Do you live near 82nd Avenue? Want to help make Portland’s 82nd Avenue a better place to live, work, and visit? The 82nd Avenue Improvement Coalition is looking for active residents just like you!

Interested residents are invited to the first Steering Committee meeting on October 24th at 7pm at the Lumberyard Bike Park (2700 NE 82nd Ave.).

Read the notice below from Brian Wong, Chairman of the 82nd Avenue Improvement Coalition:

 The 82nd Avenue Coalition is seeking community members to form a Steering Committee. This Steering Committee will meet monthly to actively work to make Portland’s 82nd Avenue a better place to live, work, and visit.

As you drive up and down the 82nd Avenue Boulevard, you will see construction of various sorts. We are thankful for the many organizations and partners that are working hard to make 82nd Avenue a better road.

At this point, both the State of Oregon and the City of Portland are studying 82nd Avenue to determine how to best shape the boulevard and where to focus resources. This work will begin to guide the design of communities along 82nd Avenue. In order to bring the visions forward from these studies, it will take changes to current policies and finding sources of funding.

There are two pieces of legislation that can help. We would like to begin by advocating for the passage of Senate Bill 117 (Establishes Task Force on Jurisdictional Transfers) and Senate Bill 326 (Highway Modernization Program); those bills will help create the governance and funding sources to allow for state highways to be turned over to local municipalities.

Additionally, we will need to further partner and work with City of Portland Commissioners to actively work on bringing forward concepts contained in the City of Portland Comprehensive Plan and Vision Zero program. The City Comprehensive Plan strives to promote transit and development projects that create vibrant communities that offer local access to goods and services needed in daily life. Vision Zero resolves to design street environments that eliminate death and serious injuries.

We are looking for community members that can see 82nd Avenue as a place where communities can develop that are connected, safe, and dynamic. Steering Committee Members will meet once a month, 7pm to 8pm. If you are interested, then we would invite you to our first Steering Committee meeting on October 24th, 7pm, Lumberyard Bike Park, 2700 NE 82nd Avenue.

If you have any questions, please contact us.

Thanks

Brian Wong
Chair, 82nd Avenue Improvement Coalition