BLOG: A "Swale" Idea!By Sam Adams
Forgive my corny headline for a serious accomplishment: at my urging Portland adopted today the nation's first comprehensive greenstreet policy (PDF). Great, but what's a greenstreet? Our cars pollute various oils and other substances as they travel on our roads. The pollutants mix with rain and ultimately get flushed underground. The contaminated mix has to be actively treated, which is expensive. In some parts of town, our sewer pipes also take the stormwater and in really wet times the flow is so great the mix flows right into the river untreated. Bad. And illegal. Environmental groups sued the City of Portland to stop the untreated discharges. That's why we're spending $1.4 billion to build that Big Pipe you've heard about. Ouch. So we need to keep working the problem. The closer you can resolve a problem to its source the cheaper and more effective you will be. Enter "green" streets. Greenstreets are streets designed to clean the contaminated stormwater using plants and other natural sources right on the side of the road. That little strip of grass between the curb and the sidewalk? That can be designed with the right mix of plants to clean the stormwater. It's cheaper, prettier, and more effective than engineered solutions. That means it's totally cool, which is why-as of today-we now have a citywide policy to takes our award-winning pioneer greenstreet efforts to the next level. (Read what The Oregonian had to say about it today.) Greenstreets are the presumed development for all new (or reconstructed) streets in Portland, except where it's technically impossible. My next step to make greenstreets the new normal throughout Portland is to seek more support from our federal delegation. Last week, Congressman David Wu, who chairs the Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation for the U.S. House Science Committee, and I toured two groundbreaking greenstreet developments in town. Congressman Wu is well-versed in greenstreets and well-positioned to champion the cause at the federal level. I also invited the Environmental Protection Agency to see how Portland is protecting water quality with green infrastructure. Congratulations to Sustainable Stormwater Manager Linda Dobson who led the policy development effort and everybody on my teams at the Bureau of Environmental Services and Portland Office of Transportation, and thanks to the Water Bureau for helping us figure this out. It's another sustainable innovation for Portlanders to take pride in.
Posted Wed, 04/18/2007 - 4:45pm.
And how does it work?Submitted by Michael K on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 7:53am.
I was hoping to find some info on exactly how this works? At first glance this wouldn’t appear to be effective as the oily water on the street, which is lower than the grassy strip, is not going to defy gravity and jump over the curb to get into the grassy area to be filtered. Obviously for this to be effective, there’s more to the picture than what you’ve told us; more than simply planting a grassy strip with the “right mix of plants.” Please, tell us more about how this works. Thanks. » reply
more infoSubmitted by Steve Shackman on Tue, 08/14/2007 - 6:40pm.
The Bureau of Environmental Services has a website all about green streets. Check out http://www.portlandonline.com/BES/index.cfm?c=defji and look at the links on the left. Some designs are more like extending the planting strip into the street, with an opening in the curb for stormwater to come in. Others are built in the planting strip, but also have an inlet to direct water into them. » reply
plants are able to absorbSubmitted by jp on Thu, 04/26/2007 - 8:30am.
plants are able to absorb pollutants like oils and some minerals into their leafy tissue. some plants like grasses and grass-like plants are better at this process then others. Grasses, (rushes and sedges also) by their nature help filter heaver solids like dirt small debris from water flowing through them. Because these plants would at times be in suspended water, the right mix of plants must be chosen that can survive in wet and dry conditions and help filter the amount of pollutnats flowing through the swale. any nursery or landscape professional should be able to assist in chosing plants. do a web search for "phytoremediation" or "bioremediation" and you should get more information on this technique and others. » reply
GreenstreetsSubmitted by Debbie on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 7:02am.
I love this idea and am glad you and David Wu are making a great effort to see this happen in our city. » reply
GreenstreetsSubmitted by Lisa Kaser on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 7:31am.
This is marvelous and essential and smart! Really glad to hear this. Have been really inspired by your recent email and updates. » reply
Go "Green"Submitted by Tomas on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 7:34am.
I am proud to live ina city that is helping to lead the way towards a more sustainable future for cities. Keep up the good work. » reply
How do I get a green street in front of my house?Submitted by kd @ se pdx on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 7:36am.
Who decides were they go? kd » reply
Where do you buy the plants --Submitted by Hal Ferguson on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 7:37am.
-- for the swales? Is it a local nursery? » reply
How do I get a green street?Submitted by Gretchen Hollands on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 8:26am.
I have two rental properties on street corners with long parking strips. I will pay to have this type of project installed. Who do I contact? How do I get on the list? » reply
cool programSubmitted by tim nilson on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 8:45am.
i am very supportive of this effort. how many do we now have? » reply
SwalesSubmitted by Julia Harris on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 9:23am.
How do Ditches to Swales fit in the Comprehensive Greenstreet Policy? Because of topography many areas in Southwest Portland do not have parking strips but ditches. Storm water policy in southwest is critial and Ditches to Swales is a good environmental solution. What is the staus of this program? » reply
green streetsSubmitted by Sima on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 5:36pm.
I'm looking forward to visiting NE 35 and Siskiyou to see how they achieved their "green" street. » reply
a 'swale' ideaSubmitted by Frank on Thu, 04/19/2007 - 6:59pm.
Sam - Thanks for sponsoring this measure. As a member of PURB, and as a citizen, I am proud that Portland is developing and implementing ideas such as greenstreets, where the city leverages its resources to "work Frank Ray, Chair ps - please feel free to share my message with others who participated in this effort. » reply
want to doSubmitted by stephen on Fri, 04/20/2007 - 12:07pm.
I have a property (guesthouse) in NW Portland with narrow parking strip. I'd like to do this, who do I contact about what I need to do? » reply
Roadway Safety CompromisedSubmitted by Terry Parker on Sat, 04/21/2007 - 5:45pm.
Green streets are fine, however any swales should be in the median between the street and the sidewalk, NOT being built as curb extensions that protrude out into the street and are yet another obstacle to the safety of vehicles using the roadway. » reply
Green Streets AnswersSubmitted by Lisa Libby on Mon, 04/23/2007 - 3:17pm.
Hi, I'm Sam's Environmental Policy Director. Thank you for your interest and support for Portland's new Green Streets Policy. I have posted a separate blog called "Making it Easier to be Green" to answer your Green Streets questions. This provides more information on how a Green Street works, what plants are used, and how you can request one in your neighborhood. Thanks again for your enthusiasm for the nations first Green Streets Policy, and please don’t hesitate to contact me with any additional questions. ~Lisa Libby » reply
I agree worry about theSubmitted by seo company on Thu, 04/26/2007 - 2:23pm.
I agree worry about the environment » reply
moving to portland soon.Submitted by good job on Thu, 04/26/2007 - 2:27pm.
moving to portland soon. Wish me luck » reply
P.S. --I'll vote forSubmitted by good job on Thu, 04/26/2007 - 2:28pm.
P.S. --I'll vote for you!!!!! » reply
... to clarify what PortlandSubmitted by TJ on Wed, 05/16/2007 - 7:21am.
... to clarify what Portland was sued for: it was for the discharge of untreated sewage from the homes, not the street runoff. » reply
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What "mix of plants"?
Why are some plants better than others? Who makes that choice?