Monroe Street Neighborhood Improvements

There are many residential driveways along the west section of Monroe St. Locating the shared-use path on the south side of the roadway limits the right-of-way impacts and optimizes driveway connections. Shifting the pathway to the south side of the roadway minimized grading and reconstruction impacts along the roadway. 

A narrower travel lane and, possibly, speed humps, are expected to help reduce speeds.

Mini-roundabouts are used to reduce vehicle speeds at busier intersections. The roundabout wouldprovide a smooth transition from the shared-use path on Monroe Street to Thompson Road. Crosswalks at each of the three legs would provide safe bicycle and pedestrian crossings and wouldalso encourage vehicles to slow down. We will continue to work with Clackamas County Traffic Engineering to evaluate the best solution for this intersection.

If your fence is within the public right of way, it may need to be moved if the areais used in the project design. Please keep in mind the project design could change as the design progresses.

Through the design process, the design teamdetermined the shared-use path was better suited on the north side of the road because the grades allow for easier driveway connections. While we understand this may be frustrating for north side property owners, please keep in mind that all improvements are in the public right-of-way. The design team did look into “shifting” theroad to the south, but determined that maintaining the existing road alignment and width was the most cost-effective and practical solution moving forward. Clackamas County Right-of-Way staff will be in contact with the property owners impacted by the improvements.

Improvements along Thompson Road (east of Whitcomb Elementary), 74th Ave, and 77th Ave are outside of the North Clackamas Revitalization Area urban renewal district boundary. Because the project is funded by urban renewal, improvements in these areas typically cannot be funded as part of the project. For more information about the North Clackamas Revitalization Area, visit www.clackamas.us/development/northclack.html.

Monroe Street (from 72nd Avenue to Fuller Road) is the only segment of the project that will accommodate on-street parking.The 60 feet of right-of-way for this segment will allow for a wider roadway section and on-street parking. In contrast, Monroe Street (from Linwood Avenue to 72nd Avenue), 72nd Avenue, and Thompson Road only have 40 feet of right-of-way. To limit impacts to private properties, we will use a narrower roadway section on these segments, which will not allow these segments to utilize on-street parking.

The original concept plan for the Monroe Street Neighborhood project keptthe shared-use path on the north side of Monroe Street for the whole project. After further analysis, the design team determined that locating the shared-use path on the south side of the roadway from Linwood Ave to 72nd Ave limits right-of-way impacts and optimizes driveway connections. The proposed improvements will provide adequate signing, striping, and street lighting to allow bicyclists and pedestrians to safely cross at the roundabout crosswalk. The new roundabout will also encourage slower driving speeds, making it safer for shared-use path users to cross.

Stormwater planters will be maintained by Water Environment Services (WES). Landscape strips in front of homeswill be maintained by the adjacent property owners as required by the county.

The proposed improvements will significantly reduce stormwater runoff onto private properties. The new curbs in the roadway will control the flow of water and direct runoff to either a stormwater planter or catch basin. The proposed sidewalk will be graded to shed runoff back toward the road, and the shared-use path will be constructed with pervious asphalt to help limit any additional runoff.