The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) began its multi-year effort to bring urgent safety and maintenance repairs to 82nd Avenue with the installation of new speed reader boards and traffic signal controllers on the 7-mile corridor. These initial investments come just six months after the ownership of the corridor transferred from the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to PBOT and are informed by a decade of community planning and advocacy.

The speed reader boards alert drivers to “Slow Down” while providing real-time feedback on how fast they’re driving. PBOT deployed one speed reader sign north and south of McDaniel High School, just as people are approaching the school.

More safety improvements are expected as PBOT begins its work on the Critical Fixes: Signal Timing Improvements Project. The installation of new traffic signal controllers replaces the 20-year-old “brains of the intersections.” The newly-installed signals provide a major upgrade and bring PBOT's signal technology up to modern standards. The new Advanced Transportation Controllers allow PBOT to interconnect its signal timing adjustments and high-speed fiber optic communications. With this technology in place, PBOT will make efforts to reduce opportunities for drivers to speed through multiple signals. Additionally, PBOT will remotely monitor performance in real-time and shorten overall wait time for all people traveling Tat traffic signals. B-roll video of PBOT crews installing the Advanced Transportation Controllers is available to news media upon request.

In total, PBOT expects this technology to be installed at 18 intersections on 82nd Avenue, with the majority of the installations occurring later this week.

This new equipment will enable PBOT to implement pedestrian head start signals at several locations throughout the corridor. A pedestrian head start is a signal timing strategy that improves the safety and visibility of pedestrians by giving pedestrians a walk signal several seconds before vehicles are given a green light.

As part of 82nd Avenue Critical Fixes, PBOT will improve safety for those moving along and across the corridor. Over the next several years, PBOT and ODOT will add a total of 17 new or upgraded crossings of 82nd Avenue to improve safety and fill many of the existing crossing gaps. As these 17 new crossings are installed, PBOT will update its traffic signal system to prioritize safety for all road users. Visit the Critical Fixes website for a full list of planned crossing and traffic signal locations.

Source: Portland Bureau of Transportation

Mark Mason