A runner takes advantage of the new path. View is looking north onto NE 72nd Drive from NE Tillamook. (Photos: Jonathan Maus/BikePortland)
PBOT graphic.
After its first iteration was destroyed by driving advocates, the newly hardened carfree path through Rose City Golf Course (built as a key section of the 70s Neighborhood Greenway project) has survived for a few weeks. Given that it’s now made of concrete poured onto the ground and in the form of multi-ton barriers, it would take a mighty effort to remove it.
I took a closer look at the project yesterday and experienced the anger some folks in the neighborhood feel about the project first-hand.
While I was standing in the golf course parking lot taking video and photos, a full-sized Chevy pickup rumbled toward me (you can see the truck in a photo in the gallery below). I ignored it at first, then a window came down and I heard yelling in my direction. I bent over and peered into the rolled-down passenger-side window to pay attention to what an older mas was saying to me. I felt his anger and hatred immediately — even though we exchanged no small talk. He didn’t ask me any questions or try to understand what I was doing out there. He just went right into tirade-mode: “You have nothing better to do with your time than film people going up this hill?!! You’re a bike Nazi! I bet you got beat up in high school!” It was all so random and strange, yet I understood exactly what was going on (I’m well-aware how our society has become tremendously tribalist and divided). I actually felt bad for the guy. I barely replied. Just looked at him with a shocked face. “I’m just documenting the infrastructure!” I replied. “The infrastructure? Yeah it’s really messing things up for everyone who lives up on the hill! I’m glad you got beat up in high school! You bike Nazi!!”
Looking northeast from golf course parking lot. I didn’t realize it at the time, but inside that truck is the dude who yelled at me.
This man — who’s probably someone’s loving grandpa, friend, and well-loved community member in other circles; yet has nothing but blind hate for a middle-aged stranger in a puffy jacket standing in a parking lot doing his job (note that I didn’t film at all) — then sped away, squealing his back tires and recklessly exiting the parking lot of the Rose City Golf Course.
This is now the city we live in. Where PBOT does a project to establish a safe street that requires drivers to alter their routes and some people get so mad they destroy the infrastructure, scrawl “F*** PBOT” graffiti nearby, and then verbally assault someone they don’t know. Sigh. And no, I didn’t get it on video because it could have escalated the situation and I didn’t want the man to feel antagonized. As it was, if he ever reflects back on that moment, I hope he recalls that I was absolutely shocked at his behavior and that I was calm and nice to him in response.
OK, back to the project…
Looking south toward NE Tillamook.
Looking west into golf course parking lot.
Looking north toward NE Sacramento.
Looking north toward NE Sacramento.
Looking south toward NE Tillamook.
Looking north. Note two marks where old sign was once installed.
Looking east from golf course parking lot.
Looking east from parking lot.
People drive through this median to go northbound.
Rider using the new path.
Looking northeast from parking lot.
Looking north from Tillamook.As I shared last month, the new installation includes three Jersey barriers: one to block drivers from exiting the golf course parking lot, and two to block drivers from going north on NE 72nd Drive from NE Tillamook. There are also four long sections of low-profile concrete curbs and two speed bumps. Unfortunately, because it’s still physically and geometrically possible for a driver to fit their car into the northbound lane, many people still drive north (see video below). It’s truly astounding how otherwise upstanding people will choose to blatantly disregard laws meant to protect people just for their convenience. We should never normalize that!
I was only there for a few minutes and saw one driver exit the golf course parking lot through the enter-only lane, then drive north — in the wrong way in the southbound lane (video below). I also talked to a bike rider who said he uses this stretch of 72nd Drive often and says drivers still drive north. I also noticed deep tire tracks in a planted median that separates the parking lot from NE 72nd Drive. It’s clear people are driving northbound from the lot, then crossing over a gap in the concrete curbs as soon as possible. It appears that the Portland Bureau of Transportation will have to install a continuous barrier along the entire easternmost lane of NE 72nd through the golf course if we want to keep drivers out of the carfree path.
This driver is disobeying signage and barricades to drive the wrong way through Rose City Golf Course.
There is also standard and ample signage that makes it clear no turns are allowed onto the northbound lane that the lane is closed to drivers, and so on. But alas, like many other locations throughout Portland, the only way to stop some drivers from breaking the law is to make it geometrically impossible and/or to have a conspicuous law enforcement presence 24/7. It’s pretty sad that so many drivers behave like entitled little toddlers and we have to essentially baby-proof our infrastructure to make sure they don’t hurt themselves or others. Grow up people! Life in a city requires you to defer your selfishness and sense of entitlement to others so that we can all exist safely.
I didn’t want to make this an op-ed, but folks leave me no choice. Back to the project itself…
The good news is that the current design is a huge step above what was there initially. I saw many people out walking and jogging, and it was a dreary, cold, drizzly night. When the sun comes out, this new path will be poppin’! I hope we don’t have to rely on human traffic to reinforce the rules for drivers and that either PBOT returns to make it even more robust and/or these miscreant drivers exchange their pettiness for precaution and find a different way around.
Maybe we should plan some events to activate the new path even more. Let’s set up a temporary mini-golf course in the street!
Have you used this yet by bike, on foot, or in your car? Let us know how it’s working — or not — for you.
Video below posted to our Instagram today:
