Mt. Tabor March 2018

By Laura Smith

The Thorburn Street Safety Group shared a report from the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) about the measured results of the speed cushions recently installed on Thorburn. Average speeds reduced from 32 mph down to 26 mph and the volume of cars dropped by 6 percent. Also noted in the report was “driver misbehavior” which was described as cars trying to avoid the speed bumps by driving on the shoulder of the road. Because this misbehavior is a safety issue, PBOT plans to install vertical delineators to mitigate the problem.

MTNA has asked PBOT to consider neighbors’ concerns about traffic and safety issues for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists related to the Greenway project diverter at SE 50th and Lincoln. Currently, PBOT plans to temporarily install their design which allows bicyclists access in all directions and only right hand turns for vehicles to or from SE Lincoln. They will install eight speed bumps on upper Hawthorne – four between SE 50th and 55th, and four between SE 56th and 60th.

For the three to six months following diverter installation, PBOT says they will conduct tests to observe where diverted traffic goes. However, PBOT has not provided clear metrics for their testing nor where the tests will take place. MTNA suggests traffic counts be conducted before and after installation in several places: on upper Hawthorne, on Lincoln, on the north side of the intersection at Lincoln, and on Division. A suggestion has been made to add no-parking striping near the intersection of Lincoln to increase visibility for bicycles and vehicles.

Lighting along the new bikeway/pedestrian path planned for the south entrance to Mt. Tabor Park, which is part of the Mt. Tabor Maintenance Yard renovation project, initially included bollard lighting which doesn’t meet minimum standards for bike/pedestrian paths. MTNA persuaded the Parks Bureau to instead use historically appropriate pole lighting similar to what will be used at Reservoir 1 in its renovation. Pole lighting will better serve the pedestrian and bicyclist visibility and safety needs while being less expensive.

The Weed Warrior program in Mt. Tabor Park starts up again on the last Saturday in March and will run through October. Go to taborfriends.org/volunteer for more information or contact Stasia Honnold at fmtpweedwarriors@gmail.com.

The next meeting of the Mt. Tabor Neighborhood Association will be Wednesday, March 21, at 7 pm at Mt Tabor Presbyterian Church at SE 54th and Belmont, with social time and homemade cookies starting at 6:50 PM. For more information, visit mttaborpdx.org.

Mt. Tabor March 2018

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