Foster Streetscape Draft Plan available for review
After almost 2 years of work by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee, City staff, and community groups, the Foster Streetscape Draft Plan is available for review. Several members of the Foster-Powell Neighborhood Association served on the SAC, and the FPNA has endorsed the draft plan and proposal. The key changes include:
- Reducing travel lanes on Foster Rd from 4 lanes to 3 lanes (1 travel lane in each direction and a center turn lane)
- Adding bike lanes,
- Adding signalized crossings at several points along the road
- Some TriMet bus stops will be combined and additional facilities added.
The next step is adoption of the plan by City Council. We will keep you posted on when it is scheduled to go before them.
The original Foster Streetscape Plan was adopted by Council in 2003, but no funding was allocated to implement its recommendations. However, that changed in 2012.
From the PBOT web site:
“The 2003 Foster Road Transportation and Streetscape Plan was developed via a public process and outlined improvements for the street and sidewalk on Foster Road to improve safety and appearance of the street and support the people and businesses of the surrounding community, from SE 50th to SE 90th Avenues.
In early 2012 the City of Portland was awarded $1.25 million, as part of the 2012-15 Regional Flexible Fund Allocation, to implement many of the improvements identified in the plan related to safety and streetscape. The Portland Development Commission also set aside $2 million for this effort, bringing the total to $3.25 million. The Regional Flexible Funding application, with project locations and descriptions, can be downloaded by clicking here.
Since 2003, the City of Portland has adopted two plans that directly affect Foster Road: the Portland Streetcar System Concept Plan and the Portland Bicycle Plan for 2030. These plans call for adding both streetcar and bicycle infrastructure (e.g. bicycle lanes) on Foster Road sometime in the future.
This process will study cross section options that accommodate bicycle infrastructure, anticipate future streetcar as well as confirm and prioritize with stakeholders the safety and streetscape improvements identified in the Regional Flexible Fund grant. These elements will be incorporated into the update of the Foster Road Transportation and Streetscape Plan.”
Let us know your thoughts below.