Humphrey Bogart
and Lauren Bacall
star in the film noir
classic, “The Big
Sleep” – Page 7
New Food Front
grocery store director
shares insights
– Page 5
Jeff Strang of
Multnomah County
gives talk on aging
in place – Page 8
The Southwest Portland Post
Volume No. 26 Issue No. 1
www.swportlandpost.com
Portland, Oregon
Complimentary
November 2017
Residents spread gravel along goat path;
Capitol Highway planning continues
By Erik Vidstrand
The Southwest Portland Post
On Oct. 28, Southwest Trails PDX
and the Portland Bureau of Trans-
portation, dumped gravel along four
sections of Capitol Highway.
Community members brought
wheelbarrows and transported it
onto the uneven dirt trail which runs
parallel to the highway.
This route has been the only way
for pedestrians and strollers to travel
safely between neighbors, bus stops,
or to local grocery stores and shops.
Don Baack of Southwest Trails
helped facilitate the project with the
transportation bureau. There were
concerns from a few residents at the
September meeting of the Multnomah
Neighborhood Association that grav-
el wasn’t the best material for indi-
viduals with disabilities or visual
impairments.
“The route in its current condition is
even more dangerous for everyone,”
Baack said at the time. “Remember,
this is just a short-term fix until the
highway construction is completed.”
Subcommittee gets sneak peek at
30 percent design
Over the summer, the Portland Bu-
reau of Transportation and the Bureau
of Environmental Services have been
busy getting designs ready for im-
proving Southwest Capitol Highway.
A variety of events for the community
have been scheduled in November.
“I’m pleased to report that our sub-
committee will get a sneak peek of the
30 percent design at our next meeting
coming up on Tuesday, Nov. 21,” said
Chris Lyons, Capitol Highway sub-
committee chair of the Multnomah
Neighborhood Association. “The
meeting will be held from 6:30–8:30
p.m. in Room 7 at the Multnomah
Arts Center.”
The subcommittee will receive up-
dates from the two bureaus who are
working together on the project. They
will also present on a couple other
topics of interest to the group.
Transportation project manager
Steve Szigethy will show off project
designs, share cost estimates, and
discuss available funding sources.
Szigethy will also review highway
right-of-way and frontage impacts to
the residents along the route. He will
discuss outreach efforts and be avail-
able to answer questions.
Stormwater updates and designs
will be presented by Becky Tillson,
project manager for the Bureau of
Environmental Services. There have
been multiple issues with stormwater
runoff and floods from side streets
along Capitol Highway.
The total project cost has been re-
duced to approximately $11 million
for the one-mile segment between
Taylors Ferry Road and Garden Home
Road.
According to Lyons, the 2011 esti-
mate was around $19 million.
“Because of the latest design work,”
Lyons said, “it’s helped to bring the
cost down considerably since they
won’t be tearing up the whole road
to put pipes underneath it. The [cur-
rent] estimate is more like $10 – 12
million.”
Stormwater Stars Open House
slated for Nov. 4
Lyons also announced a Storm-
water Stars Open House and Yard
Computer app to report potholes, graffiti
and clogged storm drains
At the September meeting of the
Multnomah Neighborhood Associa-
tion, chair Martie Sucec explained a
new computer app to report prob-
lems in neighborhoods like potholes,
graffiti, and clogged storm drains.
Sucec stressed that the more peo-
ple who report problems, the better.
The app, PDX Reporter, forwards an
individual’s report as a dot on the
map, so the more individuals who
report a particular problem, the more
dots will accrue to that site.
“We’re hoping it just might get the
attention of the appropriate bureau,”
Sucec said. “A neighbor reported
that she and her neighbors got a
pothole filled on Southwest 26th
[Avenue] through their reports.”
The “New Report” screen is used
to document problem reports con-
cerning various City of Portland
infrastructures.
A complete report consists of a
photograph of the problem, a brief
description of the issue, report loca-
tion, and other details.
“At minimum, the report must
include a report type and location,”
said Sucec. “After filling the form
out, hit submit and it sends the report
to the city.”
The report also addresses aban-
doned automobiles, debris in the
roadways, illegal parking, sidewalk
trip hazards, work zone concerns,
and even vegetation grown over
sidewalks.
One can access the PDX Reporter
from any smart phone, tablet, lap-
top, or desktop computer at www.
pdxreporter.org. – Erik Vidstrand
Gravel was delivered by the Portland Bureau of Transportation for the "goat path"
along Southwest Capitol Highway on Oct. 28. Volunteers Josh Byler, Donna Jean
Paterson, and Chris Houghton use wheelbarrows to spread out the gravel and then
tamp it down. Don Baack of SW Trails organized the event. Nearly two dozen
neighbors helped out on the brilliant autumn day. (Post photo by Erik Vidstrand)
Tour to be held on Saturday, Nov. 4,
from 1–3 p.m. at the Hillsdale Library
(Southwest Sunset Boulevard and
Dewitt Street).
The open house begins at the library
with refreshments. Participants will
learn about best practices for reduc-
ing stormwater runoff, conserving
soil, installing native plants, and
mitigating damage from stormwater.
Attendees will then tour two near-
by yards that are past sites of “Storm-
water Stars” projects and hear from
neighbors who have implemented
stormwater management practices.
“The event is free and hosted by
the Southwest Watershed Resource
Center,” said Hillary Hunt, center
manager. “Rain or shine, we will meet
and hold the tour.”
Children are welcome and activity
books will be available. Contact Hunt
with questions at watershed@swni.
org or call her at 503-823-2862.
“Potential attendees should RSVP
at http://www.swni.org/watershed.
The Portland transportation and en-
vironmental service bureaus will hold
a Southwest Capitol Highway Project
open house on Wednesday, Nov. 29 from
6–8 p.m. in the Multnomah Arts Center
auditorium, 7688 SW Capitol Highway.
A presentation on the project design will
begin promptly at 6:30 p.m.
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