October 2011
NEWS
The Southwest Portland Post • 7
Speed bumps also sought for Corbett Avenue and Garden Home Road
(Continued from Page 1)
many places, but it’s not appropri-
ate here,” he said.
Raisman replied, “I don’t dis-
agree, our preference is asphalt,
but if the funding falls short, we’ll
do what we can.” Raisman added,
“Only 70 percent of city streets have
sidewalks. Bringing the rest up to
standard would cost $1.5 billion.
“We’re concentrating on the ma-
jor streets like Barbur, 82 nd and
Glisan.” Maplewood was chosen
for improvements in part because of
its Safer Routes to School program,
Raisman said.
Miles Court resident Bill Mallon
argued that speed bumps weren’t
necessary on his part of the street.
“There’s not enough traffic to war-
rant it,” he said. “Other than oc-
casional UPS trucks, there isn’t a
problem.” Having to negotiate the
bumps daily would take a toll on
his car, he said.
Another Miles Court resident,
Greg Kuelgen, said, “I disagree.
Traffic goes very fast on the hill.”
Ronda Zakocs, active in the Safer
Routes to School program, said, “All
the speed bumps are on the routes of
our walking school buses (in which
children walk roped together and
accompanied by adults). The num-
ber one danger is lack of facilities.
We put ourselves in danger every
time we walk these routes.”
The Portland Bureau of Trans-
portation is also proposing speed
bumps along two other southwest
streets. In one case, neighbors are
solidly behind the idea and wish
they had more. In another, the
bumps have divided the commu-
nity.
In both cases, veteran transpor-
tation planner Will Stevens is in
charge. Last month he presented
plans to the South Portland Neigh-
borhood Association for plans for
seven bumps on Southwest Corbett
Avenue between Boundary and Ne-
braska streets. Here, Stevens said,
the average speed is more than five
miles per hour above the posted 25
miles per hour limit.
Stevens noted that 15 years ago
the City had installed curb exten-
sions and traffic islands on this part
of Corbett, “but it was not affecting
vehicular speeds the way we hoped
it would.”
Stevens and South Portland chair
Ken Love said last month’s presen-
tation was made because the City’s
notice of the project failed to specify
exactly where the bumps would be
placed, and some residents com-
plained about this.
With the exception of the notice
issue, residents greeted news of the
project enthusiastically. Some resi-
dents asked that the traffic calming
be extended northward to South-
west Hamilton Street; one woman
said that on this part of Corbett,
“Traffic goes really fast.”
Stevens said that it is now City
policy not to place curb extensions
on streets with a slope steeper than
eight percent, although an experi-
mental project on Marquam Hill
may in fact do so. Construction
could begin as early as October,
Stevens said.
Stevens and the City are also
proposing speed bumps for South-
west Garden Home Road between
Capitol Highway and 69 th Avenue.
Roger Averbeck is Ash Creek Neigh-
borhood Association chair and
Southwest Neighborhoods, Inc.
transportation committee chair.
According to Averbeck, the average
speed is 38 miles per hour while the
posted speed is 30.
According to Averbeck, there
have been 91 recorded crashes on
the street and one fatality, with
a concentration on and near the
Woods Creek area near Southwest
48 th Avenue.
However, Averbeck said, the Ash
Creek Association has never taken
a formal stand on the issue, and at
recent meetings there have been
“passionate feelings expressed on
both sides.”
Critics say the bumps could slow
emergency vehicle response times;
Garden Home Road is not a desig-
nated emergency response route
but, because of southwest’s “lack
of connectivity,” the street is used
for this purpose, Averbeck said.
Critics have also asked the City
to consider other safety measures,
Averbeck said.
The controversy started last sum-
mer when a City employee mis-
takenly started marking the street
for bump installation, creating the
impression that a decision on the
matter had already been made.
Averbeck said that before this can
happen, supporters would need to
gain the written consent of all own-
ers whose property either touches
the affected street or is located on
cul-de-sacs accessed by it. Even
then, Averbeck said, “Funding
may be available, but there’s no
guarantee.”
The Ash Creek Neighborhood
Association is scheduled to discuss
the issue at their meeting begin-
ning at 7 p.m. November 14 at the
Multnomah Center, 7688 SW Capi-
tol Highway.
Editor’s Note: The portion of the proposed
Garden Home Road speed bumps between
Capitol Highway and 45 th Avenue lies
within the boundaries of the Multnomah
neighborhood. At press time, Kay Durtschi,
Multnomah Neighborhood Association
transportation representative, said that
while the project had been discussed at the
last meeting, the neighborhood did not have
enough information to take a position.
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