar Library at PSU. Meet at the 5th floor, call # TE7.H5 (and if we move to a study room, we’ll leave a note).

Ted Buehler

PBOT is holding an Open House on the Division Streetscape Project,
Tuesday, March 15th from 5:30 to 7 PM, at St Phillip Neri Church, SE
16th & Division, in Carvlin Hall (center of parking lot).

This project morphed from a repaving project to adding crosswalks and
curb extensions, to a “green street” project at the neighborhoods’
urging.  It changed further when BES came on board, supplying a large
portion of funding but also adding a lot of stormwater swales in the
sidewalks and street.  At the bottom of the public’s list anyway (by
their poll), the swales as designed were seriously opposed by
pedestrian delegates including myself, as they reduced sidewalk
widths of 10 to 12 feet down to 6 to 8 feet.  Staff moved some around
the corner onto side streets, but many still persist on Division in
critical pedestrian and shopping areas such as 34th to 38th.

After Council approval in March 2010, design started.  The Open House
is to show the 30 percent drawings.   Local businesses
I contacted were opposed to the swales in the plan.  One asked why
they couldn’t just be located in residential streets, so as to not
affect parking and sidewalk space on Division itself.  It’s not clear
if business opposition to specific features will be effective at this
time, but expect some business owners at the open house.

Everyone knows that Southwest Portland contains a lot of hills. We also know that Southwest Portland has some of the lowest bicycle rates of anywhere in Portland. But it doesn’t have to be this way, at least the bike rate part (unless those hills contain coal).

from the 2009 city bike count

Southwest Portland is a region which has been choked off. The only level passage way connecting it to downtown Portland is monopolized by one form of transportation, cars. Combined, I-5 and Barbur contain 10 lanes of fast vehicles traffic and it still isn’t enough. Buses are overflowing with people and gridlock eats into people’s time. There need to be safe options. We are past the debate about building to fight congestion. To move forward there need to be several improvements to tame Barbur Blvd itself. These involve lights, slower speeds, lane removal, and enforcement. Secondly, there needs to be a completely separated bikeway. Both of these ideas are closer than we think.

On Wednesday (the 16th) ODOT will be presenting their proposals for improving the crosswalk at 4900 SW Barbur, Rasmussen Village Apartments at the Multnomah Arts Center. This is the first time ODOT has proposed doing anything that restricts the flow of car traffic on Barbur. If enough voices show up to this meeting it hopefully will not be the last. This is a picture from a crash from a few weeks ago at this deadly intersection. It is the same crossing that claimed the life of 22 year old Angela Burke before Christmas.

four car pile up

The second piece, a separated bike and pedestrian trail is already being built by ODOT. Only about 300 yards is left to be done to complete a trail that goes in between Barbur and I-5 all the way from Hamilton to Terwilliger. As part of the I-5 bank improvement ODOT has been forced to create this trail, all that is left is for someone to claim it.

The “Ron Kroop Multi-Use Path” needs a lot of work. It is too hilly to be of much use and there are still no bridge connections. But this represents our best hope of a future in Southwest where everyone feels comfortable enough to choose to use the bicycle as a means of commuting. It would connect to the future Red Electric Trail, the Gibb Street Bridge, to the many wonderful neighborhoods in SW.

SW is full of internal arguing and complaining but it lacks a clear visions for people to get behind. If we want to someday live in a SW that meets our dreams we will need to stop complaining and start fighting with each other for the type of place SW should be.

the sign next to the vermont bridge