• Hood River Middle School Demonstration Project

     

    What?

    From August to October, the streets of 17th, May and 18th will be receiving a temporary facelift to enable and encourage students and families to walk or roll to Hood River Middle School.

    When?

    Mid-August to October 31, 2023

    Where?

    The Safe Routes to School project will take place on the following streets:

    • 17th Street from Sherman Avenue to May Street

    • May Street from 17th to 18th Streets

    • 18th Street from May Street to Belmont Drive

    Project Details

    This Safe Routes to School project will temporarily rearrange sections of the 40-foot wide roadways along 17th, May and 18th Streets to demonstrate a 9-foot wide protected, 2-way shared use pathway and bikeway from Belmont to Sherman Avenues. To accommodate this pathway and bikeway, drive lanes will be narrowed, and parking will be prohibited on the east side of 18th and 17th streets during the duration of the project. The City will also be installing a temporary stop sign on eastbound May Street at 17th Street, making this intersection an all-way stop.

    Who?

    The City of Hood River and the Hood River County School District have partnered together with the Portland State University(PSU) Better Blocks program, Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) and Anson’s Bike Buddies to develop a 3-month pilot program to demonstrate a safer active transportation network for students of Hood River Middle School. 

    Why?

    The main goal of this Safe Routes to School project is to improve safety for and awareness of students who walk, ride, or roll their way to school, and encourage more students to participate in active transportation to and from school. All of these improvements are being temporarily installed to give the community a chance to experience these new transportation options and to provide the City constructive feedback before the City  plans for or invests in future right of way improvements.

    Survey

    Caregivers and students are encouraged to fill out the City’s pre-installation survey here.

    History of the Project

    In 2022, the project began with PSU planning and engineering students observing Middle School students’ behavior and safety issues. Simultaneously, the City was undergoing the ODOT Safe Routes to School planning grant which included safety walk audits and parent surveys of barriers to walking and biking to school. During this process, the community prioritized the streets and intersections of 17th, May, and 18th for infrastructure improvements. In January 2023, an afterschool program of 5th to 8th graders called the 80s Walk & Roll Club was launched.  These students led the demonstration project planning which included a community outreach process.  The students successfully  engaged 100% of the neighbors along the project corridor and received a mix of thumbs up and enthusiastic support from everyone.

    Contact

    For more info or questions, contact Megan Ramey, Safe Routes to School Manager for the Hood River County School District at megan.ramey@hoodriver.k12.or.us.