The Portland Bureau of Transportation is ramping up work on a project that will bring safer crossings and upgraded bike lanes to SE 148th Avenue. The project, funded by a $7.1 million federal grant awarded by Metro in 2022, aims to address safety and make it more comfortable for people to walk, access transit and ride bicycles on 148th. PBOT considers 148th one of the city’s most dangerous streets and it has a tragic record of fatal crashes.
The project will add eight new crossings and update the existing bike lane between NE Halsey St and SE Powell Blvd. PBOT is set to build safer crossings at; NE Couch, midblock between E Burnside and SE Stark, SE Alder, SE Taylor, SE Market, SE Lincoln, SE Grant, and SE Clinton. Existing bike lanes will be widened and a buffer space will be added. PBOT says they will use a mix of paint-only buffers and some curb-protected bike lanes.
Despite its substandard bike facilities, this section of SE 148th is classified in the Transportation System Plan as a Major City Bikeway, which means it should be built to encourage a high level of bicycle use. One reason it’s an important street in the network is because it connects to other existing and future bikeways. The better bike lanes planned in this project will connect to a future (already funded) neighborhood greenway at SE 148th and SE Mill and a protected intersection coming to SE 148th and SE Stark (similar to existing one at SE Division).
PBOT released a project survey Monday where they ask the public for feedback on the revised cross-sections.
Their plan involves removing some space on the road currently used as free parking for car users. In wider sections of the road, parking will be removed on one side of the street (see above); but in narrower sections, parking will be removed entirely to make room for wider bike lanes and median islands at the new crossings (see below). As is always the case on projects like this, PBOT makes every effort to retain as much parking as possible.
Total project cost was estimated to be $7.9 million back in 2022, so it’s likely higher now. Metro’s grant was for $7.1 and PBOT was expected to come up with about $800,000 in local match. Back in May, this was one of projects PBOT threatened to delay due to budget constraints; but thanks to the Mayor’s budget proposal that rescued the bureau’s funding situation, that outcome was avoided.
If you care about this section of SE 148th, be sure to take the survey and let PBOT know what you think of their plans thus far. The survey is open until July 15th.
— PBOT project website. Also, I biked this section of 148th with City Council candidate Timur Ender in February 2024. Hear us talk about it and view more photos here.
