The Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan, adopted by City Council last month as part of the N/NE Quadrant Plan, will go to the Oregon Transportation Commission (OTC) next month for approval. The plan contains recommendations for safety and operations improvements for the I-5 Broadway/Weidler freeway interchange.

Key elements of the facility plan:  

• Adding auxiliary lanes and full-width shoulders (within existing right-of-way) to reduce dangerous traffic weaves and allow disabled vehicles to move out of traffic lanes.
• Rebuilding structures at Broadway, Weidler, Vancouver and Williams and adding a lid over the freeway that will simplify construction, increase development potential and improve the urban environment.
• Moving the I-5 southbound on-ramp to Weidler to improve circulation and safety.
• Improving conditions for pedestrian and bicycle travel by adding new connections over the freeway and safer pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the interchange area

 The OTC will consider the plan at its December 19^th meeting at the Gail L. Achterman Commission Room, ODOT Building, 355 Capitol St NE, Salem at 9:30 a.m.. There will be a public comment period during the meeting.  

Visit the OTC website to view the agenda and additional meeting information. View the packet of materials that will be considered by the OTC here, including the staff report, findings of compliance, facility plan and City Council resolution expressing support for the recommendations. For more information contact Andy Johnson at Andrew.Johnson@odot.state.or.us or 503-731-8356.

City Council Adopts N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans

On October 25, 2012, City Council voted unanimously to adopt the N/NE Quadrant Plan, a long-range plan for the Lower Albina and Lloyd Districts of the Central City, and the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan, a concept plan for freeway and local street system improvements in the vicinity of the I-5 Broadway/Weidler interchange.

The vote came at the conclusion of a public hearing at which 15 people testified, including 7 members of the project’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee. Predominant themes in testimony focused on the unique and collaborative partnership between the City and ODOT, the strong vision laid out in the plans that will help direct and encourage investment in the area, the integration of land use and transportation planning, and the inclusive process that considered ideas and opinions from a diverse set of stakeholders. The City Council was urged to support implementation of the plans and to work on near-term improvements to address the worst pedestrian and bicycle safety issues in the area.

The adoption by City Council followed a two-year planning process in which the diverse 30-member Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) worked with interested community members and land use and transportation planners to develop the plans. The full SAC met 19 times and held 14 Subcommittee meeting. Their work was informed by public input solicited throughout the process at open houses, charrettes and commuity meetings, totaling approximately 95 meetings and events.

The plans were adopted by resolution, indicating the City Council’s support for their recommendations. Specific recommendations in the N/NE Quadrant Plan will go into effect once the entire Central City 2035 Plan (the update of the 1988 Central City Plan) is complete, expected in 2015. The I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan will go before the Oregon Transportation Commission for adoption in December.

Read the media release about the City Council action.

Last month, after holding a public hearing and work session, the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission voted to recommend that the City Council adopt the N/NE Quadrant Plan, a long-range plan for the Lower Albina and Lloyd Districts of the Central City, and the I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan, a concept plan for freeway and local street system improvements in the vicinity of the Broadway/Weidler interchange. The public is invited to testify about the plans at an upcoming City Council hearing.

Public Hearing - Testimony Welcome

N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway-Weidler Plans
Portland City Council
October 25, 2012 2 p.m.
Council Chambers (City Hall, 2nd Floor)
1221 SW Fourth Avenue

Testimony Instructions
You can share your views with City Council in several ways:

Testify in person at the hearing (see details above)

Submit written testimony
Attn: Council Clerk
1221 SW Fourth Avenue, Room 140
Portland,OR97204

FAX or Email comments to 503-823-4571 or Karla.Moore-Love@portlandoregon.gov. Written testimony must be received by the time of the hearing and must include your name and address.

Download Council Documents

• N/NE Quadrant Plan – Recommended Draft
• I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan – Recommended Draft
• Planning and Sustainability Commission Transmittal Letter
• Stakeholder Advisory Committee Recommendations Report

Interactive Map

View the map to see how your property could be affected by proposed changes to zoning and maximum building height regulations.

More About the Draft Plans

N/NE Quadrant Plan
The N/NE Quadrant Plan is a land use, urban design and local transportation plan that will help direct and manage growth for theLloydDistrict andLower Albina over the next 25 years. The plan focuses on preserving the industrial and employment character of Lower Albina and concentrating high-density development in theLloydDistrict, with a focus on new residential development and providing amenities needed for a livable and vibrant community. Providing sensitive transitions to historic neighborhoods and protecting the remaining cultural resources in the area is also a key theme of the plan.

I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan
The I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan contains a planning-level concept for improvements that address longstanding safety and operations issues on and around Interstate 5 and the Broadway/Weidler interchange. The recommended improvements would add auxiliary lanes and full-width shoulders (within existing right-of-way) to reduce dangerous traffic weaves and allow disabled vehicles to move out of traffic lanes, reducing crashes by an estimated 30 to 50 percent. The freeway improvements also provide an opportunity to improve the urban environment and conditions for pedestrian and bicycle travel in the interchange area. The plan proposes to rebuild overpasses with lids over the freeway that could be used for development or open space, the addition of new connections over the freeway and providing additional and safer pedestrian and bicycle facilities in the area. The I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan is scheduled to be presented to the Oregon Transportation Commission in December.

Planning and Sustainability Commission Session

After holding a public hearing and work session on the project, the Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) voted to recommend that the City Council adopt the N/NE Quadrant Plan, a long-range plan for the Lower Albina and Lloyd Districts of the Central City, with minor amendments. The I-5 Broadway/Weidler Facility Plan, a concept plan for improvements to the freeway and local street system in the interchange area, was recommended for adoption with no changes. The Recommended Draft N/NE Quadrant Plan will be available the week of October 8.

PSC meeting materials are available at the following links:

September 11 Hearing: http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/webdrawer/rec/5100237/

September 25 Work Session: http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/webdrawer/rec/5172055/

Full-length videos of PSC meetings are shown on cable Channel 30. Their regular re-airing schedule is every Friday at 3pm, the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 7:30pm and the 1st and 3rd Sundays at 7:00am.

City Council Hearing

The N/NE Quadrant and I-5 Broadway/Weidler Plans are headed to City Council for a public hearing on Thursday, October 25 at 2 p.m. You can share your views with City Council in several ways:

Testify in person
Public Hearing - Thursday, October 25 at 2 p.m.
Council Chambers (City Hall, 2nd Floor)
1221 SW Fourth Avenue
Portland, OR 97204

Submit written testimony
Attn: Council Clerk
1221 SW Fourth Avenue, Room 140
Portland,OR 97204

You can also provide comments by FAX to 503-823-4571 or email to Karla.Moore-Love@portlandoregon.gov. Written testimony must be received by the time of the hearing and must include your name and address. 

The Portland Planning and Sustainability Commission (PSC) will hold a work session on the the N/NE Quadrant Project on the evening of September 25th. The work session will provide an opportunity for commission members to discuss the project and ask questions before making their recommendation to City Council. The project team has prepared responses to questions from commission members and proposed amendments to the N/NE Quadrant Plan, which are outlined in two memos to the PSC.

The PSC work session is scheduled to begin at 7:55 p.m., however exact timing will depend on the length of prior agenda items. Go to www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/psc to view the agenda. No additional public testimony will be taken by the PSC. There will be opportunity to make comments to City Council at their hearing on the project, tentatively scheduled for October 25 at 2 p.m.

A complete set of the PSC materials is available at the following link: http://efiles.portlandoregon.gov/webdrawer/rec/5100237/ (click the magnifying glass next to the document).