Payson Park Traffic Calming Presentation to the S & T 5-13-2026

[Scsmedia]

The Parks Dept made a presentation for a pilot Traffic Calming in Payson Park to be implemented this summer.

Attached is the presentation.  As a pilot project, this does not need council approval.

Steven Scharf

207-415-4662

SCSM...@aol.com

[Aaron L. Rosenblum]

Interesting! My bike commute shifted to include traversing Payson about a year ago, so I have lots of thoughts about this that still feel relatively new. 

I haven't done any homework since my commute shifted eastward - the need for calming should be obvious to anyone who passes through the park, but is there a history of proposals for calming, or prior projects? Did the music festival (and the small new trail connectors that resulted) add momentum? 

One thought, reflecting actual practice as someone who combines streets and trails to get from Riverton to the East End: unclear what the plan is based on the slide, but it would be awesome if the Catafalque bike lane would remain two-way (if it's two way at all) for the top bit of the street between the sledding hill parking and Ocean, where the car traffic becomes one-way. For cyclists using Canco Woods to traverse from Canco Road to the park to avoid Read St. or Washington Ave., taking the easiest/widest/most-accessible crossing means popping out at Murray St. and Ocean. I feel that it is much safer to make a left onto Ocean and a right onto Catafalque than it is to make a right onto Ocean and then risk being hit from the rear while waiting to turn left on Arboretum. Folks coming from farther southwest in Canco Woods probably pop out on Rosedale, so they probably head straight onto Arboretum. Better dedicated lanes there would be nice too. 

Obviously excited for the car closure on the cove side of Catafalque. 

Thanks for the heads up, Steven!

Aaron 

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[Scsmedia]

Did the music festival (and the small new trail connectors that resulted) add momentum? 

Money.  The funding for this comes from them.

Steven Scharf

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[Winston Lumpkins]

I agree with Aaron that turning left onto Arboretum feels dangerous.  I don't commute that way, but about 50% of my recreational rides make use of Payson to Murray on the way out, and a little less than that on the way back.  

I tend to pull over into Rosendale Street and wait for a gap in traffic... but that would be a drag on a commute. The vehicular technique of taking the lane and hoping cars behind yield feels too exposed for me.  I wish taking Catafalque was an option.   A contra flow bike lane on that section of Catafalque would be very welcome, though cars tend to split into 2 lanes at the top, right and left, so it might be awkward.  

I wonder if there's space to advocate for that? There certainly is space on upper Catafalque for one lane of car traffic and a bike lane in each direction...  

I BCC'd some folks at city hall, maybe they can give some insight into Plans for upper Catafalque.  

~Winston

Winston Lumpkins IV (he/him/his)

Past Chair, Portland Bicycle & Pedestrian Advisory Committee
https://www.portlandbikeped.org/

winston....@gmail.com
207-408-1508

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[Christian MilNeil]

I'd add a desire for a contra-flow bike lane on Arboretum Road. When I'm heading towards North Deering from Tukey's Bridge, I'll often ride the "wrong way" on Arboretum Road in order to connect to the Portland Trails network at the end of Rosedale Street. The sledding hill is taller and steeper at the northern end of Catafalque than it is at Arboretum, so it's also a way to avoid some climbing. I also feel like there's not really a need for a separated same-direction bike lane on Arboretum Road when bikes are basically travelling at the same speed as motorized vehicles. This is one spot where I'm perfectly comfortable having my 8-year-old take the lane. 

This has come up before on this group, but the city commissioned a "Master Plan" for Payson Park way back in 2000 that recommended closing Arboretum Road to traffic altogether, and just consolidating slow, two-way traffic on a rebuilt Catafalque with sidewalks. 

Some of the other recommendations from this plan are trash – note how they also proposed paving over most of the parkland near Front Street, where the neighborhood's only affordable family housing is, for parking lots. But to their credit, they did identify that a lack of good bike and pedestrian access to Payson Park is a major contributing factor for why most of the park's users feel like they have to drive their cars to get there:

https://content.civicplus.com/api/assets/55d8380f-e4b5-4499-a776-0902ae88e8db

Christian MilNeil
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[James Cradock]

I hadn't thought about riding the wrong way to avoid the steepish climb to Ocean Ave. 

Thank you! 

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[Aaron L. Rosenblum]

Christian,

I don’t disagree with any of those proposals, but just noting that there’s a current option for avoiding the steep climb and reaching Rosedale - turn left off of Catafalque into the sledding hill lot (a left where it’s almost impossible to encounter oncoming traffic since this is where Carafalque switches to one-way) and take the recently-improved unpaved path that follows the grade at a pretty shallow angle up to the top of Arboretum. In this case, a green box (at least) or signal or something at the top of Arboretum would still help, as you end up making the crossing to Rosedale at a spot that’s often backed up with drivers making a left onto Arboretum…which will remain a problem even if we get a contra-flow bike lane all the way up Arboretum and is why I avoid that option even when I am heading to the Rosedale trails instead of the paved Murray cut-through (I make a left from Catafalque onto Ocean, then the right onto Murray or Rosedale). What’s your experience if you’re making that crossing at Rosedale regularly?

All to say…the gentler grade is compelling from an accessibility standpoint, but I think the safety issues (including visibility down the hill to the left/southwest) remain greater at Rosedale.

That 2000 plan is actually quite compelling, though. Just shut one of them completely. It’s kind of an abundance of choice for motorists wanting to cut across the park. 

Aaron 

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