Board concurs with staff to use shared vehicle/bike lanes for Alexander Street improvement

Washington County staff recommended and the Board of Commissioners signaled support for a shared vehicle-and-bicycle lane design for the Alexander Street improvement project in the Aloha Town Center area during the Feb. 4 work session.

The staff recommendation — labeled Alternative 3 in the study — advances wider sidewalks, alternating on-street parking and planted "low impact development" (LID) stormwater planters, and uses shared-lane pavement markings (sharrows) rather than a separated cycle track. Staff said the choice balances pedestrian improvements, bicycle accommodation and property-rights impacts while keeping the project within the county’s current MSTIP funding allocation.

Steven Roberts, director of Land Use and Transportation, introduced the project and the alternatives. Roberts said Alexander Street is designated in the county’s Aloha planning area as a streetscape corridor intended to support increased pedestrian activity and mixed-use redevelopment. He said the Aloha Tomorrow study previously envisioned a segregated cycle track but that detailed engineering revealed constraints that make a full cycle track impractical along much of this half-mile segment.

Staff presented three alternatives and comparative findings: - Alternative 1 (standard collector with separated bike lanes and on-street parking) would require a minimum 76-foot right-of-way and has the highest right-of-way cost. Staff estimated a total project cost of about $25.5 million and right-of-way acquisition costs near $6,000,000. - Alternative 2 (segregated cycle track, similar to the conceptual Aloha plan) would require roughly 71 feet of right-of-way, with estimated right-of-way costs near $4,000,000 and total project cost similar to the other options. - Alternative 3 (staff-recommended shared-lane configuration) would require approximately 63 feet of right-of-way, lower acquisition costs (estimated $1,800,000), and a total project estimate of about $19.4 million. The project length is roughly a half-mile.

Staff noted that the county has approximately $23.7 million allocated from MSTIP 3e/3f for preliminary design, final design and construction; that allocation is sufficient to fund Alternative 2 or 3 but not Alternative 1, according to the presentation. Roberts said the design also proposes targeted undergrounding of overhead utilities in locations where avoiding building removal would otherwise be necessary and the use of LID swales for stormwater treatment in tree-planter areas.

Patrick Oakes, the project senior project manager, walked commissioners through plan views showing areas where the sidewalk would be shifted adjacent to the roadway to avoid significant impacts to specific commercial buildings and where parking pockets and planters would be located. Oakes said the intersection at 180th Avenue has a concrete barrier island now without pedestrian crossings; staff recommended marked and signalized pedestrian crossings at that location and coordination with ODOT to ensure signal timing does not cause unacceptable backups to nearby TV Highway.

Community input gathered in December 2023 included an online open house with 437 visitors and 25 feedback submissions: eight commenters expressed general support for the project, several raised concerns about roadway width and property impacts, and three commenters asked about tree removals and intersection proximity to TV Highway at 180th. Staff said the cycle-track option raised particular concerns where many driveways and cross-streets create conflict points and pedestrian/cyclist interactions that design review found to be problematic.

Several commissioners asked about speed mitigation and pedestrian safety. Staff said they will pursue design tools such as curb bulb-outs, raised crossings and speed-feedback signs, and will investigate whether a 20 mph posting is feasible (the county noted it is treated differently under state statute but will explore exceptions and engineering treatments to achieve slower operating speeds). Commissioners also discussed signal coordination and potential staging of sidewalk work as properties redevelop.

Ending

The board gave informal consensus to the staff recommendation (Alternative 3) and directed staff to proceed with design and continued coordination with ODOT, funding partners and property owners. Staff noted next steps include final design, right-of-way negotiations for remaining narrow sections, and work to secure any additional funding needed for construction.