PBOT plans to 'harden' Portland's bike lanes protected by plastic posts

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Portland transportation leaders are planning to add more barriers to the protected bike lanes throughout the city.

As first reported by Bike Portland, the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s Bicycle Advisory Committee met on Tuesday to discuss “hardening” about 20.5 miles of bike lanes that are currently protected by plastic delineator posts.

According to a memo published in May, “hardening” these lanes — which make up about 43% of the city’s protected lanes — would entail replacing the delineator posts with more permanent materials like traffic separators or concrete islands.

PBOT listed frequent maintenance as one of its primary reasons for upgrading the bike lanes. The bureau reported that crews often need to replace the delineator posts, hindering their ability to address other transportation issues.

Aesthetic complaints, especially those made in commercial districts, are another reason behind the recent push to harden the bike lanes.

“Even when in good conditions, plastic delineator posts have a temporary and low-quality Appearance,” PBOT’s memo reads. “We borrow much from the Dutch — builders of the world’s best bikeways and bikeway networks. They have five considerations for bikeways: safety, comfort, directness, network cohesion and attractiveness. We have generally fallen short on attractiveness and have received deserved criticism as a result.”

Officials have prioritized the aesthetic complaints made near commercial districts.

If the bike lane protection project were completed within five years, as proposed by the transportation bureau, it would be estimated to cost between $390,000 and $580,000 annually. This estimate considers the cost of concrete, reflective pavement markers, project management and other factors.

The memo notes that plastic delineator posts along bike lanes on Burnside Bridge, Southeast Stark Avenue will be addressed in other city projects.

Additionally, PBOT will not replace delineator posts along the 28th Avenue and 21st Avenue overcrossings due to its practice of using "glue-down materials only on structure so as to not puncture the skin and allow water to penetrate to the super structure.”