| Airport Way Interchange |
|
|
 |
|
|
| Project Summary: |
The Oregon Department of Transportation and the Port of Portland are currently working on a project to improve the flow of Airport Way traffic accessing I-205 north at the Airport Way interchange. ODOT and the Port made a commitment to have a congestion-reducing solution at the Airport Way interchange in place by the end of 2014.
|
| Latest News: |
This summer, ODOT and the Port of Portland selected a Preferred Alternative package for the final design phase. The Final Design phase will begin in the latter half of 2009. In making their decision, project partners considered public input provided throughout the duration of the project.
Planners have presented traffic modeling for three alternatives and heard input at an Open House, two Stakeholder Advisory Committee meetings, three briefings with business and pedestrian groups, and a walking tour.
Click here to view the Latest Project Newsletter (Sept. 2009).
Click here to view the Preferred Alternative.
Click here for a summary of comments and suggestions from the Spring 2009 Public Open House.
Click here for a summary of comments and suggestions from the Stakeholder Advisory Committtee meetings.
Click here for a summary of the Airport Way Interchange Walking Tour.
You may join the project mailing list to receive project newsletters, notices of future Open Houses and future online surveys.
|
Project Overview
Solving the Problem
Background and Context
Get Involved
|
| Project Overview |
|
ODOT and the Port of Portland began a project in fall 2007 to improve the flow of Airport Way traffic accessing I-205 north at the Airport Way interchange.
The Airport Way interchange provides a critical connection for travelers and the movement of regional goods. Future congestion at this interchange was flagged as an issue in the late 1990s. That future became reality in 2004, when both east- and westbound traffic on Airport Way started experiencing delays that today can stretch to 45-minutes. During the evening rush hour, there is more northbound traffic getting on I-205 at Airport Way than at any other I-205 interchange in Oregon. Costly slowdowns are projected to increase if nothing is done.
ODOT and the Port made a commitment to the Federal Aviation Administration to have a solution to the interchange congestion problem in place by the end of 2014. They began the project with a study that identified appropriate solutions to the congestion on Airport Way and the associated problems with the northbound turning movement, while preserving options for future improvements on I-205.
Public Involvement
ODOT and the Port of Portland consulted with groups representing neighborhoods, business, trucking, freight, watershed health, pedestrians and bicyclists as they narrowed the alternatives to address congestion at the Airport Way Interchange from a list of more than 50 to a single preferred alternative.
Throughout the Alternatives Analysis Step, members of these groups and others have shared their comments at stakeholder advisory committee meetings, at open houses, through online surveys, in stakeholder interviews and at more than 20 project briefings. Early in the project-planning phase, public input helped establish project goals, objectives and evaluation screening criteria. This last spring, as the team completed traffic modeling, public input helped refine bike and pedestrian connectivity and the proposed northbound ramp configuration.
Community input has greatly improved the planning process, and ODOT and the Port will continue to consult with community members and groups throughout the design and construction phases of this project.
 |
 |
| Aerial photo of the Airport Way Interchange |
|
|
| Solving the Problem |
|
ODOT and the Port are committed to developing a solution to the Airport Way interchange congestion problem. The problem solving begins by collaborating with community stakeholders and affected agencies to examine the extent of the interchange problem, identify key constraints and alternative solutions, and select which alternatives merit further consideration. Project partners studied the selected alternatives in a process required by the National Environmental Policy Act and then selected a locally preferred alternative.
The following committees are providing direction for the project:
- Public Involvement Team
The Public Involvement Team is comprised of staff from ODOT and the Port, and members of the consultant team. This team is responsible for planning and implementing public involvement and outreach with people who may be impacted by the problem and proposed solutions. This team coordinates online surveys, open houses, project newsletters and website, and stakeholder interviews, briefings and advisory committee meetings.
- Project Development Team
The Project Development Team is responsible for coordinating the project and finding consensus amongst partners on critical issues. The members of the Project Development Team represent the Port, ODOT, the City of Portland, Metro, Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT), Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), and project staff.
- Stakeholder Advisory Committee
The role of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) is to advise the Project Development Team and Policy Group to ensure that the interests, issues, knowledge and recommendations of the local community are considered in project decisions. Committee participants are also tasked with sharing project information with their various constituencies. Look here for a list of the committee members and their affiliations, their proposed meeting schedule and meeting notes.
Note: Regular SAC meetings are not held during these final phases of the project but will be scheduled as needed. Check back for updates.
How the project was developed
Phase I -- Alternatives Development (Completed)
Step 1: Technical Analysis: Existing and Future Traffic Demands
The project team studied the current extent of the interchange congestion problem and will forecast what traffic will be like in 2028 in order to develop solutions that account for future regional growth.
Step 2: Identify Stakeholders and Relevant Issues
This step, also known as “scoping,” involved the project team conducting an Issues Workshop with the Stakeholder Advisory Committee, interviewing more than 30 potentially impacted individuals, hosting a public open house, and conducting an online survey. The project team used this information to develop a baseline understanding of the issues to be considered in the project analysis and to identify potentially affected individuals and groups whose opinions should be taken into account.
Step 3: Develop Criteria to Evaluate Alternative Solutions
The project team developed evaluation criteria to evaluate and compare alternative solutions. The criteria are based on the project Goals and Objectives— desirable project outcomes that are derived from issues identified by the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and members of the public via interviews, an open house and an online surveys.
Step 4: Develop Alternative Solutions
For this step, the project team held a three-day Value Planning Workshop in July 2008 with representatives from ODOT, the Port of Portland, WSDOT, Metro, FHWA, City of Portland, transportation engineers and planners, and the Stakeholder Advisory Committee. During the workshop, participants brainstormed 65 solutions to improve the flow of Airport Way traffic accessing I-205 north at the Airport Way interchange. After evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of each solution, workshop participants identified 22 solutions, including three non-engineered actions (Traffic Demand Management, improvement to public transportation and land use management) to advance to the next evaluation process (Step 5).
Step 5: Evaluate Range of Solutions
August 2008, the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Project Development Team began a qualitative evaluation of the 19 engineered alternatives based on the criteria that reflect the project Goals and Objectives (Step 3). Most of the 19 alternatives are not stand-alone solutions, and in many cases, compliment one another in addressing the project’s three identified key constraints. As a result, proposed solutions have been combined into ten (10) “alternative packages,” each of which may be combined with any of the three non-engineering solutions. Of the ten alternative packages, five (1, 2, 3 4 and 6) appear to perform the best based on evaluation criteria. Members of the public were invited to review and comment on the 10 alternative packages and evaluation process at open houses and online surveys.
Step 6: Narrow Alternatives
After considering public comment from the online survey, open house and stakeholder briefings, and evaluation results, the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Project Development Team will select up to five alternative packages that most adequately address the project’s core purpose and need. The project team will conduct traffic modeling, visual simulations and quantitative evaluations for these selected alternatives.
Phase II -- Environmental Analysis and Selection of Preferred Alternative (Completed)
The Project Development Team thoroughly studied the likely effects that each alternative would have on the natural and built environment. ODOT published the results of this analysis and encouraged public input.
Phase III and IV -- Complete design work for Preferred Alternative (Current Phase)
Phase V -- Construction
|
| Background and Context |
|
Look here for project history, Frequently Asked Questions, and links to additional resources.
|
| Get Involved |
|
Join the Mailing List
If you would like to receive project updates and notices of public meetings, please contact:
Michael Mason, ODOT Region 1 Community Affairs Coordinator
123 NW Flanders, Portland, OR 97209
Phone: 503-731-8246
Email: Michael.W.MASON@odot.state.or.us
|
|
| |
|
|
