The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services is working on a long-term project to reconstruct the Triangle Lake Lagoon at the Columbia Boulevard Wastewater Treatment Plant. The lagoon is just north of the treatment plant main campus next to the Columbia Slough. In order to maintain daily plant operations, Environmental Services will complete the project in phases over several years.

Columbia Slough Trail Closures

The city’s contractor uses the Columbia Slough Trail to access the lagoon area during construction. This will intermittently close portions of the trail between the railroad tracks to the east and North Portland Road to the west (see map below). The city posts signs advising trail users of periodic closures at the following locations for the duration of the lagoon reconstruction project: 

• On the trail at the corner of North Portland Road and Marine Drive
• At the construction site entrance at the intersection of North Portland Road and the Columbia Slough Trail
• At the Columbia Slough Trailhead at Columbia Court
• At the Columbia Slough Trailhead at Denver Avenue
• On the Columbia Slough Trail east of the plant’s east entrance
• At the main plant entrance on Columbia Boulevard

For more information, visiting the project webpage at www.portlandoregon.gov/bes/lagoon

Students across all of Oregon participate in May’s Walk+Bike to School Challenge Month, a free competition between students of all ages to walk, bike, scoot, or skate to school. Students track their active transportation days on a scorecard, which they then turn in for prizes.

In honor of a great Walk + Bike Challenge Month we are excited to share some of the awesome stories we heard from schools throughout the city. Ranging from first time participants to classes with 99% participation, we thought this would be the best way to kick off a fun and healthy summer. 

James John: The 99%
A class at James John was awarded the "Golden Sneaker" for the week with 99% participation! Their teacher supported the kids by walking a few extra blocks each day.

Hayhurst Student Bikes to School For the First Time and Loves It
The first thing this rider said to her mom when she arrived at school on her own bicycle was, "I want to ride to school again!" She had just ridden two miles on a hilly route to Hayhurst Elementary in SW Portland and couldn't have been more proud of herself.  After her inaugural ride for Hayhurst's Earth Day celebration, she and her mother planned to ride once a week until the end of the school year. She really earned her tattoo!

Faubion Walk + Bike Week:  Visits from the Bike Fairy! 
Parent coordinator, Carol, dressed up as the Bike Fairy each day of Faubion's challenge week to remind students to participate. She also handmade raffle prizes like bike "bling"  and handy Faubion tote bags. 

Llewellyn "Park + Walk" a Huge Success
Every Friday during Walk + Bike Challenge Month, Llewellyn parents offered free coffee (donated from a local shop in Sellwood) as an incentive for families to park their cars in a parking lot two blocks from school and walk the rest of the way. Parents enjoyed free coffee and a chance to stop and chat.

The last Friday of May the parking lot was FULL! Not only was it a great community builder, but they improved safety for walkers and bikers along the narrow street to Llewellyn.  (Photo from Llewellyn Facebook page.)

Emerson's W + B Display a Hit!
Emerson parent coordinator, Amy, asked students what they liked best about walking or biking to school, then posted the responses with photos of each student. It was a great and fun way to acknowledge students' participation!  Check out the responses:

In 1998, Captain Richard Head of Bristol, England had brought his ship to dock for repairs on Portland’s Swan Island. While walking back on North Channel Avenue from dinner with his wife, Captain Head was tragically struck and killed by a vehicle.

On May 30^th, the family of Captain Head joined the Swan Island Business Association (SIBA), staff of Mayor Charlie Hales, Transportation Commissioner Steve Novick, Swan Island business representatives, and City of Portland and Port of Portland staff to celebrate transportation and safety enhancements on Swan Island.  Improvements on Channel Avenue include the extension of the sidewalk on N Channel Avenue, the unveiling of a plaque honoring Captain Head, and street sign toppers identifying the area as The Captain’s Walk.

Captain Head’s wife, Diana Elaine Head and nephew, Christopher Head of Bristol, England were joined at the event by Captain Head’s brother, John Head. “The main thing I want to express to you today is gratitude,” said John. “Richard had a deep sense gratitude for the work of others who helped keep his ship operating at sea. And as his family, we want to extend our deep thanks and gratitude for the work you all have done to honor his memory and make this street safer for others.”

Partnership played a key role in moving the project forward. The Swan Island TMA took the lead in the design, fabrication and installation of the plaque honoring Captain Head. The Port of Portland assisted with the plaque installation and is hosting it on their property adjacent to the sidewalk. Vigor Industrial donated survey work to help with the sidewalk design and installation.  PBOT designed and installed the new sidewalk and added an additional street sign at the beginning of the new sidewalk. The Bureau of Environmental Services is assisting with the installation of sustainable stormwater facilities on the Island.

Thursday evening’s activities were one of three Swan Island TMA events celebrating the completion of four transportation and trail projects on the island: the Channel Avenue sidewalk improvement; the Basin Street rapid flash beacon; the N Going St multiuse path; and the N Ballast Street sidewalk

All these improvements were part of the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Going to the River project, funded through the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Flexible Funds program. In addition, the Bureau of Environmental Services provided funding to support sustainable stormwater solutions at sites within the project. Going to the River bundled investments in bicycle, pedestrian, transit and transportation demand management to optimize access to and from Swan Island, one of the state’s largest employment centers. 

Last week’s celebrations also included the official opening of Portland Parks' Waud Bluff Trail, a 1700-foot trail and bridge that connects the University Park and University of Portland community at Willamette Boulevard with Swan Island. “Along with the #72 and #85 bus lines, these improvements help provide commuters and residents a sustainable alternative to driving alone, thus reducing congestion and keeping freight moving on Swan Island,” said SIBA Director Lenny Anderson. 

View more event and project photos here.

Portlanders have the opportunity to help decide which bike, pedestrian, transit, road and freight projects to fund in Portland and the metro region. Metro and the Oregon Department of Transportation are taking public comments on the grant requests to the Regional Flexible Funds Allocation (RFFA) and Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Enhance, respectively. 

Click this link for a list of Portland-specific project proposals.

Regional Flexible Funds Allocation: Metro will be taking comments on the 29 proposed RFFA projects through June 7. Metro is holding a public hearing on Thursday, May 30 at 5:00 p.m. at the Metro Council Chambers, 600 NE Grand Avenue. Project descriptions will be provided in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Chinese and Russian.

The Regional Flexible Funds program includes funds from three federal programs, which are allocated every two to three years. In the past RFFA has helped fund diverse projects such as the Springwater Corridor and improvements at freight bottlenecks such as the 82^nd Avenue and Columbia Boulevard interchange.

During the current three-year cycle, the flexible funds program has approximately $94.58 million available for area projects. Funding criteria for the RFFA funds are guided by the planned outcomes of Metro’s 2035 Regional Transportation Plan (RTP). These outcomes are: vibrant communities; economic prosperity; safe and reliable transportation; leadership on climate change; clean air and water; and equity.

Can’t make the May 30^th public hearing?  Review the projects and comment at this webpage.

Statewide Transportation Improvement Program: ODOT staff will be accepting public comments through June on a 150% priority project list (this list of projects represents approximately 150% of the available project funds). ODOT is requesting public comment to assist in narrowing the 150% priority project list to a 100% project list.  

In conjunction with the Congressional reauthorization of federal transportation programs (MAP 21), ODOT combined many previously separate transportation funding streams into two new programs: STIP Enhance and STIP Fix It. ODOT directs projects that “enhance, expand, or improve the transportation system” toward the STIP Enhance program. Those activities or projects that “fix or preserve the transportation system” are eligible for funding through STIP Fix It.

For more information and to comment on the proposed STIP Enhance projects visit http://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/HWY/REGION1/Pages/stip/stip_enhance.aspx . If you have questions contact Jeff Flowers, ODOT Region 1 Program and Funding Services Manager, 503-731-8235 or Jeffrey.A.Flowers@odot.state.or.us.

Memorial Day weekend marked  the beginning of the 13^th annual Village Building Convergence (VBC), a ten-day placemaking event where neighbors and volunteers come together to improve their neighborhoods through grass-roots public art activities.

A product of the Portland nonprofit City Repair, the VBC is perhaps best known for its Intersection Repair projects: community-building events where neighbors and volunteer artists design and paint an intersection of a local street. Portlanders have beautified dozens of intersections since the first project was installed 17 years ago.

This year’s VBC will include seven Intersection Repair projects. The Portland Bureau of Transportation is one of many sponsors of the event. PBOT supports neighborhood volunteers by facilitating the permit process, ensuring community feedback on the proposed projects, and vetting the designs for safety.

Among this year’s projects is an Intersection Repair at NE 6^th Avenue and Going Street, a partnership between residents at McCoy Village, Catholic Charities, the Northeast Coalition of Neighbors and EnviroVillage, an organization dedicated to environmental education and community involvement.

To both engage neighbors in art and explore an Intersection Repair project, EnviroVillage held five art workshops at McCoy Village, an adjacent housing community owned and managed by Catholic Charities.  Eleven youth and four adults from the neighborhood participated in the workshops.  Local artist  Molly LeLoup Dougherty then created a unified design for the intersection that includes an element from each workshop participant. The workshops included site visits and observing the local conditions, which on Going includes a lot of pedestrian and bicycle traffic.

PBOT requires that each project solicit feedback from neighbors within two blocks of the project. Eighty percent of these neighbors must approve of the project as well as 100% of those on properties adjacent to the project.

While instituted to ensure a basic level of neighborhood involvement, the requirement is one of many aspects of VBC that engenders new neighborhood connections.  Youth went door-to-door to seek approval from their neighbors. “We have youth from a large multifamily community interacting with neighbors a block away that they had never met,” said EnviroVillage’s Director Kirstin Walter.   

While PBOT permits Intersection Repair projects only on local neighborhood streets with no more than 2500 motorized vehicles a day, the NE Going / 6^th project will take place on one of Portland’s Neighborhood Greenways. In the 2012 PBOT bicycle count, approximately 1700 bicycles a day were counted.

The project’s street painting is scheduled for Saturday, June 22 from 10 am to 6 pm. In case of rain, the backup date is Saturday, June 29. “We hope to see not only neighbors joining us, but also some of the thousands of pedestrians and bicyclists that use Going every day,” said Walter.

(photo by Greg Raisman/ www.flickr.com/photos/gregraisman)