COMMUNITY SPIN - July 2012

If you’ve driven east on Highway 84 between TROUTDALE AND CASCADE LOCKS, you’ve probably noticed the construction underway.  Just east of John B. Yeon State Park, road crews are closing a major gap in the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail.  The new 1.6 mile trail segment will link the Moffett Creek Bridge to the already completed section of the Trail.  A new PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE BRIDGE will cross McCord Creek and by next summer, cyclists will be able to ride from Troutdale to Cascade Locks on the restored trail without ever having to enter I-84. 

PBOT was considering installing RUMBLE STRIPS ON NE MARINE DRIVE between I-5 and NE 185th St.  This section has a “substantially higher” fatality rate than the citywide norm.  Adding to the safety issues on the street are high speeds and a high level of truck traffic.  (82% of motor vehicles exceed the speed limit.)  However, after comments from Oregon Bicycle Racing Association (OBRA), they decided to examine other treatments that are more benign to cyclists.  They will likely do a treatment known as “raised thermoplastic striping”, similar to what they installed to keep people from driving in the bike lane on NE Couch as it curves onto the Burnside Bridge.  Cyclists will find this a much more pleasant solution than rumble strips.    It’s the same treatment used extensively by ODOT along the Oregon Coast on Highway 101.   

ODOT has just completed the main part of their BARBUR BLVD. BIKE IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.  They added green coloring to the south bound bike lane that leads to the Capitol Highway-Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway turn-off.  This is the first ever green bike lane on a state highway in Oregon.  It won’t protect you from “right hooks” so you still need to look behind you before going straight, but should make the bike lane a lot more visible and pleasant.

WILSONVILLE will get their first ever “SUNDAY STREETS” event on August 19.  (Similar to Portland’s Sunday Parkways.)  This free event will “focus on connecting neighborhoods, parks and people”.  Bicyclists, runners, walkers, seniors, adults and children will enjoy traffic- free streets filled with fun and interactive entertainment, music, physical activity and food.  It will be a 5-mile loop with three activity centers. 

In GLADSTONE, the 82ND AVE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE which crosses the Clackamas River has finally been reopened after being closed all year.  This makes a nice loop from River Rd. in Milwaukie, across the highway 99 bridge and through Clackamette Park to Oatfield Rd.  In this same area, the 6-mile TROLLEY TRAIL is complete between Milwaukie and Gladstone although they are still working on the last segment between Kellogg Creek and River Rd.  It is open but you have to get past the construction.