One year after the NE Multnomah demonstration project was completed, bicycle commuting has increased over 25% in the Lloyd District. Based on the Lloyd Transportation Management Association’s 2013 annual survey of Universal Pass employees, bike commuting now represents 6.8% of all trips, up from 5.5% last year. The TMA has set a 10% bicycle commuting goal for Lloyd District employees.

Bike traffic has increased on NE Multnomah in 2013 following the construction of the demonstration project last fall. 265 bicyclists were counted traveling through the NE 7th & Multnomah Street intersection during the 2-hour count window this year, up 15% from the 2012 counts (231) and 32% from the 2011 counts (201). NE 7^th Avenue and NE Multnomah have both been improved in the last few years with wider bike lanes and sections that are separated and/or buffered from auto traffic.

The survey and traffic count results suggest that people may have switched from other routes to use NE Multnomah and that the improved bicycle facilities in the Lloyd District are attracting new people to use bikes.

The Lloyd TMA and the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) are also working with the Oregon Transportation Research and Education Consortium (OTREC) this fall to evaluate the NE Multnomah project.  OTREC researchers will conduct surveys as well as analyze video, traffic safety, and traffic count data to learn more about how NE Multnomah’s reconfiguration is functioning. Later this fall, the project partners will regroup to review the analysis and to decide the demonstration project’s future.

 NE Multnomah in the Lloyd District, before and after the demonstration project
Photo: Lindsay Walker