PBOT News Release: New Parking Meters

NEWS RELEASE:

Transportation Bureau wants your input on two new parking meter options

(September 2014) Two companies are competing for a chance to provide Portland with new parking meters, and starting this week residents can test the new meters and help the Portland Bureau of Transportation decide which contractor to select.

Four test pay stations, two from each of the vendors that made PBOT’s short list, are available for the public to test. Meters made by Parkeon and Cale America are located on SW Salmon Street, between SW Third and Fourth avenues, just north of Lownsdale Square and on SW Third Avenue, between SW Taylor and SW Salmon streets.

The meters will be available until Oct. 14. Public comment will be accepted until 5 p.m. that day.

Let PBOT know what you think of the two pay station options by completing an online survey at bit.ly/PBOTmeters or filling out a postcard available at the meter. How easy was it to use the pay station? Was your transaction completed as fast as you expected?

Equipment from both manufacturers equipment will be familiar to city users as they have provided meters to the City in the past.  Cale America has more than 1,300 existing pay stations and Parkeon provided the ticket vending machines for the Portland Streetcar.

After receiving public input, PBOT’s selection committee will identify which vendor will supply about 300 parking meters in the new Northwest Portland parking meter district, expected to be installed in early 2015. The established price agreement will also be used for future purchases.

Both pay station options can accept payments by credit card and support the adoption of payment by mobile phone in the future.

Visitors to the test block are reminded that normal parking fees, time limits and periods of enforcement are in effect during the test period. If you are unable to purchase a ticket from one of the test meters, be sure to purchase a ticket from an existing pay station to avoid receiving a citation.

PBOT News Release: N Williams Avenue Design Installation & Lane Closure

NEWS RELEASE

North Williams Avenue street design installation begins; left lane to close shortly

“A Safer Place for Everyone” outreach campaign features safety messages from residents

(September 16, 2014) – Construction begins later this week on a new street design for North Williams Avenue, a corridor that serves a growing neighborhood as well as being a popular commute route between downtown and North Portland.
The new street design will extend from NE Broadway to Killingsworth Street and will require up to three months to complete.  Safety improvements will benefit all travelers, especially pedestrians, and changes will affect the look of the street and traffic flow for all travelers.
Early in the project, the left lane of North Williams Avenue will close to all traffic. No detours will be in effect but alternate routes are available during construction. 
The alternate route for people traveling by bicycle is NE Rodney Street, a neighborhood greenway that is a designated bikeway and has been upgraded with speed bumps to discourage cut through motor vehicle traffic.  The alternate routes for drivers are NE Martin Luther King Boulevard or N Interstate Avenue.

The new street design will include these major improvements:

·      A new traffic signal will be installed at the busy N Cook Street crossing.

·      New striped crosswalks and curb extensions at five crossings will improve pedestrian visibility, making it safer and easier to cross.

·      Bus and bike travel are being separated to reduce conflicts and improve safety.  Buses will continue to stop on the right side of the street while the bike lane will be expanded to a width of 12 feet and transferred to the left side.

·      The speed limit is being lowered to 25 mph along most of the corridor; and 20 mph where foot traffic is highest, between NE Fremont and Skidmore streets.

·      Green transition zones in the left side bike lane indicate where motor vehicles cross the lane to turn left.

The left side bicycle lane is expected to open in mid-October, once the Cook Street traffic signal is operational.  The crosswalk restriping and additional construction are expected to entail minimal traffic disruption.
The project was developed in 2012 after a 16-month public involvement process to identify how to make N Williams Avenue a safer place for all travelers and to address longstanding community concerns over pedestrian safety in particular.

“A Safer Place for Everyone”

The Portland Bureau of Transportation is launching “A Safer Place for Everyone” outreach campaign to inform people of the new street design and encourage all travelers to share the road.  The campaign is an outgrowth of the public involvement process where people suggested increased outreach around safety.
The “A Safer Place for Everyone” campaign features residents sending their safety messages to fellow residents via a series of banners and A-boards. The banners, soon to be posted to light fixtures along the corridor, will be displayed through the winter.  
The transportation bureau also mailed an “A Safer Place for Everyone” brochure to area residents and distributed to local businesses and other gathering places.  The public is encouraged to share photos and their own messages on social media with the tag #northwilliams.  
More information is available at www.northwilliamssafety.org  including a map and construction highlights. View the “A Safer Place for Everyone” banner campaign. View the “A Safer Place for Everyone” brochure.

Contact:

Diane Dulken

Portland Bureau of Transportation

503-823-5552

diane.dulken@portlandoregon.gov

Twitter @PBOTinfo