PBOT gears up for construction on SE Division from SE 80th to 174th avenues

Press Release
Division Street rendering at 85th
The Outer Division Safety Project will invest $11M in safety improvements for pedestrians, drivers and people on bikes on one of the most dangerous streets in Portland
Published
Fixing Our Streets logo

(Aug. 10, 2021) New street lighting, new traffic signals, protected bike lanes and more are coming to SE Division Street between SE 80th to 174th avenues as part of the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s (PBOT) Outer Division Safety Project. The $11 million project is the latest investment in one of Portland’s most dangerous corridors in the city where 22 people have died and more than 100 have been seriously injured in the last decade. SE Division Street ranks near the top for most dangerous Portland streets for people walking, bicycling, and traveling in motor vehicles.

An infographic showing the various safety elements being added to SE Division Street, including: Speed safety cameras, complete sidewalks, more street lights, safer crosswalks, raised center median, shorter crossing distances at crosswalks, protected bike lanes, safer speed limit (30 mph), and more marked crosswalks

 The Outer Division Safety Project will add numerous elements to support a safer street. Among them are a continuous raised center median on the corridor to address the street’s most frequent type of crash – turning crashes – which occur when people driving make left turns from SE Division onto and off of side streets and driveways.  The project will also add 11 new signalized crossings with new street lighting at all new crossing locations. New protected bike lanes will be fully integrated and coordinated across both PBOT’s Outer Division Safety Project and TriMet’s Division Transit Project and will follow the entire corridor, creating the longest protected bike lane corridor in Portland. New street trees will also be added where possible.

The Outer Division Safety Project is coordinated with TriMet’s Division Transit Project and many other projects on or crossing the corridor, including ODOT’s I-205 and Division project, and PBOT projects such as East Portland Access to Employment and Education and SE 136th Paving and Sidewalks to Opportunity.

Since 2009, the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) has been working with the community on outer SE Division Street to develop projects that improve safetyespecially for pedestriansincluding sidewalks, safer crossings, and more street lighting.

To date, PBOT has:

  • Permanently lowered the speed limit to 30 mph
  • Installed speed safety cameras and speed reader boards
  • Added street lighting
  • Filled in missing sections of sidewalk
  • New street lighting was added between SE 82nd and 92nd avenues in the Jade District and between SE 122nd and 130th avenues in the Division-Midway area in 2019.
  • Built several signalized pedestrian crossings near transit stops and in areas with a history of pedestrian crashes or other serious injury crashes through the bureau’s East Portland Active Transportation to Transit project
  • Updated ADA curb ramps

As PBOT moves ahead with construction, the team is focused on multilingual and multicultural outreach to one of Portland’s (and Oregon’s) most diverse neighborhoods. We have created videos explaining the project in multiple languages (see them on the project website: https://www.portland.gov/transportation/pbot-projects/construction/outer-division-safety-project-se-80th-174th-avenues) and are working with community partners to explain these improvements to area residents and businesses.

Funding for this project comes from the city's General Fund, Fixing Our Streets (the city's gas tax), Transportation System Development Charges, the cannabis tax, as well as funds from Oregon House Bill 2017. 

Community members are invited to a virtual construction open house on Thursday, August 12 from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Join project staff for a live Zoom presentation about the street changes and construction schedule, and to talk with transportation agency staff and the construction contractor. A meeting link is available on the Outer Division Safety Project website at www.portland.gov/transportation/Division. Project details and a sign up for email updates are also available on the project website.


Translation and interpretation

Traducción e Interpretación

Biên Dịch và Thông Dịch

अनुवादन तथा 􀃥या􀃉या

笔译和口译

Устный и письменный перевод

Turjumaad iyo Fasiraad

Письмовий і усний переклад

Traducere și interpretariat

Chiaku me Awewen Kapas

503-823-5185