Project Information
In the Spring of 2022, the City of Portland was awarded a Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund Grant for the Red Electric Trail Design and Planning (for $750,000). The grant funds will complete 30% design drawings for the segment east of Alpenrose, from SW Shattuck to SW Cameron Road. The total segment is a little over half a mile, in addition to neighborhood pathways that will connect to it.
While grant funding (and this project) does not cover construction, the design drawings will be very helpful in allowing PP&R to advance construction of the designed trail in the future.
Early work this fall will include clearing of some vegetation and overgrown portions of this trail segment so that survey work can begin. This step is important in understanding the site and will create a foundation for the design work.
This project will focus on the Red Electric Trail segment from SW Shattuck Road to SW Cameron Road, which generally uses SW Fairvale Court, an undeveloped right-of-way.
A 2007 Red Electric Trail Alignment Study included a comprehensive public engagement process and resulted in a conceptual route for the entirety of the trail. This study will be a resource and starting point to guide the design work for this project.
Solicitation of the design team will happen this fall, and the design team will begin their work, including public engagement in 2023.
Project Updates
February 2023
The Red Electric Trail: East of Alpenrose project will result in the design and 30% construction documents for the western segment of the Red Electric Trail, from SW Shattuck Road to SW Cameron Road. The 30% construction documents phase aims to lay out the major design elements of the project and establish a cost and timeline.
Before we could start this process, the project team needed a clearer picture of the whole project area: its topography, trees, and connections. Beginning in mid-October, arborists under contract with PP&R cleared portions of understory, along with smaller dead, dying, and nuisance trees along the right-of-way that represents the future Red Electric Trail alignment.
It was necessary to remove some of the invasive brush and smaller nuisance trees for the surveyor crew’s ability to place and read equipment at distances, to map the physical conditions.
Arborists have finalized their clearing work and Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) survey crews will continue their work over the next few weeks to determine right-of-way boundaries, topography, and tree locations.
PP&R has awarded the contract for design and community engagement to Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc. (HHPR). The design process will begin in the Spring of 2023, and their work will include multiple touchpoints with the community, including walks and open houses.
October 2022
Notification of Closure:
The informal trail (part of the “Red Electric Trail”)located behind Pendleton Park and Hayhurst Elementary School will be closed during the following periods:
Please use alternate routes. * The only entry to Pendleton Park will be at SW 54th
Contractors with Portland Parks & Recreation will clear nuisance trees and hazardous under story limbs, deadwood, and vines. A survey crew will measure the area to help understand the site's topography and create a foundation for the trail's future design.
Background
The Red Electric was an interurban train route, running bright red passenger trains linking Forest Grove and Beaverton to southwest Portland, between 1914 and 1929.
Known for their bright red color, the Red Electrics was originally called the Portland Eugene and Eastern Railroad, the name was changed to Southern Pacific on July 1, 1915. Learn more about Red Electric History at PDXHistory.com
Red Electric Trail Today
Today, the remaining rights-of-way are envisioned as a major regional trail that connects the existing Fanno Creek Trail west of Alpenrose Dairy to the Willamette Greenway Trail in South Waterfront.
The Red Electric Trail is part of the Portland region’s 220 miles of regional trails. When completed, there will be 16 miles of safer, mostly off-road Red Electric trail between the Tualatin and Willamette Rivers.
Many sections of the trail have been designed and constructed, including a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge between SW Beaverton-Hillsdale Highway and SW Capitol Highway.
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If you would like to receive project updates, contact Odalis Perez-Crouse , at odalis.crouse@portlandoregon.gov to be added to the project e-mail list.