Transportation Engineering

Purpose

Create safe pedestrian and bicycle connections between the Clackamas Regional Center Max Green Line light rail station and major area employers and services by working with the community to identify and prioritize safe pedestrian and bicycle connections in the area.

Description

The Clackamas Regional Center is the hub of commercial development activity, employment and services in Clackamas County.  In September 2009, TriMet began providing light rail service to the area with the Green Line, which brought more pedestrians and cyclists.  The identification of barriers to pedestrians and bicyclists in the area is critical and necessary to improve the environment for people walking and cycling.

Outcomes

Recommend pedestrian and bicycle improvements and code amendments to:

• Increase transportation travel choices
• Identify more pedestrian and bicycle connections
• Create pedestrian / bicycle sign plan to provide way-finding

Project Area

Clackamas Regional Center area from Causey Avenue/I-205 west to Fuller Road, south to just south of Harmony Road, east past I-205 (including the area just south of Sunnybrook Boulevard) and SE 97th Avenue, and north to Sunnyside Road and Causey Avenue

Funding

The project is funded by a grant from the statewide Transportation and Growth Management (TGM) Program, through the Oregon Department of Transportation. 

Timeframe

February 2011 - June 2012

Team Leaders

Clackamas County and the Oregon Department of Transportation 

Public Involvement

The public is involved in a number of ways including through outreach to the Southgate, Sunnyside and North Clackamas Citizen Planning Organizations; a Project Advisory Committee; a Project Web Site; and briefings and public hearings before the Clackamas County Planning Commission and Board of Commissioners.

Major Tasks

• Create inventory and analyze potential improvements.
  • Map existing and planned trails, sidewalks and bikeway connections.
  • Inventory gaps in the existing system including unsafe or non-existent crossings.
  • Identify needed potential pedestrian and bicycle connections, with priority on the Max TriMet Green Line, to area businesses and services, including Clackamas Community College Harmony Campus, North Clackamas Aquatic Center, Clackamas Promenade, Kaiser Permanente, Willamette Falls Clinic, and other areas within the Clackamas Town Center and Eagle Landing mixed use developments.
  • Identify and assess needs associated with the I-205 multi-use path, and identified Active Transportation Corridor along King Road and Monroe Street between McLoughlin Boulevard and the I-205 multi-use path.
  • Prioritize pedestrian and bicycle connections needed to provide access to the Clackamas Regional Center.
• Review study area traffic data with the Oregon Department of Transportation.
• Create a sign plan to support way-finding for pedestrians and cyclists.
• Prepare zoning code amendments to help implement connections plan.
• Develop a list of pedestrian and bicycle improvement projects for adoption.

Project description: The asphalt concrete approaches at the Clear Creek Bridge will be repaired. The asphalt concrete at this bridge is in poor condition and needs repair. This location experiences heavy truck loads and relatively high speeds at the bridge. Repair of the approaches will provide safer movement of vehicles and have a smoother transition and less wearing impact to the existing bridge structure. Guardrail adjacent to the Clear Creek Bridge will also be replaced. In addition to the bridge approach work on Springwater Rd at the Clear Creek Bridge, Springwater Rd will be overlaid between the Clear Creek Bridge and the end of the project limits of the Clackamas River (S Springwater Rd) Carver Bridge.

Updated: 5/14/2019

Status: Completed

Schedule:

• Construction start: April 2019
• Construction complete: May 2019

Contact: Jonathan Hangartner, PE, Project Manager, jhangartner@clackamas.us, 503-742-4649

Funding:

• Project construction cost is $616,000.
• Funding is provided from Clackamas County Road Funds.

Construct 950 feet of pedestrian improvements — a multi-use pathway, new curb, sidewalk and sidewalk ADA ramps — adjacent to the west side of Candy Lane Elementary School on Portland Avenue between Hull Avenue and Jennings Avenue. The total project includes the design, engineering and construction of sidewalks and stormwater improvements, and new and updated signs.

Updated: 7/10/19

Current activities: Completed Oct. 2019.

Schedule: Construction is planned for June–Oct. 2019

Contact: Bob Knorr, Project Manager: rknorr@clackamas.us, 503-742-4680

Engineer: DOWL Engineering, Inc.

Contractor: D&D Concrete and Utilities, Inc.

Things to be aware of: This is a cooperative project with the County’s Housing and Community Development Division (HCD) and the Oregon City School District.

Funding:

• Estimated project cost is $500,000
• Funded through a Federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant, with matching funds coming from the county

Road and lane closures near you

These projects are in Clackamas County, where the county government has a role in the funding or the work. There may be additional road closures near you that are led by your city, your utility company, a private developer or another agency.

Please note this work is weather-dependent and the schedule may change.

The Oregon Department of Transportation TripCheck website provides roadside camera images and detailed information about Oregon road traffic.

Boring

• SE 347th Ave (Between Carpenter Ln and Bluff Road)
  • Duration: Sept 15 – 22, 2025
  • Traffic impacts: Daily road closure
  • Work hours: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
  • Reason: Paving
  • Emergency services/Local access: Yes
  • Contacts:
    • 24-hour contact: Darryl Umberger, 503-799-9594
    • For general project and permitting questions:
      - Primary: Bruce Brown – Clackamas County Development Inspector, bbrown@clackamas.us, 503-742-4691
      - Secondary: Patrick Doherty- Clackamas County Development Inspector, pdoherty@clackamas.us, 503-742-4691

Clackamas

• Johnson Road (Between Lake Road and Hwy 212)
  • Duration: Sept 8 – 12, 2025
  • Traffic impacts: Daily road closure
  • Work hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Reason: Sewer replacement
  • Emergency services/Local access: No
  • Contacts:
    • 24-hour Contact: Peter Zagaryuk – VZ Excavation LLC, vzexcavation@gmail.com, 503-816-1219
    • For general project and permitting questions: Dillon Hagaman- Clackamas County Inspector, dhagaman@clackamas.us, 971-940-8731

Gladstone, Oregon City, West Linn

• I-205 (between Stafford Road and OR 213)
  • Duration: Through 2025
  • Traffic impacts: Full weekend, nighttime directional closures and on- and off-ramp width restrictions. Full nighttime freeway closures later in the construction process, anticipated in 2024.  Detours for I-205 northbound and southbound travelers and those traveling to local destinations in and around Oregon City and West Linn during freeway closures.
  • Reason: Earthquake-ready improvements to the Abernethy Bridge; removing the current I-205 northbound on-ramp from OR 43 and replacing it with a roundabout; realigning or widening the on- and off-ramps at OR 99E; improvements for people who walk and bike on OR 43, Clackamette Drive and OR 99E; sound wall near the southbound lanes of I-205 at exit 9; widening I-205 to allow a third travel lane in each direction.
  • Emergency services/Local access: Yes  
  • Funding source: ODOT
  • Contact: 503-731-8276 or 205improvements@odot.state.or.us

Jennings Lodge

• SE Jennings Ave (between SE Oatfield Rd and SE Scrutton Ln)
  • Duration: July 9, 2025 - Aug. 18, 2025
  • Traffic impacts: Daily road closure
  • Work hours: 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Reason: Road improvements
  • Emergency services/Local access: Yes
    • -The work zone will be OPEN to local traffic only between Mcloughlin Blvd and SE Scrutton Ln
      -The work zone will be CLOSED to all traffic, including emergency vehicles, between SE Oatfield Road and SE Scrutton Ln
  • Funding source: County road fund
  • Contacts:
    • 24 hour: Nick Hill- Emery & Sons Construction, nick.hill@emeryandsons.com, 503-428-4308
    • Clackamas County: Stan Monte, 503-742-4678 or stanmon@clackamas.us

Milwaukie

• SE Cason Rd (Between SE Strawberry Lane and SE Webster Rd.)
  • Duration: Aug. 15 – Sept. 19
  • Traffic impacts: Daytime road closure
  • Work hours: This is a daytime closure occurring during the hours of 7 a.m. – 3 p.m. and will reopen each night.
  • Reason: Relocation of a waterline
  • Emergency services/Local access: Yes
  • Funding source: NA
  • Contacts:
    • 24-hour Contact: Nathan Seaver – WES, 503-679-5709 or nseaver@clackamas.us
    • For general project and permitting questions: Jason Gomez, 971-930-6297 or jgomez@clackamas.us
       

Oregon City

• S Warnock Road (at Beaver Creek)
  • Duration: Oct. 29, 2021 - Aug. 31, 2026  
  • Traffic impacts: Road closure 24/7  
  • Work hours: 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
  • Reason: Culvert failure. Applied for permits. Expect construction in summer 2026.
  • Emergency services/Local access: Yes  
  • Funding source: County Road Fund
  • Contact: Stan Monte, 503-742-4678 or stanmon@clackamas.us

Rhododendron

• Tigerlilly Road (Between Woodlands Dr to dead end)
  • Duration: Sept 8 – 11, 2025
  • Traffic impacts: Daily road closure
  • Work hours: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
  • Reason: Waterline replacement
  • Emergency services/Local access: No
  • Contacts:
    • 24-hour contact: David Jaob Hydra Engineering, hydraengineering@yahoo.com, 503-310-9262
    • For general project and permitting questions: Brandon Paullin Clackamas County Inspector, bpaullin@clackamas.us, 503-867-6016

The street lighting district includes the City of Happy Valley and all of unincorporated Clackamas County. Street lights are required for all development inside the Metro Urban Growth Boundary (UGB), although lights have been installed outside this boundary in some cases.

Determine if your address is within the boundary. Enter your address and look in the “Utilities & Districts” section.

District funding

We contract with PGE to design, install, maintain and operate street lights within the district. PGE then bills the county for this service based on tariff rates set by the Oregon Public Utility Commission. These costs are passed on to those served by the district as a special assessment on their property tax statements. Street lighting services are funded by these special assessments.

Ordinance

Street lighting is required for all development within the district by the Zoning and Development Ordinance (Section 1006). Established neighborhoods can request lighting through a petition process.

Reporting a problem

Report street light outage and other repair problems directly to PGE.

Calling in a repair

When calling in a repair, please give the following information:

• your name and phone number (in case there is a problem identifying the location of the light)
• the specific street address nearest the light
• the specific nature of the problem: burned out, always on, cycles on and off, etc.

Please mention if you have called in this repair before.

Requesting street lights

Property owners can petition for street lights to be installed in established neighborhoods. When we install new lights, we light a stretch of street — from intersection to intersection — rather than putting in individual lights here and there because even lighting is a safety feature that enhances visibility for motorists. Utility poles suitable to supporting street lights must exist along the street to install new street lighting.

A majority of benefiting property owners must sign the petition in order to be considered.

We will prepare a petition package for you and your neighborhood is interested. The package includes:

• petition document
• list of area property owners
• map
• yearly cost information for property owners

Please call 503-742-4657 with street lighting requests or questions.

The scope of this project is to install a traffic signal at the intersection of Highway 224 and Springwater Road to improve operation and safety at this intersection.

Updated: 2/26/19

Status: Project completed Jan. 29, 2019.

Schedule: Completed

Contact: Stan Monte, Project Manager, stanmon@clackamas.us, 503-742-4678

Consultant: Parametrix Engineering

Contractor: Northstar Electrical

Funding:

• The estimated cost is $835,000

You may be interested to know:

• The traffic signal was built by Clackamas County as an ODOT facility.
• Right-of-way acquisition provided by ODOT.

Project exhibits: Click on the image below to see a larger version. 

Aerial Photo

* Abbreviations used in the "Unit" column:
T.S.F.G.F.A. = Thousand Square Feet Gross Floor Area
T.S.F.G.L.A. = Thousand Square Feet Gross Leaseable Area
V.F.P. = Vehicle Fueling Position

2025 Art Contest Winners

The Clackamas County Safe Routes to School Program is pleased to announce the winners of the 7th annual Poster Art Contest. In Spring 2025, elementary, middle and high school students from across the county were invited to submit artwork based on one of the following themes:

1. Always be Visible
2. Always Wear a Helmet
3. Always Use Crosswalks
4. Always be Aware
5. Always Travel Safely

Entries included both drawings by hand and digitally-created artwork. Winners were based on creativity, clear originality, overall design and focus on safety.

See contest winners

Working with communities and schools to support safe walking, rolling and bicycling for k-12 students

SRTS program goals include: 

• Build program awareness and promote active transportation
• Expand bicycle, pedestrian, and driver education
• Collaborate with partners while evaluating the process

Upcoming activities and programs include: 

• Youth Bike Safety Day
• Walk and Roll encouragement activities
• Annual poster art contest
• Educational opportunities and funding information
• School action plan creations and updates

What is Safe Routes to School?

Safe Routes to School makes communities safer, healthier, and more fun by combining route improvements, traffic enforcement, safety education and activities to encourage students to walk or roll to schools. We work with communities and schools to build a comprehensive program using the "6 Es":

Equity

Assurance that all residents have access to and can take advantage of the resources provided through the program, including low-income and multi-cultural communities. See Metro Strategic plan to advance racial equity, diversity and inclusion.

Education

Community members can learn how to get safely to school, transportation options available and how to be safe walking, biking, and driving on our the roads.

• The Street Trust has information on bicycle and pedestrian safety education, as well as other programs such as the JumpStart bike fleet.

Engineering

Engineering addresses the physical environment around schools to create safe and accessible places for walking, biking and rolling.

• ODOT lists multiple program opportunities for infrastructure improvements.

Encouragement

Ongoing special events encourage parents and children to walk, bike, skate, scoot or roll to school. Some of the current programs include Walk to School Day and Bike to School Day. 

• Walk + Bike Challenge Day and Month are fun ways to celebrate actively getting to school.

Enforcement

Safer traffic conditions help parents feel comfortable about their children walking and biking to school. Enforcement can work to ensure traffic laws are obeyed around schools using various methods, including enforcing traffic violations, enforcing speed limits and yielding to pedestrians in crosswalks.

• AAA has School Safety Patrol membership information and descriptions of student, teacher and parent roles and the Oregon Department of Education provides information on the purpose and operations of traffic patrols and crossing guards at schools

Evaluation

In order to implement and build upon a SRTS program, data collection using various methods, such as parent surveys, student in-class tallies and other effective strategies, is important to help track trends and monitor program outcomes. Evaluation resources include:

• The National Center for SRTS has forms, data collection guidelines, data center and automatically-generated reports.

Get involved!

To learn more about how you can support Safe Routes to School, contact:

• Nicole Perry, Clackamas County SRTS Coordinator, at nicoleperry@thestreettrust.org
• Scott Hoelscher, Clackamas County Senior Transportation Planner at 503-742-4533 or scotthoe@clackamas.us

Completed Action Plans

• Bilquist Elementary
• Candy Lane Elementary
• Clackamas River Elementary
• Estacada Middle
• Gardiner Middle School
• Happy Valley Elementary
• Happy Valley Middle
• Mt Scott Elementary
• Oak Creek Elementary
• Oak Grove Elementary
• Oregon Trail Elementary
• Rex Putnam High School
• River Grove Elementary
• River Mill Elementary
• Sunnyside Elementary School
• Trost Elementary
• View Acres Elementary School
• Welches Elementary
• Whitcomb Elementary

Clackamas County Resources

• SRTS Program Handbook
• SRTS Tip Sheet - Be Safe Walking, Biking, & Driving in School Areas
  • English
  • Spanish/español
  • Russian/русский
• Final Report for 2016-2019 ODOT funded SRTS program 

Benefits

Healthy Living
Walking, biking, and rolling are great ways to get more physical activity.

Better Educational Achievement
Students who are active in the morning arrive at school focused and ready to learn.

Cleaner Air and Water
Walking, biking, and rolling are sustainable modes of transportation that don't produce air pollution.

Less Traffic
More students walking, biking and rolling to school means less congestion around schools, which is safer and healthier for everyone.

Increased Social Interactions
Walking, biking, and rolling get families outside and talking with their neighbors.

Cost-Effective
Walking, biking, and rolling are inexpensive ways to get around and require little upfront or maintenance costs.

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Other Resources

• National Center for Safe Routes to School
  Training opportunities, program materials, and tools for collecting data and can generate automatic reports.
• Safe Routes to School National Partnership
  Expertise, a national support network, and know-how to help make communities and schools safer, healthier, and more active.
• Oregon Safe Routes to School
  Information about different programs, resources, events, and funding opportunities.
• Safe Routes to School Pacific Northwest Regional Framework
  This regional government framework for SRTS provides an assessment of existing initiatives and recommended actions to make walking and biking to school easier across the Portland metropolitan area.
• The Street Trust
  An advocacy organization that promotes healthy and thriving communities where it is safe and easy for people to bike, walk and ride public transit with information about walk and bike events, curriculum, rules of the road, and safe streets advocacy opportunities.
• Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT)
  Information on grant opportunities for infrastructure and non-infrastructure programs.
• SMART Transit, Wilsonville
  City of Wilsonville effort to increase use of walking, biking, scootering, skating and transit (active transportation) for transportation to and from school at Wilsonville schools. 

Success Stories from Clackamas County

Bilquist Elementary and River Grove Elementary

Pedestrian education at Bilquist Elementary (North Clackamas School District) and River Grove Elementary (Lake Oswego School District) gave 150 second graders safety tips about managing themselves as walkers on the first day and then put that into practice on a community walk the second day.

Oak Creek Elementary

Oak Creek Elementary in the Lake Oswego School District held a bicycle safety event that included lessons about turning, spacing, shifting, and rider control. A mechanic was on hand to do bike checks and adjustments. The 12 student participants and several parent volunteers concluded the two-day workshop with a ride around the neighborhood.

Lot Whitcomb Elementary

In collaboration with Clackamas County and the neighborhood Community Planning Organization (CPO), Lot Whitcomb Elementary School in the North Clackamas School District developed a SRTS Action Plan in 2016. The Action Plan included priority infrastructure projects within the school walk zone and served as a basis to successfully apply for funding through the statewide infrastructure grant program established by Keep Oregon Moving (House Bill 2017). The new crosswalk at SE Fuller Rd and SE Causey Ave. was one of only 24 awards from 112 applicants from across the state during the first grant cycle in 2018.  

2025 Poster Contest Winners

The Clackamas County Safe Routes to School Program is pleased to announce the winners of the 7th annual Poster Art Contest. In Spring 2025, elementary, middle and high school students from across the county were invited to submit artwork based on one of the following themes:

1. Always be Visible
2. Always Wear a Helmet
3. Always Use Crosswalks
4. Always be Aware
5. Always Travel Safely

Entries included both drawings by hand and digitally-created artwork. Winners were based on creativity, clear originality, overall design and focus on safety.

Awards were given for each of four age groups: K–2, 3–5; 6–8 and 9-12 (1st place: $100 gift card, 2nd place: $50 gift card, 3rd place: $25 gift card).

Questions or more information
Contact Nicole Perry, Clackamas County SRTS Coordinator
503-936-6879
nicoleperry@thestreettrust.org

K-2 Grades

3-5 Grades

6-8 Grades

9-12 Grades

The asphalt concrete approaches at the Bull Run Truss Bridge will be repaired. The asphalt concrete at this bridge is in poor condition and needs repair. This location experiences heavy truck loads and relatively high speeds at the bridge. Repair of the approaches will provide safer movement of vehicles and have a smoother transition and less wearing impact to the existing bridge structure. 

Updated: 5/14/19

Status: Completed

Contact: Jonathan Hangartner, PE, Project Manager, jhangartner@clackamas.us, 503-742-4649

Funding:

• Project estimate is $160,000
• Funding is provided from Clackamas County Road Funds.

Reconstruct the north and south bridge approaches to the Carver Bridge that carries Springwater Road over the Clackamas River.

Updated: 6/12/19

Status: Completed May 25, 2019

Contact: Stan Monte, Project Manager, stanmon@clackamas.us or 503-742-4678

Contractor: Nutter Corporation