Multnomah County starts safety upgrades on 250th Avenue; council and residents raise freight and maintenance concerns

Multnomah County officials told the Troutdale City Council on March 11 that construction on the 250th Avenue SE corridor safety improvements begins this week and will continue through late 2025, with some signal and lighting elements becoming operational later.

The county presentation, led by public information officer Sarah Hurwitz and project manager Steven McWilliams, described a roughly $8,000,000 design-and-construction program that covers the corridor from Sturgis Drive to Stark Street. Planned work includes pedestrian safety upgrades (two pedestrian hybrid/HAWK crossings), new bike boxes and bike infrastructure, ADA upgrades to bus stops, electrical/lighting replacement with new aluminum poles, pavement rehabilitation (slurry seal and grind/overlay), and intersection/signal improvements. County staff emphasized the corridor carries about 18,000 vehicles per day and that keeping traffic moving through the multimodal route guided phasing and traffic-control decisions.

Why it matters

250th Avenue is a primary north–south arterial through Troutdale and carries a high share of trucks and buses; county staff said about 40% of traffic is heavy vehicles. The project is intended to reduce collisions and improve walking and biking access, but councilors and many residents questioned whether narrowing vehicle lanes to provide protected bike buffers is appropriate on a freight route, and they asked how the county will monitor safety, congestion and maintenance after construction.

Key details from the county

- Cost and funding: McWilliams said the overall design-and-construction cost is approximately $8,000,000. Grants and outside funds cited by Hurwitz include $45,000 for green bike boxes and $600,000 from a mid‑county lighting district for new aluminum lighting.

- Phasing and schedule: County engineers described a west-side first phase (between Sturgis and Stark), then east-side work, followed by center-lane improvements for pedestrian crossing islands and lighting north of Sturgis. Most construction activities are scheduled through the end of 2025; long‑lead items such as signal poles may not be fully operational until late 2025. Typical working hours will be 7 a.m.–5 p.m. Monday–Friday; some night and weekend work is possible for high‑impact items like paving.

- Traffic control and impacts: Crews will keep the road open at all times but will use lane shifts, single‑lane closures under flagging, and median lanes to provide safe work zones. The county said it will limit major traffic control during peak hours where possible and that school coordination and targeted outreach to Reynolds High School are already under way.

Council and community concerns

Councilors and residents raised repeated concerns about three subjects: (1) narrowing travel lanes on a freight corridor, (2) long‑term maintenance of bikeways and shoulders, and (3) how the county will measure and respond to negative safety or traffic outcomes.

- Freight and lane width: Councilor Glenn (recorded in the meeting transcript as “Glenn”) asked whether the lane reductions have precedents in Multnomah County; county staff said they were not aware of a similar county project and that the design is grounded in national standards. Councilors warned the city could become an unwitting “test case” and asked what contingency exists if crashes or truck–bike conflicts rise. The county said it will monitor conditions and that speed reduction is an explicit safety rationale.

- Maintenance of bike lanes: Several speakers, including downtown business owners and community members, said existing bike lanes on 250th are often clogged with gravel and vegetation and not regularly swept; they asked who will keep new separated facilities clean. County staff acknowledged maintenance gaps and said the issue is largely a maintenance-resourcing question for highway and city crews; the county said it will relay concerns and coordinate with local maintenance operations.

- Traffic modeling and intersections: Councilors asked about specific intersections (for example 20th/6th vs. 20th/8th in the county presentation) and whether enhanced crossings or additional left-turn signals were warranted. The county said choices reflected warrants, pedestrian crossing patterns and the avoidance of creating a fully signalized four‑way intersection where not justified.

Public comment and neighborhood feedback

Residents raised local street conditions and safety on nearby Buxton Avenue and asked the county to coordinate schedules so multiple major projects (Buxton, Stark Street work and 250th improvements) do not coincide. Several residents suggested operational changes such as flashing left‑turn arrows at specific intersections and asked for regular updates. A number of speakers praised recent Stark Street improvements while urging the county to finish Buxton repairs quickly.

What the county will do next

County staff said they will proceed into construction, continue targeted outreach (school communications, postcards and on‑site message boards), and provide frequent construction updates and signup information for residents. The county also affirmed it will attempt to minimize peak‑hour lane impacts and that the contractor has agreed to provide its own neighborhood flyer distribution.

No formal action by the Troutdale City Council was taken on the project at the March 11 meeting.

Ending

Construction activity is set to begin immediately with lane shifts and limited closures; the county said it expected most concrete work and curb/sidewalk work to be completed by late summer 2025 and full pedestrian operation to follow as long‑lead signal and lighting equipment arrives later in the year.