After months of construction installing several new safety improvements along S.W. 257th Avenue in Troutdale, Multnomah County invites the community to its S.W. 257th Avenue Safety Improvements Project reopening celebration. Come get a firsthand look at safety improvements to the corridor and hear from elected leaders on the continued vision for work in east Multnomah County.
WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 10
WHERE: Corner of S.W. 257th Avenue and S.W. Cherry Park Road, grass area adjacent to Reynolds High School, near tennis courts
TIME: 9:15 a.m.
SPEAKERS:
- Multnomah County Commissioner Vince-Jones Dixon
- Multnomah County Project Manager Sara Jeffrey
- Reynolds High School students: Azilia Chamberlain, Jorge Cruz
- City of Troutdale Councilor Zach Andrews
- City of Troutdale Councilor John Leamy
NEWS OUTLET RSVP:
A podium will be available for news outlet microphones. Please RSVP by Monday, Feb. 9 at noon with the total number attending from your respective news outlet.
Project background
S.W. 257th is one of the most heavily traveled Multnomah County roads in Troutdale, serving as a critical connection to I-84 and U.S. 26. At the onset of this project in 2022, it was difficult for pedestrians and cyclists to navigate the corridor. The sidewalks were partially blocked by utility poles and vegetation. Bike lanes were narrow and had little protection from traffic. There was easy access to transit as well. The estimated $8 million project was designed to make it easier for all modes of travel to safely use this corridor.
The safety improvements added on S.W. 257th are based largely off of community input. In fall 2022, the project asked the community for feedback on issues people face navigating the S.W. 257th corridor. The project got that feedback through walking tours of the site with those who live and work near the corridor, a survey with more than 200 responses as well as tabling events at a Reynolds High School football game and a Gresham Farmers Market. The project also worked with non-English speaking communities to get their feedback.
The top concerns we heard from the community were related to speed and the safety of intersections and crosswalks. Many felt there are too few places to safely cross the street and that it was not comfortable to walk or ride a bike on S.W. 257th Avenue.
In January 2023, the project team then asked the community to prioritize safety improvements they’d like to see along the corridor based on the community input the County received in the fall. This project added safety improvements based on all of the community feedback.
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS:
- New lighting
- Improving accessibility at existing signalized intersections and bus stops
- Constructed new curb ramps
- Hawk signals
- Removed barriers on sidewalks throughout the corridor
- Bike boxes
- Repaving
- Speed radar feedback signage
Multnomah County maintains 269 miles of roads, including S.W. 257th Avenue in Troutdale. For more information, visit: http://multco.us/roads.