If you happen to even occasionally commute by bike or to downtown from the east side, you are familiar with the pleasant crush of bicycle and pedestrian traffic on the Steel and Hawthorne Bridges.  Although the crowd slows one down, there is something wonderful traveling among so many Portlanders getting around my human power.

If you're feeling in a more solitary mood or are looking to freshen up your commute, consider the Morrison Bridge. Let me highlight its assets:

• Separated walking and biking lanes! Pedestrians have a separate pathway and a slightly different grade than cyclists. This creates a more comfortable and safer experience for both.
• No bike/ped traffic jams! Bike commuters have yet to migrate to the Morrison in appreciable numbers. This wide open range allows you to set your own pace.
• Recapture that pioneer spirit. Some boomers at your office may have told you about biking back in the seventies and eighties when seeing fellow cyclists on the road was rare. Be a 21st century trail blazer. 

Traveling east from downtown, you can access the Morrison Bridge at SW Alder at 2nd Avenue or from SW Naito Boulevard between Alder and Morrison (it's easier to see from our downtown bike map).

Once you cross the river and SE Belmont at Water Avenue, you can either take Water Avenue, which has a bike lane, or if you're planning to go directly east, travel one block south to SE Taylor, a low traffic bikeway with signals for crossing MLK and Grand.

Although I've commuted via the Morrison from my home in NE Portland, it is a more convenient choice for who live or work south of I-84.  

If you want to try the Morrison but aren't sure about your route, email us for a free bike route plan.

Photos of bike traffic jam and Morrison Bridges courtesy of Oregonlive.com and Multnomah County, respectively.