SE Hawthorne Pave & Paint Project

Information
Two people crossing the street in front of a business. White stripes are on the street leading to a concrete island with a yellow pedestrian crossing sign.
On SE Hawthorne Boulevard from 23rd to 50th avenues, PBOT crews repaved 28 blocks to create a smoother street and extend its lifespan while redesigning it as a safer, three-lane street. The project also included accessibility, pedestrian and transit improvements. This project is now complete.
On this page
Map of SE Hawthorne Boulevard between the Hawthorne bridge and SE 50th
Image shows where improvements along SE Hawthorne Boulevard. Improvements include the Hawthorne Pave & Paint project, between 24th and 50th avenues (solid orange line to the right), including 163 ADA-compliant curb ramps, repaving, and restriping to new lane configuration. Additional improvements were completed between SE Grand and SE 12th Avenue this spring along both SE Hawthorne Boulevard and Madison Street (solid teal lines to the left) as part of a Central City in Motion project.

What’s happening now?

Post-project Update - Feb. 9, 2022

The Portland Bureau of Transportation has updated the speed limit on SE Hawthorne Boulevard. The speed limit is now 20 mph starting at Grand Avenue and continuing east for the length of the street. We will soon be updating our citywide map of speed limits to show this new speed limit.

The reduced speed limit supports the City of Portland’s Vision Zero goal to eliminate traffic deaths and serious injuries. Speed is a factor in nearly half of deadly crashes that occur in Portland. Lower speeds result in fewer crashes. When crashes occur, lower speeds make it more likely that people will survive.

To learn more, visit Speed Limits.

Construction Update - Nov. 18, 2021

Construction along SE Hawthorne Boulevard is complete! 

On SE Hawthorne Boulevard from 23rd to 50th avenues, PBOT crews repaved 28 blocks to create a smoother street and extend its lifespan while redesigning it as a safer, three-lane street. The project also upgraded 163 curb ramps to meet the standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), improved 10 pedestrian crossings with median islands, crosswalks, and installed 14 new streetlights. Finally, the project retimed 10 traffic signals for improved traffic flow in addition to adding red bus-and-turn lanes and upgrading the signal at SE César E. Chávez Boulevard.

Looking ahead, PBOT will extend the current 20 mph speed limit within the Hawthorne Business District farther west from Grand to SE 30th avenues, thanks to a recently-approved speed change request to ODOT.

Construction Update - Oct. 26

Median island construction is complete. Striping and painting east of Cesar Chavez delayed due to weather. Light installation in progress.

Upcoming construction:

Monday, Nov. 1 - Friday, Nov. 5

  • Construction activities:
    • Install crosswalk striping at concrete pedestrian islands east of Cesar Chavez (delayed from previous week due to weather)
    • Paint concrete island curbs (delayed from previous week due to weather)
    • Contractors clean-up construction sites
    • Street lighting improvements continue

Monday, Oct. 11 - Friday, Oct. 29

  • Construction activities:
    • Construct concrete pedestrian islands at 23rd avenue 
    • Install crosswalk striping 
    • Inlet repair at 34th
    • Minor ADA ramp repairs
    • Street lighting improvements continue

Construction Update - Oct. 4

Street light pole installation complete, light installation in progress. Concrete pedestrian island construction and crosswalk striping in progress.

Upcoming construction:

Monday, Oct. 4 - Friday, Oct. 15 

  • Construction activities:
    • Construct concrete pedestrian islands at 23rd, 45th, and 47th avenues.
    • Contractors clean-up construction sites
    • Street lighting improvements continue

Construction Update - Sept 15

Street light pole installation in progress from 23rd to 38th avenues. Median island construction in progress at 25th and 28th avenues.

Upcoming construction:

Monday, Sept. 20 - Friday, Sept. 30

  • Construction activities:
    • Construct concrete pedestrian islands at 23rd, 32nd, 36th, and 37th avenues.
    • Street lighting improvements continue.

Construction Update - August 31

PBOT crews were hard at work over the weekend installing red bus-and-turn lanes at SE Hawthorne and Cesar Chavez boulevards!

The new red bus-and-turn lanes are part of PBOT’s Rose Lane Project and will help keep TriMet Line 14 riders moving.  

Upcoming construction:

Construction begins on concrete pedestrian islands from 23rd to 47th avenues in mid-September and lasts through early November. 

Monday, Sept. 13 - Friday, Sept. 24

  • Construction activities:
    • Sawcut pavement in preparation for concrete pedestrian islands. This work will take place on Hawthorne at 23rd, 25th, 28th, 32nd, 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 44th, 45th and 47th avenues. 
    • Construct concrete pedestrian islands at 23rd and 25th avenues.
    • Streetlighting improvements continue.
       
  • Traffic impacts: Area residents and businesses should expect  intermittent lane closures, and traffic delays up to 20 minutes between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays. Work may limit access at times to local side streets. Parking will be restricted in the construction zone 1-2 days before construction begins. Pedestrian access will remain open.   Expect dust, noise, vibrations, and heavy equipment on SE Hawthorne Boulevard and side streets. As always, please keep construction crews safe by following all traffic control signs and flaggers while travelling through or near work zones. 

CONCRETE PEDESTRIAN ISLAND LOCATIONS 

With the help of the community, PBOT identified 12 locations for crossing improvements. PBOT identified funding to build 10 out of the 12 identified locations. All crossings identified as high and medium priority locations will be constructed, as well as two of the low-priority locations.  

Map of Hawthorne crossing improvements in orange circles with blue outlines, existing median islands in black diamonds, and existing signals from 20th to 50th.
In addition to maintaining the existing concrete pedestrian islands at 43rd and 48th, PBOT will install concrete pedestrian islands, crosswalks, and improved lighting at 23rd, 25th, 28th, 32nd Avenue, 35th, 36th, 38th, 44th, 45th and 47th.

In addition to the concrete pedestrian islands, a concrete median will be installed at 37th Avenue to improve bus travel time and safety. 

Construction Update - August 23

Paving and lane striping on the corridor is complete.

Upcoming construction:  

Saturday, Aug. 28 - Sunday, Aug. 29, 5 a.m. - 3 p.m. 

  • Construction activity: Install red Bus-and-Turn (BAT) lanes on SE Hawthorne Boulevard from 38th to 40th avenues

  • Traffic impacts: Right turn lanes will be closed while striping is completed. Right turns will be permitted from the through lanes. People riding transit should visit trimet.org/#alerts/ for the latest service impacts.

September - October

  • Construction activity: Concrete pedestrian island construction, crosswalk striping, and street lighting improvements
  • Traffic impacts: TBD  

Construction Update - August 10

Due to the heat advisory, we have modified our construction schedule to shorten workdays and reschedule some work for next week. 

Updated schedule and traffic impacts: 

Wednesday, Aug. 11, and Thursday, Aug. 12, from 6 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.  

Construction activity: Grind and pave in intersection of Cesar Chavez and Hawthorne boulevards.  

Traffic impacts:  

  • Cesar Chavez will be reduced to one lane in each direction.  
  • Drivers will be able to take right turns from Cesar Chavez to Hawthorne at the intersection, but left turns will be prohibited. 
  • Hawthorne at Cesar Chavez will be closed to through traffic. Drivers traveling east and west on Hawthorne will be able to take right turns onto Cesar Chavez Boulevard. 

Week of Aug. 16:  

  • Construction activity: Striping and crosswalk installation 

    Traffic impacts: Minor travel delays 6 a.m. - 5 p.m.

This work is weather-dependent and the schedule may change. 

People riding transit should visit trimet.org/#alerts/ for the latest service impacts. People biking are advised to use the Salmon and Lincoln-Harrison Greenways as alternate routes. 

Construction Update - August 6

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) completes paving and striping work on SE Hawthorne Boulevard from SE César E. Chávez Boulevard to SE 50th Avenue next week, and PBOT crews will finish the paving phase of the project by grinding and repaving the center lanes of César E. Chávez and Hawthorne Boulevards.

Schedule and traffic impacts: 

  • Monday, Aug. 9 - Tuesday, Aug. 10
    • Grind and pave completes from 49th - 50th avenues.
    • No northbound through traffic on 50th avenues. Local access only. 
  • Wednesday, Aug. 11
    • Grind and pave on Cesar Chavez and Hawthorne intersection
    • Cesar Chavez will be reduced to one lane in each direction. Drivers will be able to take right turns from Cesar Chavez to Hawthorne at the intersection, but left turns will be prohibited.
    • Hawthorne at Cesar Chavez will be closed to thru traffic. Drivers traveling east and west on Hawthorne will only be able to take right turns at Cesar Chavez.

People riding transit should visit trimet.org/#alerts/ for the latest service impacts. People biking are advised to use the Salmon and Lincoln-Harrison Greenways as alternate routes.

This work is weather-dependent and the schedule may change. 

Construction Update - July 16

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) completes paving and striping work on SE Hawthorne Boulevard from SE 24th Avenue to César E. Chávez Boulevard next week, and construction continues as PBOT crews continue to work east of César E. Chávez Boulevard along the corridor.

Beginning Tuesday, July 20 through mid-August, PBOT will grind and pave SE Hawthorne Boulevard between César E. Chávez Boulevard and 50th Avenue. The public should expect to see lane restrictions, detours, flagging, and travel delays during this construction period.

Beginning Monday, July 26, PBOT will close westbound travel lanes on Hawthorne Boulevard between SE César E. Chávez Boulevard and SE 50th Avenue on weekdays during construction work hours, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. A signed detour will be in place for westbound vehicle traffic and westbound drivers will be detoured at SE 50th Avenue to SE Division to SE César E. Chávez Boulevard. The detour will be in effect on weekdays  until work is completed in mid-August. PBOT will maintain one lane for eastbound traffic

The lane closures are necessary to ensure safety of PBOT construction crews and the traveling public. The lane closures will also allow PBOT to complete the work as quickly as possible. Local access will be available from adjacent side streets.

SE Hawthorne Boulevard: SE Cesar E Chavez Boulevard to 50th Avenue Detour Map 
Detour in effect Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 5 p.m. beginning July 26

Map of Hawthorne detour showing westbound traffic will travel from 50th to Division to Cesar Chavez around construction.
Westbound drivers (shown in the lower orange line in map above) will be detoured from Hawthorne Boulevard at SE 50th Avenue, to SE Division Street, to SE Cesar E Chavez Boulevard. Eastbound drivers (shown in upper blue line) can continue to use SE Hawthorne Boulevard.

Area residents and businesses should expect rough road conditions, traffic delays up to 20 minutes between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, and possible weekend work. This work will limit or delay access at times for business deliveries.

Businesses are encouraged to accept deliveries using adjacent side streets or schedule deliveries outside of construction hours. Local residents and businesses are asked to use adjacent side streets for accessing Hawthorne during the project. Sidewalks will be open to pedestrians for the duration of the project and construction crews will direct pedestrians where they can safely cross the street. Parking will be prohibited during construction hours on SE Hawthorne Boulevard from César E. Chávez Boulevard during work hours.

People riding transit should visit trimet.org/#alerts/ for the latest service impacts. People biking are advised to use the Salmon and Lincoln-Harrison Greenways as alternate routes.

This work is weather-dependent and the schedule may change. 

Construction Update - July 2

Curb ramp work will be completed July 9 and paving crews continue to pave and restripe Hawthorne from SE 24th Avenue to César E. Chávez Boulevard.  

Beginning Tuesday, July 6 through Friday, July 30, PBOT will close eastbound travel lanes on Hawthorne Boulevard on weekdays during construction work hours, 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. PBOT will maintain two lanes for westbound traffic.  

Eastbound travel lanes will be closed between SE 20th Avenue and César E. Chávez Boulevard, and a signed detour will be in place for eastbound vehicle traffic. Eastbound drivers will be detoured at SE 20th Avenue to SE Division Street to SE César E. Chávez Boulevard.  

The lane closures are necessary to ensure safety of PBOT construction crews and the traveling public. The lane closures will also allow PBOT to complete the work as quickly as possible.  

SE Hawthorne Boulevard Detour Map 
Detour in effect Monday - Friday, 6 a.m. - 5 p.m. 

Detour map for eastbound Hawthorne traffic
Eastbound drivers (shown in the lower orange line in map above) will be detoured from Hawthorne Boulevard at SE 20th Avenue, to SE Division St and SE Cesar E Chavez Boulevard. Westbound drivers (shown in upper blue line will remain on SE Hawthorne Boulevard.

Area residents and businesses should expect rough road conditions, traffic delays up to 20 minutes between 5 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, with possible weekend work. This work will limit or delay access at times for business deliveries.  

Businesses are encouraged to accept deliveries using adjacent side streets or schedule deliveries outside of construction hours. Local residents and businesses are asked to use adjacent side streets for accessing Hawthorne during the project. Sidewalks will be open to pedestrians for the duration of the project and construction crews will direct pedestrians where they can safely cross the street. Parking will be prohibited on SE Hawthorne Boulevard from 20th to César E. Chávez Boulevard during work hours. 

People riding transit should visit trimet.org/#alerts/ for the latest service impacts. People biking are advised to use the Salmon and Lincoln-Harrison Greenways as alternate routes. 

This work is weather-dependent and the schedule may change. 

Project overview

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will repave SE Hawthorne Boulevard from SE 24th to 50th avenues beginning Monday, June 14 and continuing for about 3 months. Crews will grind, repave, and restripe the road. The redesigned street will have one general travel lane in each direction and a center turn lane. For more information on the street design decision, see below. 

In the months immediately following paving, PBOT will build concrete pedestrian islands, install marked crosswalks, and add street lighting to improve safety on this high crash corridor. In addition, PBOT will install red bus-and-turn lanes on SE Hawthorne Boulevard approaching SE César E Chávez and will upgrade signal detection at SE César E Chávez to improve transit speed and reliability.  

CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE 

Hawthorne Pave and Paint project is scheduled to begin construction on Monday, June 14, 2021. Paving is expected to take about 3 months. Median island construction is anticipated to be complete by fall 2021. Both phases of construction will begin at the east end of Hawthorne and work west. 

Map of SE Hawthorne Boulevard with construction timeline broken down by street segment.
Hawthorne Pave and Paint construction timeline overview.
  • 22nd  - 24th avenues   
    • June 14 – June 30 Restripe (transition to 3 lanes) 
  • 23rd Avenue - SE César E. Chávez Boulevard
    • June 14 – July: Grind, Repave, Restripe (from 24th)  
    •  July – September: Crossing improvements 
  • SE César E Chávez – 50th Avenue 
    • July – September: Grind, Repave, Restripe 
    • July – November: Crossing improvements 

Construction is weather-dependent, and these dates are subject to change.  

CONCRETE PEDESTRIAN ISLAND LOCATIONS 

With the help of the community, PBOT identified 12 locations for crossing improvements. PBOT identified funding to build 10 out of the 12 identified locations. All crossings identified as high and medium priority locations will be constructed, as well as two of the low-priority locations.  

Map of Hawthorne crossing improvements in orange circles with blue outlines, existing median islands in black diamonds, and existing signals from 20th to 50th.
In addition to maintaining the existing pedestrian refuge islands at 43rd and 48th, PBOT will install pedestrian refuge islands, crosswalks, and improved lighting at 23rd, 25th, 28th, 32nd Avenue, 35th, 36th, 38th, 44th, 45th and 47th.

In addition to the pedestrian refuge islands, a concrete median will be installed at 37th Avenue to improve bus travel time and safety. 

WHAT TO EXPECT DURING CONSTRUCTION  

Area residents and businesses should expect rough road conditions, intermittent lane closures, and traffic delays up to 20 minutes between 5 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays, with some weekend work. This may limit access at times for business deliveries. Parking will be restricted 1-2 days before crews begin and throughout the street repair. Pedestrian access will remain open.   

Expect dust, noise, vibrations, and heavy equipment on SE Hawthorne Boulevard and side streets. As always, please keep our crews safe by following all traffic control signs and flaggers while travelling through or near work zones. 

Healthy Business installations within the construction area will need to be removed or relocated to accommodate construction. Healthy Business installations may be reopened once construction is complete. 


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Street corner under construction showing curb ramp improvements.
SE Hawthorne Boulevard at 24th Avenue curb ramp improvements.

Curb Ramp Construction Updates

June 1

Curb ramp improvements on SE Hawthorne Boulevard continue through July. On Wednesday, June 2, contractors with the Portland Bureau of Transportation will begin installing and updating four curb ramps at the intersection of SE Hawthorne and César E. Chávez boulevards. 

Curb Ramp Construction Update - May 28, 2021

From June 2 to June 11, contractors with the Portland Bureau of Transportation will begin installing and updating four curb ramps at the intersection of SE Hawthorne and César E. Chávez boulevards. One corner will be constructed at a time. Construction of these corners at César E. Chávez will occur weekdays from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m., and will last approximately two weeks.

Area residents and businesses should expect intermittent lane closures. During construction hours, there will be a full sidewalk closure and pedestrian detour. Outside of construction hours, pedestrian access will be maintained.  

Curb Ramp Construction Update - April 27, 2021

Contractors with PBOT continue improving curb ramps this week. 

  • Raimore continues working at SE 42nd Avenue. Work also begins at SE 44th Avenue. 
  • Oregon Concrete Solutions is working at SE 32nd Avenue this week. 

Construction update - April 13, 2021

Contractors with PBOT continue improving curb ramps this week. 

  • Raimore continues working at SE 42nd Avenue. 
  • Oregon Concrete Solutions is working from 26th to 28th avenues this week. The week of April 19, construction will take place from 31st to 34th avenues. 

Construction update - March 29, 2021

PBOT has brought on a second contractor, Raimore, who will work on curb ramp improvements from Cesar Chavez to 50th. They are beginning curb ramp improvements today at SE 42nd. Avenue. The week of April 5 they will begin work at 44th Avenue. 

Construction update - March 9, 2021

Curb ramp construction at SE 24th and 25th avenues will be completed this week. 

From March 12th to 19th, crews will continue work on along south side of Hawthorne from 26th to 29th avenues.  

Construction update - Feb. 17, 2021

Due to recent snow and ice events, there will be no construction activity this week. Contractors will return to Hawthorne the week of March 1 to begin construction of curb ramps on the south side of SE Hawthorne at 24th and 25th avenues. 

Construction update - Feb. 8, 2021

Curb ramp construction on the north side of 24th and 25th avenues is complete. No construction activity will take place this week.

In mid-February, contractors will begin construction of curb ramps the south side of SE Hawthorne at 24th and 25th avenues. 

Construction update - Jan. 26, 2021

Curb ramp construction continues on the north side of 24th and 25th avenues. Work is anticipated to be completed the first week of February.

Construction update - Jan. 21, 2021

Crews began installing and updating approximately 180 curb ramps between SE 24th and SE 50th avenues on January 21. Work began at SE 24th Avenue and crews will work their way eastward.

Around the construction area, expect noise, parking and lane restrictions, and temporary pedestrian walkways and detours. A westbound lane closure is in place on SE Hawthorne Boulevard at SE 25th Avenue. This closure is expected to last through Thursday, January 28. 

Construction will occur weekdays from 7 a.m. - 5 p.m. for the next six months, with an estimated completion date of June 2021. 

These updates will make accessing shops, restaurants and residences along SE Hawthorne Boulevard easier and safer for all Portlanders. The curb ramp updates are the first phase of construction for the SE Hawthorne Pave and Paint project.


Update February 2021 – Selected Design Summary

Image of design of SE Hawthorne Boulevard showing one travel lane in each direction, with a center turn lane and a median island adjacent to the crosswalk. Pedestrians use the crosswalk and sidewalk, cars are parked along the curb. Rendering also shows a bus loading passengers at the corner.
Image of the selected design for the Hawthorne Pave & Paint maintenance project. This design is based off of Alternative 2.

Overview

Hawthorne Boulevard is scheduled for repaving in summer 2021. Over the past year the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has worked with the community to determine how we can take advantage of this repaving to improve safety on Hawthorne, support its “main street” function, and connect people to and from other parts of the city. There was broad community support for transforming Hawthorne from what it is now. With this support, PBOT has developed a project that advances key goals, including increased safety and accessibility, a better bus experience, and a boost to the economic vitality of one of the city's most important shopping and entertainment destinations.

Photo of SE Hawthorne Boulevard, looking east from 35th Place. Shows existing design with two travel lanes in each direction. Numbers indicate several key features of the road: (1) Limited north/south bike connections; (2) Buses take both lanes and make mirror strikes common; (3) pedestrians have to cross four lanes of traffic at once; (4) left-turning vehicles block travel lanes; (5) sidewalk ramps are not accessible; and (6) a narrow curb zone very close to travel lanes.
Photo of SE Hawthorne Boulevard, looking east from 35th Place. Shows selected design with one travel lane in each direction, a center turn lane, and a median island adjacent to a crosswalk. Numbers indicate several key features of the design: (1) better bike access from side streets; (2) lanes wide enough for buses; (3) median islands provide safe crossings for pedestrians and people biking; (4) center turn lane; (5) ADA-compliant sidewalk ramps; and (6) wider curb zone for a variety of uses.
Before (top) and after (below) images of SE Hawthorne Boulevard, looking east from 35th Place. These photos show the existing street design, and a mocked up version of the selected design showing the new lane configuration and median refuge island. Each photo points out six key features, described in more detail below.

The design PBOT selected does the most to advance the goals of the community and the bureau. The redesigned street will have one general travel lane in each direction and a center turn lane. The design includes new curb ramps that meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for accessibility. As part of the project, we will add median refuge islands and marked crosswalks at bus stops and other high-priority locations within the project area to make crossing Hawthorne easier and safer for pedestrians and people biking. Where needed, we will add street lighting to make sure people crossing are more visible at night. Over the coming months, we will determine how many crossings can be improved within our budget. We will first address the high priority locations, and then select from the medium and lower priority locations as budget allows.

This image is a map of Hawthorne Boulevard showing existing where new pedestrian crossings will be installed, with a priority designation. High priority pedestrian crossings to be installed in the near term are at 23rd, 35th Place, 36th, and 38th. Medium priority crossing installations are at 28th, 32nd, and 44th. Lower priority crosswalks to be installed are at 25th, 33rd, and 45th.
Image showing where median islands, greenway crossings, and traffic signals exist currently along SE Hawthorne between 20th and 50th avenues. This map also indicates where new, safer crossings are a high, medium, or lower priority. PBOT will install new refuge islands when funding is available.

Immediately next to the curb, space will be used in a variety of ways: on-street parking, loading/unloading zones, parklets, street seats, or expanding the pedestrian space. PBOT encourages local businesses and property owners to consider ways this space can be used to enhance the experience of people coming to the Hawthorne District, and to work with PBOT to implement these ideas.

These images show the street seating outside of Cup & Saucer Cafe (left) and 3 Doors Down Cafe (right). The street seating consists of restaurant tables that occupy parking spaces. The image shows how curb space can be used for a variety of uses other than parking.
Left: People enjoy eating at Cup & Saucer Cafe in outdoor, street-side tables permitted under PBOT’s Healthy Business program. Street-side uses on Hawthorne will be more inviting with the future street design.
Right: People enjoy eating at 3 Doors Down in outdoor, street-side tables permitted under PBOT’s Healthy Business program on 37th Ave. Street-side uses on Hawthorne itself will be more inviting with the future street design.
This image is a rendering of the bus priority treatment at Cesar E Chavez. This treatment is known as a "Bus and Turn Lane", or a BAT lane. The lane will be used by vehicles turning right onto Cesar E Chavez and buses that will continue on Hawthorne.
Rose Lane improvements will help buses move through the SE César E Chávez Boulevard intersection.

This project also includes Rose Lane improvements, with dedicated bus lanes that allow the frequent Line 14 bus to bypass through-traffic on both approaches to the SE César E Chávez Boulevard intersection. The bus priority lanes may also be used by right-turning vehicles closer to the intersection. To keep buses on time, the bus stop for the Line 14 (eastbound), will move to the east side of SE César E Chávez Boulevard.

This image is a map that shows the existing neighborhood greenways on SE Salmon, SE Lincoln/Harrison, SE 29th, and SE 41st. In addition, the map also shows potential bikeways on SE 23rd, SE 34th, SE 37th, and SE 45th.
Image showing existing greenway connections across SE Hawthorne Boulevard and parallel to it, as well as potential bikeway connections PBOT will invest in to improve access to destinations there.​​​​​

Design - Next Steps

PBOT will now begin developing the final design details for the street. The design and construction of new ADA-compliant curb ramps has already begun. That work will be completed later this summer. Paving will follow this summer as soon as the curb ramps are done. We are finalizing locations for median refuge islands and marked crosswalks that will improve crossing safety for pedestrians and people biking. These should be built in the months immediately following the paving. We also plan to improve the surrounding bikeway network, with investments occurring over the next five years.

We will continue to provide updates, so sign up for our email list here to stay in the loop. We look forward to building this project this year!


Decision Report and Public Involvement Summary

If you’d like to read more about how we came to this design, please see our Decision Report:

If you would like to read a summary of what we heard from community members on the Design Alternatives, please see our Design Alternatives Feedback Summary:



Project Background & Description

SE Hawthorne Boulevard is due for maintenance paving. PBOT is scheduled to repave the street between 24thand 50thAvenues during summer of 2021. PBOT is looking at ways to leverage this opportunity to improve safety and make other changes to better serve people and businesses on SE Hawthorne Boulevard. PBOT’sVison Zero team has identified SE Hawthorne Boulevard as one of 30 High Crash Corridors within the city.

  • What are the project goals? 

Improve safety, support Hawthorne’s Main Street function and help people get to destinations there, and connect people to other parts of the city. 

  • What is the scope of this project?

    PBOT will repave and restripe SE Hawthorne Boulevard between 24th and 50th avenues. The project will also reconstruct curb ramps that don’t meet Americans with Disability Act standards. As part of this project, PBOT will evaluate different striping options, including street crossings and lane markings. We will also identify further changes that PBOT may be able to make in a potential separate future project; these may include changes between SE 12th and 24th avenues.
  • What is the project timeline?

    Our overall project timeline is as follows:
This image shows an overview of the project's expected timeline.
  • Hawthorne is included as a Rose Lane Project proposed candidate pilot. 
    The SE Hawthorne Pave and Paint project will evaluate potential transit priority treatments in coordination with the Rose Lane Project. Rose Lane pilot transit priority treatments may be included as part of the SE Hawthorne Pave and Paint or with a separate project. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Hawthorne scheduled for repaving?

  • There are streets in worse condition than SE Hawthorne Boulevard. However, when PBOT maintains streets through regular paving work before they reach “very poor” condition, we save money in the long run. Regular maintenance paving costs significantly less than rebuilding or repairing a street once it breaks down.

Will this project make it easier for pedestrians and people biking to cross Hawthorne?

  • Yes. We’ve consistently heard from the community how dangerous it can be crossing Hawthorne. This project will address some of these challenges. Safe crossings might look different in different locations along the street, depending on the condition (how many lanes, traffic speed, etc.).

Will you make the sidewalks wider?

  • No. Sidewalk expansion is costly andnot included in the narrow scope and budget of this project. However, we will continue to document what is needed and what can be funded through a project down the line.

Will you change the lane configuration on Hawthorne?

  • Yes. After repaving SE 24th to 50th avenues, PBOT crews will restripe all the lanes, crossings, and other markings on the street. You can learn about the different alternatives we considered and the decision-making process here:

What will be the new lane widths be?  

  • After construction, the repaved segment of Hawthorne will have one 11-foot wide general purpose lane in each direction, a 10-foot wide center turn lane with 8-foot wide refuge islands, and 10-feet wide curb zones. The curb zone will be available for outdoor dining and other business activities, on-street parking, loading zones, or potentially for expanding space for pedestrians. PBOT will continue to work with local businesses and property owners to consider ways this space can be used to enhance the experience of people coming to the Hawthorne District, as they have through the Healthy Businesses permit program. 

Don’t wider lanes encourage speeding?

  • It depends. According to studies cited in NACTO’s Urban Street Design Guide, on 4+ lane roadways, wider lanes are correlated with higher speeds. A separate study cited in NACTO’s Urban Street Design Guide indicates that safety differences related to lane widths is inconclusive at 25 and 35 mph but may have some merit on streets with a posted speed of 40 mph or above. However, we know that reducing the number of travel lanes is correlated with speed reduction. Looking at data from over 10 projects where PBOT reduced the number of travel lanes, we've seen a reduction in travel speeds, particularly in top end speeders that are traveling 10 or more mph over the posted speed.

Any changes west of SE 24th Avenue?

  • Yes and no. A Central City in Motion project will make improvements from the Hawthorne Bridge to SE 12th Avenue along both Hawthorne and SE Madison Street, but nothing yet is planned between SE 12th and 24th avenues. As with future sidewalk expansion, we will continue to document what is needed and what can be funded through a project down the line.

Will this project impact on-street parking?

  • Yes. Some on-street parking blocks the line of sight for people approaching from side streets, and will be set back. In other situations, we may make adjustments to bike parking corrals, on-street spaces, or loading zones, as needed. Businesses may also apply to convert on-street parking spaces into outdoor seating/retail areas through PBOT’s Healthy Businesses program. It’s important to note that Hawthorne Boulevard has a great deal of “curb extensions” where the sidewalk area extends into the street at corners and bus stops. These will remain in place, meaning we can’t repurpose on-street parking spaces for any kind of continuous travel lane.

Planning Documents, Materials & Information

Project reports

A report summarizing the evaluation of street design alternatives is available below. The evaluation, developed based on community feedback, considers the benefits and impacts of each alternative related to the project’s goals of improving safety, supporting Hawthorne’s Main Street function and helping people get to destinations there, and connecting people to other parts of the city. 

You can view the report here:

Thanks to everyone that took the online survey about the evaluation report. We are reviewing the feedback and will share the results and a final recommendation in the near future.

The Mid-Project Report provides a summary of background information, existing conditions, and results from community input. It also describes the alternatives we evaluated:

Review the Safety Summary:

View the informational boards that were displayed at the March 2020 open houses:

Check out suggestions that PBOT has heard from the community during our Jan/Feb/Mar 2020 outreach events:

Scroll through the presentation about Hawthorne's Pave and Paint project from the March 2020 open houses