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Our Kinnaman Road improvements are designed to tie into the 209th Avenue Project.

The amount of right-of-way we would need to acquire to add separated sidewalks on both sides of the street would have large impacts on some property owners.

We considered this location, however our traffic analysis and coordination with the school found that 205th Avenue and Stoddard Street would be the best place for a crosswalk with a flashing beacon.

The County budget for sidewalk projects is limited. The approved $1.3 million budget for this project provides enough funds for the construction of a sidewalk on only one side of Filbert Street.

The project was selected for funding based on public input and the need for a safe pedestrian route on Filbert Street, between Saltzman Road and Murray Boulevard.

A protected pedestrian crossing in the area was first suggested by a community member as a Pedestrian and Biking Improvement Project candidate. The Urban Road Maintenance District Advisory Committee (URMDAC) reviews the candidates for funding every other year. They approved funding for this project and 11 others in August 2021 after a public comment period. URMDAC then recommended the projects to the Board of County Commissioners. The Board approved them in October 2021.

Pedestrian-count data was collected at the intersection before URMDAC considered the project. The data showed that similar levels of bicyclists and pedestrians cross Garden Home Road at 82nd, 83rd and 84th avenues. This information helped us develop our strategy for upgrading this crossing.

Cyclists use 84th Avenue as the neighborhood bikeway, as it has lower speeds and traffic volumes. A crossing at 84th Avenue will create a direct connection for those accessing the Fanno Creek Trail and Garden Home Park. Fewer people will use the park trails for transportation, making them more inviting for recreational users.

Garden Home Road is an arterial road, meaning that it is high capacity and designed to carry traffic longer distances. This classification limits our options.

An RRFB crossing is the best option given safety and location factors. The traffic analysis recommended an RRFB crossing as the safest option.

Homes in the vicinity of this project on Filbert Street were built by private builders in the 1950s and 1960s. Sidewalks were not a requirement at that time.

This project has been included in the city of Hillsboro’s Transportation System Plan (TSP) since 1999. It is one of four projects selected to increase access to jobs in the north part of the city and housing to the south:

• Complete the Century Boulevard (formerly 231st Avenue) corridor
• Widen Cornelius Pass Road
• Complete Brookwood Parkway/Shute Road corridor
• Enhance access to US 26 via Jackson School Road. 

Traffic models show that 185th Avenue, Cornelius Pass Road and Brookwood Parkway are not enough to meet future travel demands of the area. 

Century Boulevard is funded through the Major Streets Transportation Improvement Program (MSTIP 3e).

Public feedback was collected during phase of project selection and design:

• City of Hillsboro Transportation System Plan
• City of Hillsboro Comprehensive Plan Development 
• Major Streets Transportation Improvement Plan
• Project design open houses

The impacts to the park entrance are being coordinated with the City of Hillsboro Parks & Recreation Department. A Rapid Flashing Beacon will be installed at Borwick Street.

We are not planning a painted crosswalk at Murray Boulevard.

We are working with Clean Water Services to see if their project can be installed at the same time, or if their project will happen later. We will have more information about this at the second open house.

This project’s scope and budget are limited to adding a sidewalk, so bike lanes are not included.

Our consultants completed an extensive crossing assessment, which found there is enough sight distance for drivers to stop safely. Though there is a dip in the road, the assessment showed that drivers would have about 300 feet of stopping distance from both crests in the road to the crossing. This distance is appropriate based on the actual speeds driven versus the posted speed limit.

The design provides a crossing that is visible and safe for users and vehicles that are traveling on Garden Home Road.

In addition, we are installing high-visibility warning signs alerting drivers to the crossing ahead and urging them to slow down. We will trim vegetation around the crossing and signs to make sure there are no obstructions. This work can take place before construction begins.

The Rectangular Rapid Flashing Beacon (RRFB) will provide the most improvement. It will improve visibility by flashing when activated by a user. Both the RRFB and high-visibility crosswalk markings will alert drivers to people in the crosswalk.

Pedestrian safety will be improved by providing a safe path for pedestrians to walk off of the roadway with vehicles. Regarding building other features or modifying the roadway, that is beyond the scope and budget of this sidewalk project. Please find information on traffic calming solutions for local roads and neighborhood routes on our Traffic Engineering webpage.

After survey and preliminary design, staff will develop design details for needed easements or dedications. These details and are then provided to County Right-of-Way staff, who will reach out to impacted property owners.

For a project with adequate existing right-of-way or few ground topography issues, project easements may be minimal. However, other projects may have more needs. Often during construction, temporary access on a small section of the project may be required during construction (such as tying in a driveway thru a sidewalk to the roadway, filling a ditch line, installing storm pipe, removing a tree, etc.).

Property owners are offered just compensation through the Right-of-Way staff acquisition process for easements (permanent or temporary).

After survey and preliminary design, staff will develop design details for needed easements or dedications. These details and are then provided to County Right-of-Way staff, who will reach out to impacted property owners.

For a project with adequate existing right-of-way or few ground topography issues, project easements may be minimal. However, other projects may have more needs. Often during construction, temporary access on a small section of the project may be required during construction (such as tying in a driveway thru a sidewalk to the roadway, filling a ditch line, installing storm pipe, removing a tree, etc.).

Property owners are offered just compensation through the Right-of-Way staff acquisition process for easements (permanent or temporary).

The TSP does not call for any additional lanes, however dedicated turn lanes could be added at signalized intersections if needed to improve traffic flow.

See Hillsboro’s TSP Update.

The Orenco Townsite Area falls within the Orenco Station Community Planning Area which has community-specific development regulations and design standards that were developed with involvement of community members. The purpose of the regulations and standards is to conserve the historical and cultural significance of the area of the original community of Orenco preserving and restoring the plat plan and site layout of the original 1908 community and its 1911 addition.

For more information, contact Hillsboro’s Planning Department at 503-681-6153.

The noise analysis assessed noise impacts during the peak commute hours. Using ODOT noise abatement criteria which is based on FHWA criteria, building sound walls along the road would have a limited benefit are not cost-effective, therefore are not recommended.