City's capital projects draft plan on Finance Committee agenda

[Christian MilNeil]

Hey everyone, the city manager and finance department has released their recommendations for the city's next 5-year "capital improvement" plan, which includes most of the major street projects we can expect to see in the next couple of years.

It's been posted here:

https://portlandme.portal.civicclerk.com/event/8515/files/attachment/28912

Usually there's a more concise table but this gives a lot of detail on each proposed project, including staff "rankings" for prioritization. 

Most of the public works/streets projects begin around page 178, but there are also some parks and sewer/stormwater projects of interest that could affect bike/pedestrian accessibility and street safety (some of the city's best traffic calming projects in recent years were built as part of the city's sewer reconstruction projects when they needed to rip up an entire street anyhow).

Other folks should take a look but here are some things that caught my eye:

• There's a recommendation for $100K in design funding for State/High 2-way conversion, with an anticipated construction in 2028-29. Ranks #2 in the public works dept.'s priorities. 
• Gorham's Corner roundabout project ranks #3 and would be on schedule to begin construction this year with funding from the city's sewer fund.
• $650K recommendation for new sidewalks on Forest Ave between Walton and Morrill St
• DPW also requested $450K for new sidewalks on Brighton Avenue - Whitney Ave to Williams Street, but the Manager did not recommend any funding.
• City manager recommends $1.75 million for general sidewalk maintenance which is a pretty big increase over prior years' funding, plus an additional $500K for ADA compliance work (crosswalk ramps) on city streets;
• $300K for "arterial pedestrian crossings" like median islands and flashing beacons, with a note that "this is a program that was discontinued due to budget adjustments following FY20 and is being re-requested following significant public request for improved crossings at key locations," plus an additional $150K recommendation for traffic calming projects.
• $140K for Vision Zero street lighting improvements;
• $100K for Forest Avenue – Woodfords to Bedford Street design work, in anticipation for a FY2027 paving project. This segment has been under discussion for a road diet w/ the possibility for protected bike lanes and traffic calming.
• $100K recommended for Vision Zero bike facility improvements
• A few other lower-priority projects on the Public Works wishlist that aren't recommended for funding at this point: Cutter Street on the Eastern Prom, a mini-roundabout at the Pearl/Fore intersection in the Old Port, new sidewalk/bike lanes on York St between State and High, design funds to extend the West Commercial St. path from Beach Street to High Street

Some other things to note:

• The city's planning to spend over $10 million c. 2029 to redo the failing sewers under all of Franklin Street – this will need to be coordinated with the Franklin redesign.
• There will also be a 2028 project to redo sewers under Ludlow Street (Caldwell to Columbia next to Deering HS). This is part of Portland's first "neighborhood byway" so this should be an opportunity to improve traffic calming when they rebuild the street.

Overall I'm appreciative – I recall the bad old days under Jon Jennings when we struggled to get $600K a year for sidewalk maintenance. Part of the difference is that things are more expensive now but I think our new city management and DPW staff really do understand the value in this stuff. 

Christian MilNeil
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[George Rheault]

Just for clarification, the CIP stuff included for the last Finance Committee meeting is a giant wish list (running 415 pages).

The greatly pared down list for FY2027 approval won't be presented until the next Finance Committee meeting at the end of February (full Council to chew on that in March).

Jon Jennings was never anti-sidewalk (even if he was objectionable on many other fronts), he was just doing the constant juggling act that all Portland officials have done for years with respect to capital spending.

The Mavodones/Duson faction on the City Council for years kicked the can down the road on the huge backlog of city infrastructure needs and the NIMBYism/anti-housing impulses of many Portlanders has made it next to impossible to do intelligent planning and growth to address that backlog.

Between a massive amount of deferred school capital investment as well as in every other city department, there is a real crisis ahead on the city's wants and needs.

The Bike/Ped community would do well to think broadly and deeply about how to get "our goodies" without leaving behind other important needs.  Our Council has the perennially unenviable job of robbing Peter to pay Paul.

One good example:  City Hall needs a new roof very soon  Replacement of the existing fancy/historic copper roof is currently estimated at close to FIVE MILLION DOLLARS.  To my knowledge this project has not surfaced in the last decade or so.  If "surprises" to the tune of $5 million like this keep popping up with regularity, then it is no wonder we are short on funds for things like accelerated Vision Zero efforts. 

     

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[Myles G. Smith]

Thank you Christian for this, I'll add mention of it to the agenda for tonight's meeting. And thank you George for your commentary. Nothing's final until it's final.

I believe that it's our job as advocates to call for the council to spend on improvements to walking, biking, and riding in the city. It's the council and staff's job to figure out how to balance that against other perfectly valid priorities. 

For instance, I think the after school program is terribly underresouced and should be funded well enough to accomodate all PPS elementary students, but that's a separate issue from this and I'll be calling for it through other groups.

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[Zack Barowitz]

Thanks for the research and report. Very helpful.

Zack

207-838-6120

917-696-5649
ZacharyBarowitz.com

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