SW Neighborhoods, Inc. Empowering Citizens since 1978

The Portland Bureau of Transportation will close the SW Capitol Highway Bridge over SW Bertha Boulevard on Saturday, July 17, and Sunday, July 18, from 8 am to 4 pm. During the weekend closure, the bridge will be closed to motorized vehicles and open to pedestrians and bicyclists.

Back Story:
Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams believes that a way to fast track the addition of sidewalks and other street improvements to what are called collector streets could be through the use of Halo LIDS, a concept that would spread the cost of improving streets across a larger benefiting area versus a conventional LID (Local Improvement District), which is typically used for local streets in which most or all of the benefiting properties abut the street being improved.

In Bridlemile SW Hamilton and SW Shattuck are its two collector streets.

Read why Hamilton is so critical to pedestrian, bicycle, and auto flow in and across Bridlemile. Base map from Google maps, graphic by Victor von Salza.

Last year, Sam Adams asked neighborhood associations to suggest which of their neighborhood collector streets could most benefit from sidewalks or other pedestrian improvements. And after some discussion those attending the January 2007 BNA meeting voted to designate SW Shattuck from Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy to SW Hamilton, and SW Hamilton from SW 60th Place to SW 42nd, as the portions of Bridlemile's collector streets that are most in need of pedestrian improvements.

For more than 40 years we have been promised a traffic signal at this intersection. Enough is enough. Only organized grassroots citizen activism is likely to bring enough pressure on our public officials to improve the situation at this intersection. Here’s a plan for action.

Ever wish you had more time to turn left from Beaverton Hillsdale Highway (BvHwy) onto SW 39th?