Portland has approved a plan that clears the way for $36 million in bike and other transportation safety projects in the city's downtown.
"Within the next five years, Portland has pledged to create bus-only travel lanes on the approaches to three downtown bridges, build a network of protected bike lanes on both sides of the Willamette River and improve dozens of dangerous pedestrian crossings in the city’s center," reports Andrew Theen. The vote comes as a major benchmark for the Central City in Motion Plan, which has been underway since 2012.
"The vote amounts to one of the most significant council actions on bike and transit projects in years, and transportation officials say it’s critical to give Portlanders a safe and efficient option to get around other than driving --- especially as the region grapples with how to meet its ambitious carbon emission reduction goals," adds Theen.
The article lists the priority projects included in the Central City in Motion Plan, including $5.3 million for protected bike lanes and bus priority lanes on the Burnside Bridge, $6.6 million for additional protected bike lanes in downtown, and $4.5 million plan to convert Seventh Avenue in the Central Eastside Industrial District into a protected bike route.
The article also includes details of the political debate that preceded the vote. For more background on the Central City in Motion Plan see previous Planetizen coverage.
FULL STORY: Portland backs $36 million in projects to speed up buses, make protected bike lanes
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