Portland, Ore. (Dec. 23, 2024)—The historic investment in Portland’s 82nd Avenue corridor was made official this month with the adoption of the Better 82nd Avenue plan on Dec. 4 by Portland City Council. Less than two weeks later, on Dec. 18., the Council allocated $55.5M to investments on 82nd Avenue – focusing on bus rapid transit, sidewalks and pedestrian crossings with funding from the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund (PCEF). This funding fulfills the City’s commitment to invest in 82nd Avenue as part of the 2022 transfer of ownership of the roadway from the Oregon Department of Transportation. With this action, the City has now exceeded its promised $35M funding commitment to 82nd Avenue.
“I am pleased to fulfill a commitment that I made to the people who work, live, play and worship along 82nd Avenue before I leave office,” said Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. “This generational investment in sidewalks, crossings and transit is exactly the kind of work the Portland Clean Energy Community Benefits Fund enables the City to make to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve quality of life for Portlanders.”
The PCEF Collaborating for Climate Action package provides $300 million for eight large-scale initiatives that will reduce carbon emissions, improve infrastructure and create local economic opportunities in energy efficiency, construction and renewable energy. The PCEF funding was requested by TriMet in partnership with the 82nd Avenue Community Coalition to support infrastructure for Bus Rapid Transit, workforce development and corridor-cooling elements along seven miles of 82nd Avenue from Southeast Clatsop Street to the Northeast Cully neighborhood.
In 2022, the City of Portland agreed to assume ownership of 82nd Avenue from the state of Oregon. To support transfer, the state agreed to provide the City with $150M to improve 82nd Avenue. The City agreed to invest an additional $35M in local funds, which the City has now far exceeded, bringing the total programmed investment in 82nd Avenue to $208M.
“This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform 82nd Avenue,” said Deputy City Administrator of Public Works Priya Dhanapal. “I’m thrilled that we can make this investment to better serve some of the most ethnically and racially diverse neighborhoods in Oregon. This investment underscores our commitment to equitable development and climate resilience in these vibrant communities.”
“I am so proud of the work that Portland Bureau of Transportation staff have done to advance projects on 82nd Avenue in record time. Their work with regional and federal partners to secure the funding necessary to meet community needs on 82nd Avenue speaks to our commitment to meeting our obligations and to advancing community priorities,” said Millicent Williams, director of the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT).
PBOT began making improvements to the corridor in 2023. Since construction began, PBOT has upgraded street lighting throughout the 7-mile corridor, including 245 streetlights and 54 new street light poles. The bureau has also upgraded 52 corner ramps to the latest Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards and improved signal timing and operations at 29 existing traffic signals. Four new speed and intersection safety cameras have been installed and are operating on the corridor. Seven signalized bike and pedestrian crossings are complete or nearing completion and the paving of two miles of 82nd Avenue will be complete by the end of 2026. Additional information about the transportation improvements coming through PBOT’s can be found on their Building a Better 82nd webpage.
Press Release from the City of Portland December 23, 2024