SELLWOOD-MORELAND IMPROVEMENT LEAGUE (SMILE)

TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE MEETING

August 25, 2021

7:00 p.m.      Welcome & Introduction of Committee

                        Announcements & Updates (see below)

                        Discussion

8:00 p.m.      Adjourn

UPDATES & ANNOUNCMENTS

(1) Committee Reports to PBOT

Throughout July and August, we received messages from neighborhood residents about unsafe conditions on SE 17th between Linn and Umatilla; Umatilla between 17th & 19th; Clatsop between 17th & 19th; Bybee & SE 22nd; and SE Harold between Milwaukie and McLoughlin.

(We also received a report pointing out that the portable storage container on SE 13^th in front of Sunny’s Pizza has been there for about two years.  The permits for these containers are for two weeks.)

In response to those messages, the Transportation Committee reached out directly to a contact at PBOT to relay SMILE members’ reports and requests (and any supporting materials that we received).  We tried to highlight the urgency of the unsafe conditions, and asked them to confirm how requests like these can be best communicated to the City to get a timely response.

Their response was, Fill out the online report:  823-SAFE – Non-Urgent Traffic Safety Report Form | Report a traffic safety concern to 823-SAFE | The City of Portland, Oregon (portlandoregon.gov) (or call 503-823-SAFE).

We filed a separate report for each of the safety-related messages that we have received recently. You can track each request using a unique reference number (“Trackit” number) and either emailing safe@portlandoregon.gov or calling 503-823-7233 to ask about the status of the request.

Reports that involved a location that is on a Neighborhood Greenway, which several here did, were also forwarded to Scott Cohen, the Program Coordinator for Neighborhood Greenways (office phone 503-823-5345, scott.cohen@portlandoregon.gov).

If the report involved parking, it was also forwarded to Clay Veka.

We encourage you to file an online report for your concerns as well.  (Note, the online portal allows you to upload photos or documents up to 30MB if you would like to include anything.)

Here’s what PBOT says about responding to these reports (generally):

• EMERGENCY INTAKE (1-3 business days). We check 823-SAFE reports for urgent maintenance such as road hazards or signal outages that our crews should dispatch right away. See above for how to report emergencies.
• RESEARCH and REFERRAL (1-2 months). We research 823-SAFE reports to see if there are similar ones in our system. We may need to contact you for more detail, and when we’re through, we’ll let you know where we’ve referred your concern. Concerns about speeding or requests for speed enforcement are logged and forwarded to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Traffic Division. Please note: PPB focuses their resources primarily on the city’s high-crash network, but a PPB sergeant will review all requests in order to determine the appropriate action. You may also order yard signs that discourage speeding from PBOT’s Vision Zero team.
• PBOT TRAFFIC ENGINEER INVESTIGATION (3-4 months). For new traffic safety concerns or ones which PBOT hasn’t studied in the last 2 years, we will refer your report to our traffic engineers to investigate. Prepare yourself. These investigations take several weeks to get on the schedule and several more for a final assessment. When an investigation is complete, the engineer will write a summary and report for you and let you know next steps.

Please let me know if you have any follow-up questions or concerns.

(2) Hardesty to Invest in Making Some “Slow Streets” Permanent

“We are starting with the first 80 locations and will be listening to community feedback before determining how we might expand beyond those initial locations,” said PBOT spokeswoman Hannah Schafer.

The city said ‘Slow Streets’ must be located on neighborhood greenways, and are also targeted for areas that are lacking sidewalks; more than quarter mile from open space or parks; located near multi-family housing; or with higher traffic volume that makes pedestrian access challenging.

(3) Portland Marathon in the Neighborhood, Oct. 3^rd!!

The Portland Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 3rd. The race route will be identical to the 2019 route, and will run directly through Sellwood-Moreland.

Organizers have created this website dedicated to local traffic impacts. If you click on the Sellwood-Moreland link near the top of the page, you will see a page dedicated specifically to our neighborhood.

Organizers will provide further information later, but for now have reported a major adjustment in how they plan to handle ingress/egress at the intersection of SE 17th Ave & Reedway St; the hope is that this will provide a much better experience for residents and businesses in that area.

(4) Johnson Creek Cleanup

 The annual Johnson Creek Cleanup organized by the Johnson Creek Watershed Council took place Saturday, August 21 from 8:30 am to 1 pm.  SMILE member Scott Kelly led a team of volunteers from Johnson Creek Park upstream to Umatilla Street; there was a lot of trash to clean up. Thank you, Scott and crew!