$17 million from Metro flows into PBOT for four key projects

Help is on the way for this section of NE 122nd Ave.
(Photo: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) will accept nearly $17 million in project funding from Metro this week that will be spread around four major projects.

The money comes from federal grants distributed through Metro’s 2022-2024 Regional Flexible Funds Allocation process. These funds, which are available from the federal government and distributed by Metro every three years, are coveted by transportation agencies because they have wide discretion on how they can be spent.

PBOT applied for eight projects in 2019 and is poised to receive funding for four of them at City Council this Wednesday. Each one has a specific goal to improve conditions for biking, walking, and taking transit.

Take a look at the four projects below. And keep in mind, these grants won’t cover the entirety of any of the projects, so they’ll need to be supplemented with PBOT funding that will come from places like the Transportation System Development Charges (SDCs) and Fixing Our Streets funds.

NE 122nd Ave Safety & Access: Beech St – Wasco St

(Source: PBOT)

Total project cost: $6,491,000
Grant value: $4,543,700

The project is intended to improve safety and accessibility along NE 122nd Avenue between NE Beech Street and NE Wasco Street by constructing new enhanced and marked crossings on NE 122nd Ave, reconstructing curb ramps and adding lighting at intersections along the corridor.

Stark & Washington Safety: SE 92nd Ave – SE 109th Ave

Total project cost: $12,273,629
Grant value: $5,332,000

This project is intended to transform this area, which is currently on the high crash network, into a hub for people walking, biking and taking transit in East Portland. Safety improvements will include protected bike and bus lanes, transit islands and enhanced crossings.

NE Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Safety & Access to Transit

New crossing medians at Mason.

Southern half.

Total project cost: $4,723,000
Grant value: $2,623,000

This project will include pedestrian crossing improvements on NE Martin Luther King Boulevard at locations between Cook and Highland Streets and signal modifications at the intersections at NE Fremont Street and NE Killingsworth Street to add protected left turn phases.

NE MLK Jr Blvd is a hub for Portland’s Black community and this project was developed in partnership with the Soul District Business Association. PBOT is submitting phase 2 of this project, which will extend it from Fremont to Lombard Streets, to be funded in the 2025-2027 RFFA cycle.

(PBOT project page for Phase 1 of this project.)

N Willamette Blvd Active Transportation Corridor

Total project cost: $6,106,000
Grant value: $4,456,000

This project will enhance existing bike lanes along Willamette Boulevard from Rosa Parks Way to No Ida Avenue and extending bike lanes from Ida Avenue to Richmond Avenue and add intersection improvements for pedestrian safety and transit access.

As we wrote last year, this project will provide a crucial low-stress bikeway connection from St. Johns to the rest of the city, something that has been missing as Willamette Blvd’s current bike lane has dangerous gaps.

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PBOT Interim Communications Director Hannah Schafer says the projects still need some public outreach and design engineering and construction is set for 2025.

Taylor has been a BikePortland’s staff writer since November 2021. She has also written for Street Roots and Eugene Weekly. Contact her at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.