Objective: Build a 3 mile multi-use path (bike,walking, equestrian) from Lake Oswego to the Sellwood Bridge following the Willamette Shore Trolley Railway.
Fact: Oregon Hwy 43 is narrow and dangerous. It has no bike lane or shoulder and it's a death trap for bicyclists and pedestrians. Converting the Willamette Shore Trolley Line will save lives.
Cycling and Pedestrian Injury and Deaths Since 2010:
Number of Bicyclists Killed on Oregon Hwy 43: 1
Number of Bicyclists Injured on Oregon Hwy 43: 6
Number of Pedestrians Killed on Oregon Hwy 43:
Number of Pedestrians Injured on Oregon Hwy 43: 2
This website was built to serve as a rally point for all bicyclists, walkers, horse riders, hikers, local residents and the governing bodies involved to help see the trail to completion.
Anybody who has ridden a bike, walked or driven Hwy 43 knows how narrow and dangerous this roadway is. Driving it can be a challenge. For those who are forced to bike or walk it, you need to make sure your final affairs are in order and carry some ID and phone number of your next of kin. Why? There is NO bike lane. Yet it remains the only direct link between Lake Oswego and Portland. Are there any logical options? YES The Willamette Shore Trolley Line offers a unique and valuable resource for conversion to a bike trail. It is flat, scenic and currently unused. The right of way (ROW) courses between Oregon Hwy 43 and the Willamette River connecting Lake Oswego to Portland. Currently, bike riders and pedestrians are forced to travel along the narrow shoulder of Oregon Highway 43 which is dangerous and sometimes, deadly. This is totally unnecessary because the Shore Line ROW can be converted to a green way trail that will benefit the communities of Portland and Lake Oswego and save lives!
Elk Rock Tunnel and Trestle History:
http://elkrocktunnel.blogspot.com/
For recent news articles see the following:
OregonLive News Article 1/22/2015
lake_oswego_officially_suspend_streetcar 01/2012
12/2010.pdf. LO to PDX trail feasibility study
The Willamette Shore Line began railroad service in 1887, running passenger service until 1929 when it converted to exclusively freight service. The right of way for the Willamette Shore Line was purchased from the Southern Pacific Railroad in 1988 by a consortium of local jurisdictions and agencies including Metro, the cities of Lake Oswego and Portland, Clackamas and Multnomah counties, the Oregon Department of Transportation and TriMet. TriMet holds the title to the right of way on behalf of the consortium.
Statement on Light Rail/MAX: At this time, it is unfeasible to build a Light Rail line between Lake Oswego and Portland for the following reasons:
1) Very expensive ($500 million + $1.5 million/yr to operate)
2) Not enough riders using it to justify building it
3) Getting the ROW for a 2x track MAX line is not possible at this time
4) The Lake Oswego City Council voted down the idea back in 2012
5) The City of Portland voted down the idea in 2011
Building a bike path would allow future use of the ROW and conversion back to a rail system (MAX) later this century.
Statement on Willamette Shore Trolley: Unfortunately, we would lose the trolley until MAX was built along this ROW later this century. At that time, the trolley service could be restored.
Rails to Trails Conservancy
Rail Trail Conservancy helps transform and preserve an unused railway corridor into a "rail trail" for bikes, walking, horses, etc. They help build healthier places for healthier people (fighting the war on obesity, one trail at a time!). This process preserves rail corridors for possible future rail use with interim use as a trail. While the Willamette Shore railway might qualify for this, it's just one option. Another option may be purchasing the ROW outright. A 15 foot path is much cheaper than the ROW for a 2x track MAX line.
Property Owners and Reversionary Rights
Success of the rails to trails scenario revolves around the property rights of homeowners adjacent to the rail line. The original rail line was built in 1887 and very few (if any) of the adjacent homes were plotted then. However, some of the properties have a railroad-only easement, meaning if the easement ceases to be used as a railroad, it is given back to the original or adjacent property owner. There are over 50 properties adjacent to the ROW from the Sellwood bridge thru Riverwood. The number of easements with these special reversionary rights is unknown. A thorough assessment of the Willamette Shore ROW needs to be performed. These special easements need to be identified. Once this is completed, legal council would need to be obtained to determine the legal outcome and chance of winning in court. Even with a favorable ROW finding, there will be strong opposition from the neighborhood. Again, purchasing the ROW would insure a better outcome for this project. Both of these ideas will be expanded upon.Property Owners and Reversionary Rights
Keep Lake Oswego Livable
Formed in 2010 to fight the PDX to LO MAX project, this is a watch dog entity that has a strong voice with the Lake Oswego City Council. Opposition to a bike path from the Dunthorpe neighborhood is understandable given the unknown impact of a bike trail to surrounding property owners.
The impact of this trail needs to be weighed out with regards to the surrounding neighborhood. This area is very quiet and secluded. I think that it would be wise to look at this project from the homeowners point of view. Perhaps some fencing or sound walls could be constructed to help alleviate concerns from adjacent property owners. Driveways and access to the homeowners properties need to be respected and protected. These residents bought these homes for quiet seclusion and the trail needs to maintain that.
The impact of this trail needs to be weighed out with regards to the surrounding neighborhood. This area is very quiet and secluded. I think that it would be wise to look at this project from the homeowners point of view. Perhaps some fencing or sound walls could be constructed to help alleviate concerns from adjacent property owners. Driveways and access to the homeowners properties need to be respected and protected. These residents bought these homes for quiet seclusion and the trail needs to maintain that.
The Riverwood Trestle
Here is an example of a trestle conversion from rail line to bike path. Pictured below is the Riverwood Trestle. There is a view of the Willamette River and Waverly Country Club from here. Maybe an observation platform could be added so people could stop and enjoy the view.
The Elk Rock Tunnel
The tunnel was built in 1921 and is 1/4 mile long. This tunnel is dark, isolated and slightly intimidating. Commercial grade lighting could really bring this cave alive and make it a trail highlight. The tunnel is 18 feet wide and 23 and 1/2 feet high. Photo below is an example of just one lighting idea. A security person may be a good idea to walk the tunnel for safety as needed.
Photo courtesy Erik Lukens
A recent transportation study (2010) by the University of California at Berkley on “Repricing Highway Pavement Deterioration,” pointing out that it takes 9,600 bicycles to cause the damage of one car on a
paved street.
Most bike friendly cities in the US:
1) Minneapolis, MN
2) Portland, OR
3) Boulder, CO
4) Seattle, WA
5) Eugene, OR
Projected Costs and Funding
Estimated
costs for a bike trail from the Sellwood bridge to the Foothills in
Lake Oswego is $1.5 million. This includes planning, 3 trestle
conversions, tunnel lighting, pathway construction and signage. This DOES NOT include ROW acquisition. A
full time, roving security team of 2 people/shift employed is suggested.
The trail funding would come from a Federal grant ($750,000), Oregon DOT ($250,000), City of Portland ($250,000) and City of Lake Oswego ($250,000). Private funding ($250,000) would also contribute. A GoFundMe account could be started to begin fund raising. Donations for plaques, benches, markers, etc could help start the fund raising process too.
Willamette Shore Trolley Time Line
1983 Freight trains stop running on Willamette Shore railway
1988 Consortium buys railway from Southern Pacific for $2 million to run trolley
1990 Willamette Shore Trolley begins running
2009 Trolley stops running
2010 Trolley breaks down
2012 Sellwood bridge construction begins
2012 Sellwood bridge construction begins
2014 Trolley resumes running (shortened route due to Sellwood Bridge construction)
2015 Bridge construction continues
2015 Bridge construction continues
Please leave your comments below. Ideas, changes, suggestions anything you think would help this project.
