The Avenue of Roses: Creating a Safer East 82nd Avenue

Thank you very much, anything is appreciated. If you need focus, something to slow down 82nd & Powell would help most. I hate to say it, but maybe redlight cameras or dropping the speed limit since everyone trires to outrun the stop light. THank you again.

In dozens of discussions here on CommissionserSam.com, there have been many criticisms that PDOT wasn't doing something for east Portland, was ignoring 82nd ave. in favor of other projects, etc...

Yet here is a direct proposal do "do something" for 82nd ave, with a direct appeal for comments, and it's been sitting here for 7 days and has thus far only received one comment.

My personal suggestions:

Add a few signalized pedestrian crossings where there are currently long (say > 500 ft or so) stretches without such crossing opportunities.

For example, between Powell and Division there is only one other crossing, and between Powell and Holgate there is only one other crossing.

Also, take a good look about the SE 82nd Ave MAX station... this is a popular transfer point with a lot of pedestrian activity. To transfer to/from a southbound bus, passengers must cross 82nd by walking out-of-direction to the crosswalk at Jonesmore.

Although this doesn't seem very far, the walk combined with the signal wait time apparently entices a large percentage of pedestrians to risk crossing through traffic. Adding a signalized crosswalk here with a direct link between MAX and the bus platform, perhaps synchronized with the signal at Jonesmore so as to have a minimal impact on auto traffic, could improve safety in this area tremendously.

Also, although there is plenty of shelter on the MAX platforms and the northbound bus platforms, there is very little shelter on the southbound platform. I suspect that on rainy days a number of people wait on the wrong platform until they see a bus coming, then dart to the other side of 82nd. Adding a large shelter (perhaps one which matches the architecture of the northbound and MAX shelters) to the southbound side would help riders a lot.

- Bob R.

"there have been many criticisms that PDOT wasn't doing something for east Portland"

There have been many criticisms because SE 82nd has about half of the top ten most dangerous intersections for vehicular accidents.

The amount of money spent improving SoWa (about $85M so far and still a lot of work left), rebuilding the downtown mall yet again and then $85M to "fix" 1.5miles of Burnside in comparison to a 15+ yr backlog of road repairs that is a crisis (to paraphrase Mr Adams) is where the not doing anything for neighborhoods outside of downtown comes from.

OK Steve, you've reiterated your complaints... but you still haven't suggested improvements for 82nd ave.

As for "rebuilding the downtown mall", you can't say "yet again" because this is only the first time it is being rebuilt. It was originally constructed about 30 years ago. It has seen patching and surfacing work before, but not a complete rebuild. Regardless of whether light rail is part of the project, a rebuild is required at this stage.

- Bob R.

Hey, there are a LOT of things that could be done. More crosswalks WITH lights (the ones without are just asking for folks to take their own lives in their hands). You could build a sky bridge. However, my fear now that Sam is actually on record for this one is he will figure another 'economical' streetcar or maybe that super fare saver the tram.

Yes, there are things that can be done (see above) but the ones that make sense and are (relatively) easy to do won't be done. Instead Sam will find a very expensive 'solution' which won't really solve the problem but it will sound so good (to him and others who don't live in the area). You go Sam.

Another reason for 82nd Avenue to be dangerous is because of drug dealers and prostitutes frequenting this area. I think there needs to be more police presence in the 82nd/powell to 82nd/Division to address the issues of drug dealing and prostitution. From my office looking onto 82nd Ave, I can say that at least every 10 minutes (if not 5 minutes) there is a prostitute walking by.
Cleaning up drug trade and prostitution should be part of a comprehensive solution to improve safety and livability for this area.

SAM; What needs to be done is to have the STATE take over the streets. This is nessary because the population is getting to be too many for a city to pay for everything. The STATE let people drive with studded tires & they can raise the money to pay for the streets. As you people are writing about SE 82. Well 82 is a state hiway & is to be maintained by th state. The problem with OREGON is the DRIVERS are UNBELIEVABLE STUPID. If these people drove like they do here back east, most would get tickets. The worst is the trucks, motor homes, vehicles pulling things driving in the HIGH SPEED lane. Most states has laws to keep slow traffic to the right. I call teh non emergency police number about a slow driver in the through lane & all they had to say was "it is ok to pass on the right". Another strange thing you see out here is that the police will pass on the right when going on a call. As far as i know that is sure NO/NO. Someone mentioned se 82 & Powell. The STUPID drivers need to have a divider up the middlew of the street for at least half of a block. The drivers are so STUPID that they will go through a safe light controlled intersection & make a laft turn in GEN 'X' cloths. If you people cannot learn to DRIVE, PLAN OR THINK then you get what you deserve. Very high insurance costs & danger to you & others. WRITE HERE. THE PERSON THAT READS THE MAIL KNOWS WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE.AskODOT@Odot.State , REX R. BAHR A 71 Y/O NEBRASKAN

82nd Avenue
Submitted by Joe on Sun, 06/17/2007 - 10:32am.

Another reason for 82nd Avenue to be dangerous is because of drug dealers and prostitutes frequenting this area. I think there needs to be more police presence in the 82nd/powell to 82nd/Division to address the issues of drug dealing and prostitution. From my office looking onto 82nd Ave, I can say that at least every 10 minutes (if not 5 minutes) there is a prostitute walking by.
Cleaning up drug trade and prostitution should be part of a comprehensive solution to improve safety and livability for this area.
I AM AN ATHEIST & WOULD NEVER ASSUME THIS. SOME FEAMLE SHOULD SQUARE THIS PERSON AWAY. It is a good arguement as to why OREGON needs a sales tax. About 8.5%. The .5% goes to the collectors, 10% or so to the schools, 20% to the cities & the rest to the state general fund. Some for homes 'FARMS' for the mentally ill. NOTHING FOR THE ARTS & SPORTS. PERIOD. REX R. BAHR

SAM; PUT ON THE YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE 205 MAX. THANKS, REX

I think that calming the traffic on the arterials that feed into 82nd will do a world of good...especially at Holgate, Foster and Powell. Reducing the number of lanes, and adding other features that signal to people exiting 205, or commuting through, that they are in a residential/commercial area, and not an extension of the freeway is key.

Off the top of my head: instead of red-light cameras, extending the yellow lights by a second or two could be good; having a longer wait for the crossing light to turn green after the previous light turned red might be beneficial (if that makes any sense). Something that I saw in Montreal comes to mind for pedestrian safety: at the more dangerous or crowded intersections, give the pedestrian light a five second head start, and forbid turns until the light has turned green.

Sorry about the rambling; hopefully the points are clear.

82nd Avenue is too narrow for the traffic volume, one reason that it's unsafe. Try riding a bicycle on 82nd Avenue, and you'll see what I mean. 82nd needs to be widened, and that will be expensive and contentious - since you'll need to encroach onto private property to make it happen. The longer you delay widening this street, the more expensive this solution becomes. Bite the bullet, and do it now.

Frank, widening streets creates more opportunity for unnecessary lane changes and speeding. If you're concerned about bike traffic, the better plan would be to eliminate the uncontrolled center turn lane, create controlled turns between center medians, narrow the roadway and build a separated bike lane.

maybe things would improve along this stretch if we hang
some of these dirtbags from the new traffic cams along 82nd?

I am opening a new business on 82nd and Holgate at East Port Plaza. I have been there for the past several weeks preparing for opening day, during this time I have seen many things that have needed police attention. East Port Plaza security is quick to respond to my calls but overall takes NO action. I feel that the reason that these parts of town get so bad is that good people run away. Well- this ones not running! But- I need some help! Can you connect me with others that want to improve this part of town?

I am opening a new business on 82nd and Holgate at East Port Plaza. I have been there for the past several weeks preparing for opening day, during this time I have seen many things that have needed police attention. East Port Plaza security is quick to respond to my calls but overall takes NO action. I feel that the reason that these parts of town get so bad is that good people run away. Well- this ones not running! But- I need some help! Can you connect me with others that want to improve this part of town?

82nd needs wider sidwalks and possibly some shrubs or trees in between the sidewalk and the street. What are the easement ordinances for 82nd? I think one solution would be to take some of the property from businnesses to widen sidwalks. For example on 82nd and foster if the city could put something (anything!) in between where people are walking an where people are driving i think it would increase pedestrian livability.

I would love to see some sections of the center turn lanes transformed into living medians to house trees and plants. This would help air quality, control storm water runoff, provide added buffers for pedestrian crossings, possibly slow traffic? and greating improve the overall aesthetic. It's called the Avenue of Roses, but you wouldn't necessarily know unless you looked at the street signs. Roses would seem appropriate to add as well. They've done this in a number of areas in Portland and other cities as well, so I can't believe it's that implausible.

i never thought about it but trees are good at making aneighborhood seem less ghetto

To Ms. Beason:

Would the city of portland ever partner with Friends of trees and PGE and plant trees for businneses along 82nd avenue...maybe a few rose bushes as well?????