Back Story
Back Story:
Portland City Commissioner Sam Adams believes that a way to fast track the addition of sidewalks and other street improvements to what are called collector streets could be through the use of Halo LIDS, a concept that would spread the cost of improving streets across a larger benefiting area versus a conventional LID (Local Improvement District), which is typically used for local streets in which most or all of the benefiting properties abut the street being improved.
In Bridlemile SW Hamilton and SW Shattuck are its two collector streets.
Read why Hamilton is so critical to pedestrian, bicycle, and auto flow in and across Bridlemile. Base map from Google maps, graphic by Victor von Salza.
Last year, Sam Adams asked neighborhood associations to suggest which of their neighborhood collector streets could most benefit from sidewalks or other pedestrian improvements. And after some discussion those attending the January 2007 BNA meeting voted to designate SW Shattuck from Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy to SW Hamilton, and SW Hamilton from SW 60th Place to SW 42nd, as the portions of Bridlemile's collector streets that are most in need of pedestrian improvements.
In July 2007 Bev Vogt (acting BNA Transportation chair) and Victor von Salza (BNA Webmaster) developed a door to door flyer telling people that one or both of these two streets might become a pilot project. During late July and Early August they distributed the flyer to every household within about a quarter mile of each side of SW Hamilton (from Scholl Ferry to Dosch) and SW Shattuck from Fanno Creek to Patton. Victor also created this web page and the BNA-HSPi email subscription list to help interested people communicate and stay informed of the progress of these projects and proposals.
The SWNI Transportation Committee formed a sub committee to review all streets suggested by SW neighborhood associations, and SW Hamilton and SW Shattuck (from SW Hamilton to BvHwy) were selected as 2 of 10 final candidates to be a pilot project, ones that are most likely to have community support and or willingness to participate in a Halo LID. And on August 29th, 2007 Bev hosted a meeting for interested neighbors to meet each other and hear more about the projects.
The SWNI Transportation Subcommittee on Halo Lids met September 19, 2007, to select the three pilot Halo Lid projects for southwest Portland. SW Hamilton from 42nd to 60th Place was the the best candidate for a medium-difficult project, with two segments of Vermont and a segment of SW 35th Avenue as the other two choices. On Wednesday night September 19, 2007, the full SWNI Transportation Committee approved all three projects. On September 26th, 2007, the SWNI Board gave its approval for SW Hamilton being selected as one of the three pilot Halo LID projects; and Bev hosted a second meeting for interested neighbors to talk about progress and next steps.
After SW Hamilton was selected to be one of the Pilot Projects a working core group of about 7 people from Bridlemile HSPi group was formed to work with Otak, the consultants hired by PDOT (Portland Department of Transportation) and with PDOT on design, public input, implementation, and funding of the pedestrian improvements for SW Hamilton.
November 5th, 2007, the core teams from each of the three selected Halo LID Pilot Projects met with members of Otak and PDOT to hear and talk about the next steps.
November 14th, 2007, the Bridlemile Neighborhood Association monthly meeting was devoted to this topic. Marianne Fitzgerald talked about what has happened already and what the next steps will be. There was a good turnout, many new faces, and the FAQ and the Ideas, Challenges, and Alternatives pages have been updated accordingly.
Before and After neighbor cleared plants from outside the fogline. How should we make SW Hamilton safer for pedestrians and cyclists? Click here to see and read about more possible solutions, and add your suggestions.
November 16th, 2007 - The BNA HSPi core team, Erica Rooney (the Otak project manager), and Amanda Ownings Otak Civil Engineer walked both sides of SW Hamilton from SW 60th to SW39th to identify opportunities, challenges, solutions and alternatives (Table D-1.pdf, 284KB Alternative Pathway Concepts) for each section of the street. To see photos of some of the challenges and some of the alternate pathway concepts that might apply see the Ideas, Challenges, and Alternatives page.
December 13th, 2007 - OTAK met with technical staff from PDOT and BES to review findings and discuss how to best meet stormwater management goals, ADA concerns, pedestrian safety and bicycle issues given site constraints and November 16th Core and Project team walk thru input.
December 17th, 2007 - Don Gardner PDOT Director of Engineering met with Halo LID reps from each of the three projects at the SWNI Transportation Meeting. It was decided to amend the next steps previously given out to include (1) an early: neighborhood-wide mailing introducing the Halo LID project and asking people for their questions and suggestions, and (2) two open houses one with abutting neighbors and a second one with everyone who might be in the Halo LIDs both to present design alternatives, gather input, and explain the Halo LID process and assessment options.
• December 2007 - Otak began the process to put together base maps, files notes, and identify key issues, challenges, project components, and alternative design treatments. As a result of discussion at the December SWNI Transportation meeting the schedule is being revised, new schedule will be posted here as it gets determined.
• thru January 23 2008
- PDOT has contracted with SWNI to do outreach (mailings and open houses) for all the pilot projects.
- Safe Sound and Green Streets is undergoing a number of refinements. Watch for updates about that and what it might mean in regard to partial funding for the Halo LID pilot projects.
- Work is progressing on determining what meaningful walksheds/Halo areas might be for each pilot project might be. Walksheds are streets near Hamilton that will benefit from the pedestrian improvements and therefore will be asked to help share the cost.
- SW Trails Bike Boulevard project would like at the very minimum to see bike lanes on the uphill side of Hamilton. Still to be determined is whether including them will allow for some additional source of funding to help pay for them since they will benefit more than just those who live in the neighborhood.
• Monday January 28th, 2008 - BNA Core Team met with Otak for initial review, status, etc. Right of way in many areas along Hamilton is very close to the existing street resulting in the type(s) of improvement(s) that could be used changing a number of types along each side of the street. Also it became clear that a better understanding of ADA requirements was needed in order to know what combinations of improvements would be allowed on one or both sides of the street. As a result, a list of questions was sent to PDOT Director Don Gardner to better understand the kinds of changes that are and are not allowed.
• Friday February 1st, 2008 - BNA Core Team met with Andrew Aebi, PDOT LID Administrator for initial discussion about determining what meaningful walksheds/Halo areas for the neighborhood might be. Walksheds are streets near Hamilton that will benefit from the pedestrian improvements and therefore will be asked to help share the cost. We talked about all the various destinations inside and nearby the neighborhood that might benefit from having improvements on Hamilton. And the proposal to make Hamilton between Scholls Ferry and Shattuck one way going east (Patton would be used to go West) came up again, PDOT has never commented on whether it is or is not feasible and so it was included in the email to PDOT Director Don Gardner.
• March 2008 Initial Intro Letter and Survey containing an introduction to the Halo LID process and a survey/questionnaire is mailed out to each potentially affected household to gather questions, concerns, suggestions.
• April 10th, 2008 Halo LID Open House PowerPoint Presentation, 12.7MB for tonight's Hamilton Halo LID Open House has been posted on the SWNI web site. The official Halo LID process described in BNATLID&WaiversBasics.pdf 124KB 124KB will only begin if there is a strong reason to believe that it might have some chance of approval by 50+% of those who might participate in a Halo LID.
• April 10th, 2008 Hamilton Halo LID Open house at Bridlemile Elementary School Cafeteria/Auditorium was held.
• April 24th, 2008 7-9pm Core Team/PDOT/SWNI Trans debriefing meeting, whether and how to determine whether or not to go forward
• Core teams review survey results, green dot / red dot Open House data, and comment cards from the Open House with PDOT and SWNI Trans Committee leader? to determine if there is a clear consensus to go forward from here or not with any of the proposed pilot projects.
• May 14th, 2008 7-9pm Bridlemile Neighborhood Association Meeting Hamilton Halo LID, Neighborhood Beautification, Improving Bus Service