[0]SE Ankeny Green StreetThanks for all the support for the City’s new Green Streets Policy. I’m working with Sam on Environmental Policy and will do my best to field your questions. Please feel free to contact me if you need further explanation.
So here’s how it works… usually rain falls onto the street and flows toward the nearest storm drain picking up pollutants along the way. A “Green Street” directs the rain off the street (sometimes through a cut in the curb or a slope) so that the rain (or stormwater as we like to call it) will flow into a planted area and soak into the soil.
Many different plants are well suited for Green Streets and the mix typically depends on the conditions of the site. Stiff plants like rushes and sedges slow water passage and trap sediment on the surface of the soil. Different plants have a different level of tolerance to wet and dry conditions, or sun and shade, so these things are taken into consideration when designing a Green Street.
Similarly, different locations require different solutions. Staff at the Bureau of Environmental Services are working to develop a toolbox of solutions that can help to better manage our stormwater runoff.
Of course most of us would love to have a Green Street in front of our house or work, and thanks to the Green Streets Policy we will see more of them popping up around Portland. The City has already constructed or funded 11 Green Streets projects over that last two years. If you are interested in a Green Street for your neighborhood, please contact Emily Hauth at emilyh@bes.ci.portland.or.us. Just keep in mind, there are certain areas in Portland that have priority (due to things like basement flooding or inadequate sewer pipe size).
I have added a link to “greenstreet” in Sam’s blog post for more detailed information on Green Streets and also attached a copy of the Green Streets presentation that was shared with Portland City Council on Wednesday. Check out the Daily Journal of Commerce [0] for a recap of the Council’s Green Streets Policy approval.
Thanks again for your support and for helping Portland make it easier to be green!
~Lisa Libby
Senior Policy Director
Office of City Commissioner Sam Adams
lisa.libby@ci.portland.or.us
503.823.4045