A bike advocate tells the story of the how the state department of transportation convinced local officials to remove a popular bike lane in Portland.
"Two of southeast Portland’s most-ridden bike lanes are slated to be removed at the insistence of the state of Oregon," reports Michael Andersen.
According to Andersen, the "[bike lanes on each side of Southeast 26th Avenue near Powell draw something like 600 to 800 people per day (even in winter) and run in front of Cleveland High School. They will be paved over sometime in the coming months and not replaced." The decision comes from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT), which announced the project last week.
The city of Portland, however, had to accept the decision of the state to remove the lane, despite disagreement over the potential safety impacts. The ODOT believes that removing the bike lane will improve safety at the intersection of SE Powell at SE 26th by reducing the number of bicycles on the street. Many bike riders, according to an ODOT spokesperson, will switch to 28th Avenue instead "when a new traffic signal and neighborhood greenway are installed there in the coming months."
Andersen clearly opposes the removals, providing several examples of evidence and policy maxims that contradict the claims made by the ODOT. By providing a lot more information on this specific example and the other projects and events that led to the decision to pave over the lanes, Andersen also provides an unfortunate case study of a city and a state failing to resolve differences in their approaches to streets.
FULL STORY: City gives in to state demand to remove bike lanes from SE 26th Avenue
Portland and Multnomah County Push for Lower Speed Limits on Bridges
The Portland Bureau of Transportation and Multnomah County agree on a 30 mph speed limit on five downtown bridges, but the state's department of transportation denied the change on two key spans.
Making Protected Bike Lanes the Design Standard
An institutional mandate isn't enough to make a design vision a reality. Portland is working on bringing its standards and guidelines in line with its ambition for protected bike lanes.
Portland Introduces 'Crossbikes'
It's like a crosswalk, but for bikes.
Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?
Washington State’s Parking Reform Law Could Unlock ‘Countless’ Acres for New Housing
A law that limits how much parking cities can require for residential amd commercial developments could lead to a construction boom.
Wildlife Rebounds After the Eaton Fire
Following the devastation of the Eaton Fire, the return of wildlife and the regrowth of native plants are offering powerful signs of resilience and renewal.
LA to Replace Inglewood Light Rail Project With Bus Shuttles
LA Metro says the change is in response to community engagement and that the new design will be ready before the 2028 Olympic Games.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions