Proposal for Downtown Portland: Bus-Only Lanes for Bridge Crossings and Miles of Enclosed Bike Lanes

PBOT is rolling out a proposal today that will replace parking spaces or lanes for cars with bike paths protected from traffic.

Cyclists on the Hawthorne Bridge. (Natalie Behring)

The Burnside Bridge could add a dedicated eastbound lane for buses. New, enclosed bike lanes could crisscross throughout across the central city.

That's the proposal being rolled out today by the Portland Bureau of Transportation.

The plan suggests removing lanes for cars or parking spots to make room for the proposed changes.

PBOT already has $30 million lined up for the proposals, which include safety upgrades for people walking as well as for freight. But more funding would be required if all the proposed upgrades go through as part of the new Central City in Motion plan.

The estimated time frame for the changes: five to 10 years.

The bureau is soliciting reactions and help prioritizing projects through an online open house at http://centralcityinmotion.com/

Portland, while maintaining a reputation for being a bike-friendly town, has long since fallen behind other cities in the use of dedicated bike lanes. The new proposed lanes include some stretches of 7th Avenue on the East Side, 4th Avenue and Broadway on the West Side as well as East-West routes to some of the bridges.

PBOT is also proposing to make bus travel easier by providing bus lanes that will only be accessible to cars making a turn as they approach the entrance to the Burnside, Steel and Hawthorne Bridges from the west side.

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