S.W. 257th Avenue in Troutdale now has several newly-installed safety improvements to create a more accessible corridor whether you walk, bike, drive, roll or take public transit.
This was all part of Multnomah County’s S.W. 257th Avenue Safety Improvements Project, which began in 2022 with robust public outreach.
“The safety improvements you see along the corridor were shaped by community input, which is at the core of Multnomah County’s values – to create lasting improvements that are meaningful and reflect the needs of the communities who live here,” District 4 Multnomah County Commissioner Vince Jones-Dixon said.
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, 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 wasn’t 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.
“We are proud of the work we accomplished here along this corridor – adding important safety improvements for residents, students who walk to school every day and local businesses who rely on the safety of this corridor,” Multnomah County Project Manager Sara Jeffrey said.
Interactive public outreach
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 the community shared were related to speed and the safety of intersections and crosswalks. Many felt there were 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 fall 2022.
Community input put into action
In spring 2025, after more than two years of design, the project launched construction, adding safety improvements based on all of the community feedback.
“We added hawk signals – pedestrian activated crossings – in two locations along the corridor to give pedestrians and cyclists a safe crossing at mid-block locations,” Jeffrey said. “This was a crucial change for the corridor, with hundreds of students who walk to Reynolds High School here every day, we heard from many students who felt they had few places to safely cross 257th with long stretches of road between traffic signals.”
To learn the steps drivers should take when hybrid beacons flash and what pedestrians should look out for before crossing, check out the County’s new step-by-step video.
NEWLY-INSTALLED 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
The goal with some of these types of safety improvements is to create an environment where drivers are given visual indicators that encourage them to reduce their speed. Construction finished in February 2026.
Multnomah County maintains 269 miles of roads, including S.W. 257th Avenue in Troutdale. For more information, visit: http://multco.us/roads.
