Have you ever ever had the enjoyment of utilizing bicycle infrastructure that’s higher than something you’d beforehand seen or imagined? We had this pleasant expertise this previous summer season when the Metropolis of Hillsboro completed up its main street undertaking on NE Jackson College Highway.
Previous to the undertaking, this was a clogged two-lane roadway, with harmful ditches bordering the street — no sidewalks on sections, and no bike lanes. It’s a street we might by no means have used for biking or strolling and all the time prevented.
When development started, I anticipated a road-widening undertaking so as to add automotive lanes. I had no concept the undertaking would give precedence to bike riders and walkers and provides us a protected cycle observe. Flashing beacon crosswalks have been additionally added, together with a traffic-calming roundabout, and improved lighting.
If in case you have by no means skilled infrastructure like this: it’s wonderful! Biking (and strolling) is snug and nice, an entire pleasure to make use of.
This newly improved street has shortly grow to be a favourite place for us to journey. It additionally seems to be well-liked with the neighborhood. Maybe essentially the most telling metric for the success of the enhancements is that property homeowners alongside the street had trick-or-treaters for the very first time: youngsters have been lastly secure sufficient to stroll from home to accommodate!
As we’ve loved this infrastructure, I ponder the way it got here to be right here, and who made it occur. Whom can I thank? I do know it didn’t simply fall out of the sky, however certainly took years of behind-the-scenes work. What duty do I’ve to take part in these processes, to make, protect, and enhance such amenities for my youngsters and future generations?
With these questions in thoughts, I had the pleasure of speaking with Pat Ribellia, who was the planning director for the town of Hillsboro from 2006 to 2012, and Don Odermott who has served the town Hillsboro for 28 years, together with about 15 years as the pinnacle of Transportation Planning and Coverage. They confirmed that the Jackson College Highway undertaking has been a few years within the making.
“Generally it takes a champion”
My greatest query was: how did the superior bike infrastructure get included on this undertaking? Odermott defined that over the previous three a long time, “the character of the bike resolution has advanced.” In his profession of 35+ years in engineering design, the norm began with no bike lanes, then 4 foot bike lanes, then 5 and 6 foot extensive bike lanes, after which buffered bike lanes.
Now it’s six foot lanes plus a two-foot buffer and elevated/separated cycle tracks. An actual evolution in biking infrastructure. “Generally it takes a champion,” Odermott stated. And in Hillsboro, “the most important credit score for that goes to our retired assistant metropolis supervisor, Rob Dixon, who actually led the imaginative and prescient for all of us that all of us rallied round that has now made what we name cycle tracks, our metropolis commonplace for bike remedy.”
Odermott speculated that Hillsboro has “most likely constructed extra cycle tracks now than…any jurisdiction within the Portland area over the past 10 years.” Wherever cycle tracks are match, that’s now the “go to” biking resolution in Hillsboro.
For me, it’s a revelation of how nice biking infrastructure might be, and the way a biking advocate in metropolis management could make biking infrastructure goals a actuality. Beforehand, I wouldn’t have had the imaginative and prescient or the center to counsel infrastructure like this. Trying on the street previous to development, I’d have thought, “there isn’t room,” “property homeowners will probably be indignant,” “it might be approach too costly.”
Now, after driving this, I take a look at each different street in my neighborhood otherwise. I’ve a imaginative and prescient for what can be, even when it appears to be like difficult or unattainable. And I need to get extra of that imaginative and prescient (trip to Amsterdam?) in order that I don’t cease quick on the subject of future advocacy alternatives. Higher biking infrastructure actually is feasible.
On this time of thanksgiving, I’m so grateful for all the oldsters behind-the-scenes that made this undertaking a actuality. We’ll be thanking you in our hearts each time we journey.
Shannon is a 36-year-old mother of 5 who lives in downtown Hillsboro. Her column seems weekly. Contact her through shannon4bikeportland@gmail.com
