East Burnside Safety Project

From Clay Veka at PBoT, here is a chance to learn more and weigh in on potential changes to East Burnside:

The Buckman and Kerns neighborhood associations and the Burnside East Business Alliance, in partnership with the Portland Bureau of Transportation, invite you to… 

East Burnside (14^th – 32^nd) Safety Project Public Meeting

Sept. 30 (Mon), 2013 – 6:30-8:00 PM

Albertina Kerr Center

424 NE 22^nd Ave, 97323

 Expressing a desire for improved transportation safety on East Burnside Street, the Buckman and Kerns neighborhood associations and the Burnside East Business Alliance asked the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s High Crash Corridor program to partner in identifying potential safety improvements on East Burnside.   Due to safety needs and strong community partnership, the HCC program responded by establishing an East Burnside Working Group to understand the crash data, and identify specific safety concerns and solutions.

Through that process, several potential engineering improvement projects have been identified, including:

• Speed reader board on E Burnside westbound around 30th/31st.
• Moving bus stops far-side at some marked crosswalks.
• Traffic signal changes at 20th, 28th and 32nd, such as pedestrian push buttons and leading pedestrian intervals.
• Posted speed reduction to 30 MPH.
• Consideration of alternative travel lane options. 

NOTE: Due to updated modeling projections, feedback will be requested on a few different travel lane configurations.

• Curb extensions.
• Pedestrian median islands at select unsignalized intersections.

Now we would like community-wide feedback on the potential projects.  Please join us!  For more information on the Burnside High Crash Corridor, please visit our website here. 

Block Party! Pollinator Habitat! Plant Swap!

This Saturday (9/21) starting at 10am, there will be a block party SE 16th Ave. and SE Ash St.  The traffic circle planting work party will start at 10am.  Bring your kiddos and turn them loose on their bicycles!

We will be having a ‘Plant-swap’ throughout the day – Fall is the perfect time to divide those spring blooming perennials. Bring your extra divisions to the swap and go home with new perennials for free!  Please no Kudzu.  😉

As you may know pollinator populations are declining due to herbicide and pesticide use and habitat loss.  They are hard pressed to find habitat in the city and this space will add to the ‘quilt-work’ of attractive habitat for pollinators of all types. This is the first phase of establishing a wildflower meadow type habitat in that traffic circle, which means we will be eliminating competition from fast growing weeds and other plants.  Wildflowers are slow to establish, particularly in the first year, and just can’t compete with noxious weeds and invasive species. Once established they will thrive on their own.

The following Saturday, Sept 28th, we will move the block party to 14th and Pine’s traffic circle.  Construction permitting, we hope to have a block party at 15th and Oak in October.

If you are interested in this project please contact Jim Forristal at nwclassic@gmail.com for more info.

Some of the plants we are looking for specifically include these:

Common name	Botanical name
NATIVE Wildflowers:
California Poppy	Eschsholzia californica
Oregon Sunshine, Common woolly sunflower	Eriophyllum lanatum
Slender Cinquefoil	Potentilla gracilis
Western Yarrow, Common Yarrow, Milfoil	Achillea millefolium
Bigleaf Lupine	Lupinus polyphyllus
Venus Penstemon	Penstemon venustus
Blanketflower, Great blanketflower	Gaillardia aristata
Wild bergamot, Beebalm	Monarda fistulosa
Common selfheal	Prunella vulgaris
Western Buttercup	Ranunculus occidentalis
Blue Mountain Prarie Clover	Dalea ornata
Showy Milkweed	Asclepias speciosa
NATIVE GRASSES AND SEDGES:
California Oatgrass	Danthonia californica
NON-NATIVE flowering plants
Baby Blue Eyes	Nemophila menziesii
Lacy Phacelia	Phacelia tanacetifolia
Spanish lavender	Lavandula stoechas
Rosemary
Oregano
Marjoram
Thyme
Mint
Starflower	Borage
Purple cone flower	Echinacea
Hummingbird Mint, Giant Hyssop	Agastache
Davidson’s Penstemon	Penstemon davidsonii
Stonecrop	Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
Arrowleaf balsamroot	Balsamorhiza sagittata