During the past few months, the Oregon Department of Transportation has been discussing a project to improve the pedestrian and bike connection between the Brooklyn neighborhood and McLoughlin Boulevard (Highway 99E) with Brooklyn residents, City of Portland officials and TriMet representatives ODOT identified two possible locations for improved access: Cora Street and Boise Street. Each of these streets dead-ends at McLoughlin Boulevard, with vegetation at Cora and a slope and vegetation at Boise blocking safe pedestrian and bike access. Based on feedback from the community, the current plan is for ODOT to move forward with a project to improve pedestrian access at Cora Street only. This decision was made based on concerns that residents in the Boise Street/SE 9th Avenue area. Their concerns included: loss of vegetation; increased dust/pollution due to increased visibility to McLoughlin Boulevard; losing Boise as a dead-end street; fears that there would be parking issues; access improvement would potentially encourage more transients into the area; and that the project funds would be better used elsewhere, particularly since there is an access one block to the north at Center Street.
Cora Street Improvements
Based on the relatively flat transition from the neighborhood to the McLoughlin sidewalk at Cora, this location offers a good opportunity to provide access that meets Americans with Disabilities Act standards. Access at Cora would be on the south side of the street in the park. A limited amount of vegetation would be removed. (See the aerial graphic for the location of this path.)
Project Background
In conjunction with the recently completed paving and signal upgrade project on McLoughlin Boulevard, TriMet installed a bus stop on southbound McLoughlin Boulevard at the Ross Island Sand & Gravel site. An expected increase in pedestrian and bicyclist use of that bus stop is a factor in improving the Brooklyn connection to the highway. Attached is an aerial map showing the proposed access improvement at Cora Street. ODOT hopes to begin construction on the Cora Street path in April 2011.
Regards, Mike Mason
Comments and questions can be directed to:
Mike Mason, ODOT Community Affairs Coordinator
503.731.8246 – Michael.W.Mason@odot.state.or.us.
or:
Jeff Moss, ODOT Project Leader
503.731.8482 – Jeffrey.D.Moss@odot.state.or.us
