Overlook Neighborhood Update (Sept. 29) – Overlook Neighborhood Association

1) Going Street Bridge to Swan Island update

Portland City Council this week approved a $1 million contract for repairs to the Going Street Bridge to Swan Island. The bridge was damaged about three weeks ago when a Union Pacific train derailed. Three traffic lanes across the bridge are open, but the other three lanes will remain closed for an unknown period of time.

The contract for repairs was awarded to Cascade Bridge LLC, which is based in Salmon Creek, Wash. Council documents indicate that the final cost of repairs could easily exceed the approved $1 million. City officials also said they will seek to recover costs from Union Pacific and any other responsible parties.

2) Highway and street closures

The Oregon Department of Transportation is conducting repairs to roadways and ramps around the Fremont Bridge. They will require temporary closures including:

N Interstate Avenue southbound at N Fremont Street will close tonight (Sunday, Sept. 29) from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
N Greeley Avenue to N Interstate Avenue southbound will close tonight from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
I-5 south to I-405 south (Fremont Bridge) and the N Going Street on-ramp to I-5 south will close from Friday (Oct. 5) at 9 p.m. to Monday (Oct. 7) at 10 a.m.

Plan your travel accordingly and expect some delays during the closures. Learn more about the project and upcoming closures on ODOT’s project website.

3) Celebrate Arbor Day by planting a free yard tree

Portland Parks & Recreation’s Urban Forestry division invites all Portlanders to celebrate Arbor Day 2019 and the fall tree planting season. Urban Forestry will host a family-friendly Arbor Day tree planting event on Oct. 12, from 10 a.m. to noon at East Holladay Park, followed by three separate yard tree giveaway events to help expand the city’s tree canopy. Increasing tree canopy coverage citywide helps make Portland a healthier, greener place to live.

The tree giveaway in North Portland will take place on Nov. 16 in Cathedral Park. Register to receive up to two trees online. Be sure to reserve your trees early before supplies run out.

If you can’t make the North Portland event, there also will be events in Southeast and Northeast on different days. Check the schedule online.

Arbor Day has been observed nationally for almost 150 years. Portland will be marking its 42nd consecutive year as a Tree City USA by the National Arbor Day Foundation.

4) Apply for city mobility pricing task force

The Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) is accepting applications for its new Pricing for Equitable Mobility Community Task Force. The Task Force will advise PBOT and the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability as they consider how new pricing strategies could potentially help to improve mobility, reduce carbon emissions and increase equity in our transportation system.

Pricing strategies to be considered by the task force may include, but are not limited to: parking pricing, area- and time-based fees, fleet charges, road user charges, cordons, and freeway pricing. Specifically, the task force will develop recommendations for city staff and City Council on whether to implement new pricing strategies, the design of potential pricing strategies and priorities for reinvesting any pricing revenue in transportation-related projects, programs, and services that serve historically underserved communities and increase the equity of the system.

The task force will have up to 20 members and will meet monthly in the evening.

Apply online by 5 p.m., Friday, Oct. 4.

5) OKNA board meeting

The newly elected 2019-20 Overlook Neighborhood Association Board will hold its first meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 6:30 p.m. at the Historic Overlook House. The board will select new executive officers (chair, vice chair, secretary and treasurer) as well as committee chairs. The board also will discuss upcoming OKNA general meetings. View the full agenda.