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WHEREAS, on May 23, 2019, City Council adopted the 2019 82^nd Avenue Plan which focused on recommended safety improvements to help remove 82nd Ave from the Vision Zero High Crash Corridor network; and

WHEREAS, 82nd Avenue is an important transportation route which connects neighborhoods and provides access to essential services; and

WHEREAS, the 82^nd Avenue corridor has aging infrastructure, gaps and deficiencies in the bicycle and pedestrian network, and inconsistent travel times for all modes that result in loss of life, mobility, access, and economic output; and

WHEREAS, Over the 10-year time period from 2012-2021, there were 14 traffic fatalities and 122 people seriously injured in crashes on 82nd Avenue within the City of Portland; and

WHEREAS, on June 1, 2022, the state transferred ownership of 82nd Avenue, from NE Lombard Street to SE Clatsop Street to the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT). With that transfer, ODOT agreed to invest $150 million in 82^nd Avenue to enhance safety, asset condition, mobility, and access to community destinations in alignment with city transportation policy; and

WHEREAS, PBOT moved forward to invest the first $80M in critical asset condition and safety projects with projects completed by December 31, 2026, and complete Building a Better 82^nd Avenue Plan to assess transportation and community needs, and strategies to address those needs; and

WHEREAS, Building a Better 82^nd Avenue plan formalizes a vision for the future of 82^nd Avenue and associated investments to improve safety and maintenance for the street. 

WHEREAS, 82^nd Avenue is identified as a High Crash Corridors in the Vision Zero Action Plan, a plan adopted by City Council on December 1, 2016, with a goal of eliminating deaths by the year 2025; and

WHEREAS, Building a Better 82^nd Avenue plan was developed by the PBOT in cooperation with other City bureaus and with participation from property owners, residents, business owners, and other interested community members; and

WHEREAS, PBOT coordinated and refined the Building a Better 82^nd Avenue plan recommendations with involvement from Portland Parks & Recreation, Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, Prosper Portland, Metro, TriMet, and other relevant city Bureaus and government agencies; and

WHEREAS, extensive public involvement has included seven Community Advisory Group meetings, three online open houses, five well-attended open houses, community walks, focus groups with underrepresented communities, tabling events, and involvement of neighborhood and business association representatives; and

WHEREAS, Building a Better 82^nd Avenue plan supports access for pedestrians and bicyclists by providing improved crossings and completing facilities for walking and biking on designated streets within and to activity centers, consistent with the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030 and PedPDX; and            

WHEREAS, Building a Better 82^nd Avenue plan prioritizes active transportation and transit projects within and connecting to an equity focus area within the project area that has higher than average concentrations of low-income households, people of color, renters, and households that do not own a car; and

WHEREAS, Building a Better 82^nd Avenue plan prioritizes these projects and programs to help city staff and stakeholders focus their efforts effectively.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City of Portland adopts Building a Better 82^nd Avenue plan and its recommendations as Non-Binding City Policy attached as Exhibit A; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Building a Better 82^nd Avenue plan will serve as a guiding strategy for the development of transportation infrastructure on 82^nd Avenue; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that City Council directs staff to apply innovative facility design solutions featured in Building a Better 82^nd Avenue plan aimed at meeting community needs at reduced expense; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that City Council directs staff to advance project development for improvements on 82^nd Avenue; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that City Council directs staff to advance a project development to implementing parallel and connecting bike network improvements in the 82^nd Avenue corridor; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that City Council directs staff to advance the equity goals in Portland’s Citywide Racial Equity Goals & Strategies in the implementation Building a Better 82^nd Avenue plan improvements; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that City Council directs staff to continue working with TriMet and Metro partners to advance the 82^nd Avenue Transit Project; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that City Council directs staff to continue working with communities connected to 82^nd Avenue throughout the project development and design phases; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that City Council directs staff to work with Prosper Portland to advance anti-displacement actions funded by the newly established Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts, which include two districts along 82nd Avenue; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Council gratefully acknowledges the excellent work and dedication of the Building a Better 82^nd Avenue Community Advisory Group in the development of this plan.