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Summer 2015 Make Way for the Orange Line and a Milwaukian Renaissance

Ben Maras

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Recommended Citation Maras, Ben (2015). "Make Way for the Orange Line and a Milwaukian Renaissance" Summer 2015 Metroscape, p. 6-12.

This Article is brought to you for free and open access. It has been accepted for inclusion in Metroscape by an authorized administrator of PDXScholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Make Way for the Orange Line and a Milwaukian Renaissance

by Ben Maras

ilwaukie is undergoing major ther — appears poised to make a major changes: a new line, a entrance into metro-area society. Mnew 8.5-acre waterfront park, “I believe the opening of the Orange a new two-mile neighborhood greenway, Line will be the beginning of a renais- two new bike trails, and increasing public sance for Milwaukie's downtown,” Wilda and private investment in its downtown. Parks, who served as Interim Mayor of Now, the former riverboat town and Milwaukie earlier this year, said. more recently, sleepy suburb of 20,000- Although the largest project by far is odd people — only six miles from down- the new MAX Orange Line, opening town Portland but qualitatively much far- September 12th, a number of smaller

Page 6 Metroscape Milwaukie City Center Harrison investments have already begun to make significant impacts on the city. “Many projects have been or will Monroe Greenway soon be completed that will help shape the next period for Milwaukie,” Interim Mayor Parks said. “The Riverfront Park’s

second phase has been completed and Park Riverfront many people are enjoying it daily.” The park was recently renovated with a Milwaukie/Main new boat launch, paths and public rest- rooms. Phase III of the project will in- clude a playground and an open-air am- phitheater, encouraging residents to make use of the attractive bit of real estate. Kellogg Lake e Orange “The Orange Line is expected to bring Line is folks who normally reside in urbanized The Orange Line expected to areas of Portland and Oak Grove to the bring folks who Willamette River to enjoy a variety of normally live recreational activities and festivals that in urbanized are scheduled to take place in upcoming Union Pacific areas of years,” Mitch Nieman, assistant to the Portland and City Manager of Milwaukie, said. Oak Grove to In recent years, Milwaukie’s demo- the Willamette graphic make-up has been changing and River... the median age lowering. This is due, in part, to a new generation of families put- ting down roots in the area. The downtown district has been un- SE Park dergoing intense renewal over the past ten years, and is now home to a farm- ers market and numerous small shops. in Milwaukie. Despite bordering Port- The Orange Line will bring much needed land's Sellwood neighborhood, with its business and will help the city grow more many bike commuters, and Eastmoreland connected to Portland. (home of Reed College), Milwaukie has “Businesses will have an opportunity been sadly lacking in active transporta- to market to new target audiences: those tion. The Milwaukie City Center is already who commute to and from Portland and a hub for many bus lines that reach into those who are restricted by limited trans- Portland and the outer rings of the metro- portation options. Businesses like Zoe politan area, but the challenge of getting Outfitters will increase their market expo- people from surrounding neighborhoods sure because they will be able to connect to downtown Milwaukie has opened op- urban dwellers to water recreation activi- portunities for bikes. ties,” Nieman continued. The most direct route from Sellwood And the new MAX line won’t be the to downtown Milwaukie is a straight shot only project to overhaul transportation along 17th Avenue. It’s a narrow, two-lane

Metroscape Page 7 road with a steep grade on one side. It’s than the Monroe greenway providing already a thoroughfare for drivers which cyclists with a safe, continuous east-west leaves little room for bikes. route through Milwaukie. Now, thanks to the Milwaukie City Eventually, the greenway could be ex- Council, there will be a new mixed-use tended further east to Highway 213 (bet- bike path on the west side of the road. ter known as 82nd Avenue) and connect The roadbed will be moved east to to and the Green make room for the 12-foot wide path Line, completing a path that was dreamed — a feat of engineering considering the about some 40 years ago with the South- steep grade. When it opens, bikers and North Light Rail Project (see “How Light pedestrians will be able to travel between Rail Came to the Region” on the facing Sellwood and Milwaukie — and to and page). from the Orange Line — more easily. a Meanwhile, another mixed-use path has or the hundreds of people who already opened to the south. The Trolley commute between Portland and Trail, named after the abandoned interur- FMilwaukie every day, the new ban railroad grade it follows, extends six Portland to Milwaukie Orange Line will miles south to Gladstone. When the trail mean shorter trips and less congestion on along 17th Avenue is completed, these Highway 99E. two new trails will connect with the exist- Despite its proximity to Portland, tran- ing Springwater and sit to and from Milwaukie can be hit and trails to form a near-continuous path miss. With the exception of the #75 bus, parallel to the Willamette River from the which comes from southeast Portland Despite its Clackamas River to the . via Caesar Chavez Boulevard and Wood- proximity Also on the horizon is a plan to turn stock, most lines run along McLough- to Portland, Monroe Street, which runs parallel to the lin. When traffic flows well, a trip from transit to car-heavy Harrison Street in downtown downtown Portland to the Milwaukie City Milwaukie Milwaukie, into a neighborhood green- Center can take as little as 20 minutes. But can be hit and way for bikes and pedestrians. The stretch increased traffic congestion during peak miss. of new greenway would run from 21st hours adds time and uncertainty to the Avenue across Highway 224 and out to trip and creates stress for commuters who Linwood at the city’s eastern boundary. are trying to catch connecting buses. For A “neighborhood greenway” is a low- these commuters, the Orange Line will traffic, low-speed route that provides a mean a quicker, more reliable and even safe, quiet environment for motorists, scenic trip, in relative comfort as well as pedestrians, and bicycles and reduces cut- fewer missed connections when they get through car traffic from outside of the to Milwaukie’s city center. neighborhood. Greenways reduce auto- The Orange Line will run from mobile speeds through the use of traffic- Portland State University to Portland’s calming measures (such as mini traffic eastside across the . circles and speed bumps) to discourage From there it will continue to just south car trips. of the Museum of Science and When the Monroe Street greenway is Industry (OMSI), through the Brooklyn completed, it is expected that motorists neighborhood, then to Eastmoreland and will prefer to travel on the parallel arte- Westmoreland (at the S.E. Bybee Station), rials (Harrison and King streets) rather through the Ardenwald and Sellwood

Page 8 Metroscape How Light Rail Came to the Region

Courtesy of TriMet

hen the Orange Line debuts, it will be almost Ten years after , the first Metro- W thirty years since the first MAX line opened and politan Area Express (or MAX) opened, connecting TriMet stepped into the spotlight to become a na- Portland to its easterly suburb of Gresham. The Blue tional leader in public transit. But it wasn’t always Line was eventually extended, tunneling under the that way. West Hills, out to Beaverton and Hillsboro. In the early 70s, it looked like public transit in In the 1990s, TriMet was looking to replicate its Portland was dying out. Ridership had been falling success with the Blue Line and launched a $2.8 bil- since the 50s, and Rose City Transit Company, the lion plan known as the South-North Light Rail Proj- primary transit service and one of 34 bus and trolley ect to connect Clackamas Town Center to Vancouver, companies to operate in the Portland region in the WA. It would have run from Clackamas Town Center past hundred years, was going bankrupt. through Milwaukie, along the Union Pacific right- In a last-ditch effort, the City took over Rose City of-way through Portland's Brooklyn neighborhood, Transit and called for the creation of a new transit to Portland's downtown and eventually north along authority to run it. In early 1969, state legislation Interstate Avenue to Vancouver. created the Tri-County Metropolitan Transportation In 1994, the plan was put to the region's voters, District of Oregon — TriMet for short — which im- and nearly two-thirds of voters on the Oregon side mediately took over the former Rose City Transit. of the river approved the $475 million bond. Clark Shortly after, in 1971, the “Transportation Plan County voters, however, rejected a $237.5 million for 1990” advised the creation of 54 highways and bond that would have provided 's share freeways, believing the bus system would only be of the funding. used as a source for downtown rush hour commut- On September 10, 2001, the Red Line opened ers. In response, TriMet batted around the idea of connecting riders to Portland International Airport. developing European-style light rail lines running In 2004, the northern stretch of what would have along the existing railroad lines. been the South-North line opened as the Yellow In 1977 TriMet launched Fareless Square in an at- Line, stopping short of Vancouver and instead ending tempt to increase ridership downtown and reduce air at the Expo Center. Five years later, the Green Line pollution. finally connected downtown Portland to Clackamas Portland had used rail transit in the past — trol- Town Center, but rather than running through ley lines and San Francisco-style cable cars — but Milwaukie, it made use of existing infrastructure and those systems had died out. Planners, however, saw shares the east-west rails with the Blue and Red MAX a revival of rail in the region’s future. Light rail Lines before turning south and following I-205 out had been used in Europe, but had only recently re- to Clackamas. emerged in the US. The first modern system — al- Still, Milwaukie remained unserved. Now that’s beit a fairly limited version – had just been opened about to change. in San Diego.

Metroscape Page 9 Historic Milwaukie, Oregon

What Milwaukie Was, What Milwaukie Is

Milwaukie was founded in 1847 by entrepreneur Lot Whitcomb. Originally from Vermont, Whitcomb fell in love with Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which sits on the shore of Lake Michigan at the convergence of three rivers: the Milwaukee, the Menomonee, and the Kinnickinnic. The Courtesy of the City of Milwaukie name “Milwaukee” came from a Native American word that referred to it as a “meeting place of waters.” OMSI Clinton Orange Line Route and Historic Water Features Whitcomb’s love for Milwaukee drove him to seek out a SE 17th & Rhine Circa 1860 new “meeting place of waters.” In 1847, he settled where "Brook Land"/ Brooklyn Johnson Creek, Kellogg Creek, and other smaller creeks SE 17th flowed into the Willamette. & Holgate Portland Where the change in spelling came from is a bit of a mystery. Some say it was a practical joke one Milwaukee, Wisconsin, newspaper played on another involving stolen SE Bybee printing press type, while others say it was decided by the Post Office — or perhaps the railroads — to differentiate between the two cities.

SE Tacoma/Johnson Creek It was in his new Milwaukie that Whitcomb built the first steam ship on the Willamette River, as well as a sawmill and gristmill. He later served as Clackamas County's rep- resentative in the Oregon Territorial Legislature from 1852 to 1853 and as postmaster of Milwaukie from 1851 to 1857. Milwaukie

Milwaukie/Main Today, Milwaukie is home to some 20,000 residents, most- ly white (88.5 percent according to the 2010 Census) with a median age of 39.9. SE Park Milwaukie is home to several famous local businesses, most notably Bob’s Red Mill — a modern-day grist mill Portland artist, Bill Will's boats "float" along the Orange Line — and Dark Horse Comics, publisher of several graphic novels that later became Hollywood films including "Sin City" and "300," and Chuck Palahniuk’s "Fight Club 2."

Other notable businesses include Dave’s Killer Bread, Breakside Brewing Co., Precision Castparts, and employ- ee-owned grocery wholesale co-op, Unified Grocers (the city’s largest employer).

Page 10 Metroscape Historic Milwaukie, Oregon

neighborhoods (the S.E. Tacoma Station), At the S.E. Bybee Station, Dana Lynn and into Milwaukie along McLoughlin Louis created a portrait of the area’s Crys- Boulevard. Eventually the line may extend tal Springs in stained glass that will illumi- to Oregon City, but for now it will end nate the station’s cupola. Lynn Basa used at Park Avenue, just south of downtown the nearby Rhododendron Gardens as in- Milwaukie. spiration for her shelter column mosaics. Courtesy of the City of Milwaukie Each station is fitted with art that il- Further south, at the Johnson Creek/ Orange Line Route lustrates something about the location’s Tacoma stop, artist Thomas Sayre created unique history or identity. The glass wind- two sculptures of giant wheels made from and Historic Water Features screens on the shelters are etched with compressed earth, a tip of the hat to Lot Circa 1860 reeds and other designs found in nature. Whitcomb’s historic sawmill that once A “sonic dish” is built into the support stood there. of the bridge deck, which will focus sound Milwaukie will see its share of new art into a single point, as well as lights moving and beautification too. “The city’s new along the wall that echo the sounds of the mural program has accepted the first river. mural, to be painted by local artist Chris The Clinton Station features a giant Haberman,” Interim Mayor Parks said. sculpture made out of reclaimed freight The mural, which will depict faces, places rail, the shape representing the curves and phrases of Milwaukie, will be painted of the tracks of the transit system. on the back of one of the Milwaukie High Those traveling by bike to this station School buildings, facing the light rail stop will appreciate artist Horatio Law’s at Main Street. “Velosaurus,” a set of eight panels set into a the walls under the 17th Avenue overpass ivided by a river, Portland has at Powell Boulevard that contain bicycle been known for some years as parts arranged to resemble the fossilized D“Bridgetown.” There are cur- remains of dinosaurs. Clinton Street is rently a total of 15 cross-river bridges a popular bicycle route and numerous within the city of Portland (three span- changes were made to make route safer ning the and 12 crossing and more direct. the Willamette). The newest to the family, Portland artist, Bill Will — who also Tilikum Crossing, was built as a result of created a sculpture at the Washington the Orange Line project. Park Station — created a series of metal The location of the new bridge was boats that appear to float along the line as chosen as part of the 1994 South-North Portland it passes through Brooklyn, reflecting the Project. It sits just south of the Marquam artist, Bill origin of the neighborhood and its name. Bridge and is the nation’s longest car-free Will, created The area was originally called “Brook urban crossing. While cars are banned, the a series of Land” in reference to the rivers and creeks bridge carries the new MAX line, TriMet metal boats that used to run through the area. One of buses, the , bicyclists that appear to them still flows, buried under what is now and pedestrians. The #9 and #17 TriMet oat along the 17th Avenue. The Orange Line will run buses will move from the often-congested line... right over it. Over the years, Brook Land Bridge to the new crossing. became known as “Brooklyn,” a name it The Tilikum Crossing was originally re- now shares with the adjacent Union Pacific ferred to as the “Portland-Milwaukie Light rail yard, known as “the Brooklyn Yard.” Rail Bridge” or the “Caruthers Bridge,” in

Metroscape Page 11 Tilikum Crossing Bridge

reference to its name under the original s Milwaukie enters this new 1994 transit project. The name “Tilikum phase, Interim Mayor Parks and Crossing” was chosen by a committee, Aothers are optimistic about the appointed by TriMet, from a selection of future. They see new businesses and new names submitted by the public. The name transportation options as setting the right itself pays respect to the indigenous Chi- kind of stage for future development in nookan people, including the Clackamas the city they know and love. tribe that inhabited what is now Mil- “Several restaurants of a wide variety of waukie. foods already call Milwaukie home: choc- “Tilikum” is a Chinook word for peo- olates, popcorn, coffee shops, wine and ple, tribe, or family. Other names con- brew pubs. And there's room for more. sidered were the “Abigail Scott Duniway With more people living in downtown Transit Bridge,” in honor of the Oregon the city will enjoy an even more robust e good suffragist, the “Cascadia Crossing Transit economy, and be a safer environment as news is that Bridge” and the “Wy’East Transit Bridge,” people make the center city their home.” Milwaukie referring to a Native American name for “The good news is that Milwaukie won’t won't lose its Mount Hood. lose its community feeling. Its neighbor- community The bridge will be temporarily opened hoods will continue to thrive, and the feeling. on August 9th for the 20th Annual residents and visitors will enjoy the small, Providence Bridge Pedal, but will not hometown feeling that exists today,” officially open until September 12th. Parks said. M

Ben Maras is a Portland area freelance writer who grew up in Milwaukie, Oregon.

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