The walkway is simpler and faster to build than a sidewalk, letting the city quickly and cost-effectively improve pedestrian safety on important walking corridors.

The city of Portland is experimenting with a new type of pedestrian walkway that could "improve walking conditions without the expense or complication of building a full-fledged sidewalk." Jonathan Maus of Bike Portland reports on the "alternative pedestrian walkway," a one-mile pilot project on Portland's Northeast 60th Avenue.
"Identified as a major walking corridor in the city’s pedestrian master plan (Ped PDX, 2019), 60th was like many streets in Cully and other less-developed parts of Portland: it had two general lanes and no space for shoulders, bike lanes or sidewalks. To get the space for a six-foot wide walkway on one side of the street, PBOT shifted the centerline over about four feet. They then leveled and paved the existing gravel shoulder." The walkway is marked with pedestrian markings and crossings feature "zebra-striping, truncated domes (those tiny yellow bumps), and a few plastic delineator wands."
Although not designed as a bikeway, use by bicycles is allowed. "Until PBOT establishes good bikeways nearby, this could become a useful bikeway." The project provides a template for quick, low-cost pedestrian improvements.
FULL STORY: First Look: Portland’s novel ‘alternative pedestrian walkway’

The Right to Mobility
As we consider how to decarbonize transportation, preserving mobility, especially for lower- and middle-income people, must be a priority.

How Virginia Counties Use Zoning to Stifle Development
Some state legislators are proposing action at the state level as counties block development using zoning and development requirements even as housing prices rise sharply in the region.

The Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity to Remake Downtown
Urban cores around the country were transforming into live, work, and play destinations before the pandemic. The pandemic was a setback for this transformation, but it could also be a rare opportunity. It’s up to city leadership to seize it.

L.A. Times Editorial Board Calls for CEQA Reform
The Board argues that the environmental law, while important, has too often been ‘weaponized’ by NIMBY groups to delay or halt housing development.

Seattle Brings Free Transit to Public Housing
Linking transit programs to housing can lower administrative costs and streamline the process for riders.

Columbus Could Lower Downtown Speed Limits
The city council will vote on a proposal to lower speed limits to 25 miles per hour to improve safety and make downtown more walkable and welcoming to pedestrians.
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