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.

Location

Join us Tuesday, May 25th, 4:30 - 7:30 pm, Montclair Elementary School Cafeteria, 7250 SW Vermont Street
Project Concept Map

Washington County is embarking on a process to improve safety and reduce congestion at this intersection by realigning Oleson Road to the east to form new intersections with Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and Scholls Ferry Road. This alternative, selected in 1996 by the Washington County Board of Commissioners, has been refined in the past few months to minimize natural resource impacts.

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?

Changing dangerous places to walk, into walkable surfaces.

Working to make walking, biking, and even driving to school a safer healthier experience.
Unless otherwise noted photos by Victor von Salza

Early Summer 2007 - Update path at Bridemile Elementary Cleared

have been among the most often asked about and requested improvements in Bridlemile. The major impediment has always been funding. If you're looking for the SW Hamilton Halo LID pilot project page, this is it! And its also about pedestrian improvements that meet ADA standards, and bicycle improvements too.

Transportation & Pedestrian Safety

Pedestrian safety is one of the main priorities of projects past and present.

Swales to trails, side walks, speed bumps and limits, safe routes to school for walking and biking, crosswalks, street Collector Plan, pedestrian safety, bicycling, bus service, traffic lights, stop signs... there's alot essential Transportation elements in Bridlemile that could greatly benefit from some futher improvements.

Committee Chair and Volunteers Needed

If you are interested in improving any of Bridlemile's many transportation needs please volunteer to help with projects of interest to you.

Bev Vogt who has done great things for Bridlemile transportation over the years resigned as Committee Chair at the end of 2006, and acting Chair June 2008.. And we are desperately in need of a volunteer to take over that position. Resposiblities of the Transportation Chair include attending Bridlemile NA meetings (2nd Wed of each month), SWNI Transportation Meetings(3rd Wednesday of each month), keeping these Bridlemile Transportation web pages up to date (help and training available from our web Chair), and coordinating other BNA Transportation Committee volunteers. Bev recommends that the new Chair "have more energy and strength, and be more adept and interested in doing all the politics that this position requires. This position requires someone who really burns with interest in and enthusiasm about dealing with all the inner workings of City, Metro, and State transportation politics. It is really an important position to have for the neighborhood association".

If you are interested in serving in this important post or helping with one or more BNA Transporation projects listed above please contact the BNA Board and/or come to the next BNA Board meeting.

A request was made to 503-823-SAFE in March of 2006 requesting that SW 54th north of Garden Home Road be posted “No Parking” for public safety reasons. 54th is a 12' wide dead-end queuing street, and cars are too frequently parked along the street such that fire trucks and ambulances would be unable to proceed down the road. Additionally, a number of senior citizens reside on the northern end of 54th. On August 1, 2006 PDOT (Portland Department of Transportation) made this response: