Better Naito Summary Report Prepared by Better Block PDX for the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) Key Findings: • During non-peak hours, travel time was not significantly affected. • Typical motor vehicle travel time during peak hours (7-9am & 4-6pm) increased by 45 seconds to one minute. • Initial data showed 56% increase in bicycle travel during the Better Naito installation. • Public feedback was positive; the project received over 170 twitter posts and 29 emails. • As part of the Central City Plan, Naito could be evaluated for potential walking and biking improvements. • We found no significant increase in motor vehicle traffic on SW 4th Ave. due to diversion from Naito. In 1974, the City of Portland took a bold step by removing the six lane Harbor Drive freeway to create a 36-acre riverfront park. Today, the festivals in Tom McCall Waterfront Park draw almost 700,000 people between April and November; roughly 15,000 more people per day during peak season. Several festivals have a large footprint that result in families and tourists being forced to squeeze into narrow sidewalks, walk in a bike lane, or in a travel lane with high-speed traffic. During summer, 2015, Better Block PDX, a local group of public space advocates, obtained permits from the Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) to implement a design developed by a team of civil engineering students from Portland State University. The design provided one northbound motor vehicle lane that was physically separated from a protected bicycle and pedestrian space to help everyone safely and comfortably access the waterfront. The project took place during the Rose Festival (May 22 to June 5) and the Oregon Brewers Festival (July 21 to July 27). BEFORE: Waiting in line After: Waiting in line BEFORE: Walking on Naito After: Walking on Naito Travel Time for Motor Vehicles: To evaluate the impacts on motor vehicle travel, Bluetooth devices were set up along Naito Parkway and used GPS signals from cell phones to track movement through the corridor. During the Rose Festival Better Naito implementation, Bluetooth devices were set up at SW Clay, SW Salmon, SW Stark, and SW Davis. During the Oregon Brewers Festival, the SW Davis location was moved to SW Fourth at SW Lincoln, and a fifth device was added to SW Fourth at SW Salmon. This allowed the City to monitor diversion off of Naito Parkway, if any. Working with the City to use Bluetooth sensors and tubes to measure travel times and potential diversion was one of the innovative elements of the Better Naito project. Further, based on community feedback, Better Block PDXs collaborated with PBOT to adjust signal timing midway through the project to improve traveler experience. Improving communication between the public and City staff and allowing real-time response to community feedback was one of the major innovations of Better Naito. Our data found during non-peak hours, motor vehicle travel times were not significantly affected. The travel time from the half mile stretch of SW Clay to SW Stark increased most dramatically during AM and PM peak travel hours between 7:00-9:00 AM and 4:00-6:00 PM. Typical increases in motor vehicle travel times during peak hours were in the 45 second to one minute range. Further, most of this increase occurred between SW Clay and Salmon and was the result of lane merge activity. The City also monitored SW 4th Avenue for potential increases in traffic volume (i.e. diversion from Naito) during the project and found no significant increase in motor vehicle traffic on SW 4th Ave. Increase in Bicycle and Pedestrian Use: Bicycle and pedestrian volumes were counted with automatic counters and manual counts. PBOT supplied pneumatic tube counters that are seen throughout Portland. These are hoses that vehicles drive over to be counted and PBOT is using new tube technology that can distinguish between the motor vehicles and bicycles. The tube count data showed a 56 percent increase in bicycle travel during the Better Naito installation. It is worth noting that with the new tubes, several counts had to be excluded due to technology problems. In addition to tube counts, volunteers counted bicycles and pedestrians at several locations along Naito and the waterfront pathway in the park throughout the implementation. During the morning and evening peak hours, pedestrians almost exclusively traveled along the waterfront pathway. Morning observations of pedestrians using Naito at the Morrison Bridge showed 23 pedestrians in the northbound and 23 pedestrians in the southbound directions. Along the waterfront path at the Morrison Bridge, morning observations showed 136 pedestrians traveling in the northbound direction and 122 in the southbound direction. 56% increase > Bicycle counts at the same locations indicated that during the morning peak hour, 182 bicyclists traveled in the northbound direction along the waterfront pathway and 272 bicyclists traveled northbound in the Better Naito lane. As far as southbound bicycle travel, two-way bicycle travel was not allowed on the Better Naito pathway but observations were conducted for the southbound bike lane on the west side of Naito and Waterfront Park. In the southbound direction, 393 bicyclists traveled along the waterfront pathway and 64 bicyclists traveled in the southbound bike lane on the west side of Naito. Public Feedback: The majority of public feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Better Block PDX worked with the City to solicit public feedback via twitter, email, and phone. On Twitter, users were very engaged. Better Block PDX encouraged the use of the hashtag #BetterNaito for people to provide feedback. It was feedback from this hashtag that resulted in improvements, for example, signal timing adjustments, being implemented in real- time during the project. In fact, the hashtag has taken on a life of its own and lived beyond the Better Naito project dates. People have commented that they would like to see it return and highlight it as an example of an innovative pilot that should be replicated in other parts of the city. In terms of feedback received, the primarily positive messages shared were that people felt safer walking and biking, there was less conflict in the corridor between bicycle riders, pedestrians and drivers, and that the facility should be installed on a permanent basis. The primary negative messages were related to implementation of the project and vehicles parking for permitted loading operations serving the festivals, not necessarily about the reallocation of space. Other negative comments suggested a sidewalk should be built instead or that space should not be reallocated due to the effect on motor vehicle travel times. Conclusion: In conclusion, the Better Naito pilot project provided a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable atmosphere for all who accessed Portland’s Waterfront Park. Better Naito builds on Portland’s reputation as a leader in transportation innovation, safety, and livability. Festivals in Waterfront Park are an efficient use of space because they occur in one of the densest locations in the state with a significant number of people arriving by transit, bike, or foot. With increased demand for access to and around the festivals, it makes sense to allocate more space for people walking and biking to Waterfront Park. Better Block PDX appreciated the opportunity to work with community partners, festival organizers and the City of Portland on the Better Naito project. In summary, the results from our data gathering showed: • Travel time for motor vehicles was not significantly affected during non-peak hours. • During peak hours, motor vehicle travel times increased by 45 seconds to one minute and was related to merge activity near the Hawthorne bridge ramp. • Our data showed an increase of 56% in bicycle ridership during Better Naito. • Feedback from the public was very positive. • We found no significant increase in motor vehicle traffic on SW 4th Ave due to diversion from Naito. • In the future, if biking and walking improvements are prioritized along Naito, the City and stakeholders will have access to invaluable real-world data to inform their decisions. .