SW Multnomah Blvd / Garden Home Road Intersection Safety Project

Transportation

In Planning

The SW Multnomah Boulevard, Garden Home Road, and 69th Avenue intersection safety project seeks to reduce crashes, improve sight distance, address queueing issues, and provide safer, more comfortable pedestrian and bicycle access.

Dates to be determined

On this Page

What's happening now?

Due to the financial impact of COVID-19, the SW Multnomah Blvd / Garden Home Road intersection safety project has been put on hold until more funding can be secured. PBOT staff will consider low cost improvements while continuing to explore full funding options.

Project Background

The intersection of SW Garden Home Road, SW Multnomah Boulevard, and SW 69th Avenue is a complex intersection with a history of nearby crashes involving people walking, biking, and driving. In 2018 and 2019 PBOT staff and consultants from Brad Taylor Group conducted outreach to community members to gather input on design options for the intersection of SW Garden Home Road and SW Multnomah Boulevard. Two options were presented, a roundabout and a traffic signal. After considering several factors including cost and community input, PBOT staff planned to move ahead with the signal option. The goals of the project were to reduce crashes, improve sight distance, address queueing issues, and provide safer, more comfortable pedestrian and bicycle access.

SW Multnomah and Garden Home plan — Project design concept from 2019

The City of Portland partnered with Washington County to fund the project. Washington County agreed to provide $1 million to the project through their Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program (MSTIP). The City of Portland allocated $1 million in System Development Charge (SDC) funds and $200,000 of Transportation Development Tax funds specifically designated for areas where Washington County and Portland overlap. Cost estimates in 2019 exceeded the initial $2.2 million budget and more funding was still needed to complete the project.

During the Covid-19 pandemic SDC revenues fell significantly, and the project was put on hold. The City of Portland was not able to identify a new funding source to complete the project. Washington County removed their MSTIP funding for the project shortly after. The City of Portland now has $200,000 remaining from Transportation Development Tax funds to make safety improvements at the intersection.

Next Steps

With a much smaller budget of $200,000, PBOT staff will consider exploring low-cost solutions to improve safety at the intersection. Updates will be shared on this web page and through the project email list.