SW Capitol Hill neighbors raise funds for bumps, bike boulevard
Posted by: MichelleSep 23 2009, 4:17 pm
After years of concerns over speeding traffic on SW Capitol Hill Road in Portland, neighbors were recently delighted to hear from Mayor Sam Adams that a speed-bump project to slow traffic would be fast-tracked (thanks to some federal stimulus dollars). Once the bumps are in, SW Capitol Hill will be a candidate bike improvements as well.
Photo courtesy of Shasta Kearns Moore/The Southwest Community Connection.
But first, neighbors need to raise themselves $8,000 to get the project started. If you would like to see slower car traffic and better bike facilities on SW Capitol Hill Road, consider making a donation yourself (details below). Whether it's $500, $100, $50 or $20, it's a very real way to contribute to local traffic safety.
The first phase of the project will install speed bumps to bring auto traffic speeds down to an acceptable level for a Bike Boulevard. Once the City confirms that this has happened, "advisory bike lanes" will be striped on the outside edges of the road with one single auto lane in the center. In the absence of people on bikes, drivers can drive with right wheels in the advisory bike lanes, but when bicyclists are present their right to the road is made clear by the lanes.
Advisory bike/pedestrian lanes on a road in France.
And here is a Dutch example.
How to donate:
1. Email your pledge to ginny@swni.org
2. Write a check payable to "Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc." with "CHR SOS" in the memo line.
3. Mail it to SWNI, 7688 SW Capitol Hwy, Portland, 97219.
Thansk for providing some background on this project and the opportunity for the BTA members to help with the local fund raising effort. You are correct that this street is an important connection for bicyclists that has been identified as a bicycle boulevard and/or advisory bike lane in the draft Bicycle Master Plan.
However, there is still significant public involvement and engineering work that would need to be completed before we can say what specific additional bicycle treatments could be added to this facility. As you mentioned in your post, it is our desire to wait until we can evaluate speed reduction from the completed bumps before beginning the second phase of public involvement/engineering.
Thanks again for your help informing your members of this important project.
Thank you for this post, Michelle. The SW Capitol Hill Road neighborhood has collected $5,184 so far. This leaves $2,816 to reach the $8,000 goal.
Thank you very much to all bicyclists who donate to help make CHR safer!