Board adopts Safer Sandy Boulevard concept design, secures federal funding for design work

The Multnomah County Board adopted the Safer Sandy Boulevard corridor concept design on July 2, endorsing a plan to bring the roadway up to contemporary standards with sidewalks, separated bike facilities, ADA ramps, lighting and improved bus stop access.

Project scope and timeline: Transportation staff described the corridor planning process and a preferred design that includes multiuse paths, protected bike lanes and sidewalk infill for the county‑jurisdiction section of Sandy Boulevard. ‘‘This project really aims to bring Sandy to current standards to make it more bike friendly, walking, driving, and access to transit,’’ said project manager Arini Farrell.

Engagement and funding: Staff said they conducted three rounds of community outreach, mailed 9,000 notices within a half‑mile radius of the corridor, and enrolled roughly 500 residents as project subscribers. The presentation identified about $6.5 million for design and construction and noted $850,000 in congressional funding from Representative Maxine Dexter to help advance engineering.

Next steps: The project will move into 30/60/90% engineering design and the team will pursue construction funding for staged implementation, initially prioritizing a segment for summer 2028–2029 construction. Staff said the plan was developed in coordination with the cities of Fairview and Gresham and TriMet.

Attribution: Project manager Arini Farrell and interim county engineer Lance Calvert presented the corridor plan and answered commissioners’ questions at the July 2 meeting.