Attachment 3 - Downtown Loop Complete Street Plan Review.pdf

Beaverton Downtown Loop Complete Street Concept Plan

Adopted May 16, 2023 ii Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

Accessibility and Language Access Need Assistance?

This information can be made available in alternative formats such as large print or audio recording.

To request alternative formats, contact the City by calling 503-526-2497 or email ADA@beavertonoregon.gov

Use 711 for relay service.

Get Involved!

Visit the project website to learn more about The Loop, sign up to receive project updates, and find out about opportunities to get involved.

www.beavertonoregon.gov/Loop mailto:ADA@beavertonoregon.gov http://www.beavertonoregon.gov/Loop iii

RESOLUTION NO. ___________

A RESOLUTION ADOPTING

THE BEAVERTON DOWNTOWN LOOP COMPLETE STREET CONCEPT PLAN

WHEREAS, in 2016, the City of Beaverton collaborated with the Urban Land Institute Northwest on a study which highlighted that downtown Beaverton is physically divided by two major arterials and a freight rail line; and

WHEREAS, in 2018, the Beaverton Downtown Design Project developed an urban design framework for downtown that defined districts and gateways, outlined building design and placement, identified opportunities for gathering areas, and envisioned a street network, with The Loop as a key defining feature, to provide connections for pedestrians and bicyclists; and

WHEREAS, in 2020, the City initiated planning for The Loop with funding from the Beaverton Urban Redevelopment Agency and engaged staff from across the city departments to gather input and to develop the project scope and community engagement strategy; and

WHEREAS, in 2020, the City appointed a 24-member Community Advisory Committee to provide local knowledge and community expertise to support the planning process and give input to develop a plan for The Loop; and

WHEREAS, to supplement the collaboration with the Community Advisory Committee, community engagement included both broad reach activities and focused engagement with individuals, including people with disabilities and people of color; and

WHEREAS, the City developed the Beaverton Downtown Loop Complete Street Concept Plan through a public process involving online surveys, focus groups, an online open house, and briefings for City boards and commissions and community organizations; and

WHEREAS, City staff collaborated with a six-member Project Core Team and a 27-member Technical Advisory Committee with staff representatives from across City departments, as well as staff from partner agencies including TriMet, the Oregon Department of Transportation, Clean Water Services, Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue, Metro, and Tualatin Hills Park and Recreation District; and

WHEREAS, the term “Complete Street” describes a comprehensive, connected, and integrated transportation system with facilities that allow people to be safe and feel safe while traveling and while using the street as a shared public space; and

WHEREAS, Beaverton’s Complete Streets Policy states the City’s commitment to building a complete, well-maintained, universally accessible, and connected system of public streets that provides a way for people of all ages and abilities to travel safely, comfortably, and reliably to where they want to go; and

WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Transportation urges communities to make Complete Streets the default approach when funding and designing streets and to develop new policies, rules, and procedures to prioritize safety, with a goal of eliminating all traffic deaths; and iv Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

WHEREAS, Oregon’s Transportation Planning Rule, codified in OAR 660-012, requires the City to prioritize investments for reaching destinations without dependency on single occupant vehicles; and

WHEREAS, Beaverton’s Active Transportation Plan envisions a future where “safe, comfortable, and connected systems make walking and bicycling the most enjoyable option for trips up to three miles;” and

WHEREAS, the Beaverton Downtown Loop Complete Street Concept Plan describes the planning process, the existing conditions, the future vision and plan for The Loop, and an implementation strategy; now therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BEAVERTON, OREGON:

Section 1: The City Council hereby expresses their appreciation and thanks to the members of the Beaverton Downtown Loop Community Advisory Committee and the Technical Advisory Committee for their time and efforts in contributing to the preparation of the Beaverton Downtown Loop Complete Street Concept Plan.

Section 2: The City Council adopts the Beaverton Downtown Loop Complete Street Concept Plan (“The Loop Plan”) attached hereto as Exhibit A and made part of this resolution.

Section 3: The City Council hereby directs the City Manager to initiate the implementation strategy specified in The Loop Plan, with the following actions taken by December 2023 and authorizes the City Manager to take the actions necessary to carry them into effect, including:

1. Negotiate a Grant Agreement with the Federal Highway Administration for the $2 million RAISE grant project. Finalize the project scope and draft a Request for Proposals for consultant services.

2. Partner with the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to scope the Community Project Funding federal grant project to meet the project budget and timeline. Seek community input on the project scope and secure City Council endorsement. Negotiate an intergovernmental agreement with ODOT for project services and amend the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program to include this new project.

3. Initiate updates to the City of Beaverton Transportation System Plan to incorporate The Loop Plan.

4. Coordinate with Metro to ensure The Loop Plan is incorporated into the project list in the 2023 RTP Update.

5. Update the City’s Capital Improvement Program project list to include The Loop.

6. Take steps to update the Beaverton Development Code to ensure that the development approvals process includes requirements for right of way dedication and frontage improvements to build portions of The Loop.

7. Evaluate local funding sources, including Transportation Development Tax (TDT), BURA Tax Increment Financing (TIF), and Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program (MSTIP), for potential project funding. Continue to monitor funding opportunities that are v vi Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

Mayor and City Council Mayor Lacey Beaty Councilor Ashley Hartmeier-Prigg, Council President Councilor John Dugger Councilor Nadia Hasan Councilor Edward Kimmi Councilor Kevin Teater Councilor Allison Tivnon, BURA Chair

Beaverton Urban Redevelopment Agency Mayor, City Council, and Sarah Walton, Vice-Chair, Community Member Roy Kim, Community Member Cassandra Ulven, Community Member Inessa Vitko, Community Member

City of Beaverton Jenny Haruyama, City Manager Cheryl Twete, Community Development Director

Project Management Team Jean Senechal Biggs, Transportation Planning Manager Dan Turk, Transportation Project Manager Kellie Fenton, Associate Transportation Planner

Project Core Team Franziska Elliott, Public Involvement Coordinator Geoff Hunsaker, City Engineer Jabra Khasho, City Transportation Engineer Brian Martin, Long-Range Planning Manager Mark Rau, Senior Transportation Engineer Tyler Ryerson, Sr Development Project Manager

Consultant Project Team Walker Macy Michael Zilis Ken Pirie Tiffany Swift Saumya Kini Betty Lou Poston

Communitas Planning Deb Meihoff

DKS Associates Garth Aappanaitis Randy Johnson

Emerio Design Shane Labelle

Nelson Nygaard James McGrath

Parametrix Adrianna Stanley

Community Advisory Committee Mellissa Bell Oswaldo Bernal Kira Cador Jeff Chao Thom Drane Randy Dunlap Brett Francis Ruben Halperin Michael Hashizume Travis Henry Lyndsey Lanphere Paige Lerwick Brad Mclean Myong-Hui Murphy Kathleen Perry Rachel Phillip Ginger Rapport Ben Reese Lauren Reese Brandon Sharp Scott Sloop Stephen Smelley Paul Thornton Sarah Zahn

Technical Advisory Committee Chris Ayzoukian, Patricia Reser Center for the Arts Ben Baldwin, TriMet Laura Becker, Arts Program Manager Mark Boguslawski, Senior Engineer (retired) Glen Bolen, ODOT Kevin Boylan, Sustainability Analyst Steve Brennan, Public Works Manager Leigh Crabtree, Asst. Community Development Director Jessica Engelmann, Senior Planner Chris Faulkner, Clean Water Services Glenn Ferdman, Library Director Jeremy Foster, TVF&R Sara King, Sr. Development Project Manager Janiene Lambert, Sr. Development Project Manager Jered Lane, City Arborist Khoi Le, Site Development Manager Hunter Jin, Engineering Associate Lake McTighe, Metro Tina Nguyen, Project Engineer 2 Mark Olson, Public Works Manager Molly Rabinovitz, Sr. Development Project Manager Steve Regner, Senior Planner Sgt. Jeremy Shaw, Beaverton Police Peter Swinton, THPRD Rachel Thieme, Development Project Manager Mike Williams, Economic Development Manager Jesse Wilson, Public Works Utility Manager

Acknowledgements vii

Executive Summary 1

1 The Planning Process 7

2 The Loop Today 27

3 Project Vision 49

4 The Plan 55

5 Implementation Strategy 77

Contents photo credit: Martin Glastra Van Loon

Executive Summary

2 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

The Beaverton Loop

Wider Sidewalks

Comfortable Bus Stops

New Bike Lanes

Outdoor Dining

New Signals

Safer Crossing

New Trees

Crescent Connection TrailBeaverton Creek

SW

W at so n Av e

SW

W as hi ng to n Av e

SW Crescent St

SW Canyon Rd

SW Broadway St

SW Farmington Rd

SW 1st St

SW 2nd St

SW 3rd St

SW 4th St

SW 5th St

RR

SW

H all Blvd

Beaverton Central Station

Beaverton TC MAX Station

City Park

Farmers Market

1st St Dining Commons

Beaverton High School

Library

Library Park

The Reser

The Round

SW Millikan Way

Beaverton Central

The Promenade

Old Town

The Beaverton Downtown Loop Complete Street Plan is a vision for linking key destinations in Downtown Beaverton through walking, biking and transit. Transportation investments on SW Hall Boulevard, SW Watson Avenue, and 5th Street will support the city’s vision of a vibrant and inclusive downtown.

The Loop will create a strong connection between Beaverton’s Old Town and the Beaverton Central district, linking cultural, retail and civic destinations.

These include the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, Beaverton City Hall, the Beaverton Central MAX Station, restaurants and services in historic Old Town, the 1st Street Dining Commons, Beaverton Farmers Market, Beaverton City Park, and Beaverton City Library. From end to end, The Loop is about a 15-minute walk.

The plan encompasses 20 city blocks of the community’s oldest infrastructure. Proposed investments include wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, reducing the roadway cross-section for vehicles, roadway reconstruction, traffic signal modifications, pedestrian scale street lighting, new bus stops for TriMet’s Line 76 (Hall/Greenburg), street trees and vegetated stormwater planters.

The Loop is a transformative mobility and safety project that seeks to reduce barriers and disparities faced by community residents to access affordable and safe travel options and proposes to transform the Hall and Watson couplet, one of Beaverton’s key north-south arterial corridors, with climate resilient infrastructure that prioritizes safe, healthy, human powered transportation.

Executive Summary

Wide, Comfortable Sidewalks

The Loop provides wider sidewalks, protected bike lanes, new street trees, and comfortable transit stops.

Sidewalks will provide more space for outdoor dining as well as seating, landscape features and stormwater treatment.

4 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan intersection renderings

Safe Intersections

The project will improve safety throughout The Loop corridor by focusing on the most dangerous intersections.

Eliminating the third vehicle lane on SW Hall Boulevard north of Canyon Road, as well as at the approaches to the intersections of SW Hall Boulevard and Farmington Road, SW Hall Boulevard and Canyon Road, and SW Watson Avenue and Canyon Road will be part of the solution to improve pedestrian and bicycle safety and slow motor vehicle traffic.

Safe Bike Lanes

The Loop will increase the safety of Beaverton’s bicycle network, by adding a wider and raised bike lane, called a “cycle track”. The added visibility and separation from autos has been shown to encourage cycling by a wider range of abilities and ages so that everyone can travel comfortably by bike in downtown.

Furnishing Zone 4’ - 6’

Pedestrian Thru-Zone 8’ - 10’

Frontage Zone 2.5’ - 4’

Sidewalk 12’

Bike 7’

Travel Lane 11’

Travel Lane 11’

Sidewalk 18’

60’ Total ROW

Proposed Promenade Cross Section in Old Town

Dynamic Streetscape

Wide sidewalks will encourage a dynamic, active and diverse streetscape, with enough space for a generous furnishing and tree planting zone and a frontage zone next to restaurants for outdoor seating. A wide pedestrian zone also allows for groups of people to walk together, and provide room for accessibility for all ages and abilities.

Chapter 1 The Planning Process Project Background 9

Project Initiation 10

Project Timeline 11

Developing the Community Engagement Strategy 12

Engagement & Outcomes 16

Engagement Activities 19

Testing Design Options 24

Preferred Alternative Feedback 25

8 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

Beaverton Downtown Design Project vvvvv

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

FIG 1: The Downtown Design Project Urban Design Framework identified The Loop as a key defining feature in downtown Beaverton.

Proclaiming that “Downtown streets should put people first,” the framework prioritizes people walking, biking, and taking transit above vehicular travel modes.

The City of Beaverton is taking steps to make downtown a livelier, more welcoming destination, a place that offers diverse housing options for people, and fosters creative, flexible work environments, business innovation, and the arts. A vibrant and inclusive downtown is a top community priority.

In 2016, the City of Beaverton first identified The Loop through a collaboration with the Urban Land Institute (ULI) Northwest on a study of downtown which highlighted that the larger downtown core area is physically divided by two major arterials, east-west running SW Farmington Road and SW Canyon Road roads, along with the freight rail line running alongside Farmington.

The City’s Downtown Design Project (DDP) followed the ULI study. The DDP developed an urban design framework for downtown to define districts and gateways, outline building design and placement, identify opportunities for gathering areas, and envision a street network for pedestrians and bicyclists to connect everything.

The DDP identified The Loop as a key defining feature in downtown Beaverton. Beaverton City Council approved the framework in Fall 2018.

Project Background

SW 1st Street at SW Watson Avenue is the heart of Beaverton’s “Restaurant Row.”

The First Street Dining Commons

10 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

The City’s Open Air Beaverton program created opportunities for restaurants to reconfigure parking lots and on-street parking spaces for outdoor dining.

Following City Council’s adoption of the DDP Urban Design Framework in 2018, Beaverton then took steps to initiate planning for The Loop through Beaverton’s Urban Redevelopment Agency (BURA). The project was funded with just over $250,000 in BURA funds and work began in 2020. Staff from the Community Development Department (CDD) formed a project team to lead and manage the project.

The project team engaged staff from across CDD, Public Works and Community Services & Engagement to gather input and develop the project scope for the planning process. The scope identified key steps to develop the plan (Fig 2).

Through a competitive proposal process, the City selected a multidisciplinary consultant team led by the landscape architecture, urban design

Project Initiation and planning firm, Walker Macy, to bring their expertise to The Loop project. Walker Macy’s team of landscape architects, engineers, planners and community engagement specialists worked in close collaboration with the City’s project manager and the project’s Core Team to refine the scope of work and the project’s approach to engaging with community members, key stakeholders, technical staff, and the City Council and BURA Board.

The Loop project officially kicked off in late 2020 with detailed analysis of existing conditions, a community engagement audit, and strategy work sessions. Throughout 2021 and into early 2022, designs were developed in collaboration with the Community and Technical Advisory Committees and tested with public groups, partner agencies, downtown residents, business and property owners, and other people who regularly travel to downtown. Using the community feedback and technical framework, the team continued to test ideas and define the preferred design. In early 2023 community members and stakeholders reviewed, refined, and ultimately validated the responsiveness of The Beaverton Downtown Loop Plan.

Project Timeline

FIG 2: Planning Process Steps

Project Initiation

Community Engagement Plan

Existing Conditions Opportunities & Constraints Plans & Policy Review

Community Needs & Priorities Evaluation Criteria

Preliminary Design Alternatives Refined Design Alternatives Preferred Alternative Draft & Final Plan Plan Adoption

Project Development Preliminary Design Final Engineering Permitting Construction

Inventory & Analysis

Project Vision, Goals &

Objectives

Design Alternatives

Plan Adoption

Next Steps p u blic E n g a ge m e n t

Project Committees Technical Advisory Committee Community Advisory Committee

Public Outreach One-on-One Interviews Community Online Survey

Public Groups and Agencies Bicycle Advisory Committee Beaverton Downtown Association Central Beaverton Neighborhood Association Committee (CBNAC) Urban Renewal Advisory Committee (URAC)

St ak eh ol de rs

A dv is or y

G ro up s

12 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

Creating a plan for The Loop required a planning process to reach current residents, businesses, employees, and visitors, and consider the needs of future community members. The project team developed the Community Engagement Strategy (Appendix 01), a document that outlines the approach to inform, actively involve and invite collaboration with community members and stakeholders to create The Loop plan.

The project’s community engagement consultant, Communitas, led several tasks to shape the strategy:

• Community Engagement Audit: A review of the City of Beaverton’s prior community engagement processes that preceded The Loop project. The audit included an assessment of how communities of color and people with disabilities have been included in prior efforts, and ideas and lessons learned from other places. The engagement audit also included research into existing structures and resources, multiple interviews with City staff to understand lessons from prior processes, and a high-level analysis of engagement needs for The Loop.

• Guiding Plans, Policies and Procedures:

Many prior community processes and public input resulted in Council-adopted plans which incorporated the values and ideas of community voices and provided context to guide and support The Loop. However, the project team acknowledged that a fresh review of current policies was warranted as many new people have grown up in, moved into, and/or opened businesses in Beaverton since many of these plans were adopted. Presumably some of the residents and merchants at the time were not part of the earlier planning processes.

• Stakeholder Identification and Mapping: Staff went through an exercise to identify people and organizations likely to have an interest in The Loop plan. The team also considered who is responsible for the City’s building and maintenance of the

Developing the Community Engagement Strategy

The Beaverton Night Market activates The Round in downtown Beaverton.

transportation system and public spaces, who will make decisions, who will be impacted by the projects’ outcomes, who could benefit from improved travel conditions, and who might be likely users of The Loop in the future. Through this initial assessment, stakeholders were organized into two categories:

• Direct Stakeholders | Downtown – People, businesses, and organizations who will be directly affected by development and improvement of The Loop – current and future.

• Indirect Stakeholders | Other Interested Parties – Those who are generally interested in topics contained in The Loop project and/ or civic affairs, but whose interests may be more general, who may infrequently interact downtown, and/or are otherwise unlikely to be directly impacted by The Loop improvements.

Guiding Policies on Engagement and Equity

In addition to City Council-adopted plans and the Council’s annual goals and priorities, the work of the City is guided by:

Non-Discrimination Plan (2021)

Diversity Equity and Inclusion Plan (2019)

ADA Transition Plan (2018)

Language Access Policy (2015)

Council Resolution 4506 (2018) which commits the City to work toward eliminating racial disparities and ensuring opportunities for every Beaverton resident.

Concurrent with The Loop process, City staff were developing the Beaverton Downtown Equity Strategy (BDES) a joint initiative of the City of Beaverton and the Beaverton Urban Redevelopment Agency (BURA) to guide public investments in downtown Beaverton with a focus on racial equity, preventing and mitigating displacement, and creating an inclusive downtown for everyone in our community. To clearly understand these consequences and distribute the benefits and burdens of growth equitably, BURA and the City of Beaverton envisioned the BDES to help guide their investments and redevelopment activities with the premise that the downtown area should be interesting, inviting and accessible to all Beaverton residents. The Loop, with its proposed transportation and streetscape investments, is one of those activities. The City Council adopted the BDES in November 2022.

BDES Team members and interpreters at a virtual event.

City’s staff outreach at THPRD-sponsored event at Vose Elementary School on May 15, 2021 https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/644c7d17183b4845b2dc45d2f0c0f3ac https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/644c7d17183b4845b2dc45d2f0c0f3ac https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/644c7d17183b4845b2dc45d2f0c0f3ac

14 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

This review of previous engagement efforts and policy frameworks then informed the development of the strategy. Key elements of the strategy include:

• Goals for Engagement: The Community Engagement Strategy identify a range of techniques to identify the values and needs of a broad diversity of downtown stakeholders, and to test alternative design solutions for how The Loop can meet those needs. Specifically, the team sought to engage the community and stakeholders to meet the following goals:

• Determine level of interest and priorities for improving downtown streets and public spaces

• Elevate how people with disabilities and communities of color can directly impact the plan

• Collaborate on developing potential solutions and designs for improvements

• Build awareness and interest in locally owned businesses and community services on The Loop

• Expand the number and diversity of people who have an interest and capacity to participate in future Beaverton planning and policy discussions

• Ensure plans are well-coordinated between departments and agencies, so that the community is weighing in on solutions that are practicable, technically sound, and able to easily move into construction (once funding is secured)

• Determine the optimal system for continued communications, engagement and social equity evaluation to carry on through implementation and construction

• Decision-making framework: The team designed a framework for review and input and identified roles for community members and stakeholders, including the BURA Board and City Council.

Developing, coordinating, and integrating the various plan elements required a decision-making process to continually inform, involve, and plan with a spectrum of stakeholder interests.

• Evaluation and Reporting: Understanding how well the planning process meets the strategy’s goals and general guidelines for equitable and meaningful community participation is essential.

Interim assessments asked who participated, what we heard, and how it was used, as well as how well the project team is meeting the engagement goals.

City’s staff outreach at THPRD-sponsored event at Vose Elementary School on May 15, 2021

FIG 3: Engagement/Creative Cycle

Council Briefing

Start of Engagement

Cycle

Start of Creative Cycle

Core Team

PMT

TAC

CAC

BURA

Board

Pl an

P ro ducts

City Departments

Partner Agencies

Community Engagement

Community Stakeholders

Community Engagement

Advisory Boards & Commissions

(if needed)

Under-represented residents and business owners, Neighborhood Associations, Business Groups

16 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

With the strategy in place, work began on a program of activities to involve, collaborate, consult, and inform stakeholders, while also living up to the City’s social equity goals and values.

Stakeholders were involved in building understanding of the current transportation and public space conditions, sharing lived experiences that help to further illustrate what changes to The Loop are needed and desired, as well as identifying what destinations and experiences are cherished. The project team used these stories and inputs to shape how the city goes about increasing the safety and options for moving around, while preserving what makes downtown functional and special. Later in the process, community members shared their preferences in response to proposed design alternatives and their benefits and outcomes. This input helped shape the project’s preferred alternative, which community members provided additional input to shape The Loop plan.

Engagement activities included meetings of a 24-member Community Advisory Committee, storytelling interviews with downtown residents, a focus group with disabled people, a community mapping exercise, outreach to downtown businesses, online open houses, and online surveys. Project staff attended meetings of City boards and commissions to share updates and were frequent guests of the Central Beaverton Neighborhood Association Committee (CB NAC).

At key milestones, the project team provided updates to the BURA Board and City Council to gather input and direction.

Key Advisors: The Community Advisory Committee The Loop’s Community Advisory Committee (CAC) was charged with providing local knowledge and community expertise to support the planning process. The CAC gave input to the Project Team at different stages in the process towards developing the plan for The Loop. The thoughts, observations and opinions of CAC members helped the project team better examine design alternatives from different perspectives.

CAC Recruitment Process In late 2020 and early 2021, City staff led a recruitment process to appoint community members and stakeholders to serve on the CAC. Working closely with the City’s Public Engagement Division, staff reached out through various networks to encourage applications and worked towards the goal of having a diverse group of stakeholders. The team contacted the Beaverton Downtown Association, Central Beaverton Neighborhood Association Committee, Micro Enterprise Services of Oregon, Beaverton Organizing and Leadership Development graduates, the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Board, and the Bicycle Advisory Committee to ask for participation. The team also asked staff liaisons for the City’s Committee on Aging, Traffic Commission, Beaverton Arts Commission and BURA’s Urban Renewal Advisory Committee to identify potential candidates and encouraged them to apply.

Community members applied through an online form found on both the project website and on the City’s Boards & Commissions website. The application asked about racial/ethnic identity, age, language spoken and interpretation needs, and any disability technology needs. The application also asked each applicant to acknowledge the City’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and anti-racism, and indicate their willingness to support this work as participants in the CAC.

The City received a total of 32 applications and the Interim City Manager appointed 24 individuals to serve on the committee. The CAC recruitment process is distinct from Boards & Commissions appointments in that this is an ad-hoc committee convened for a specific project and time-frame to advise City staff. Under the Beaverton Charter of 2021, the City Manager appointed CAC members based on staff input; members were not appointed by the Beaverton City Council.

The CAC is a diverse group. Four members identify as Asian and Asian/American, two members identify as Latino/a/x, one uses a wheelchair, one is under 18, and one is over 65. The CAC also

Engagement & Outcomes had representation from Beaverton’s business community, including several small business owners, as well as from the development community. Five members live in Central Beaverton and others are residents from the Vose, South Beaverton, Denny Whitford/Raleigh West, and Five Oaks/Triple Creek neighborhoods.

CAC Meetings The CAC met through a series of facilitated work sessions to build collective knowledge about the community and develop design solutions for The Loop. The Committee met five times over the course of the project, beginning in March 2021.

Due to the pandemic, CAC meetings were held virtually using the Zoom online platform. Members of the public were welcome to attend to listen to presentations, as well as provide public comment.

elements issues to be addressed with CAC

• Review and discuss CAC role in the decision-making process

• Meeting 2 | Inventory, Opportunities and Goals

(April 2021)

• Review outcomes from Picture The Loop activity

• Discuss technical findings from existing conditions, opportunities to address project goals, and constraints

• Meeting 3 | Prep for Preliminary Design Alternatives (June 2021)

• In preparation for evaluation of design alternatives at CAC Meeting 4, review and discuss technical / design information planners, engineers and policymakers use as a framework for decisions about changing the design and use of public streets and sidewalks

• Overview of the City’s Downtown Parking Management and Action Plan

• Meeting 4 | Preliminary Design Alternatives (February 2022)

• Present and get feedback on project design alternatives through breakout rooms and reporting back to the CAC group at large.

preferred alternative

• Review and discuss elements to include in implementation plan

• Outline key findings from the CAC to be communicated to decision-makers

• Final observations, discussion of next steps in the project

Engagement During a Pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic created a new challenge for community-based planning, affecting the team’s ability to conduct in-person activities and mandating a shift to virtual and self-guided tools and methods. Even without public health directives, the team anticipated that it would take time for all community members to feel comfortable gathering in large groups and meeting indoors once again.

February 2022 Virtual Focus Group Meeting

18 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

Community Advisory Committee (CAC) members were asked to help inform the Project Team and fellow CAC members about their experience and opinions of The Loop through photographs. The purpose was to encourage CAC members to spend time on The Loop and explore it through the lens of the project. This activity allowed CAC members to orient themselves to the existing features, places and feeling of The Loop, as well as inform the Existing Conditions Inventory and the Opportunities and Constraints Analysis.

We called this homework assignment Picture The Loop. CAC members were encouraged to find some time to walk and experience The Loop on their own, with a friend, or with their family.

The assignment asked them to take photos to capture what they experienced and included prompts think about what they noticed and how their senses reacted. If they were walking with someone else, they were encouraged to talk about it and compare their experiences. They were also encouraged to bring along a notepad to jot down observations and reflections.

In all, 13 members of the CAC participated. Some walked and documented the entire Loop. Others chose a smaller area to explore and photograph.

Each then emailed to the City’s project manager, three photos of:

The results of an exercise conducted with CAC members to “Picture The Loop” and identify opportunities and challenges for the design team.

• Aspects of The Loop that they enjoy and believe are an asset

• Aspects of The Loop that they would change, and feel are most in need of improvement to make the experience of being and moving around there better

The project team then sorted and organized the pictures and comments, looking for common themes and they assembled the photos in a slide show that they shared with the CAC at their meeting in March 2021. (See Appendix 03: Picture the Loop).

Assets

are set back

Needs Improvement

to get through”

Picture The Loop

Engagement Activities

As previously noted, multiple methods at differing levels of detail were used to arise at a community-driven plan for The Loop. Activities were used to gather information about how people are experiencing and feeling about the current conditions, and to tell the team what is needed to make traveling downtown safer, more comfortable, and an enjoyable experience.

To supplement the collaboration with the Community Advisory Committee, the community engagement was broadened at key points and milestones. The primary involvement activities included a modified process of narrative inquiry, Storytelling Interviews, a self-guided Community Mapping Survey, and a series of engagements with online feedback tools to Test Design Options, including an open house, direct outreach to businesses on The Loop and a focus group with people who have lived experiences traveling around downtown Beaverton with mobility devices, vision impairment, and cognitive disabilities. What follows is a brief summary of the primary activities and key outcomes. Refer to Appendix 10 for a complete and detailed description of the methods used and feedback provided.

Storytelling Interviews The purpose of the Narrative Inquiry / Storytelling Interviews was to bring a deeper understanding of lived experiences, needs, and priorities of downtown stakeholders, with priority emphasis on people with disabilities and people of color.

In public processes such as this, it can be easy to give more weight to activities that engage many more people, such as an open house, online survey, or social media chat. While those methods are meaningful and important, people of color and people with disabilities are often underrepresented or left out completely. This activity was specifically designed to reach these marginalized voices who are often outnumbered or left out of the mainstream narrative. It can sometimes feel odd and unfamiliar to give so much weight to a few people, but the very purpose of the interviews is to elevate these voices.

The interviews explored how people from different backgrounds travel downtown, what the experience is like, and what a better future would be for them. They were asked to reflect on memories they have of places and people they see and visit on the Loop and express what makes the area special to them. Taken together the community stories served as a lens for the project team to consider a more in-depth understanding of the impacts that the current transportation

FIG 4: Loop Engagement Program Activities

Broad Reach Activities Community Mapping

Options Survey Open House

BURA / Council Meetings Pop-up engagement at events Project Website &

Social Media

Broad Reach Activiti

CAC & TAC

Key roles in Loop decision making framework

Picture the Loop (CAC only)

Focused Engagement

Narrative Inquiry / Storytelling

Focus groups and 1:1 discussions about design options

Briefings for Committees & Organizations

20 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan system has on lives of key stakeholders, how the Loop could make walking/rolling more convenient and pleasant, and what cultural and/or commercial anchors are important to diverse community members.

Limitations and other considerations: For multiple reasons, there were limitations on the stakeholders who had access to the process. The deeply personal nature of the interviews requires trust that the interviewer and often trust in City/ government. The people interviewed were not directly asked about their personal identities– information provided here is limited to what they reported through the conversation and so is not a complete demographic profile. If not for the pandemic, these interviews would have been conducted in person. The video conference call appeared to be an adequate substitute but may have impacted participants’ openness and interactions with the interviewer.

Key takeaways:

• For people with disabilities, getting to and around

Downtown feels unsafe and is uncomfortable. The sidewalk condition, physical barriers on sidewalks, distance between transit and destinations without a place to rest, general priority of people who can drive, all contribute to the feeling of discomfort and unsafety. For some people the services and amenities of downtown are practically inaccessible without a shuttle/driver.

• “Beaverton does not feel safe for a Black person to be out and about unless it’s a large gathering.” For some people of color, Beaverton does not feel like a safe place to be out walking or riding a bicycle.

There are concerns with having to travel through neighborhoods where residents don’t often see a person of color walking around, going about their everyday lives. There are also concerns about being harassed by police.

• Even for people who are confident and strong bicyclists, downtown is not a safe place to ride a bicycle. More than one person interviewed mentioned how downtown is not a good place for bicycling. They noted concerns for personal safety and also feeling unsafe with the way people drive

Sidewalk A-board signs placed at key locations along The Loop encouraged people to participate in the Community Mapping Survey.

In prior projects and during The Loop process, people have asked if it would be safer for people walking and biking to cross over Farmington Road and Canyon Road on bridges. The Loop team explored the possibilities, talked with the advisory committees, and tested whether or not bridging over four intersections would help meet the community’s of a safe, comfortable, enjoyable, and vibrant downtown.

Drawing from case studies regionally and nationally, engineering guides, and city goals and policies, it was determined that the bridges would make access

FIG 5: Pedestrian Bridges vs At-Grade Crossings

Credit: Institute for Transportation & Development Policy even more challenging especially for children and older visitors and those with mobility impairments.

And the bridge structures would significantly impact and displace businesses and residents in the heart of downtown.

Best practices for accessible, multi-modal, and inclusive downtown environments are to create street-level crossings that are easier to navigate and ensure people walking and biking are highly visible and take priority. The Loop Plan has been built around these principles.

and lack of significant, dedicated bicycle facilities.

They also mentioned how disappointed they are in the conditions because downtown would be a fun place to bike to.

• Downtown holds strongly positive emotions for people from different backgrounds. “Beaverton is one of my favorite places”. It’s seen as a place where they come together with friends and family, they attend events at the library, park, or farmer’s market, and they find joys in exploring unique, locally owned shops, restaurants/carts, and services. “When you live down here, you see everyone, people see you.”

• There are conditions for people driving that make it unsafe for everyone. Many participants mentioned the lack of visible signage for people entering downtown from the south, confusing or lack of signage for the one-way streets, and few or no signs / markers of significant pedestrian crossings.

Double turn lanes and the Watson/Broadway/ railroad/Farmington intersections were frequently cited.

• It’s the events, businesses, and public spaces that will define the Loop. Addressing the barriers to accessibility and safety concerns of people walking are the top priority, but the Loop will be like any other streets without something more that stitches them together. “Lots more to do to make it more vibrant – not just for regulars, but also occasional visitors. Currently very ‘spotty’ interest.”

Why Not a Bridge?

22 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

Community Mapping Survey The purpose of the Community Mapping activity was designed primarily as an engagement technique – a way to capture people already using the Loop, to provide a snapshot of their interactions and thoughts on what they are experiencing as they are in the midst of using downtown. This activity was also intended to encourage people to visit downtown amenities, restaurants, and businesses.

The Project Team sought feedback on travel experiences, intended destinations, and feelings of comfort and safety. This information was used to understand better how community members experience conditions along The Loop, where different design options may be most needed, and to gather a diversity of ideas from people who walk downtown. The project team also used the findings to check against what has been heard in prior processes and through technical data.

Limitations and other considerations: There are limitations and tradeoffs with this sort of activity.

This was a virtual interface survey conducted in two languages. The survey-taker needed to be on site with an internet-connected device and able to read English or Spanish to take the survey.

For privacy reasons, individual identifiers were not collected, so it’s not possible to know how many different people contributed to the survey.

There is also no way of knowing how many stops each person visited. If not for the pandemic, this interface survey likely would have been conducted in person, but in-person surveying comes with its own set of biases and limitations.

Of the 128 responses received about 20% were completed by someone who identifies as a person of color and two responses came from persons with physical disabilities / difficulty walking.

These are community members who are most often left out of public processes, including the plans that were precursors to the Loop. They are also often underrepresented in technical data sources. Therefore, the responses from those who identified as persons of color or persons with physical disabilities were reviewed as separate subsets and highlighted in the reporting. Through other engagement we have heard from people with disabilities that the streets and sidewalks of Downtown Beaverton are particularly challenging to navigate and, for some people, practically

The Community Mapping Survey encouraged community members to explore areas of the Loop on foot or by bike and share their experiences. Some shared selfies with the Project Team.

inaccessible. It is therefore no surprise that this type of interface survey yielded few results from people with disabilities.

Key takeaways:

• The full Loop route is not very interesting or comfortable for walking. Most commonly, participants said they wouldn’t make the walk from Beaverton Library to City Hall because it isn’t interesting enough, there aren’t enough places to rest along the way, it feels unsafe to walk, or some combination of these reasons. Very few participants said the walk was too far or would take too much time.

• The Loop has many unique and special places along it. Most participants reported that Beaverton Library, small local businesses, City Park, Farmer’s Market, City Hall, and various places to eat add to the sense of uniqueness. Those who identified as persons of color responded particularly to the uniqueness found in small local business and the BG Food Cartel.

• The condition of sidewalks was the top concern for participants. This issue was registered more frequently by persons of color than the other respondents. Bike lane conditions are also a top concern among participants.

• Crossing major intersections on the Loop can be feel unsafe. The majority of respondents who took the surveys at Hall & Canyon and at Watson & Farmington said that crossings are “a little scary, I’m concerned cars won’t see me or the speed of the cars”. All persons of color who participated at these intersections registered this concern. A few other participants added comments about their negative experiences bicycling in the area and also feeling overwhelmed by the amount or speed of cars in the area.

Focus group participants confirmed the desire to design for lower vehicle speeds.

[photo credit: Metro]

24 Beaverton Downtown Loop | Complete Street Concept Plan

In early 2022, hundreds of community members and downtown stakeholders weighed in on the design elements and options for the Loop.

They listened into presentations of the design options, talked to the project team in focus groups and one-on-one conversations, attended the virtual open house, and completed an online questionnaire. Their input and feedback was synthesized and used to draft the preferred alternative for The Loop (refer also to Chapter 4 to see how Community Voices Shaped the Plan).

A diversity of opinions and insights were shared:

Highlights from the Focus Group for People with Disabilities Sidewalk Width Preferences: 12-foot sidewalks are not enough. Participants encouraged the team to think 50 years out, and plan for more community gathering options while ensuring safe passage. They were encouraged by seeing more benches and places for people to rest and enjoy the views of sidewalk activity and shops, but they cautioned the team to get the details right. There needs to be consistency in location of furnishings and other sidewalk elements to aid navigation for people with visual impairments.

Clear Drop Off Zones: Designs need to strive to keep signs, poles, planters, everything in the same general area along the length of The Loop. And there is a need for adequate spacing between trees/landscaping and furnishings to accommodate people being dropped off.

Safety Around People Driving: Focus group participants confirmed the desire to design for lower vehicle speeds. And they highlighted the need for special attention to details at intersections – standardized height and location of walk signal buttons, curb ramps that keep pedestrians out of car travel lanes, and encouraging slower speeds for cars turning into and across crosswalks.

Bus Stops: For people with visual impairment, traffic noise (car and bicycle) can make listening for the bus very difficult. Getting people waiting for the bus closer to the bus door zone or installing auditory signals will help. Participants also pointed out that there are many places on The Loop where sight lines of the approaching bus can be difficult. They encouraged setting up temporary installments to test options (set up in a parking lot or similar). Invite TriMet, para transit operators, people riding bikes, and people with different abilities to try it out and observe what works and doesn’t work.

People with disabilities shared their experiences and interests for sidewalk designs with the Project Team.

Testing Design Options

Highlights from the Online Questionnaire More than three hundred community members weighed in on the options via a short online questionnaire, administered in English, Spanish and Korean languages (paper copies were also made available at the Library and City Hall).

Participants were asked to identify their interests in the Loop, whether they had disabilities, and other demographic information. It should be noted that this activity was conducted on an honor basis with IP address as the only limiter - it is not a statistically valid survey. Results have been used to question and confirm the other qualitative feedback received in more dynamic interactions and participation methods.

• Different people in different circumstances favored one option or the other - many people who drive downtown preferred the option with parking and many people who walk said they’d be willing to give up a little on-street parking for wider sidewalks.

Some liked all options, and some didn’t like any.

• For each design option about 50-60% of respondents provided some reasoning as to whether they did or did not support the approach.

This support and opposition largely rested on one’s view of on-street parking, with a strong preference to maximize and/or add more parking in downtown.

Note: nearly 90% of survey takers reported coming downtown by car, 60% walk in downtown, and 20% ride bicycles in downtown.

• People of Color, who represented about 20% of survey respondents, noted support for the prioritization of people walking and that the wider sidewalks are supportive of businesses.