Hood River Heights Streetscape Plan Enters Phase 3
Urban Renewal is working to transform the heights streetscape to create a more walkable, bike-friendly, and connected Hood River Heights.
A slide from the streetscape plan presentation on Monday.
By Cole Goodwin
Hood River, OR, August 14th, 2023– The Hood River Urban Renewal Agency met on Monday to discuss a number of important issues including phase three of the Hood River Heights Streetscape plan.
The Hood River Heights Streetscape Concept Plan has reached a crucial juncture, as the Urban Renewal Agency reviews the project team's recommendations from their recent Phase 3 design studies and requests some additional studies and refinements to the plan.
The extensive design work has been focused on optimizing key intersections, East/West street integration, refining street cross sections, and extending a two-way cycle path. Once URA gives their approval, the project can move forward in their efforts to transform the Heights area into a more pedestrian and cyclist-friendly space.
The project team's design studies addressed several essential components of the streetscape plan.
An in-depth analysis of the key intersections at 13th Street/May Street and 13th Street/Belmont Avenue/12th Street resulted in recommendations for a roundabout and a traffic signal, respectively. The proposed roundabout is expected to significantly improve traffic operations and reduce queue lengths, particularly during peak hours. The traffic signal at 13th Street/Belmont Avenue/12th Street is anticipated to reduce the impact on adjacent properties, offer better access for pedestrians and cyclists, and present a placemaking opportunity with the closure of Belmont between 12th and 13th Streets.
Additionally, the project team suggested alternating one-way streets from Taylor Avenue to A Street, providing more flexibility for different vehicle sizes and more space for pedestrians and cyclists. To enhance bicycle access, the team recommended "sharrows" and contra-flow bike lanes for eastbound and westbound travel.
Refinements to the typical street cross sections of 12th and 13th Streets were also addressed. Along 12th Street, the focus was on balancing the right-of-way allocation for parking access, sidewalk experience, and dedicated biking space. The 13th Street refinements targeted the center turn lane impact, parking removal, and existing right-of-way constraints. Due to the limited existing 60-foot rights-of-way, the project team encourages the city to acquire easements or additional right-of-way when possible, incorporating a 12-foot sidewalk zone into the approved cross section.
Lastly, the project team suggested collaborating with ODOT to explore the possibility of narrowing existing travel lanes and expanding the sidewalk zone to create a shared use path and landscape buffer along the east side of 12th Street. A shared use path would require less space than separate walking and biking areas while offering a more comfortable separation from the roadway.
Based on these recommendations, the future parking supply within the Heights area is projected to be within 6% (~20 parking stalls) of the estimated 657 on- and off-street parking stalls needed for 2040 peak summertime parking demand, as identified by the November 2021 parking study. However, potential parking loss at Jackson Park or the hospital due to a roundabout at 13th/May, mode shifts pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and private property redevelopment-related parking have not been accounted for.
The recommendations provided by the project team reflect the various trade-offs and sacrifices required to work within the available right-of-way while striving to make the Hood River Heights area a more accessible and pleasant space for all.
To watch the full presentation on the new streetscape plan visit: https://cityofhoodriver.ompnetwork.org/embed/sessions/274964/city-council-meeting-urban-renewal-meeting.
To submit public comment on the streetscape project please visit: https://cityofhoodriver.gov/urban-renewal/the-heights-streetscape-plan/.
