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lune 22. 2011
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The Week ¡n Review
Page 3
Fred Meyer
What's on your list today?.
page 2
S t . J ohns
NEIGHBORHOOD
O pinion
page 7
pages 8-9
Cully Finally Has Sidewalks
Underserved
community
celebrates road
completion
M ETRO
pages 13
Arts
' V
fNlfCI
IMIIIIIVMIM
pages 15-17
H ealth
pages 18-19
C lassifieds
page 20
R eligion
page 21
J une C alendar
F ood
page 24
page 23
As a way to spur community
investment, the Portland Bureau of
Transportation this month com­
pleted new updates to Cully Boule­
vard in Northeast Portland as part of
their green street project committed
to
im p ro v in g
h isto ric a lly
underserved communities.
Portland M ayor Sam Adams
joined other officials, area residents
and business leaders to celebrate
the completion of the state-of-the-
art Cully rebuild from Killingsworth
to Prescott streets, where they were
joined by Matthew Garrett, director
of the Oregon Department of Trans­
portation, to see the wide sidewalks,
separated bikeway, efficient street
lights, and landscaped planters
along what was once a crumbling
street.
“The progress that has been made
in one year is jaw-dropping,” Adams
said. “The green street will make
Cully safer, increase property val­
ues, encourage commerce to move
here, and further inspire the commu­
nity to invest in itself.”
photo by M indy C ooper /T he P ortland O bserved
The Boulevard Green Street Northeast Cully Boulevard, from Killingsworth to Prescott streets,
Project was finished in less than one has new curbs, wide sidewalks and a path for bicycle traffic
year, which was two months ahead thanks to a major community investment in a historically
of schedule.
underserved community.
“We have here an example of
how investing in even the most basic abilities Act curb ramps narrow the only problem is it takes forevei
transportation investments - a solid crossings and make the street wheel­ now.”
street, sidewalks and bikeways - chair accessible.
Charlie Leggett, who has lived in
can transform an area and promote
Garrett said the project makes the the neighborhood for 24 years, said.
more active transportation and sup­ neighborhood both safer and more “The only thing I don’t like is traffic
port local businesses,” said Garrett. accessible whether you travel by is going a lot faster now.” While the
The owner of the 7-11 store at bike, by foot, car or bus.
roads are paved, and the bike lane is
Cully and 60th Avenue, Rizwan-
Haq, whose store is located right wider, he said there are more speed­
Haq said the improvements have by the new traffic light, which re­ ing cars. “I always complained be­
drastically increased the amount of placed a five stop blinking light, cause the highway seemed danger­
traffic in his store.
agrees. “The amount o f car and bike ous before, but now, they are going
“Before sales were down,” he accidents have also gone down,” so fast, they just swish on through,”
said. “And now my sales are in­ he said. Now, however, he said there said Leggett.
creasing $20,000 per month, start­ is a need for cameras with automatic
The project received crucial
ing after the light was put in.”
sensors.”
early support from the M etro
The improvements to Cully re­
Ubi Baldwin, 24, who rides his Council and the Joint Policy Ad­
duce road and pedestrian conflicts bike frequently, said, “It is a little visory Com m ittee on T ransporta­
and improve visibility and safety less hectic now. Before it was go if tion, a regional body that controls
among travelers through separate you dare.”
federal transportation money in
sidewalks, bikeways, and street
“They made bike lanes that are the Portland area. The council and
spaces and with an additional traffic pretty cool, because no cars can JPACT approved $2.4 m illion in
signal. New street comers with curb park in the bike lane” said his 20-
continued
on page 6
extensions and Americans with Dis- year-old brother Sam Baldwin. “But