THE SULLIVAN’S GULCH TRAIL STUDY Master of Urban and Regional Planning Workshop Project Portland State University June 2004 THE SULLIVAN’S GULCH TRAIL STUDY Michael Hoffmann Darren Muldoon Joseph Schaefer Morgan Will Master of Urban and Regional Planning Program College of Urban and Public Affairs Portland State University Planning Workshop June 2004 ACKNOWLEDGEMETS Portland State University Metro City of Portland Professors Parks and Greenspaces Bureau of Environmental Services Dr. Ethan Seltzer Mel Huie, Senior Regional Planner Mark Liebe Dr. Deborah Howe Mary West, Co‐Volunteer Manager Andrey Nkolayev, Mapping Intern Dr. Barry Messer Dr. Robert Bertini Planning Office of Transportation Bill Barber, Regional Travel Options Program/ Courtney Duke, Pedestrian Coordinator Engineering Study Student Groups Bicycle Planning Coordination Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator Section 1: Kim Ellis, Regional Transportation Planning/ Mike Beye Pedestrian Planning Coordination Parks and Recreation Salina Bird Jim Sjulin, Natural Resources Michelle Degano Data Resource Center Janet Bebb, Planning and Development Tina Lundell Mark Bosworth, Senior GIS Specialist Gregg Everhart, Planning and Development Danae McQuinn Metro Councilors Section 2: David Bragdon, President Neighborhood and Business Associations Wade Ansell Rex Burkholder, District 5 Gateway Area Business Association Andrey Nkolayev Rod Monroe, District 6 Montavilla Community Association Kaha’a Rezantes Grant Park Neighborhood Association Erik Wahrgren Volunteer Sullivan’s Gulch Neighborhood Association Jeff Hansen *Thanks to Dave Brook for the web survey Section 3: Lloyd District Transportation Management River Hwang Thareth Yin Alta Planning + Design Jeff Chin Mia Birk, Principal Section 4: ABOUT PLANNING WORKSHOP Jeremy Brewster Mike Lundervold Planning Workshop, the capstone course for Portland State University’s Master of Urban and Jeremy Parrish Regional Planning Program, provides graduate students with professional planning experience. Dan Ward Student teams develop consulting contracts with clients for planning services that address local and regional issues and the studentsʹ personal and professional interests. The Workshop provides experience in planning for constructive social and environmental change, while considering the plannerʹs ethical responsibility to serve the public interest. The Sullivan’s Gulch Trail: An East-West Path in the Heart of the Region 4 TABLE OF CONENTS Introduction 2 Project Context 3 What is the Trail Concept? Where is the Trail Located? What is the History of the Area? How Does the Trail Meet Broader Goals? Project Demand 11 Who Will Use the Trail? Why Will They Use the Trail? What May Discourage Trail Use? Project Implementation 32 How Will the Trail Be Developed? What Obstacles Must Be Overcome? Conclusion 38 Appendices 49 The Sullivan’s Gulch Trail: An East-West Path in the Heart of the Region 1 INTRODUCTION Bicycle use reduces dependency on motorized travel of all types; it saves money; it What is this Study About? decreases air pollution; it limits roadway congestion and energy consumption; and it improves public health. Because it meets so many of our common aims, bicycle use This study was completed for Metro’s Regional Parks and Greenspaces department, enjoys broad neighborhood and political support in the Portland area. through a partnership between Mel Huie, Senior Regional Planner and Regional Trails Coordinator, and Portland State University (PSU) graduate students. This study follows The regional trails network envisioned by Metro is a key component of the regional a recent engineering study by PSU students, which offers a potential trail alignment in transportation planning landscape, and Metro funding guidelines support projects that the Sullivan’s Gulch. help complete this bicycle network. Metro Council members Rod Monroe and Rex Burkholder have both expressed support for this study and the project. In sum, the Metro Parks and Greenspaces asked for a product that would identify whether and how project is politically viable. the trail would meet regional goals if constructed as an off‐street path. This report is intended to research and explain the planning issues that follow from the potential trail The primary advantage of the trail alignment is complete grade separation from the road alignment. This report provides information to support a decision on whether to apply system; however, this separation also isolates the trail, and creates concerns about the for funding for further planning and engineering study. It also serves as a practical quality of the trail experience for users, especially concerns about public safety. resource for future action. Alignment within Sullivan’s Gulch also requires substantial engineering work that will increase costs. Approach and Methodology Currently, the trail area is something of a no man’s land, blighted with invasive vegetation and unauthorized camping. In and of itself, a 12‐foot wide path through the The study describes project issues as seen from the diverse viewpoints of the client and area will not resolve these concerns. other interested individuals; groups and agencies. Public outreach was undertaken through letters to community organizations and interest groups, and through What can be done to make the trail a positive factor for improvement of the corridor? presentations at neighborhood association meetings. Planning officials were consulted The trail must function as more than a transportation facility. It must engage and interact and interviewed, individually and in groups. Relevant local and regional plans, other with the community as a neighborhood amenity that people use throughout the day and trail studies and related literature were reviewed. Finally, the team conducted field week. It must become part of the social fabric. observations. Through this process many issues and concerns were identified. The primary issues are: Right now, the functional edge of the centers and neighborhoods is at the top of the Is it physically feasible to build a trail on a slope next to the railroad and freeway? slope. The Banfield transportation corridor will always form an edge; the challenge is for Is there enough demand for a trail to justify the expense of building it? the trail area to be within the edge; rather than beyond it. We must learn how to extend Can the trail be built in a manner that will be attractive for people to use? and grow these areas down to and through the trail area. Only then will the concerns Will the trail meet community goals that are currently unmet? stemming from isolation of the trail be overcome. The Sullivan’s Gulch Trail: An East-West Path in the Heart of the Region 2 PROJECT CONTEXT What is the Trail Concept? Where is the Trail? What is the History of the Area? How Does the Trail Meet Broader Goals? The Sullivan’s Gulch Trail: An East-West Path in the Heart of the Region 3 WHAT IS THE TRAIL CONCEPT? The idea is to create a 4.3 mile off‐street path for bicyclists and pedestrians through the Additional planning concerns and benefits relate to circumstances of the Sullivan’s open space on the north side of the freight rail tracks in the Banfield Corridor from the Gulch Trail. These include the prevalence of homeless and transient camping, poor Eastbank Esplanade to the Gateway District. This trail is a rails‐with‐trails project, in security, freeway noise and air pollution, and the cost of constructing a trail on the which unused open space is productively utilized and improved. To be successful, the slope. The benefits include completion of a missing link in the regional trails network, trail must also be integrated with neighborhoods on both sides of the corridor. excellent connectivity with regional centers and the neighborhoods in between, and the enhancement of a blighted portion of the Banfield Corridor. Horizontal and vertical separation prevents conflicts with freight rail activity and other modes in the corridor. The name “Sullivan’s Gulch Trail” was recommended based on PROJECT PLANNING HISTORY its historical significance. The path is referred to as such in this document. 1996: The City of Portland Bicycle Master Plan is adopted, and includes the Sullivan’s Gulch Trail as a “Priority 3 (10-20 Year)” project. “Bicycling [in Portland] has grown substantially in the last 2000: Metro Council adopted the proposed trail route in Metro’s Regional ten years. By providing bike lanes, bike boulevards, and Transportation Plan. paths, we are giving people a safe place to ride. So people 2001: Placed on Metro’s Regional Trails Plan. have really responded to that.” - Quote from Roger Geller, Bicycle Coordinator, 2003: Placed on Metro’s Financially Constrained List, making the project eligible for feasibility study funding. Portland Office of Transportation 2004: Portland State University Engineering Alignment Study (Appendix A). Key Planning Issues ‘Rails-with-trails’ describes any off-street path or other trail located directly adjacent to an active railroad corridor. The Sullivan’s Gulch Trail shares many planning themes with other rails‐with trails OFF-STREET PATH—A bikeway and pedestrian-way physically projects. These include the benefits of a gently sloping railroad grade and separation separated from motorized vehicular traffic by an open space or from the road network, and detriments such as safety problems and rail company barrier and either within the highway right-of-way or within an resistance to the presence of trails in the trail right‐of‐way.