Green Loop SWPDX Appendix

Appendix 1- Supplementary MaterialsAppendix II- Public Participation Appendix III- Existing Conditions Appendix IV- Maps Appendix V- Image and Report Sources

Appendix I- Supplemental Materials 1.1 Explored Alignment Possibilities 1.2 Possible Funding Sources 1.3 Additional Case Studies

31.1 Explored Possible Alignments

Cultural Park Blocks Potential Alignments

4Cultural Park Blocks: SW Salmon Street to SW Market Street

A. Running the Green Loop on SW BroadwayStrengths:Fewer stakeholders to coordinate withExpands tree canopyAvoids conflict on PSU Park Blocks

Weaknesses:Misses connections with destinationsMisses potential partners and funding sourcesDifficult to find other streets with similar low traffic volumes

B. Running the Green Loop down the middle of the South park blocksStrengths:Does not require street reconfigurationPotential improvement to park blocks irrigationFacilities do not run through traffic

Weaknesses:Impacts the character of park blocksProgramming a whole block without disrupting Green LoopImpacts to existing statues and plazas

C. Creating a two-way cycle track down either 9th or Park AvenuesStrengths:More coherent mental map of the Green LoopImplementation only impacts one roadPotential to increase the width of the park blocksEasily links North and South Park Blocks

Weaknesses:May limit economic benefits to one side of the park blocksImpacts visual balance and symmetry of the park blocksTwo-way facility on a one-way street may be disorienting

D. Continuing the couplet of one-way streets with one-way facilities on 9th and Park AvenuesStrengths:Equalizes economic benefits to both sidesAdds width to both sides of the Park BlocksBikes will move with the flow of trafficCould make easier turns for cyclists

Weaknesses:Creates two crossings at each cross street

E. Running the Green Loop down SW Columbia and then up through the Halprin Sequence Strengths:Links the South Park Blocks and the Halprin SequenceAvoids bicycle and pedestrian conflicts in the PSU segment of the South Park Blocks

Weaknesses:Presence of stairs within the Halprin Sequence, that make cycling almost impossibleHistoric Designation limits the ability for changeBypasses PSU, on of the large anchor institutions in the districtRequires a two-way cycle track on high- traffice one-way street

5PSU Park Blocks Potential Alignments

6PSU Park BlocksA. Create a bicycle and pedestrian walking-speed mingle zone along the west side of the PSU Park Blocks

Strengths:Maximizes existing right of way; not a full redesignStays on park blocks, leveraging existing tree canopy and creating more coherent connectionCan be integrated into Viking Pavilion redevelopmentCould be done through redesign of PSU Park Blocks

Weaknesses:Does not separate cyclists and pedestriansWould require cyclists to dismount for farmers market or other programmed eventsLarge amount of east-west foot traffic

B. Avoiding the PSU Park Blocks for cyclists by using a two-way cycle track that directs to SW Broadway

Strengths:Could take advantage of existing TSDCsPeople are already familiar with bike facilities existing on SW Broadway

Weaknesses:Impacts coherence between bicycles and pedestrians on the Green LoopCostly to implement Green Loop facilities on both PSU Park Blocks for pedestrians and on Broadway for cyclistsRequires a jog of the trail for cyclists, destroying simplicity of route and momentum of cyclists

7Park Blocks to SW Naito Potential Alignments

8Park Blocks to SW Naito ParkwayA. Using SW Hall Street for east-west connectionStrengths:Secure bike parking nearbyCould make use of existing light on Hall and SW 4th Avenue

Weaknesses:New bus routing alignment creates conflictsFew businesses along Hall would benefit from increases in bicycle and pedestrian traffic

B. Creating a flyover along I-405 shoulder (ODOT right-of-way) from end of park blocks to NaitoStrengths:Truly iconic structure and views from structureAvoids many conflict points with carsDoes not take any parking or traffic lanes

Weaknesses:Very expensivePersonal safety questions, including lack of natural surveil-lance and ability to exit the structureBypasses businesses and other trip origins and destinationsDifficult to create green infrastructure and provide environmental benefits

C. Connecting to PSU Park Blocks south of Shattuck Hall with University Place redevelopment via SW College StreetStrengths:Large amount of existing businesses that could benefit from the Green LoopConnects to MAX Light RailAvoids bus conflicts on HallConnects to PSU student housingHigh amount of existing pedestrian traffic along SW CollegeConnects with the southern edge of the Halprin Sequence

Weaknesses:Potential loss of parking and/or travel lanes

9SW Naito to SW Moody Potential Alignments

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SW Naito Parkway to SW Moody Street

A. Connect Naito to SW Water and SW Sheridan Streets via San Francisco Lombard-like street on SW Caruthers StreetStrengths:Improves crossing of Naito and eliminates unsafe tunnel underneath NaitoCould be an amenity for International SchoolDirect connection if Green Loop goes behind condosRe-urbanization of Naito extends fabric of downtown further south towards waterfront

Weaknesses:Limited natural surveillance on Caruthers on evenings and weekendsSteep gradeWater and Sheridan underneath Marquam Bridge ramps has perception of safety concerns with little redevelopment potentialLikely to impact parking and drop-off space needed by International School

B. Use SW Grant Street to connect with existing infrastructure on SW River ParkwayStrengths:Keeps parking and drop-off space on CaruthersCould provide plenty of room for flyover approach alongside Naito if flyover alternative is chosenAlso provides more room for a gradual slope change along Naito

Weaknesses:Creates an out-of-direction jog in the Green LoopSteep gradeLikely to impact on-street parking

C. Use SW Sherman Street instead of SW Caruthers to connect to SW WaterStrengths:Avoids the hard edge of I-405 that exists on CaruthersRuns through the middle of the International School, connecting them to the rest of the city

Weaknesses:Running through the middle of the International School may disrupt their operations and securitySteep gradeCould impact parking needed by International SchoolLimits natural surveillance on nights and weekends

D. Connect SW Water with SW Moody via SW River ParkwayStrengths:Streetcar route creates natural surveillancePotential to tie into new development around River Parkway

Weaknesses:Streetcar tracks create hazard for cyclistsMay require taking a traffic lane, which creates difficulties due to River Parkways role as gateway to south waterfrontNot the most direct routejogs out of the way in the name of safety

E. Running the Green Loop along existing path below MAX flyoverStrengths: Route already exists and is part of peoples mental map of infrastructureMore direct than River Parkway Connects directly to cycle track on SW Moody Development with adjacent parcels could address the Green Loop by coordinating with developers

Weaknesses:Current facility does not separate bicyclists and pedestriansConditions of TriMet easement may limit enhancements to trail

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1.2 Funding Possibilites Finding financing for the construction of this facility is integral to its implementation. There is no one source that will be able to fund the facility in its entirety. Instead, it will require a variety of sources. The following funding suggestions illustrate the variety and type of funding available. This should not be considered an exhaustive list.

Federal Funding OptionsThere are number of sources for funding that may be available at the federal level. Some of these require collaborating with the US Department of Transportation, while the Oregon Department of Transportation is responsible for allocating others.

Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). These funds are used for trails and other bike and pedestrian projects across the country. This money is allocated through ODOT in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program process.

Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ). Funding for this program must be used for transportation projects that are designed to improve air quality and decrease congestion. The Green Loop would be considered an eligible use of funds under activity number eight, which allows for non-recreational bicycle transportation and pedestrian improvements that provide a reduction in single-occupant vehicle trips.

Surface Transportation Program (STIP). Money from the Surface Transportation Program provides states with a flexible fund of money. It is predominantly used to improve federal highways, bridges, and tunnels, but can also be used for walking and biking infrastructure and transit capital projects.

The Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program. The TIGER program is managed directly by the US Department of Transportation. This particular grant process is highly competitive. Projects that are awarded funding must fulfill five long-term goals including safety, economic competitiveness, livability, sustainability, and a state of good repair. The Indianapolis Cultural Trail received a $20.5 million TIGER grant. It is relevant to note that Portland recently received upwards of $40 million in TIGER grants to improve the Sellwood Bridge and the SW Moody Avenue project.

Community Prevention Grants program. Community Prevention Grants are administered through the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The funding can be used to help local communities implement programs that address chronic health issues such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. While this federal source of funding cannot be used for infrastructure, it could be used to help program the Green Loop.

Local Funding OptionsAssessment Districts. Assessment Districts are fairly common ways to fund improvements within the right-of-way. Most frequently they are known as Local Improvement Districts, Business Improvement Districts, or Economic Improvement Districts. Essentially, property owners agree to an additional assessment on their property taxes. That money is then used to fund projects within the boundaries of the district. In this context, it might be challenging to raise the money to fund the construction of the Green Loop in a short amount of time, so this could work well as a permanent maintenance and improvement fund.

This type of funding can sometimes be met with disagreement for a number of reasons: Some stakeholders believe that it is an easy out for the government because private property owners are paying for improvements the government should be providing. There is also the free-rider problemthe facility will attract and benefit those all over the region, but only those with property in the closest proximity would be funding it. Tax Increment Financing. In the state of Oregon, projects located within designated urban renewal area (URAs) are eligible to take advantage of tax increment financing (TIF). In this financing source, the funding comes from future gains that are expected after the area is redeveloped. In Portland, TIF funding has been used for major infrastructure projects including the Portland Streetcar. Because the Green Loop will pass through many districts that are designated URAs and is expected to help in regards to economic development and enhancing quality of life, it might be able to take advantage of some of these funds.

Transportation System Development Charges (TSDCs).TSDCs are fees charged during the development process based on the impact the development will have on the transportation system. The developments that these are collected for are identified through overlay zones. The Innovation Overlay Zone encompasses a leg of the Green

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Loop. This funding, however would only be available for use if the project ran up SW Broadway, because streetscaping and an improved cycle track have already been identified as eligible projects entitled to this funding source. From our recommendations, one of our alignment alternatives could seek out this funding. Private/ Non-Profit Funding OptionsLarge Company Sponsorship. There are a number of business located within Portland that should be approached about sponsoring the trail. Businesses within the sports and health realm, such as Nike, Columbia, Adidas, Under Armour, Alta Bike Share, Kaiser Permanente Northwest, and the Adventis Medical Center, may be the best fit for this type of sponsor. This type of sponsorship has been seen most recently with the rise of bike share. For example, in Seattle, Alaska Airlines sponsors their bike share system and uses advertising space on the bikes.

Small Businesses. Portland is a city with many small businesses that will benefit from the implementation of this type of facility. They may not have the financial ability to contribute in the same way a global businesses headquartered here can, but, contributions from small businesses could add up. A system could be set up where local businesses purchase lower tiered sponsorship options and are advertised on the Green Loop outlets. This may not create a lot of money to cover the cost of building the facility, but could create a funding stream for maintenance. A program similar to this was done with the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

Institutions. As with local businesses, there are a number of institutions along the Green Loop that will benefit from its implementation. This includes, but is not limited to, Portland State University, Oregon Health and Sciences University, the Pacific Northwest College of Art, the Portland Art Museum, the Oregon Historical Society, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, and Portland5 Center for Art. These institutions should be approached to help fund some of the facility or amenities on the facility near their institutions. This could take the form of public art outside of the Portland Art Museum or an educational installation outside of OMSI.

Foundations. There are a number of foundations that have a significant giving presence in Oregon. While grants are not a stable source of income, the money obtained could help build Green Loop. Relevant foundations include the following:

The Oregon Community Foundation: The Oregon Community Foundation gives grants to projects that focus on art, education, environment and health in the community. More specifically, the Oregon Parks Foundation Fund awards money to projects that fund the preservation of existing parks and the creation of future parks.

The Nike Foundation: While the Nike Foundation gives grants on a global scale, the Nike Employee Grant Fund is reserved for non-profits within the greater Portland area. These grants, which are approximately $550,000, are given to projects that create early positive experiences for young people through physical education, sports and play. Pursuing this type of grant would require a non-profit to manage the Green Loop.

Northwest Health Foundation: The Northwest Health Foundation gives grants to organizations in Oregon for projects that encourage conditions that enable everyone to live a healthy and prosperous life. As the Green Loop will create conditions that encourage more walking and biking, this would be a good source of funding to pursue.

Meyer Memorial Trust: Although the Meyer Memorial Trust is not currently giving our grants, their intentions are to begin giving in the future with an emphasis on equity. This foundation should be reevaluated and approached as the Green Loop begins looking for funding. Crowdfunding. Crowdfunding is the act of raising funds for a project or product by collecting small monetary contributions from a large number of people via an Internet platform. Crowdfunding started formally in the early 2000s in the art community and has since morphed into a means of launching businesses, producing creative projects, and, most recently, funding improvements within the public realm. These types of projects have appeared on IOBY, Citizinvestor, and Kickstarter. The online aspect of crowdfunding allows for greater coverage across networks, filling the gap that traditional fundraising approaches can experience. Perhaps most important though, crowdfunding allows for community members to have a direct say in the things they would like to see in the community. Projects range in size and funding needs and can take the form of anything from public art installations to funding bike lanes to urban gardening. This type of funding could help fund a variety of attractions along the Green Loop.

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1.3 Additional Case Studies Bike Corral ProgramPortland, Oregon

Portlands Bike Corral Program, which began in 2004, is a local example of bicycle infrastructure improving the local economy. Business owners fill out an application requesting the City remove on-street parking and install bike corrals in front of their business, pay a fee ($2,600 in FY 2012-2013), and agree to maintain the bike parking. As of April, 2015 there were 120 bike corrals in Portland, [6] which is a 200% increase in the number of bike corrals throughout Portland. Of those surveyed, 40% of businesses reported an increase in customers who bicycle. Furthermore, all businesses reported that bicycle customers continue to increase or have remained steady since the installation of bike corrals.

Despite the associated fee, required maintenance and loss of parking, business owners continue to request additional bike corrals because they have improved business by increasing the number of customers, improving the pedestrian and sidewalk environment, and making businesses more visible and attractive. [1] [2]

Discover OttawaOttawa, Canada

The City of Ottawa worked with Ottawa Tourism and Purple Forge to create the Discover Ottawa iPhone app, which promotes the city and provides visitors and locals an opportunity to find and share information about attractions and events. It allows people to take pictures and create custom postcards that can then be posted on social media outlets (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram), as well as on a photo and video library of local events and attractions. In addition, it includes a QR code reader, up-to-the-minute travel information, information about local businessed, and is bilingual.

The app has been very successful. It is one of the most heavily downloaded city apps in the Canadian app store and can now be downloaded on BlackBerry and Android phones. The app provides users access to up-to-date information and increases the likelihood of them visiting local attractions. By integrating a postcard and social media platform, the city also receives advertisement. [3] [4]

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Old Street Promenade of LightLondon, UK

The Old Street Promenade of Light was the result of a competition to reclaim a busy but poorly maintained street by addressing the crowdedness of the street in order to make it more accessible, ensure better transit, and give the zone a sense of identity. The project cost approximately $2.3M to implement.

The redesign opened up the thoroughfare and created more space for pedestrians. It added trees, benches and bicycle infrastructure, as well as permeable surfaces and light posts. The lighting, which is designed to be responsive to both time of day and season, has increased safety after dark and made the space useable for more hours of the day. The street has been coined The Promenade of Light, marking its new identity and meaning as a recognizable place where a variety of people feel comfortable throughout the day. [5] [6] [7]

Palmer and Winthrop StreetsCambridge, MA

Responding to inadequate pedestrian facilities, Cambridge included both Palmer and Winthrop Streets in the Harvard Square redevelopment project. These streets were transformed from access alleyways into shared streets by changing various design elements. The streets were already well supported by retail but lacked sidewalks, so unique paving materials and designs were employed to define the space and zones within the space. Street furniture also differentiated the streets from each other in order to maintain each streets identity as unique places. Parking for the streets was moved off-site to a nearby parking garage.

The changes have allowed for a more efficient use of space on the streets, facilitating non-car oriented activities such as outdoor dining, strolling, and bicycling while integrating street performers, restaurant uses and commercial activity into balance. The new streets are ADA accessible (the previous designs were not) which increases accessibility and activity for the streets. Business owners along these streets have shown more cooperative behavior when it comes to maintaining the streets. [8] [9]

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New RoadBrighton, UK

Due to geographic limitations, some portions of Brighton are perceived as inaccessible and have suffered disrepair as a result. In order to combat that and improve the pedestrian realm, Gehl Architects and Landscape Projects teamed up to revamp New Road, which was originally laid out in the early 19th century. Early observations noted that the highest pedestrian use was at night; therefore, the design was especially sensitive to needed lighting and safety. Rumble strips on the street signal entrance and departure to vehicles and varying tones in the paving indicate how traffic should organize itself, which prioritizes pedestrians and encourages vehicles to slow down. The improvements cost approximately $2.7M.

New Road links Brightons cultural district and was always primed with destinations and though recently it was described as unsafe and unsightly, New Road is now described as one of Brighton city centers most important public spaces. Today, people spend time on the street rather than simply using it to pass through to a destination. The focus on safety and inclusion of seating encourages people to linger in the space. People rate it as their fourth most favorite place to spend time in Brighton. Vehicle traffic has decreased by 93%, pedestrian use has increased by 162% and cycling has increased by 22%. The street has experienced no accidents and 80% of local businesses feel it has improved their financial wellbeing as well as prestige. [10] [11]

Shattuck Hall Ecological Learning PlazaPortland State University, Portland, Oregon

The Shattuck Hall Ecological Learning Plaza was built and planted in 2012. It was a joint partnership between PSU Architecture, SRG Architects, and Metro, and received grant funding from the Citys Grey to Green Initiative program. The space provides an outdoor learning experience by displaying a mock Eco roof and green walls with signage, demonstrating how they function over time. Lastly, a variety of seating allows people to use and enjoy the space.

This educational display provides additional habitat and attracts pollinators and wildlife. It also provides an addi-tional green space for PSU students, downtown residents, employees, and visitors to enjoy. In addition, it serves as an educational amenity, allowing users to experience green-in-frastructure firsthand and visualize how it works. Ongoing monitoring will help improve green infrastructure by deter-mining what types of plants are best suited for eco roofs and green walls in Portland. [12]

Appendix II-Public Participation

2.1 Public Participation Strategy2.2 Public Participation Results2.3 Copy of Survey

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Employment One of the selling points of the Green Loop concept is that it will bring bicycle and pedestrian traffic closer to the retail core, whereas right now such traffic is congregated along the waterfront. While the Green Loop has clear benefits, it will often require trade offs in the form of a loss in on-street parking, which could be a big concern to business. The needs and concerns of business owners and employees may be very different than those of the of residents and users of the Green Loop. There are a few organizations that represent the business interests in the area, including the Portland Business Alliance, Downtown Safe and Clean, and the SOMA EcoDistrict. It may also be worthwhile to meet with some of the businesses directly adjacent to the trail. Institutions There are a number of institutions located within our study area. They are major anchors in the community and may provide insightful information regarding our project. The two biggest are Portland State University (PSU) and the Oregon Health Science University (OHSU). A segment of the proposed Green Loop will help connect these two universities, which will be crucial as both schools work together to expand their presence into the South Waterfront. The planning department of each should be contacted.

In addition to these two large education institutions, there are a number of arts and cultural institutions in the area. This includes the Portland Art Museum, the Oregon Historical Society, Portlands Center for the Arts, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Because the Green Loop is intended to be not only a bicycle transportation facility, but also a cultural amenity for the city, these institutions could be insightful. In this respect, Travel Oregon could also help provide insight into what would help heighten the cultural identity of the loop.

Potential UsersUnderstanding potential users of the trail will be crucial in the usage of this facility beyond implementation. Engagement with this group can be used to understand what type of facility they would like and would be most likely to use. There is interest in better understanding those who may be interested in cycling, but are concerned about safety. This could include families and those who typically ride along the waterfront for recreational purposes, but are apprehensive to travel into the city center. Engagement with the cycling community must go beyond just current bicycle enthusiasts. The trail will also have a pedestrian component, so strategic

This describes the teams strategy for engaging the public and getting their input for the Green Loop project. It was written at the beginning of the project and is included here for reference.

Why are we engaging the public?

Urban planning is a process that should not be undertaken in isolation, but with a vast number of stakeholders yielding a variety of concerns and interests. This can be challenging, but the benefits of meaningful engagement are immense. These include the following:

Addressing the communitys concerns and interests Discovering new ideas Creating buy-in, thus bolstering the likelihood of this project being implemented, used, and maintained

Who are we concerned about Engaging? There are a number of stakeholders who will need to be engaged, given the large geographic scope of the project and its location within the city. The downtown location, with residential, employment, institutional, and open space uses, will have city- and region-wide draw.

Residents There are number of people who live within the study area. It is important to engage them as the Green Loop will directly impact them and the use of their neighborhood. The implementation of this segment of the Green Loop will also help to connect two neighborhoodsSouth Waterfront and Downtown. A number of organizations represent residents within our study area. They include the Downtown Neighborhood Association, the South Portland Neighborhood Association, South Waterfront Community Relations, and the American Condo Association.

The presence of Portland State Universitys also means there are a vast number of students living in the project area. While this group is usually only in a community during their time of enrollment, they likely represent the needs and desires of future students and should be included within the engagement strategies. Efforts to engage with them can be done through PSUs housing office, The Vanguard (PSUs student newspaper), and a number of other outlets. Outreach can also be targeted at University Pointea college housing building unaffiliated with Portland States Housing Office.

2.1 Public Participation Strategy

City Agencies

Residents

Businesses

Institutions

Community Groups

Visitors

Potential Users

Green Loop SWPDX Stakeholder Analysis

Residents

Institutions

Community Groups

Potential Users

Visitors

Businesses

-Downtown Neighborhood Association -South Portland Neighborhood Association -South Waterfront Community Relations-American Condo Assocation-Portland State University Housing -University Pointe Housing

-Portland Business Alliance-Downtown Clean and Safe -SOMA EcoDistrict

-Oregon Walks-Bicycle Transportation Alliance -City of Portlands Bicycle Advisory Committee-Portland Running Company

-Travel Oregon -PSU Farmers Market

-Friends of South Park Blocks -Friends of South Auditorium Green Environs -Halprin Blocks Community

-Portland State University -Oregon Health Science University -Portland Art Museum-Oregon Historical Society -Portlands Center for Arts -Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

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outreach to runners and walkers will be useful. There are number of ways to understand both the needs of these population and to engage these populations including PSUs Bike Hub, the Bicycle Transportation Alliance, the City of Portlands Bicycle Advisory Committee, Oregon Walks, the Portland Running Company, and general commuters in the area.

Relevant Community Groups The project area is home to the South Park Blocks and the Halprin Block Sequence. These open spaces are well known and loved by many in the city. Groups of community members have rallied around ensuring that these facilities remain a staple within the City, and should be engaged. These groups include the Friends of the South Park Blocks, Halprin Blocks Conservancy, and Friends of South Auditorium Green Environs.

Portland City Agencies An advisory committee filled with representatives of various city agencies has been established by the client. This committee will be at all meetings and will provide input and insight into our project during all phases. In working with them, we will be able to address the needs, desires, and concerns of each agency.

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How are we planning to engage with them?

Key Stakeholder Interviews We plan to hold interviews with individuals from the various organizations outlined above. These individuals will be able to represent a specific population and are informed enough to express the potential interests and concerns. This will help to set the basis of our research. While conducting these interviews, we are also focused on the ability to build relationships. These key stakeholders can help us cast a wider net with the disbursement of our survey and other engagement techniques. Engagement on the RoadWe plan to use existing meetings and well populated places as a means of bolstering our engagement efforts. We will be working with the neighborhood association and community groups that have regular meetings to get some time on their agenda. At the meetings, we are hoping to get a few minutes to explain our project, answer questions, collect interested individuals email addresses, and hand out information sheets. We also plan to have paper surveys available for those who are interested, but lack Internet access. We are also happy to stay after the meeting and chat with those who are immensely interested, but didnt get a chance to speak in our limited time-slots. We believe that this approach will help us reach a greater audience of people than relying on getting everyone into the same meeting solely related to our project. The risk of using existing meetings is that we will engage the most engaged citizens, who may not necessarily represent the average community member. To quell this risk, we also plan to table on a few occasions in areas that will have high concentrations of regular Portlanders. These could include an information table at the PSU Farmers Market and near the food cart pod on 4th Avenue. During this time we will explain the project, answer questions, collect emails, and have printed surveys on hand. There is also potential to have some type of visual activity in this setting like visual dot polling or postcard to the future. SurveyWe will be using a web-based survey (Qualtrics) for this piece of engagement. We understand the limitations to hosting a survey predominantly online, and will also be providing paper surveys in order to include those without Internet access. An introduction to the overall concept and a map of

our focus area will be included at the beginning to familiarize people with the project. The survey will be used to gauge which type of facilities people would be interested in, to understand the potential usage of this type of facility, and to understand which types of environments the population might be interested in. Incorporating visuals into the survey will be useful. The segment of our study area that houses the Park Blocks would be a good section to ask specific questions about because community members are likely to have used the park blocks, but may not be familiar with the other sections of our study area. Lastly, a demographics section will be included in the survey to understand who participated.

Disbursement of the survey will happen in a number of different ways. We are planning to use our social media page, as well as distrubiting the survey via those belonging to those organizations we have built relationships with during this process. During all of our meeting visits we will also be collecting emails of those who are interested. We plan to use the emails to follow up with people the next day including a link to our survey and social media pages. As mentioned previously, we will have paper surveys available for those without access to the Internet. Focus GroupsWe will be using focus groups to engage with very specific segments of the population if they are not captured in our survey. The format of a focus group fosters conversations between participants that will enrich our data. We plan to start the focus group with an activity that requires participants to think about the Green Loop in the future. This sets the stage and helps them envision what they would like it to be like. From there we can delve into specific questions and conversations.

Internet PresenceIn this age of social media usage, we believe this could be a useful way to keep the community engaged around our project. We plan to create a Facebook page for the group. This will be used to update people about our progress, announce what meetings we will be at, and disburse our survey. Facebook can also be a good platform for posting relevant and through-provoking articles. Through the innovation stage of our work, social media could be used to ask followers to vote on aspects of the Green Loop, such as which bike rack design they like best. We are also planning to tap into the relevant stakeholders Internet presence wherever possible. During the key stakeholder interview and meeting attendance, we are hoping to build relationships. From this,

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we anticipate that these groups would be willing to share links to our survey on their media outlets, allowing us to capture a greater market than just our followers.

We also plan to maintain an email list of interested individuals using a system such as MailChimp. After each collection drive of emails we plan to follow up with a thank you and link to our survey and social media outlets. We would like to keep email correspondence to a minimum to prevent people from tuning them out. The email list can be used close to the end of the project to announce where we will be talking about our final concepts.

A clear exit strategy is necessary when social media is used. At the end we will email out a final thank you, expressing apprecaition for the participants and including a link to a copy of our final plan. We plan to keep our social media sites up after the project is over. We believe that by doing this, the community will have a place to refer to for information regarding the process and project. We understand that this presents a risk, with the public assuming it is still a platform to engage with. We will be very clear that the project is over and that no one will be monitoring the site to answer questions, post links, etc.

Final MeetingAt the end of April or early May we will go back to the public to tie up our engagement efforts and get some feedback on our plan. At this point, all our public engagement and existing conditions will be analyzed and many concepts will be thought through. This meeting is a good opportunity to summarize what we heard and show the public what we are proposing. Doing it in early May before our plan is finalized will allow us to incorporate feedback from the public. Additional work needs to be done to determine whether we will be hosting our own meeting or if there is potential to get a sufficient segment of time at an existing organizations meeting.

When are we engaging with them?

The majority of our engagement will be held from mid-February through the month of March, with our survey open from approximately February 22nd to March 20th. There is some flexibility in our public participation strategy in the sense that if another relevant interest arises outside of the window, we could still be willing to meet with them. The goal, however, is to have a majority of outreach done before spring break (March 2327) so it can be analyzed before our innovation month begins. This is crucial as engagement is intended to inform our research`.

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During the months of February and March of 2015, the team carried out a number of different engagement techniques to better understand the concerns and expectations of people who will interact with the Green Loop. This was accomplished via stakeholder interviews, surveys, and presentations at community events. The following section was written previously to highlight the techniques we employed and the major trends that emerged.

Stakeholder Interviews:

We spoke with eighteen stakeholders representing a number of different organizations and perspectives. Stakeholder interviews, in most cases, were attended by two group members. We found that people were more forthcoming when they were off the record, so interviews were not recorded, in order to have a more authentic discussion about the project. Team members took notes, which were later analyzed to identify primary themes. We held interviews with the following organizations:

Bicycle Transportation Alliance Friends of South Park Blocks The International School Metros Active Transportation Division Oregon Health and Science UniversityCampus Planning, Development and Real Estate Oregon Health and Science UniversityCampus Transportation Oregon Walks Portland Art Museum Portland Business Alliance Portland Running Company Portland State UniversityCampus Planning Office Portland State UniversityTransportation and Parking Services South Auditorium Green Environs SOMA EcoDistrict South Waterfront Community Relations Travel Portland TriMet ZRZ RealtyZidell

2.2 Public Participation Results

Major Themes

ConnectionsA major theme that arose from stakeholder interviews was the need for connections that get people to and from the Green Loop. Without this network of connections that feed to the Loop, a trail around the Central City is not as functional as it could be. Anecdotally, we spoke with someone who puts their bike on their car, drives downtown, and then bikes the waterfront loop for exercise because they dont feel safe getting to it any other way.

The ability for the Green Loop to connect all of the regional trails within the area is integral and a major selling point. It could serve as the current missing link connecting regional trails like the Intertwine and Springwater Corridor. Once built, the Green Loops connection could expand the loops potential far beyond its planned ten miles, by linking to over forty miles of trails.

Connections to Marquam Hill could be a major benefit to many different groups. The largest employer in the city, OHSU, is located on the hill and is largely disconnected from Downtown. A bicycle and pedestrian connection between Marquam Hill and Downtown could reduce some existing traffic and parking issues, while also opening up additional running and biking facilities to Downtown.

StewardshipThe necessity for stewardship was a prevalent theme in all of our interviews. It is one thing to find funding to build and implement the Green Loop, but money should also be set aside to maintain and program the spaces. While much of this will run through land that is already stewarded by the City, increased bike and foot traffic will bring more people. This increases the presence of litter and other impacts, as well as the need to better maintain and care for plantings. Additionally, public spaces along the Green Loop will benefit from programming to help create a sense of place and attract people to the facility. A budget for these needs should be created and funded during the planning and fundraising stage.

An organization should be established to maintain and program the facility. This organization would be responsible for maintaining the facility and organizing the various partnerships that may be necessary to make this type of project a success.

22

Facility DesignThe most resounding thing we heard in regards to bicycle and pedestrian facilities was that they be separated. Many pointed to the conflicts that exist on the waterfront loop currently due to the lack of mode separation. Separation via paint or different pavers would not suffice; instead, it was suggested that curbs, planters, etc. be used.

There was a lot of talk about how the different types of cyclists might be accommodated on the same facilities, with varying speeds of cyclists being the concern. Some stakeholders felt this shouldnt be a major concern as those electing to cycle quickly would stay on the street with cars. Other stakeholders suggested the possibility for dual spines that would allow for safe and quick speeds as well as slow and meandering speedsfor both modes.

The other major concern our interviews surfaced was the need for thoughtful intersections. Due to its location in the urban core of the city, the Green Loop will cross streets that are busy with vehicle traffic. Safe crossings could be achieved through signalization, but that comes with trade-offs that also need to be considered.

WayfindingClear and interesting wayfinding signage was a desire. The signage should show a user not only where they are on the trail, but should also feature what is within a certain radius of the Green Loop. Additionally, the Green Loop has the potential to educate users both in regards to sustainability at work and historical and cultural components of the city.

Many stakeholders also articulated the importance of having a web or app-based presence. With the increasing use of technology, many people have access to the Internet. A complementary technology could articulate and expand upon information available on the wayfinding signage. A website could also feature local businesses and highlight community events, which will change more frequently than hard signage.

SafetyIn every stakeholder meeting, concerns regarding safety of some variety were brought up. One major issue was that of anti-social behavior, such as drug usage, that is becoming more prevalent in public spaces. While some attributed this behavior to the homeless population, others pointed out it occurs regardless of demographics. These issues must be addressed at a scale much greater than the Green Loop, but until they are they could inhibit a sense of safety on the loop.

Promoting walking can be challenging if perceived safety is limited. There are areas of the proposed facilities that are not currently activated. This lack of eyes on the streets can foster activities such as camping and diminish the ability of users to walk or cycle there. Another issue is the recent rise in bike thefts across the city. People may not be willing to bike into the downtown area to eat or shop if they fear their bike may be missing when they are ready to return home.

PoliticsMany stakeholders felt that political support will be necessary to get this project off the ground and implemented. This could be a challenge as many of the citys agencies operate in a rather siloed fashion. Considering the Green Loop is being planned by BPS, but will be on PBOT, ODOT, and Portland Parks and Rec land, it is crucial that there be a strong alliance and communication across the agencies as well as commitment to implementation, quality, and maintenance.

There has also been a large debate recently about funding projects in the Central City versus projects in the east side. This is perfectly highlighted by the suggestion to cut off all water to the downtown fountains in order to keep two community pools open on the east side. While investment into all neighborhoods of the city is important, this conflict could negatively impact the Green Loop.

AlignmentStakeholders articulated a number of concerns and interest in certain alignments. These alignments were those originally outlined by the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability, and do not refer to the alignment alternatives we propose in our final report. First, while the Citys Alignment C may be considered out of the way for most users looking to quickly access the South Waterfront and cross the Tilikum Crossing, there are a number of groups including OHSU, NCMC, and runners that could benefit from this southern alignment. While it may not be practical for this to be the main alignment for the Green Loop, stakeholders recommended that the Citys Alignment C be considered as an offshoot that reconnects at the South Waterfront.

Additionally, there were a number of thoughts on the proposed stretch through Portlands South Park Blocks. The segment that runs through Portland State University was identified as a potential site of conflict due to large events like the Farmers Market held every Saturday and the heavy foot traffic during school days. The northern segment of the South Park Blocks was favorable for the Green Loop alignment due

23

to its current low volume of traffic. It was noted by some, though, that connection to the major employment corridors, such as 5th and 6th Avenues, will be integral to the success.

Associated BenefitsMany of our stakeholders articulated potential benefits that the Green Loop will have if implemented. These benefits spanned a number of topics including economic value, health, and the environment. By creating a space in the Central City where all feel comfortable walking and biking and where additional green space is cultivated, people may be more likely to participate in physical activity, translating to a healthier community. Economic benefits were articulated as the strongest benefit associated with the implementation of the Green Loop. If active transportation access is safe and convenient, The facility would attract more people and families into the Central City. This translates into greater spending at local shops and eateries. The facility could also spur the need for additional related businesses such as bike shops, tourism and food carts. It is also possible that property values could increase due to the Green Loops proximity.

Environmental benefits were also identified. The ability that the Green Loop helps to divert people from cars and onto bikes and walking could help improve the regions air quality. Air quality could be further improved with the addition of more green spaces in the Central City. The inclusion of green infrastructure will, in turn, manage more stormwater in a natural and sustainable manner.

SurveysTo better understand what types of environments people would prefer for the Green Loop, we conducted a visual preference survey. The survey was hosted on the Internet through Qualtrics. It was compatible with desktop, laptop, and mobile devices. Understanding the limitations of hosting a survey predominantly online, we had paper surveys available at public events such as the Farmers Market and Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting. Our survey was open from February 27, 2015, through March 25, 2015. The survey was disbursed through a number of different outlets. In preparation for the survey, we had collected emails at community meetings and those people were sent a link to the survey and invited to share the link with their networks. Additionally, we used our Facebook and Twitter accounts to expand the surveys reach. Due to the short time frame for this project, leveraging existing networks was crucial to the

success of our survey. We were able to get our survey featured on the following newsletters and/or social media pages:

Portland State Coverage Institute for Sustainable Solutions Multicultural Center Resource Center for Students with Children Bike Hubs newsletter The Virtual VikingPSUs weekly school-wide newsletter The Womens Resource Center Community Coverage Downtown Neighborhood Association Pearl District Neighborhood Association South Waterfront Community Relations Newsletter SOMA EcoDistrict Newsletter Tower Chatter March Edition South Auditorium Green Environs Friends of South Park Block mailing list Bike Portland article Bicycle Transportation Alliance Travel Portland staff Art Museum staff Various Twitter outlets

The survey was designed to understand how often and how comfortable people were walking, biking, enjoying public spaces, shopping/dining, and attending events in Downtown Portland. We were also keen to understand what could be done to make them feel more comfortable. The remainder of our survey centered on visuals. Participants were asked to select bike facilities that would make them feel safest, wayfinding they would feel most confident using, and a plaza where they would most like to spend time. Additionally, respondents were asked to rate environments in terms of comfort, then asked to describe what they did and did not like. Three hundred and fifty eight surveys were received. Summarized results follow.

2% 1% 3% 1% 1% 0% 1%

82%

2% 8%

0%

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40%

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80%

100%

Asian

Black

Latin

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anic

Multir

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Nativ

e Ame

rican

Near/

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stern

Pacif

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ande

r

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e/Cau

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Othe

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I pre

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not a

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Survey Responses

NeighborhoodThe Green Loop facility will benefit residents in the entire city and, considering we will be proposing some strategies that will affect the entire facility, we aimed to understand more than just our study area. Responses successfully represented residents of the entire city while still ensuring that the majority of respondents were from our study area. Residents in the study area made up 40% of the responses (South Downtown/PSU: 26%, Downtown: 5%, South Waterfront: 9%). High response rates outside of the project area include Southwest Portland outside of the Central City (12%), Southeast Portland (15%), and Northeast Portland (11%). Other areas within the city (Pearl District, Goose Hollow, Lloyd District, and East Portland) had lower response rates ranging from 1 to 4%. Additionally, 4% of survey respondents visit Portland but do not live here.

GenderThe majority of our survey responses (56%) were female. Males made up 40%, and 2% of the respondents identified as transgender or other. The higher response by females is in line with the gender breakdown of the neighborhood. Women are also known for having greater vulnerability when it comes to walking and cycling, so the slight over-representation is advantageous in understanding the specific needs of that vulnerable population.

AgeThere was a wide range in ages of survey respondents. The largest respondent group was ages 2544 (48%), followed by those ages 4564 (22%). Those aged 1824 made up the smallest group of respondents (10%). Nineteen percent of respondents were over the age of 65 years old.

IncomeThe responses in regards to income were distributed fairly equally through the categories with the highest response rate being those making more than $125,000 per year (20%) and those making less than $25,000 per year (19%).

RaceA majority of our respondents (82%) identified as White, which is just slightly higher than the percentage of the population in the neighborhood. All other responses made up a small percentage. If additional engagement efforts are to be carried out by BPS, outreach to more diverse population could be warranted to understand whether the needs of minorities along the Green Loop are particularly different. (Chart 1)

Education As our study area connects two major universities in Portland, we expected that many respondents would be highly educated. Survey respondents with a bachelors degree (35%) and masters/PhD (46%) were the largest response category. Those with some college, but no degree (10%) made up the third largest response category, highlighting the students that are attending PSU or OHSU.

Chart 1: Racial Composition of Survey Respondents

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Very uncomfortable Somewhat uncomfortable

Neither uncomfortable nor comfortable

Somewhat comfortable Very comfortable

Walking Riding a bicycle Attending events Enjoying parks and plaza Shopping/dining

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EmploymentThis category was not mutually exclusive, meaning that people could identify as more than one thing. Twenty-three percent of respondents identified as either part or full-time students. Sixty-six percent of respondents identified as being employed, with the larger share (46%) being employed full-time. Twenty-percent of respondents were retired and not participating in the workforce. Lastly, 7% of respondents identified as a parent.

Downtown Comfort To aid in the design of facilities, it was important to understand the level of comfort that people currently have doing a variety of activities in the downtown. We asked about walking, biking, attending events, enjoying parks and plazas, and shopping and diningall things one could presumably do on the Green Loop. Respondents were very comfortable or somewhat comfortable doing all activities in Downtown except riding a bicycle. This sentiment is echoed with the largest number of respondents articulating the need for protected bike lanes in Downtown in order to make them feel more comfortable.

Furthermore, respondents were asked What could be done to make you feel more comfortable doing these activities (walk, ride a bicycle, attend an event, enjoy parks and plazas, and shop or dine) in the downtown area? We received 235 responses to the this question. The top five themes were as follows:

Addition of protected bike lanes: 83 responses Reduction of antisocial behavior (drug use, panhandling, harassment) 34 responses Address the presence of homeless people and camping: 28 responses Need for greater safety: 15 responses Reduction of car traffic: 14 response

Waterfront/Eastbank Esplanade The Green Loop has been compared to the Tom McCall Waterfront Park and Eastbank Esplanade. Because of this, we wanted to understand what it is about that facility that people do or do not enjoy. Therefore, we asked people to identify what they liked or disliked about the waterfront facilities. (This topic is explored in much greater detail in the Activate the Waterfront Strategy Plan produced in the 2014 MURP workshop class for BPS.) Our responses are summarized below. We received 285 comments on this question, with the most frequent responses as follows:

Consider it a great amenity (views, proximity to the water, mix of people, events, and the facility in general): 72 responses Dislike the presence of the homeless population: 54 responses Dislike how overcrowded the facility is: 43 responses Articulated a desire for separated facilities for cyclists and pedestrians: 33 responses

Chart 2: Respondents Level of Comfort by Activity

0

75

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Sidewalk patterns and

materials

Crosswalk patterns and

materials

Separation of bikes and

pedestrians

Public art (the lighted lady)

A clear identity Pedestrian area Benches Planters Crossing signals

16

39

48

142

80

Not at all

Only a little

Neutral

Quite a bit

Completely

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Image PreferencesRespondents were shown the following images and were asked to identify how much they like the image and their favorite three features within in the scene. Respondents were then given the opportunity to expand upon what they liked or did not like about the image.

Image 1 Sixty percent of respondents liked this image either quite a bit (46%) or completely (14%). Only 7% of the respondents did not like this environment at all. (Chart 3)

To better understand what it was that respondents liked about this particular image, they were asked to select their favorite three features in the scene. Top responses were separation of bikes and pedestrians, crosswalk patterns and materials, and the presence of public art. (Chart 4)

When asked what they liked or didnt like about the presented environment, the following themes emerged:

Like the unique and safe sense of place: 65responses Too busy/confusing: 59 responses Like the separation of bikes and pedestrians: 22 responses Separation is not enough to instill a sense of safety: 14 responses More trees needed: 12 responses

Chart 4: Most Liked Features in Image 1

Chart 3: Image 1 Level of Preference

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75

150

225

300

Sidewalk pattern and materials

Colored pavement on bike

lane

Separation of bikes and cars

Separation of bikes and

pedestrians

Landscaped median

Benches Tree canopy

2 12

31

169

109

Not at all

Only a little

Neutral

Quite a bit

Completely

27

Image 2:

This image was considered the most favorable of the three environments presented in the survey, with 86% of respondents indicating they like it quite a bit or completely. (Chart 5) This level of preference was further highlighted in the open response option, with respondents saying:

This type of environment would make me much more inclined to bike

I have seen similar setups when I visited throughout Germany, and I found them to be excellently used. I would support seeing

more of this in Portland.

Whats not to like? This is a good model.

The top three features in the image were the separation of bikes and cars, separation of bikes and pedestrians, and the landscaped median. (Chart 6) This theme of the need for separated facilities between all modes is evident in this preference for features. Additionally, the open response answers highlighted that the means of separation instills a great sense of safety. When asked what they liked or didnt like about the presented environment, the main theme that emerged from our 202 response were as follows:

Separation is favorable and instills a sense of safety: 112 responses Like the addition of natural elements: 32 responses Dislike the facility in the street median: 9 responses

Chart 6: Most Liked Features in Image 2

Chart 5: Image 2 Level of Preference

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Planters Tree canopy Presence of seating Covered tables and chairs

Moveable tables and chairs

Street closed off to cars

24

49

56

149

45

Not at all

Only a little

Neutral

Quite a bit

Completely

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Image 3

This image was ranked second in terms of favorability out of the three images. Sixty-nine percent of respondents liked it either quite a bit or completely. (Chart 7) Looking to the open responses for this image, however, would suggest that it isnt as favorable. Issues about closing off public streets were raised, although others described the place as feeling like it had a sense of community. This conflict over closing the streets off may be an outspoken few as 83% of respondents listed the street being closed off to cars as a favorite feature. Other top responses included the presence of tree canopy (76%) and the presence of seating (57%). (Chart 8)

Anything that removes automobiles from the environment appeals to me. We give cars way too much space.

Feels like community

It doesnt make sense to me. To close off a street that has been paid for to drive on is stupid at best. Utilize a park/grassy area

for sitting. Open the street back up to cars and put in bike lanes.

When asked what they liked or didnt like about the presented environment, the main themes that emerged from the 205 responses were as follows:

The pedestrian space with seating is pleasing and inviting: 98 responses The space could benefit from or needs bicycle infrastructure (lanes and racks): 26 responses Seating and planters make the space too cluttered: 34 responses

Chart 8: Most Liked Features in Image 3

Chart 7: Image 3 Level of Preference

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Baske

tball/t

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/bocc

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Playg

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Perfo

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New Spaces DowntownIt is important that we understand what type of spaces people want in Downtown. Respondents were asked to select from a list and were also given the chance to write in a response. The highest selection was the desire for lawns/open spaces, followed by fountains, bathrooms, and playgrounds.(Chart 9) The highest responses in the write-in section included gardens and natural landscaping and varied seating. Interestingly, some of the write-in response used existing places in downtown Portland to describe what they would like to see.

Active parks like Director Park rather than little-used spaces like Waterfront Park.

More semi-wild areas in the style of Tanner Creek Parkoffering quiet, sitting/walking/contemplative space

There was one comment that alludes to the East Portland conflict we had initially expected. It didnt come up in any other instances, but we thought it was worth mentioning.

Resources diverted to areas outside of the Central City East of 82nd has almost none of the amenities discussed here. Not even ADA sidewalks on most streets. Resources would be better used

elsewhere.

Top Three Things PrioritizedRespondents were asked to select their top three desires from a list in order to better understand how amenities on the Green Loop could be prioritized due to funding or phasing. The top three responses, in order, were trees, separated bike facilities, and pedestrian paths. Tree superseded all other responses by almost 50 responses.

Had separated bike facilities and pedestrian paths been treated as a given, because they are the baseline idea for the Green Loop, the top three responses would include wayfinding signage, benches, and trash cans (all of which tied in response rate.) Following these was the desire for bathrooms, public art, and tables and chairs. The desire for bike racks scored substantially lower than expected, but this could have to do with the fact that many of respondents did not cycle often, and it therefore isnt something they consider frequently.

Chart 9: New Spaces Desires in the Central City

0%

15%

30%

45%

60%

Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 Image 4

30

Safest Bike FacilityRespondents were asked to select the image of the bike lane that they believed evoked the greatest sense of safety. Image 2, as seen above, received over 50% of the votesbeing selected more than the other three images combined. (Chart 10) Image 2 separated both bikes from cars and cars from pedestrians. Additionally, this facility was the most permanent in terms of separation. Instead of using bollards, seating, or large planters, Image 2 separated facilities using a large grassy median and planted trees. This reaffirms respondents desire for truly separated facilities along the Green Loop.

Chart 10: Image Evoking the Greatest Sense of Safety

0%

15%

30%

45%

60%

Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 Image 4

31

Easiest WayfindingWayfinding is going to be a major component of the Green Loop, as people need to know where they are along the facility. We were keen to understand what type of signage would be most useful in navigating while on the Green Loop. Image 1 was the clear favorite and garnered almost 50% of the votes. (Chart 11)

Image 1 is one of the most simplistic option of signage. The only other option that was simpler was paintings on the ground, but these did not include distance to destinations. It seems as though people are less concerned about maps and imagery but would prefer signage with a direction arrow, name, and distance.

Chart 11: Image with Easiest Signage for Navigating

0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

Image 1 Image 2 Image 3 Image 4

32

Most Pleasant PlazaThe addition of new plazas along the Green Loop is possible. Because of this, it was important to better understand the type of plaza respondents preferred. To provide respondents with context, we were intentional in selecting plazas that are located in Portland. Some were recognizable and iconic (Images 2 and 3), while others were small and not as well known. (Images 1 and 4)

Image 4 received the highest response rate, with Image 2 following closely behind. (Chart 4) Image 4 has good tree coverage, a well defined boundary, and a variety of seating. Image 2Director Parkis quite different with a lack of tree canopy and the presence of a large fountain.

Chart 12: Image Considered to be the Most Pleasant Plaza

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Community MeetingsIn addition to the survey and stakeholder interviews, we presented at a number of community events. These included the SOMA EcoDistrict community meeting and the Downtown Neighborhood Associations Land Use and Transportation Committee. Additionally, we tabled at a booth at the Farmers Market at Portland State University.

The SOMA EcoDistrict Meeting occurred early in the process. At this meeting we presented our project, took questions, and collected a number of emails so we could follow up later when our survey was ready. This was also a good chance to understand what other organizations were doing in the neighborhood.

At the Downtown Neighborhood Association meeting we were able to present our preliminary work to the community and facilitate a discussion around what the attendees hope to get from the project. It was also a chance for them to voice any concerns that they may have about the trail. Many of the things that we heard in this meeting were also voiced throughout our stakeholder interviews. The general feeling was that those in attendance were interested in the Green Loop and welcomed the facility within the neighborhood. We also had paper surveys on hand to distribute to those in attendance. A representative from the Better Block agency in Portland reached out to us with interest about carrying out a Better Block project for a segment of the Green Loop.Finally we ran a table at the PSU Farmers Market. This

particular market is in our study area and is the busiest farmers market within the city. At this event we hoped to get word out about our project and survey. We had a kids craft table, paper surveys, and posters in order to attract visitors. Unfortunately, people were not eager to stop and interact for very long due to rainy, windy, and cold weather. The surveys and crafts were underused, but we were able to pitch our project and solicit quick thoughts about the Green Loop. We also used printed informational take-aways to direct people to our social media pages.

2.3 Copy of Survey

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Survey Page 1

35

Survey Page 2

36

Survey Page 3

37

Survey Page 4

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Survey Page 5

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Appendix III- Existing Conditions

3.1 Data Collection Plan3.2 Existing Conditions Report3.3 Tables3.4 Copy of Data Analysis Tools

3.1Data Collection Plan This section was originally written as a seperate document to explain our data collection strategy and is included as-is for referrence.

Walkability AuditThe walkability audit will provide a score for each block side that will provide us with a quantitative way to measure and map the walkability of each block. We will use the Measuring Urban Design Qualities audit instrument, which was created using statistical models that predict walkability. While this will take more time than simpler audits, it gives us a number that is backed by research and a method that is less susceptible to personal interpretations and perceptions.

We will work on two specific sides (a park block side and an urban side) as a group to train and establish norms, and then perform the rest of the audit either individually or in groups of two as personal preference dictates. While weather may affect the pedestrian count portion, rainy weather will not necessarily preclude an audit being conducted.

Number of blocks (a street that runs down the block): 25Number of individual block sides (pedestrian-only paths only count as one): 40

Pedestrian and Cyclist SampleA bike/ped count at key locations will provide a baseline usage level before the implementation of the Green Loop, as well as quantify areas where there is existing high usage. Counts will be done using a simple screenline method at five general locations:

Cultural Park Blocks PSU South Park Blocks SW College SW 4th Ave near University Place Collaborative Life Sciences Building

These samples will be collected at two different times for each location: a weekday from 5 to 7 PM and a Saturday from 12 Noon to 2 PM as per the guidelines from the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project (http://bikepeddocumentation.org). Counts may be conducted individually or in pairs according to personal preference. We will strive to get counts in non-rainy weather to capture peak usage.

Business InventoryPedestrian and bicycling infrastructure can have a large impact on surrounding businesses, both by bringing more customers past the storefront and by potentially increasing the difficulty of access by automobile. We will conduct an inventory of all businesses directly adjacent to the identified route including business name, business type, number of on-street parking spaces on the block, and presence of private off-street parking. Primary data will come from BPS sources, with parking information and up-to-date name and type data being obtained through a foot survey of the area.

Auto and Bicycle Parking InventoryParking is equally important for both cars and bicyclesthere is no point in creating a route to a destination if there is no safe and convenient place to park at the end of the trip. Car parking in particular can be a hot-button topic for businesses and residents, and new bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure can may require the removal of on-street parking. We will be collecting block-by-block on-street parking counts as part of the business inventory and will do so as well for blocks without any businesses present in order to provide a comprehensive inventory of the entire project alignment.

Portland Citys efforts at installing staple bike racks and bike corrals have made bike parking more available throughout the city, and specific businesses and institutions (especially Portland State University) also provide their own parking. We will identify and count all bicycle parking along the alignment through a foot survey and identify any nearby large bike parking facilities. Each staple or similar locking structure will be counted as two available parking spaces.

DemographicsWe will conduct an analysis of the demographics of the surrounding areas using information from the US Census at the census tract level in order to understand the population of residents near the alignment. This analysis will contain basic descriptive statistics and population counts.

Transit InventorySince walking is often the mode used for the last part of any transit trip there is a strong connection between transit and pedestrian activity. The regional transit system may be used to connect users to the Green Loop who would otherwise

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live too far away to utilize it. We will create an inventory of transit lines, stops, and boardings for all transit systems near the alignment. These data will be obtained through TriMet and will be presented by both maps and tables..

Existing Planning ContextPortland is a place of many plans, with actors at all levels of government responsible for various programs and systems. We will compile a report of all plans related to the southwest portion of the Green Loop in order to identify sources of cooperation (such as linking with planned trails and bike infrastructure) and competition (such as expanded roadways or critical sections that cannot be reconfigured). The plans reviewed may include the following:

Oregon State Transportation Improvement Plan Metro Active Transportation Plan Metro Regional Transportation Plan Portland City Comprehensive Plan Portland City Transportation System Plan TriMet Service Enhancement Plans West Quadrant Plan COP Bicycle Plan COP Ped Plan PSU University District Framework South Waterfront Plan South Portland Circulation Study

-2000 -1000 0 1000 2000

0 to 9

10 to 17

18 to 24

25 to 29

30 to 39

40 to 49

50 to 59

60 to 69

70 to 79

80 +

Females

Males

Ages Males FemalesMale to

Female Ratio0 to 9 88 69 1.2810 to 17 42 51 0.8218 to 24 811 1911 0.4225 to 29 877 595 1.4730 to 39 635 505 1.2640 to 49 327 178 1.8450 to 59 330 237 1.3960 to 69 268 338 0.7970 to 79 244 275 0.8980 + 82 130 0.63

Total 3,704 4,289 0.86

Median Age 30.41 25.95Std. Error 1.41 2.23

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Surey 2008-2013 Estimate

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Surey 2008-2013 Estimate

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Table 1: Age and Gender of Study Area

IntroductionEstablishing the current uses and conditions of the Green Loop is critical to understanding what future work and improvements may contribute to the area. The teams analysis indicates the southwest portion of the Green Loop encompasses an area diverse in uses, activity levels, level of human scale and walkability, and connectivity to transit.

Several different analyses were performed to better understand the diversity of the area as outlined in the preceding data collection plan. This section, originally written as a stand-alone document, addresses each of these analyses in turn. Some, such as the demographic and transit inventories, cover the entirety of the study area and are presented without further geographic separation. The other analyses have been broken up into segments to provide a better understanding of the relative strengths and weaknesses of each area.

DemographicsThe Green Loop is meant to be safe and inviting to all people. We investigated the basic demographics and transportation information available for the census tracts containing the southwest portion of the Green Loop (Multnomah County tracts 56 and 57, see 4.1 Map 1) using the latest American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates from 2008 to 2013. While the ACS does not provide an exact count like the Decennial Census, it does provide a more up-to-date estimate of demographic indicators based on Census Bureauadministered surveys. Standard error values provided by the Bureau have been included to aid in interpretation of the sample counts.

The overall population in the study area of nearly 8,000 people has an interesting age and gender profile with two distinctly identifiable age cohorts: young, college-aged residents and older retirement-aged residents (Chart 1). This area is not home to young families, however, and has very small young child and teenage cohorts. Interestingly, both the college-aged and retirement-aged cohorts are significantly female, with a drastically larger female population in the traditional college age cohort of 18 to 24 years old. However, the cohorts in between these two extremes tend to be predominantly male. Overall, the average age of females is 25.95 while the average age of males is 30.41

Chart 1: Population Pyramid

3.2 Existing Conditions Report Quantitative Data Analysis

0

1,000

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White African American

American Indian And

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Asian Native Hawaiian

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Hispanic Or Latino

0

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$25,0

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$30,0

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99

$35,0

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$39,9

99

$40,0

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$44,9

99

$45,0

00 To

$49,9

99

$50,0

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99

$60,0

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$99,9

99

$100

,000 T

o $12

4,999

$125

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o $14

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$150

,000 T

o $19

9,999

$200

,000 O

r Mor

e

Household Type Estimate Percent Std. ErrorFamily 913 20.20% 105.39Nonfamily 3,618 79.90% 163.41

Total 4531 152.26Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Surey 2008-2013 Estimate

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Surey 2008-2013 Estimate

44

Chart 3: Income

with a male to female ratio of 0.86 (Table 1).Portland has the reputation for being one of the least racially diverse large cities in the country, but the southwest portion of downtown challenges this image (Chart 2). While people who identify as White are still the majority at over 75% of the population, there are notable Asian, Hispanic/Latino, and mixed-race populations in this area as well.

The average household in these two census tracts seems to be young, college-aged, non-family renters. The median household income of $36,730 hides a bimodal distribution similar to the age and gender distributions with a large number of residents in the less than $10,000 category and another cluster centered around $75,000 (Chart 3). This indicates that while the averages are consistent with a young, college-aged population, there is an older population that may have higher levels of income and home ownership. Over three quarters of households are renters (Table 2Page 56), which corresponds to a similar 80%20% non-family/family household split (Table 2). While there is an overall housing vacancy rate of 13.6%, the rental vacancy rate (units available for rent divided by the total number of rental units) is much lower at 6.61%.

Chart 2: Race

Table 2: Household Types (Family V. Non-Family)

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Surey 2008-2013 Estimate

0

400

800

1,200

1,600

Less Than 9th Grade

9th To 12th Grade, No Diploma

High School Graduate (Includes

Equivalency)

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Degree

Male

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0

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Doctorate Degree

Male

Female

0

500

1,000

1,500

Drove Alone

Carpooled Public Transit

Walked Bike Other Worked at Home

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Surey 2008-2013 Estimate

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Surey 2008-2013 Estimate

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Chart 6: Transportation Modeshare

The residents of southwest downtown Portland also appear to be well educated for their age. The 18 to 24 year old cohort has an overwhelming number of college students with only a handful of residents with a high school diploma who have not attended college (Chart 4). The 25 and older cohort continues this trend of college education with a small cohort still in college but with the largest percentage being those with a bachelor degree or higher (Chart 5).

The transportation information provided by the ACS indicates that this area is a prime location for a pedestrian facility. The top three modes of getting to work for the area are (in decreasing popularity) walking, driving, and public transit (Chart 6). The large number of people walking is encouraging, but the area may be in need of enhanced cycling facilities as cycling has a paltry 1% mode share. The large number of public transit trips also almost certainly contains walking trips to the stations or stops that arent included in the walking numbers. The ages associated with these modes reveal that drivers tend to be older than pedestrians or transit users (Chart 7Next Page). The majority of these work trips take a half hour or less (Chart 8Next Page).

Chart 4: Educational Attainment (Ages 18-24)

Chart 5: Educational Attainment (25 and older)

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Surey 2008-2013 Estimate

20

25

30

35

40

Drove Alone Carpooled Public Transit Walked Taxi, Motorcycle,

Bike, or Other

Worked at Home

0

200

400

600

800

Less Than 5

5 to 9 10 to 14

15 to 19

20 to 24

25 to 29

30 to 34

35 to 39

40 to 44

45 to 59

60 to 89

90 Or More

Chart 7: Average Age of Commuters

Chart 8: Average Commute Time to Work (Minutes)

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Surey 2008-2013 Estimate

Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Surey 2008-2013 Estimate

46

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

Cultural Park Blocks

PSU Park Blocks

SW College SW Caruthers

Chart 1: Average Walkability Audit Score

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Cultural Park Blocks

PSU Park Blocks

SW College SW Caruthers

47

Lincoln Street. We did not perform any audits of the space between SW Lincoln/4th Ave and SW Caruthers due to the lack of existing infrastructure in this segment. The final segment ran east on SW Caruthers, south on SW Water Ave, and then under the interstate to the intersection of SW Sheridan and SW Moody.

ImageabilityThe imageability of an area refers to its distinctness and ability to be easily identified and recognized, or how well it is identified as a unique place. Not surprisingly, both park blocks scored the highest thanks to the large number of parks, easily identified buildings, and historic facades and architectures. Both SW College and SW Caruthers scored in the average range for imageability (Chart 2).

EnclosureThe sense of enclosure, or how much the surrounding environment provides a room-like feel to the sidewalk, was relatively low across the whole study area. The large open spaces of the park blocks work against them for this category, as does the lack of buildings in the SW Caruthers area (Chart 3next page). SW College has the highest score here, though the high degree of enclosure on SW College is lessened in the average score by the low enclosure around SW 4th Ave.

Walkability Audits

It is important to identify the current walkability of the proposed Green Loop alignment in order to prioritize investments and tailor individual portions of the proposed facility to the needs of the area. We used the Measuring Urban Design Qualities walkability audit from Active Living Research to conduct a walkability audit for each side of each block along BPS initial proposed route to provide a score that can be compared across the whole study area. This instrument is based on research performed by several leading academics and relies on quantitative measurements in combination with a regression model to provide scores for five aspects of urban design that significantly impact the walkability of a street. These scores for imageability, enclosure, human scale, transparency, and complexity correspond with a ranking system devised that ranges from one to five, with one being the lowest and five being the highest. A blank scoring sheet is included in this report as APPENDIX III- page 59.

These audits were performed on clear weather days in February 2015 along the blocks that make up the southwest portion of the Green Loop proposal. We started at SW Salmon Street at the north end of the South Park Blocks, continued south along the park blocks, behind Shattuck Hall to the intersection of SW College and SW Broadway. We divided this area into the Cultural Park Blocks and PSU Park Blocks (divided by SW Market Street). From SW College and SW Broadway we continued east on SW College and turned right along SW 4th Avenue until it intersects SW

Chart 2: Imageability Score

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Cultural Park Blocks

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SW College SW Caruthers

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Human ScaleHuman scale measures how the built elements of an area correspond with human size and proportion and takes into account building height, ground floor windows, and street furniture. The PSU Park Blocks and SW College score well here due to the larger than normal amount of outdoor furniture and relatively smaller buildings than in the other areas (Chart 4). It should be noted that our analysis did not encompass the interior of the park blocks, which have a large amount of street furniture and other features that create a human-oriented environment.

TransparencyAn important aspect of walkability is feeling like one can see other people and be seen by them, creating a sense of safety and community. Similarly to human scale, the PSU park blocks and SW College score well here because of the large number of windows and active uses surrounding the area (Chart 5). The Cultural Park Blocks deserve a higher score

here due to the large number of people in the park itself, but this is not captured very well with our a