Barbur Blvd – Road Safety Audit

The Oregon Department of Transportation commissioned a Road Safety Audit for SW Barbur Boulevard. 

The Barbur Safety Audit has resulted in a number of plans to improve the safety of the corridor.

1. A new signal is being designed for the intersection of Barbur and Capitol Hwy south in the Crossroads area and all left turns will be eliminated at the intersection including left from Capitol Hwy Northbound going onto I5.
2. Removal of a large number of parking slots along the corridor.
3. Restripping of the bicycle lanes making them buffered bike lanes, meaning there will be double lines separating vehicle traffic from the bicycle lanes, like we have on Beaverton Hillsdale Highway.
4. Removal of one lane southbound from the point Capitol Highway turns west and goes up the hill into Hillsdale to some distance south of the second bridge, the Vermont Bridge.   Their plans, not yet funded call for moving the center line of Barbur on the bridges west by 5 feet which may/will require extensive excavation of the hillside on the west side of Barbur north of the Capitol Highway exit.   This plan also provides a stop signal for the southbound Barbur traffic that is going to turn right onto Capitol Highway to allow safe passage of bicycles. One thing is does not do is provide a way for southbound Red Electric Traffic to cross Barbur at the north end of the north bridge, the Newberry Bridge. The signal needs to allow all traffic to be stopped for those coming southbound from the planned Red Electric Slavin Road route to the Hooley Pedestrian Bridge and who are going south or west to cross the 3 lanes of Barbur and proceed south on Barbur or go west from the south end of the Newberry Bridge up the hill to Hillsdale.

To see more about this project go to www.barbursafety.org.