Monroe Neighborhood Street Design Plan

Project Status
Work will continue during 2017-18 to complete this project, in response to questions raised by the Planning Commission in 2016. Upcoming activities include the following:

Traffic modeling coordinated with Milwaukie
Survey right-of-way
Study storm drainage
Public outreach
Public hearings
If needed, adopt amendments to Comprehensive Plan

Monroe Street Crosswalk

Background

Monroe Street is a neighborhood street that connects downtown Milwaukie with northwest Clackamas County and the Clackamas Town Center. The goal of the plan is to create a neighborhood street that improves safety for all modes of travel (walking, bicycling, and driving), with a special emphasis on pedestrians and cyclists. This supports the county's goal of creating a healthy, active community. The plan has paid particular attention to the needs and wishes of local residents like safety and a better ability to walk, as well as preserving needed vehicle access to make Monroe safer for area residents and travelers.

Plan overview

The design plan creates a continuous, low-stress connection between the intersection of SE Monroe Street and SE Linwood Avenue and the I-205 multi-use path. "Low stress" means a route where all types of people can walk and bicycle safely, including children, the elderly, and people with disabilities. The project will develop street design treatments for the selected route considering all users, neighborhood and community needs, and construction and maintenance costs. These will complement improvements made by the City of Milwaukie as part of the Neighborhood Greenway along Monroe Street from 21st Avenue to Linwood Avenue.

Funding

The county secured a Transportation and Growth Management grant from ODOT to create a Neighborhood Street Design Plan. The plan creates a street design that strengthens what residents like about Monroe and helps to resolve challenges that keep it from serving as a direct bicycle and pedestrian connection.

Implementation

The plan will go through a public hearing process and be reviewed by the Planning Commission and the Board of County Commissioners. No city action will be needed on the plan, though it will involve the cities of Milwaukie and Happy Valley in the planning effort.

Safe Routes to Schools

As part of the Monroe Neighborhood Street Design Plan, Clackamas County worked with community and school leaders to create a Safe Routes to School plan for Whitcomb Elementary School. The plan examines conditions around the school and recommends solutions to improve safety and accessibility. The final Safe Routes to School plan (see Appendix B below) will create safer and more inviting opportunities for students and their families to walk and bicycle to school.

Public participation

A 15-member Public Advisory Committee (PAC) was created to review materials and provide input and advice. The PAC met 6 times during the plan development and included residents of Monroe Street, Thompson Avenue and Spencer Drive. A 12-member Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) met 6 times and helped inform decisions related to traffic engineering, roadway configurations and bicycle and pedestrian designs. Public participation also included 2 open houses to give community members an opportunity to provide input on draft designs. Over 70 people attended each open house at Whitcomb Elementary School. Attendees provided their feedback for each street segment via surveys, comment cards and discussion with project team members. Public participation also included an online open house held for 2 weeks after the first open house, news releases, an article in Citizen News, distribution of project flyers and postings to the project website. View the Community Outreach and Engagement Plan.