Broadway Corridor (Post Office Redevelopment) | Proposed

[johnliu]

Originally Posted by Leo

I guess I’m not seeing that path as a highway for bicycles, but as a park. Most parks have zigzag paths on slopes that encourage people to stop. This one in particular overlooks the entire stretch of the park, downtown Portland, and the playing fields below. I’m picturing people hanging out on the slope enjoying the view, not as a high speed bike path.

Then another bike route will have to be included that is designed for cyclists trying to get places.

If Portland is going to increase bike commuting instead of car use, it needs to design bike routes that work for actually commuting. When you're trying to get to work in the rain at 7 am, you're not going to hang out and enjoy the view.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by johnliu

Then another bike route will have to be included that is designed for cyclists trying to get places.

If Portland is going to increase bike commuting instead of car use, it needs to design bike routes that work for actually commuting. When you're trying to get to work in the rain at 7 am, you're not going to hang out and enjoy the view.

That's the thing about biking, it makes it easier for a person to stop and enjoy things even when commuting to work early in the morning. I remember stopping on the Springwater Trail once on my ride into work at 6am to watch a deer and her babies graze. It was a great way to start my morning. I would imagine it is pretty common for most cyclists to find those moments where they can slow down and stop to enjoy their commute route.

The bigger issue with this zig zag route will be if this route becomes a popular pedestrian route because that is why Better Naito is needed because afternoon pedestrian traffic along the west side of the river is a nightmare for cyclists. Realistically, cyclists looking to commute without having to go down a zig zag route would just come down the Lovejoy ramp and turn onto 9th, then turn onto the Greenway to continue through. Or even continue down Broadway and connect up with the Greenway after this site.

[Leo]

Originally Posted by johnliu

Then another bike route will have to be included that is designed for cyclists trying to get places.

If Portland is going to increase bike commuting instead of car use, it needs to design bike routes that work for actually commuting. When you're trying to get to work in the rain at 7 am, you're not going to hang out and enjoy the view.

I totally agree, and that is why I don't think this commuting path should lead through the middle of the park. The focus of the park should not be commuter traffic.

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by Leo

I totally agree, and that is why I don't think this commuting path should lead through the middle of the park. The focus of the park should not be commuter traffic.

100% agree with the comments relating to the convoluted bike path. It is not well thought out at all.

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by Leo

I guess I’m not seeing that path as a highway for bicycles, but as a park. Most parks have zigzag paths on slopes that encourage people to stop. This one in particular overlooks the entire stretch of the park, downtown Portland, and the playing fields below. I’m picturing people hanging out on the slope enjoying the view, not as a high speed bike path.

Even the ramps up on the west side from the steel bridge to the Rose Quarter are fairly dangerous. I was cycling over there this afternoon with my coworkers and a guy dumped his bike and landed on his head descending the ramp at 5 mph. This one will be worse.

No sane cyclist is going to ride down this ramp into a 17% paved site. It is fundamentally incompatible with "open space" by designating almost 1/5 of the site as paved for cars. I like how the purple E-W street connects to.. under the bridge where all the homeless hang out by Union Station and noone would even dare to go.

What a joke. The planners and architects should be fired and give it to another team. Totally uninspired and blah.

A 1 story New Seasons and 12 acres of parking would be a better idea. Or build a 2 story self storage building.

[zilfondel]

Originally Posted by johnliu

Then another bike route will have to be included that is designed for cyclists trying to get places.

If Portland is going to increase bike commuting instead of car use, it needs to design bike routes that work for actually commuting. When you're trying to get to work in the rain at 7 am, you're not going to hang out and enjoy the view.

I mean, you can just bike down Lovejoy or Broadway. Those are both 100% bikeable streets and will continue to be.

[Rob Nob]

Originally Posted by zilfondel

I like how the purple E-W street connects to.. under the bridge where all the homeless hang out by Union Station and noone would even dare to go.

I actually bike this twice a day and there are not a lot of homeless folks down there. Much worse on Naito under the Steel bridge. I also think opening that area up with streets to the west will make it feel safer than it's current design with no intersections from Irving to Marshall.

[maccoinnich]

A mixed bag for Broadway Corridor plan



The Portland Design Commission on Thursday gave its first design advice on plans for the Broadway Corridor – a massive redevelopment effort near the southwest end of the Broadway Bridge, at the site of a former U.S. Postal Service facility. Commissioners gave mixed reviews on the public realm aspect of the plan, praising the change it would bring to the area but taking issue with the intended use of the city’s Green Loop.

The 4-million-square-foot mixed-use project is expected to consist of housing, commercial space and open park space, and link the Pearl District to Old Town. The development is expected to cost between $1 billion and $1.5 billion.

Prosper Portland’s endeavor, designed by ZGF Architects, is intended to accommodate 4,000 jobs and 3,100 residents – with 25 percent of the housing being affordable units. The design is meant to be inclusive for all neighborhood residents, with spaces where people can “just be” and not need a specific task or purpose.

...continues at the DJC (temporarily unlocked).

[geohiker]

The Green Loop, however, was universally rejected by commissioners as unsafe and not well thought out. While the design team said the loop’s placement was intended to “activate” the open space, commissioners weren’t receptive to that idea.

I'm glad ZGF will be going back to the drawing board on the Green Loop section. The Zig-zag path would have been a poor utilization of the space. Hopefully the next design will be aligned with NW 9th Avenue. It's already my preferred route for heading into North Portland from downtown on my bike.

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by geohiker

I'm glad ZGF will be going back to the drawing board on the Green Loop section. The Zig-zag path would have been a poor utilization of the space. Hopefully the next design will be aligned with NW 9th Avenue. It's already my preferred route for heading into North Portland from downtown on my bike.

"While the design team said the loop’s placement was intended to “activate” the open space, commissioners weren’t receptive to that idea."

Not sure what alternate reality the design team is living in. By "activate" do they mean increasing the presence of EMS folks?

[maccoinnich]

DAR #2 posting notice

[maccoinnich]

DAR #2 drawings [20 MB] and memo to the Design Commission.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

DAR #2 drawings [20 MB] and memo to the Design Commission.

It does look better.

[subterranean]

Agreed.

[Delaney]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

DAR #2 drawings [20 MB] and memo to the Design Commission.

Building 8 is the whole problem. Omit the land grab clogging everything. Open it up to make a proper termination to the park blocks.

[eric cantona]

Originally Posted by maccoinnich

DAR #2 drawings [20 MB] and memo to the Design Commission.

ugh. same stupid bike switchback thing. love that the precedent images they've selected aren't designed for bikes and, in fact, show not a single bike anywhere.

try harder, please.

[urbanlife]

Originally Posted by eric cantona

ugh. same stupid bike switchback thing. love that the precedent images they've selected aren't designed for bikes and, in fact, show not a single bike anywhere.

try harder, please.

I am not sure there is anyway around doing this without a switchback of some sort due to elevation change. This will probably be used for slower bike riding while people who are looking for a commuting route will keep using Lovejoy to 9th.

[maccoinnich]

DAR #2 Summary Memo.

[johnliu]

I'm confused about what is proposed for Broadway. Is the street to be interrupted or go underground at Block Y? I'm sure it's not. Yet some of the drawing seem to show this, others seem to show it continuing through.

For bike commuters, Lovejoy to 9th is not good. Limited space for bike lanes, complicated left turn from Lovejoy to 9th, danger of angle crossing over streetcar tracks, steepish grade on Lovejoy.

The bulk of bike traffic off the bridge currently goes straight down Broadway, as the most direct route to downtown / PSU.

If the switchbacks are to be retained in the green loop area, then an improved route for bike commuters down Broadway should be retained.

[hat]

I am slightly confused by the design options given here. Perhaps it's my lack of any experience in architecture or urban design. If others can clarify, please do.

As I understand it, the park space and Green Loop route depend entirely on a primarily flat park, as indicated by the "Green Loop Climb" and soccer field in the rendering. The impracticality of this as a cycling route is fairly obvious to anyone who commutes. Is there a reason why the "Connected open space" necessarily needs to be 0 grade? Is it more difficulty to design buildings on a slight slope? Is there a reason why the ROW on Hoyt must be retained? Is a park on a gentle grade not preferred? I have many questions.

Given the switchbacks, I can imagine very few cyclists using the design as intended, opting to take the shared access street instead. Perhaps this is the intention?