Hood River Moves Forward with Heights Streetscapes Refinements
The heights in Hood River is both a destination for tourists, filled with unique homes and diverse local businesses and an important gateway to Mount Hood and the historic family farms and outdoor recreation in the Hood River Valley. As the Heights has grown, the need to create a new streetscape for the pedestrians, bicyclists, and motorists traveling to and through the area has increased. Photo Credit: City of Hood River
by Cole Goodwin
The City of Hood River, in collaboration with the Urban Renewal Agency Board (URAB), is making progress in refining the design for the Heights Streetscapes project. Following feedback from community partners and public input, a hybrid design has been selected as the preferred alternative.
The design entails a new roundabout at the intersection of May St and 13th St, a new traffic light at the intersection of 13th and Belmont, the closing of Belmont between 12th and 13th, one-way traffic and a bike path on 12th Street, and two-way traffic on 13th Street. However, further attention to street details and decision-making is still necessary to finalize specific elements of the plan.
Photo Credit: The Heights streetscape project. Photo Credit: City of Hood River
On April 24th, URAB reviewed recommendations put forth by MIG Consulting and the streetscape project team. Several key findings were accepted, leading the project team to pursue specific actions. Notably, a roundabout is to be implemented at the intersection of 13th and May, while a traffic light will be installed at the intersection of 12th, Belmont, and 13th.
URAB also advised the project team to consider alternating one-way streets for A, B, C, and Taylor Streets, along with option 2 for Belmont Street, which involves closing it to traffic between 12th and 13th. Furthermore, the team was directed to prioritize the creation of a 10-foot bicycle lane on 12th Street, extending it through to Pacific Avenue.
The Intersection of 13th and May
The May St and 13th St intersection is a key juncture between several key community facilities including Providence Hood River Memorial Hospital, Jackson Park, and Hood River Middle School and acts as key entrance and exit point to the Heights. The key issues surrounding the intersection which are urging the redesign include bike safety and the build up of traffic that occurs at the intersection.
The May St and 13th St intersection. Photo Credit: Google Maps
Instead of a two way stop intersected by free flowing traffic on 13th, the redesign features a roundabout that would allow traffic to continue flowing and allow for a bike lane to provide a safe route to school for middle school students.
Safe Routes to School Coordinator Megan Ramey, brought several students to URAB’s meeting on April 24 to testify to the importance of having safe routes to walk and bike to school.
Cost Considerations
A redesign would require a widening of the intersection, and possibly require the City to purchase surrounding properties in order to complete the work, which is already estimated to cost between $3 and 6.5 million.
The design for a roundabout. Overlapping property lines shown in the design reveal that a roundabout will have some property impacts on the surrounding area and may require the City to purchase those properties in order to complete the work. Photo Credit: City of Hood River
The Intersection of 12th, Belmont, and 13th
The intersection of 12th, Belmont, and 13th, provides an important gateway to Mount Hood and the historic family farms and outdoor recreation in the Hood River Valley. The key issues surrounding the intersection involve community routes to grocery shopping, bike safety, and parking.
The intersection of 13th, 12th, and Belmont. Photo Credit: Google Maps
A redesign of the area would close Belmont between 12th and 13th and install a traffic light at the intersection of 13th and Belmont, as well as create bike lanes along Belmont and 12th. The hope is the traffic signal will allow for greater safety and ease for pedestrians and bikes in the heights.
Cost and Neighborhood Considerations
The cost the 12th, Belmont, and 13th redesign is estimated to fall between $3.5 million to $5.5 million. In addition residents of the heights have expressed some concern that closing the street may result in increased difficulty in navigating to nearby grocery shopping areas located in the upper heights. URAB has directed staff to further investigate the impact the closure would have on residents in the area.
A redesign of the intersection of 12th, Belmont and 13th. Photo Credit: City of Hood River
Thorough evaluations were conducted, taking into account traffic and truck access, emergency responder access, pedestrian and bike safety, place-making opportunities, project cost, impact on local businesses, and parking. Moving forward, the next steps for URAB will involve finalizing the streetscape design and formulating an implementation plan encompassing cost estimates, phasing strategies, and project timelines.
For more detailed information, the full report and presentation to URAB from the April 24 meeting can be accessed in the meeting packet at https://bit.ly/3LjvLkt. Alternatively, the entire meeting and discussion are available for viewing on the city's website or YouTube channel.
To submit your public comment about the heights streetscape plan click here.
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