Better Block PDX's Boris Kaganovich (second from right) orients Portland Mayor Charlie Hales (left) to his organization's Third Avenue project in October.
Two months after all-volunteer Better Block PDX reimagined Third Avenue in Portland’s Old Town neighborhood with temporary safety improvements that prioritized pedestrians and cyclists, the Portland Bureau of Transportation has announced that it has allocated $10,000 to make some of the requested improvements permanent.
In October, with support from Metro's Regional Travel Options program, Better Block PDX temporarily transformed three blocks of Third Avenue from a busy car thoroughfare into a human-centered route with a protected bike lane, crosswalks and additional public space.
PBOT is proposing to add paint to 14 unmarked crosswalks on NW Second, Third and Fourth Avenues between Burnside and Glisan Streets.
Kari Schlosshauer, one of the organizers behind Better Block PDX, is pleased that the project has highlighted the need for quick, inexpensive fixes that can create safer and more welcoming public spaces.
“The idea behind Better Block is to trial low-cost and easy-to-implement ideas for re-creating our streets to become inviting and interactive places, and to challenge the notion that our streets are only for cars, especially where there is excess or unused space,” Schlosshauer said.
Learn more about Metro's travel options grants