ArtPearce

PortlandBureauofTransportation
1120SW5thAvenue,Suite800
Portland,OR97204

CC:
JohnMermin,Metro
LakeMcTighe,Metro
PeterHurley,PortlandBureauofTransportation
MartyStockton,BureauofPlanningandSustainability
NorthTaborNeighborhoodAssociation
RoseCityParkNeighborhoodAssociation
April28,2014

DearMr.Pearce,

AsboardmembersandresidentsofNorthTaborNeighborhoodAssociation,wearewritingtoexpress
supportfortheNE60th&GlisanLRTStationAreaprojecttobeadvancedonthefinanciallyconstrained
listaspartofMetrosRegionalActiveTransportationPlan.

Itisourunderstandingisthatiffunded,this$7.5milliondollarprojectwouldmakenumerous
pedestrianrelatedimprovementsneartheNE60thAvenueMAXstationareainPortlandasdefinedinthe
TransportationPlanoftheEastsideMAXStationAreaCommunitiesProject.

BelowarethereasonsforwhywebelievetheNE60th&GlisanLRTStation(LTRStation)Areashould
beadvancedtothefinanciallyconstrainedlist:

SafetyAddressesanexistingdeficiencyorhazardbyimprovingpedestrian,bicycle,and/or
vehicularsafety.Reducesfatalitiesandinjuries(safety)and/orreducescollisionsandother
nonrecurrentcongestion(improvestraveltimereliability).ForNorthTaborresidentslivinginthe
pocket(NorthofGlisanStreetandEastof60thAvenue),therearefewsaferoutestoenterorleavethe
areaonfootorbybicycle.ManyfamiliesthatgotoNormandaleParkmustwalkalonggravelonNE
OregonStreettoward60thAvenue.Itisnotasafeordesirablefeelingtohopethattheirchildrenaresafe
ascarsspeedthroughtheneighborhoodtoentertheI84onramp.ManyresidentswalktotheMAX
stationtogettowork,andthesamesafetyhazardsarepresentforthemwhomustsharethestreetwith
carsastheywalkalongNEOregonStreet.ByfundingthisprojectaspartoftheRTP,familiesand
commutersonfootwouldencounterlesssafetyhazardsintheireverydaylives.

Newandsafecrossingsof60thAvenuenorthoftheLTRandGlisanStreeteastofthe60thAvenuetraffic
lightwillhelpslowdowntrafficastheyapproachthesedangerousintersections.Arobustcrossingat
62ndAvenue(ortoalesserextent63rd)willcreateavisualandphysicalpinchpointformorningtraffic
comingdownthehillanddecreasefuturecrashriskatthe60thAvenueandGlisanStreettrafficlight
whichisthebusiestintersectioninthearea.Speedingapproachingthelighthasbeendocumentedasan
ongoingproblem.Asthisisthelocalnodeforfreewayaccess,onecrashatcommutetimecreates
gridlock.Havingasafertrafficlightwouldhelpimprovethereliabilityofthemorningandevening
commutes.
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Asaneighborhoodwithoutanypublicschools,havingsaferoutestoschoolsisaneighborhoodpriority.In
theareainquestion,theonlyroutetoaccessMountTaborMiddleSchoolcurrentlyis60
th
Avenue.This
streethassubstandardsidewalkssouthofGlisanStreetandcrossesthetwomostdangerous
intersectionsintheneighborhood(60
th
andGlisanandBurnside).Anactivetransportationcorridorfrom
theLTRstationthroughThePocketnorthpastGlisanStreettotheDavisEverettGreenwaywouldgive
thisregionsafeaccesstoourneighborhood'seastwestsafetycorridor.Thisimprovementwouldalso
leveragethe50'sbikewaybeingbuiltthisspringthatwillgiveussafeaccesstobothourHighSchools
andGlencoeElementaryforthefirsttime.Thisactivetransportationcorridorbasedon62
nd
Avenueisa
criticallinkinourquesttogiveeveryonesafeschoolaccess.

Connectivity/BuiltEnvironmentSupportsahighlevelofstreetconnectivityforall
modesandimprovementofthebuiltenvironment,especiallyinareaswheredeficienciesexist.
TheareaneartheLTRstationhaspotentialforsupportingallmodesofstreetconnectivity.Fundingthis
projectaspartoftheRTPwouldaddressanumberofdeficienciesintheexistingbuiltenvironmentinthe
followingareas:

BicycleImprovements
Bicycle improvements along 60th Avenue between Hassalo and Oregon Streets.
Adding bicycle boulevards along 1) Hassalo street between 57th and 60th Avenues connecting bicyclists to
the 50s bikeway and the Hancock-Tillamook Bike Boulevard; and 2) Oregon Street between 60th - 63rd
Avenues as well as 3) 62nd Avenue from Oregon to Davis streets to connect the 60th Avenue station to the
rest of Portland's bikeway system 4) the 62
nd
Avenue Bike Boulevard should be extended south to Mount
Tabor Park via Scott Drive ending at the NE Entrance at 69
th
Avenue including crossing improvements at
Burnside, Stark and Belmont streets. This would create a seamless active transportation corridor between
the Region's Largest park and the LTR station including the Blue, Green and Red MAX lines via the easiest
grade possible, safely separated from the heavily used 60
th
Avenue.
A crossing improvement at 60
th
Avenue and Davis Street and to support a safe route to Mount Table Middle
School and for the 50s bikeway access.

PedestrianImprovements
Making street improvements in various locations along the above proposed bike boulevards so that there
are ADA compliant sidewalks for pedestrians to use in their travels.
Widening of the sidewalk along NE 60th Avenue between I-84 and Halsey.
Improving a pedestrian crossing on 62nd Avenue at Glisan Street to connect bicyclists to Mt Tabor area.
Sidewalk improvements south of Glisan Street on 60
th
Avenue to Davis Street.

NoteonPreviousActiveTransportationConceptStudyCrossingat63rdandGlisan
Aswithallprojects,iffundingisawardedtothisproject,therewillneedtobeanupdatedstudytoassess
changingconditions.AsaresultoftherecentlanereductionsonGlisanStreet,acrossingat62nd
Avenueisnowpossible.Asaneighborhood,wefeelthat62ndAvenuewouldbethepreferredrouteover
63rdAvenuesinceitlinesupdirectlywithpointssouthtoBelmontStreetandallowsforamoredirect
connectiontoMountTaborParkviaScottDrive.MountTaborParkisaregionalassetforrecreation
activity.Placingthecrossingat62ndAvenuewouldalsoslowdownmorningtrafficapproachingthe
Glisantrafficlightat60thAvenueandbemoreconvenienttothoseaccessingthecommercialcorridor
endingat61stAvenue.Theintersectionat62ndAvenueismoreoffsetthan63rdAvenuemaking
automobilecrossingsmoredangerous,henceimprovingthe62ndAvenuecrossingwouldlowerfuture
crashrisk.Additionally,sinceweunderstandthatinsummer2014,therewillbefundstoplacea
crosswalkat65thAvenueandGlisanStreet,wefeelthattheplacementofanothercrossingunderthis
projectwouldbestsuitedat62ndAvenue.Pleaseclickheretoviewagooglemapthatgeographically
depictsthisrecommendation.WehavesimilarproblemswithspeedingwestboundonBurnsideand
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Starkduetothedownhilltopography.AGreenwaytreatmenton62
nd
Avenuewithimprovedcrossings
wouldimprovesafetyforallmodesoftravelateachoftheseintersections.

HealthHowmuchdoestheprojectincreasephysicalactivity(i.e.walk,bike,nonpark&ride
transit)andreduceexposuretoharmfulpollutants?TheUSSurgeonGeneralrecommendsthatall
Americansengageinatleast30minutesofphysicalactivityeachday,yetnearlyhalfofthepopulation
doesnotmeettheguideline.FundingthisprojectaspartoftheRTPwouldexpandopportunitiesfor
residentstomeettheSurgeonGeneralsdailyphysicalactivityrecommendations.NorthTaborfamilies
livinginthepocketcouldmoresafetywalkwitheasetothenearestpark(Normandale)sothattheir
childrencanmoreeasilyhaveaplacetoplay.ResidentswalkingfromSouthofGlisanornearHalsey
couldmoresafelytravelalong60thAvenuetoreachtheLTRstationaspartoftheirdailycommute.
ChildreninNorthTaborwouldbeablewalkorbikeonasaferoutetoschool(GlencoeorMt.Tabor)if
therewasacrosswalkat62ndAvenueandGlisanStreet.Peoplewouldbemoreinclinedtocommuteto
workortotheMAXstationbybicycleifbikeboulevardsandcrossingswereaddedwithintheradiusofthe
stationinbothneighborhoods.ExtendingthisgreenwaycorridorconnectionsouthtoMountTaborpark
wouldgivetheentireregionsafeaccessduringhighvolumeeventssuchasconcertsintheParkorother
regionalactivitieswithoutautomobileuse.

CommunitySupport
Hasahighlevelofcommunitysupportwithinthedistrict.Thisprojecthasaconsiderableamountof
communitysupportfromNorthTaborresidentsandbusinesses.

TransportationSurvey
InMarch2013,NorthTaborNeighborhoodAssociationconductedanonlinesurveywithcommunity
members,whereover40residentsgaveinputonwhatkindsoftransportationrelatedimprovementsthey
wantedtoseeinthefuture.TherewasalotoffeedbacksupportingtheLRTStationproject,includingthe
followingcomments:followupwiththeImprovementPlantocreatecompletestreetsthatinclude
sidewalksandbikeboulevardsnearbytheLTRstationareaconnectagreenwayinthepocketon62nd
AvenueacrossGlisanStreettoMt.TaborcreateasafewayforcycliststoreachtheMAXstationdevelop
asaferoutetoneighborhoodschoolsthatarelocatedsouthofBurnsideStreetandimprovepedestrian
crossingat60thAvenueandGlisanStreet.

ComprehensivePlanLetter
Inearly2014,theNorthTaborNeighborhoodAssociationboard,communitymembers,localbusinesses
andMontavillaNeighborhoodAssociationsignedontoalettertotheCityofPortlandsBureauofPlanning
andSustainabilitysupportingzoningchangesthroughtheComprehensivePlan.Thelettercommented
thattransportationrelatedimprovementssuchaswhatisproposedinthisprojectfortheMAX
stationneedtoaccompanyincreaseddensityinordertoensurepedestriansafety.

TGMFundingRequestfromRoseCityParkNeighborhoodAssociation
RoseCityParkNeighborhoodAssociation(RCPNA)recentlysubmittedaproposalforTGMgrantfunding
tostudy60
th
AvenuebetweenHalseyandGlisanStreetstoconsiderhowsafetycanbeimprovedinthis
area.NorthTaborNeighborhoodAssociationandRCPNAhavecollaborativelyworkedtogetherinthepast
severalmonthstoconfirmasharedvisionaboutenhancingtheareasurroundingtheLTRstationfor
residentsinbothneighborhoods.

EfficientUseofResourcesIncreasesboththeefficiencyandeffectivenessofthe
systembywiseapplicationofavailablefinancial,capital,andhumanresources.Theradiusaround
theLTRstationhasoftenbeendescribedasanunderperformingareasinceitisinacentrallocationyetit
lacksbicycle/pedestrianinfrastructureandothernearbyamenities.Ifthisprojectwasfundedaspartof
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theRTP,itwouldbeawiseapplicationofresourcesbecauseitwouldbeaddingimprovementsto
enhancetheuseofexistinginfrastructure.

AccessHowmuchwilltheprojectincreasethenumberofpeopleand/orqualityofaccessto
jobs,housingandotherdailyneedswithinadesignatedcenterorcorridor?Iffundedaspartofthe
RTP,thisprojectwouldsupportincreasedqualityofaccessto:asaferrouteforchildrentowalkorbiketo
GlencoeElementaryandMt.TaborMiddleschoolsNormandaleandMt.Taborparksemploymentand
healthrelatedservicesatProvidenceHospitalandthelightindustryemploymentzonelocateddirectly
NorthoftheMAXstation.

EquityHowmuchdotransportationdisadvantagedpeoplebenefitfromtheproject?
CommunitiesacrossPortland,includingpeopleinourneighborhood,areexperiencingupwardrental
pressure.Asthecitygrows,thefuturecostoflivingwillalsoincrease.Developingasafe,active
transportationnetworkradiatingfromtheLRTstationwillprovideresidentsofNorthTaborandother
surroundingneighborhoodsavarietyofsafetransportationoptionsthatarenotreliantonautomobile
ownership.

Multimodal/BalanceAddressesanareawideneedwithamultimodalapproach.North
TaborhasahighlyconductivemasstransportationsystemincludingtheLRTstationandmultiplebus
routes.Ourneighborhoodalsohasanautofocusedfreewayandacommutingcorridor,butlacksa
completeactivetransportationnetwork.Thesidewalkinfillandbikewayprojectswouldhelpalleviatethis
disparityintransportationmodes.

Thankyouinadvanceforyourattentionandyourconsiderationinreviewingthesereasonsforwhythis
projectshouldbeadvancedtothefederallyconstrainedlist.Welookforwardtocontinuingthe
conversationwithPBOTandMetroastheRTPcommunityinputprocesscontinues.

Sincerely,

NorthTaborNeighborhoodAssociation