Another successful season of Better Naito will draw to a close on September 23, 2018. The seasonal protected space for people walking, biking and rolling is ending one week earlier than initially planned to accommodate Multnomah County’s Burnside Bridge Maintenance Project. The project will repair sections of the Burnside Bridge during September and October, including the sections that are above Naito Parkway as well as the bike lanes, sidewalks and driveways under the bridge.
Since 2015, Better Naito has provided a protected space for pedestrians and cyclists traveling along Governor Tom McCall Waterfront Park during its busiest season: summer. Every year the park hosts many of the region’s largest festivals, drawing almost 700,000 visitors during the spring and summer, and over 15,000 people on the busiest days. In 2017, cyclists took almost 400,000 one-way trips on Better Naito. Better Naito will return for another season in 2019, with the installation tentatively scheduled for the last weekend of April.
“Multnomah County has worked with its Burnside Bridge contractor, neighbors and PBOT to coordinate work on the bridge above Naito Parkway in September,” said Multnomah County Spokesperson Mike Pullen. “The schedule change minimizes impacts on the University of Oregon facility on the northwest side of the bridge and reduces costs and schedule impacts for the bridge repairs. We’re thankful for the City’s flexibility as we complete this important maintenance work.”
Signs informing the public of the closure and detour route will be installed in the coming weeks. The bollards delineating Better Naito from the adjacent northbound travel lane will be removed during the weekend of September 22-23.
Starting this week, the public will have a chance to weigh in on a permanent version of Better Naito - one of 18 projects under consideration in Central City in Motion project. The public is invited to share their priorities for Central City in Motion via online and in-person open houses this September.
Learn more about the next generation of transit, pedestrian, freight, and bicycle investments in Portland’s Central City at www.centralcityinmotion.com or in person at one of two open houses:
- Thursday, September 13, from 4:00 - 7:00 pm at PSU's Karl Miller Center located at 615 SW Harrison.
- Tuesday, September 18, from 4:00 to 7:00pm at the OMSI Auditorium located at 1945 SE Water Ave.
Source: City of Portland