(May 13, 2020) Over 30 additional Safe Routes to School safety improvements will be built this year, thanks to Fixing Our Streets, the 10-cent gas tax approved by voters in 2016. While students finish out the school year through distance learning, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will continue to deliver critical safety improvements near schools.
In total, over 80 projects will be built as a result of the funding from Fixing Our Streets, which is the primary source of funding for the construction of new infrastructure projects that make it safer for students to walk, bike and roll to their neighborhood school.
The new sidewalks, crosswalks, speed bumps and other safety improvements that PBOT is building this construction season will be an enormous benefit to students when they return to school. These projects are the result of an extensive public engagement process undertaken in early 2017, following the passage of Fixing Our Streets. PBOT’s Safe Routes to School team identified over 1,200 needed projects and created a prioritized list through conversations and open houses with parents and guardians, school staff, parent leadership, and culturally specific parent groups.
During the current stay at home order, the absence of regular school vehicle traffic during construction season is allowing projects to move forward with fewer interruptions and with greater safety for construction crews. If you happen to pass by one of PBOT’s crews, give them a wave from a safe distance to thank them for their hard work.
Recently completed Safe Routes to School projects
Here are some projects you may have spotted being completed during the past few weeks:
- N Willis Boulevard from Portsmouth to Chautauqua streets: speed bumps
- NE 52nd Avenue and Killingsworth Street: curb extension, median island, marked crosswalk
- SE 52nd Avenue and Knapp Street: ADA ramps, median island, marked crosswalk
- SE Alder Street at Alder Elementary School entrance: ADA ramps, marked crosswalk and pedestrian signage at the main entrance to the school
Safe Routes to School projects being constructed this spring and summer
PBOT crews and contractors are gearing up to build the following safety projects near schools this spring and summer:
- N Willis Boulevard and Courtenay Avenue: ADA ramp upgrade
- NE San Rafael Street and 144th Avenue: marked crosswalk
- NE Prescott Street and 118th Avenue: marked crosswalk, ADA ramps
- NW Miller Road and NW Miller Hill Drive: median island
- SE 87th Ave and Lincoln Street: marked crosswalk, new ADA ramp
- SE Holgate Street and 29th Avenue: median island, new ADA ramps, paint
- SE Crystal Springs Boulevard and 92nd Avenue: median island
- SE 60th Avenue from Flavel to Harney streets: speed bumps, striping
- SE 64th Avenue from Flavel to Lambert streets: speed bumps, striping
- SE Nehalem Street from 67th to 72nd avenues: speed bumps, striping
- SE 64th Avenue and Flavel Street: median island
- SE 60th Avenue and Ogden Street: new ADA ramp
Additional Safe Routes to School projects going to construction in 2020
These projects will be built in fall and winter of 2020:
- E Burnside Street and 16th Avenue: new rapid flashing beacon
- N Willis Boulevard from Newman to Chautauqua streets: construct walkway
- NE 113th Avenue from Glisan Street to Couch Court: sidewalk infill
- NE 122nd Avenue and I-84 underpass: improved lighting
- NE Glisan Street and 113th Avenue: crossing improvement
- NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Going Street: traffic signal
- NE Shaver Street from 115th Avenue to Parkrose Middle School: sidewalk infill
- SE 92nd Avenue and Lincoln Street: median island, ADA curb ramps, high visibility crosswalk
- SE 148th Avenue and Main Street: pedestrian hybrid beacon
- SE 174th Avenue from SE Stark to SE Main streets: sidewalk infill
- SE 174th Avenue and Alder Street: new corner, high visibility crosswalk, signage
- SE Holgate Boulevard from 112th to 117th avenues: sidewalk infill
- SE Washington Street and 86th Avenue: new rapid flashing beacon
- SW 35th Avenue from SW Huber to Jackson Middle School campus: sidewalk infill, high visibility crosswalk with median
- SW Carson Street from 14th to 17th avenues: sidewalk infill, new ADA ramp
You can find an interactive map, details on projects, and more information about how the Fixing Our Streets projects were selected at SafeRoutesProjects.com.
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Special note regarding COVID-19 and construction work
PBOT has been in modified operations since March 17 and has implemented specific measures to ensure the safety of our crews and contractors. We're focused on delivering critical repairs and maintenance while taking specific steps to keep our workforce safe. These include modified shifts, social distancing, and other precautions based on current guidelines from local, state, and federal health officials. Thank you for giving our crews the space and time they need to keep our city moving.