Springwater Corridor Explained

The Springwater Corridor Trail is a bicycle and pedestrian rail trail in the Portland metropolitan area in Oregon, United States. It follows a former railway line from Boring through Gresham to Portland, where it ends south of the Eastbank Esplanade. Most of the corridor, about 21miles long, consists of paved, off-street trail, though about 1miles overlaps city streets in Portland's Sellwood neighborhood. A large segment roughly follows the course of Johnson Creek and crosses it on bridges many times. Much of the corridor was acquired by the City of Portland in 1990; remaining segments were acquired by Metro thereafter.[1]

The trail is part of the Portland area's 40-Mile Loop trail system.[2] It connects to many adjacent or nearby parks, including Tideman Johnson Natural Area, Powell Butte, and others.

History

The Springwater Division rail line was named for a planned connection to Springwater, Oregon.[3] [4]

The Portland Traction Company operated rail service from Portland to Boring from 1903 until 1989. Passenger service peaked in 1906 and ended in 1958. Oaks Amusement Park—and five other city parks—were built to encourage weekend passenger traffic. Freight trains brought farm produce into Portland.[5]

When the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) began a project to widen Oregon Highway 99E, a new, expensive overpass was required for the rail line. Citing low traffic volumes, construction was refused and the line was put up for sale. This was of great interest to the 40-Mile Loop Trust, a conservation effort formed in 1981[4] to build a trail around Portland connecting its many parks. Planned since 1904, it had made little progress. The Trust proved effective at getting many key governmental agencies to work with each other. Its representatives called upon the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, co-owners of the abandoned line, to transfer the land to the Trust. This matter was subject of a battle between on-line railroad shippers and Metro. However, by 1990, the deal was completed, and represented a significant step in the completion of the Loop.[6] [7] [8]

During master planning in 1991 for conversion, the projected use of the corridor was 400,000 people annually, distributed as 56% bicycling, 36% walking, 9% jogging, and 3% equestrian. By 2003, usage was expected to exceed one million users per year.[9] Prior to paving, much of the trail was suitable for mountain biking.[10]

In 1993, Metro completed studies to construct a "South/North" line from Vancouver, WA to Clackamas town via the Springwater Corridor.[11] A 1994 bond measure only partially funded the project and state funding was overturned by the Oregon supreme court. As a result, the plans for light rail along the portion of Springwater from Milwaukie to Clackamas were abandoned.

Construction of the east - west segment of the trail between Oregon Highway 99E and Gresham was completed in 1996. An additional mile east of Gresham was built in 2000. In 2005, a 3miles north - south "Springwater on the Willamette" segment opened between central Portland and the Sellwood Bridge along the Willamette River. Unlike the other sections of the trail, the rail line remained, separated by a fence. The line is currently operated by the Oregon Pacific Railroad.

In 2003, Portland was one of 25 cities that received a $200,000 grant from Active Living by Design to promote urban planning that encourages physical activity. Some of the money was allocated to a Lents Station interpretive trailhead along the Springwater Corridor.[12] The last significant section of the trail was completed ahead of schedule in summer 2006, when the construction of three new bridges over Johnson Creek, Oregon Highway 99E and a railroad line, allowing users to cross them without having to detour and mix with traffic on busy streets.[13]

In 2006, the City of Portland rejected a development proposal for a property that did not include an easement for a greenway along the Willamette River, and would have prevented completion of a planned connection between the Springwater Trail and the Eastbank Esplanade.[14] The easement requirement was upheld by the Oregon Court of Appeals on February 13, 2008.[15]

As of 2012, a one-mile gap in the Sellwood area remains, but there were plans to reduce it.[16] [17] This segment was one of the parks and trails recommended for funding by a Metro advisory panel in 2001.[18]

In 2013, paving was completed on a 2.25miles stretch from Rugg Road to Boring Station Trailhead Park.[19] There is a proposal to continue this trail to connect the 40-Mile Loop to the Pacific Crest Trail via the Cazadero Trail.[20]

Homeless encampments

The large homeless encampments along the corridor have led to controversy. In an article published in early 2016 by Bike Portland, aggression by campers toward bicyclists using the trail increased between 2011 and 2016.[21] Cyclists—citing verbal threats, broken glass on the trail, trash in the adjacent greenery, human feces, and signs of illegal drug use—expressed concerns for their personal safety.[21] Bike Portland discussed the communication between one of its readers and a police officer. According to the officer, a brief filed in August 2015 by a district court judge in Idaho (1:09-cv-540-REB) has influenced policing decisions about encampments, and resources devoted to livability issues are limited. The Bike Portland discussion summarized the police position that "enforcing certain laws on people who live outside, when there is not adequate indoor housing available, would be unconstitutional". In September 2016 the City of Portland moved about 100 transients from encampments along a 14miles stretch of the corridor in the southeast part of the city.[22] [23] Despite protests by the campers, the removal went "relatively smoothly though many campers said they had no other place to go and it remained unclear what impact the sweep had on the city’s overall issue of homelessness."[22] As of 2015, the total number of homeless in Multnomah County, including Portland, was estimated at 4,000, including about 1,800 who generally slept outside.[24]

Locations

LocationCoordinates[25] Trail location[26] Elevation[27]
mikmftm
S.E. Fourth Ave. and S.E. Ivon St. trailhead 45.5039°N -122.6619°W 0disp=tableNaNdisp=table 51disp=tableNaNdisp=table
S.E. Umatilla St. (temporary trail end)45.463°N -122.6606°W 3.1disp=tableNaNdisp=table 70disp=tableNaNdisp=table
S.E. 19th Ave. and Ochoco St. (trail resumes)45.4587°N -122.6449°W 4.2disp=tableNaNdisp=table 73disp=tableNaNdisp=table
45.4632°N -122.6239°W 5.1disp=tableNaNdisp=table 103disp=tableNaNdisp=table
45.4723°N -122.5662°W 8.7disp=tableNaNdisp=table 206disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Linneman Station 45.4873°N -122.4753°W 13.4disp=tableNaNdisp=table 266disp=tableNaNdisp=table
S.E. 267th Ave. and S.E. Rugg Rd. trail access 45.4604°N -122.3883°W 18.9disp=tableNaNdisp=table 427disp=tableNaNdisp=table
Boring (paved in 2013) 45.4319°N -122.3753°W 21disp=tableNaNdisp=table 517disp=tableNaNdisp=table

See also

External links

45.4762°N -122.5568°W

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Springwater Corridor. Portland Parks & Recreation. July 27, 2012.
  2. News: Running on Trails, Not the Mean Streets. Bonnie. Tsui. October 22, 2004. New York Times. July 27, 2012.
  3. Web site: Springwater Corridor Map. Portland Parks & Recreation. July 27, 2012.
  4. Encyclopedia: Cohen. Scott. Springwater Corridor. Oregon Encyclopedia. Portland State University. July 27, 2012.
  5. Web site: Springwater Corridor, SE Ivon St to Boring, Oregon . Portland Parks & Recreation . July 13, 2009.
  6. Book: Greenways for America . Charles E. Little . 1990 . JHU Press . 0-8018-5140-8 . 76–80 . May 30, 2008.
  7. News: On Springwater's Open Road, There's Lots to See . Stuart . Tomlinson . August 26, 2007 . The Oregonian.
  8. Web site: Foster Auto Parts v. City of Portland, 15 P.3d 573 (Or. App., 1998) . December 6, 2000 . May 31, 2008.
  9. Web site: Case Study No. 32, Portland, Oregon . PEDSAFE, Trail Intersection Improvements . George M. Hudson, Landscape Architect, former City of Portland Park Planner, Trail Program Manager . Federal Highway Administration . July 13, 2009.
  10. News: Mountain Biking in Portland . Mike . Norris . May 14, 2002 . Daily Vanguard.
  11. News: Leeson . Fred . Planners narrowing options for north–south light-rail line . The Oregonian . February 13, 1994.
  12. News: Portland Receives Funds to Design for Active Living . Aimee . Curl . Daily Journal of Commerce. April 12, 2003.
  13. News: Getting Close to Closure . Anna . Johns . . April 18, 2006. May 4, 2013.
  14. News: War Path: Property Owner Kicks up Stink over Public Trail . Amy . Jenniges . June 29, 2006 . The Portland Mercury. July 27, 2012.
  15. Web site: Ruling Clears Way for Riverfront Link . Steve . Law . March 18, 2008 . 2014-10-23 . Portland Tribune.
  16. Web site: Sellwood Gap Shrinks with Help from Voter-Approved Natural Areas Program. Metro Regional Government. 2012. July 27, 2012.
  17. Web site: Metro Closes More Than Half of the Sellwood Gap, Allowing the Springwater Corridor to Expand in Southeast Portland . Metro Regional Government. September 23, 2010. July 27, 2012.
  18. News: 15 Local Sites Suggested for New Parks . Jeremy . Vesbach . Daily Journal of Commerce . December 11, 2001.
  19. Web site: Springwater Corridor Trail . July 20, 2018.
  20. Web site: 40-Mile Loop map . 40-Mile Loop Land Trust . July 20, 2018 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160325021957/http://40mileloop.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/40mi-Loop_FINAL-for-Print_Page_1.jpg . March 25, 2016.
  21. Web site: Springwater Path Users Feel Threatened by Campers; Police Say Their Hands Are Tied . Maus. Jonathan . Bike Portland . January 14, 2016 . May 9, 2016.
  22. News: Images, Events That Dominated the News. The Oregonian. December 28, 2016. A-10. subscription . February 17, 2017. NewsBank.
  23. Web site: Springwater sweep: City moves homeless campers off popular Portland trail (updates). Hernandez. Tony. 2016-09-02. oregonlive. en. 2019-11-08.
  24. Totten. Michael J.. Portland's Homeless Challenge. Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Winter 2016. City Journal. February 17, 2017.
  25. Geolocated with Google Earth
  26. Book: Moore, Jim. 75 Classic Rides Oregon: The Best Road Biking Routes. The Mountaineers Books. Seattle. 2012. 98 - 101. 978-1-59485-650-1.
  27. Derived from Google Earth